Chapter 16
Naia
I had been pacing the cave since I woke up. I couldn't decide whether to leave or stay. I felt like it was the hardest decision I had ever made. How could that be? I had been in worse situations than this.
I knew I sounded like a crazy person talking to myself out loud, but I couldn't do otherwise. I had this inexplicable need to weigh my words and this decision carefully. It's like my heart knew I couldn't just walk away. Arrrgh! That was annoying me!
“Is everything okay?" said Dylan behind me in a sleepy voice.
I was startled. He had caught me unaware, in the middle of thinking.
“Oh yes, I was thinking,” I answered.
“Of what?”
“Uh... to the next stage of the quest,” I lied.
There was no way I was going to tell him about my dilemma. Especially as he was partly concerned.
“Last time we found a tear of water. By that logic, we should find something related to the island," I continued as he sat up.
“Yes, but apart from the freezing wind, we didn't get anything. Last time it was water related.”
“Um, it was night.”
“And so?”
“There was no sun, maybe that's why,” I replied.
“And now that the sun has risen?”
“We have to expect anything," I added.
He nodded, and went off to gather his things. When we were ready we went out of the cave and were attacked by the heat of the day. The sun beat down hard on our skin, burning us. We moved backwards into the shadow of the cave.
“Another point for you," Dylan said.
“How are we going to find the others? To get to the boat?” I started to panic.
I didn't like this at all. I hated being stuck somewhere. All my life I had always had a fallback to get where I wanted to go, and now I was being cornered. I just couldn't.
“Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay. We'll just wait for the sun to go down and...”
“You forget that when the sun is gone, it's infernally cold," I retorted.
“Well, we need to cover ourselves," Dylan replied in a calm voice, to appease me.
“With what, Mr. Detective?”
“We'll figure it out," he said.
And he began to search around. When he found nothing, he went to the entrance of the cave.
“What are you doing?" I exclaimed to stop him.
“Don't worry, I have an idea," he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you trust me?”
“No.”
“No problem, I'll go anyway.”
Then he went out. He started to run and a few seconds later I couldn't see him. All I could do was wait. It was bad enough that I was stuck in this cave, but not seeing him come back made me more and more anxious. What if he had fallen? What if the sun had burned him more intensely? It had been a long time since he left and I didn't see him come back. I hated this feeling of anxiety that was taking over me. I shouldn't care about Dylan's fate and yet...I couldn't help it. I didn't want to find him dead.
Suddenly I heard footsteps and my heart began to beat normally. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw his beautiful blue eyes. I had been worried sick. Then I saw what was wrong. His skin was blistered, the sun having burned him intensely.
“Oh my god Dylan," I exclaimed.
“It's nothing," he answered breathlessly.
It was no small thing. He must have been in agony. His skin was red, blood oozing from some of the wounds. It was not a pretty sight. But I said nothing. What could I say that he didn't already know?
“Here, I managed to find this,” he said after a while.
And he handed me a pile of leaves, probably taken from a tree not far from here. With a nod, I thanked him. He had risked his life to bring us this.
“Cover your head and arms well, like this," he said, helping me to put the sheets over my body.
Then I did the same for him. The foliage was large enough to easily encompass us. Let's just hope it would protect us enough. And out of the cave we went, facing the heat and our anxieties.
Chapter 17
Dylan
The leaves I had found allowed us to get out without getting burned, but did nothing to counter the heat. I had never felt such a high temperature. It was not human, not normal. Like our water asphyxiation on Swan Island. Which could only mean one thing: we were close to our goal.
As we walked along, I tried to understand Naia. She had panicked at the thought of being locked in the cave, at the thought of me going outside to brave the danger. Part of her must have cared a little about me, and at that thought, my heart swelled with joy. It was always nice to know that a pretty girl cared about me. But I still had a hard time getting to know her. I didn't know her story, and I had a hunch that her past was important to who she was. That she had experienced things that had shaped her character, her protective barriers. And that everything had to do with HE.
“Ah," I heard her yell in front of me.
I rushed to meet her, being too lost in my thoughts to see that she had made any progress. Once I reached her, I took her arm and turned her towards me to inspect her.
“What? What's up?”
“Something blinded me, I was surprised, that's all," she said, putting her hand on mine which was holding her arm.
I felt a tingling sensation where she touched me, but I didn't remove my palm. No, I wanted to prolong the contact. Don't ask me why, I couldn't tell you. Anyway, every time Naia was near me, I reacted strangely, as if she had some kind of hold on me.
“What thing?" I asked.
“I don't know, but it came from there," she said, pointing straight ahead.
Then she let go of me and hurried in the direction she indicated. Breathless, I followed her to a cliff.
“There, look," she cried. “There's something in the rock.”
Indeed, an object was embedded in the rock. It glittered with a thousand lights. Naia bent down as if to pick it up, but I stopped her.
“No," I shouted. “Imagine it burns you.”
“It's better for you if it's me, you're already completely burned," she replied.
She was right, I knew it well. But my gentlemanly side couldn't accept it.
“Precisely,” I conclude by bringing my hand close to the object.
Surprisingly, it was easy to recover. It didn't burn. I grabbed it and it dislodged itself from its rock prison in record time.
“Are you okay?" said Naia.
I nodded my head to let him know that all was well.
“Then let's go home," she said.
I could only agree with her. I couldn't stand the heat, which was sticking my clothes to my skin. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, to leave all these memories behind. At least we were making progress on our ultimate goal to find the sea treasure. This gave me a boost and helped me keep going until we reached the ship.
Chapter 18
Naia
Exhausted and tired, we managed to reach the ship and the crew. Everyone had taken refuge in the holds to avoid the heat. We found Ondine and the rest of the crew who had accompanied us to the valley of the sun. They were covered in burns, like us. But fortunately, there were no fatalities. Kevin, the crew doctor; well, he wasn't really a doctor, more of a healer; came to take care of us. I pushed Dylan toward him so Kevin could treat his wounds. The captain needed it more than I did. I'd managed to protect myself well with the leaves and only had blisters on my legs and hands.
“Ondine, if it's possible, I'd like to put as much distance as possible between here and there," said the captain in a tired voice.
“Aye, aye, Captain. Oars, you're on. Sail on the south," replied her mate.
A group of men rushed to another room to carry out Ondine's order. The room gradually emptied after that, the crew resuming their daily tasks. Ondine waited a few moments for the ship to get some distance before returning to her helm. Then, only Kevin, the captain and myself were left.
The doctor took out an ointment and carefully applied it to Dylan's skin.
“What is it?" I asked the healer.
“Aloe vera, which helps to reduce the pain caused by burns and allows better healing.”
“Oh wow!”
“Captain, you've been badly injured. You'll have to come back to see me so I can reapply it," continued Kevin. “In the meantime, keep this on you. Wait a day before you can wash yourself, the time the aloe takes effect.”
He put aloe vera-coated bandages around his wounds. It couldn't have been pleasant, since Dylan couldn't stop clenching his teeth. At the same time, his whole body must have hurt.
“Your turn, ma'am," Kevin said to me as soon as he had finished with the captain.
Then he did the same for me. As he rubbed the aloe vera on me, I felt my skin tingle and react to the product. Oh yes, it was painful. Then, little by little, the pain stopped. The ointment was cold against my wounds. It was quite pleasant and soothing.
“You were less affected, ma'am, but you should still come back and report in a few days," said the doctor.
“Very well. And call me Naia, please.”
The latter nodded.
“And remember to rest too, it's important for recovery," he added before we left the infirmary.
“Thank you, Kevin," I replied sincerely.
We left Kevin and headed back to our respective cabins. Before entering the one I shared with Ondine, I looked back at Dylan.
“Thank you," I said.
“You're welcome," he answered back.
I thanked him not only for risking his life to save us, but also for everything else: for taking me in on his ship, for making me a member of the crew, and most of all, for protecting me from outside dangers. I was capable of defending myself on my own, but I appreciated having the extra protection. Besides, it was in his nature to look out for everyone, including me. And I thanked him for that too.
Then I entered the cabin and collapsed on the bed, falling instantly into the arms of Morpheus.
Chapter 19
Dylan
I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep. Holding the stone that Naia and I had retrieved from the Valley of the Sun in our hands, I admired the ceiling of my cabin. I had studied the object from every angle and concluded two things. The first was that it only sparkled in daylight. The second was that it was magical, just like the water tear. I could feel that it was the same kind of magic, that they were connected even though I hadn't put them side by side yet. But it would be soon. I just wanted to rest a bit first, and then I needed to heal as well. I could barely walk with my burnt legs.
And that wasn't all. I couldn't stop thinking about Naia and that made me angry. However, she was a mystery and like any mystery, I wanted to find out who she really was, what she was hiding. Because I knew deep down that her secret(s) were of immense importance. And I was going to solve this enigma, just as I was going to find the treasure of the Bermuda triangle. And then live to tell about it, because that was my destiny. It always had been. Even if my father had doubted it.
No, stop! I wasn't supposed to think about him. Every time he intruded on my thoughts, it ended badly. He was dead. He was gone from my life for good, I didn't have to think about him.
Instead, I started thinking about Naia again. Arrrgh! It was an infernal circle.
I put the stone on my bedside table and stood up. It hurt, but at least it would clear my head to walk on my ship. It was the only thing I had taken from my father. But I had earned it honestly. Yes, you will say that a pirate was never honest. But we do the best we can.
I opened the door of my cabin and went to the helm. Nicholas was in his place, steering the boat as it should be. He was taking over for us at night, so that my second in command and I could sleep properly. He nodded at me. I nodded back to him and continued my journey to the bridge. I loved to come and watch the stars from the deck. Leaning on my ship, leaning out to sea and looking up at the sky. It was so soothing, as if I were being rocked by the waves.
I breathed deeply, smelling the sea air. I loved the smell. It was everything I had ever known. It reminded me of who I was and who I wanted to be. And especially who I ABSOLUTELY did not want to become.
I decided to continue my march. My men worked in silence, pulling the ropes, rowing in the holds. I had never doubted them, their work. I had complete confidence in them, just as they had confidence in me. They were my crew, my family. I greeted them one by one as soon as I passed them. Then I would stop at the bow, just above the angel who protected our ship. This was a common belief among pirates. We liked to believe in superstitions that a third person was protecting us from the dangers of the sea.
I liked coming there, especially to clear my head. Besides, I was the only one who knew the hidden location near the angel. The location that treasured the name of this ship. Even my men didn't know, because I never told them who my father was. Part of me wanted to keep it well hidden, for I knew they would either feel sorry for me or envious. And those were not feelings I wanted to perceive.
I ran my hand over the angel's head and felt the lines left on the knives by my father. They formed three words that were well known in the world of piracy. Three words that resonated deep within me: Queen Anne's Revenge.
Chapter 20
Naia
I had woken up quite late, the side where Ondine slept was undone and empty. She usually woke me up to have breakfast together, then started the morning explaining a few things about the boat. But today she had let me sleep. Maybe she tried to wake me up but I was too tired to hear her. Or maybe she'd let me rest so I could recover from my injuries, which were much better thanks to Kevin's ointment. It was absolutely miraculous, in fact. My wounds had not completely healed, however, I was pain free. Except when I touched them, which I was going to avoid doing, of course.
I got up and got dressed. It was time for me to start working. Or else Dylan would get upset. I hurried and ran to the bridge as fast as I could. Once I got to my station, I didn't see the captain anywhere. That was strange! He was always there before everyone else, as if he was getting up at dawn. I had noticed that he preferred to take the helm in the morning and leave it to Ondine in the afternoon while he went about other things like reading his map or helping his men. This morning, however, he was nowhere in sight. The young blonde woman was at the helm in his place.
I wasn't worried, no, but I could sense that something was wrong. Usually my gift for seeing the future didn't work like that. First of all, because I could see the future and not the present, and mostly because I had to touch something related to the vision I was going to perceive. It was complicated, I had to admit. Maybe that's why I didn't have many.
So, following my instincts, I headed for the captain's cabin. The closer I got to my destination, the more nervous I became. Why was I nervous? Was it because I felt that something was wrong? I kept fidgeting with my hands, but nothing helped. When I got to the door, I took a long breath to calm myself and knocked. After I heard a thump, I walked in to find Dylan, half asleep, half waking up. He was quite cute, curled up in his duvet.
“What time is it?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
“A little after 11:00 a.m.,” I answered him.
“What? But you should have woken me up before!”
He stood up suddenly, as if in a hurry. But he had done so too quickly and fell back onto his bed, holding his head.
“Hey, there's no rush. Besides, don't worry, Ondine's got the deck covered. The men are working as they should, so relax. I'd like to point out that you needed some rest, to heal all those wounds. You really need to learn to take it easy.”
He looked into my eyes and what I saw there took my breath away. He looked at me intensely, as if he wanted to know everything about me.
“You're right," he whispered so low that I almost didn't hear.
“I'm sorry, what? Can you repeat that?”
“No, you heard me right. And if not, too bad for you.”
I was laughing. Finally I had found the real Dylan. The one who used to provoke me all the time.
“Well, let's get down to business. I gotta get dressed and get to work. I mean, we have to figure out this map somehow, right?”
“Absolutely!" I replied. “Well, I'll see you on the bridge then?”
I was starting to leave when I heard his voice calling me.
“Naia," he said in a soft, slightly shy voice.
“Yes?" I turned to him suddenly.
“I need a small favor. Can you put some ointment on my back? I can't reach that area.”
“Oh yeah, no problem.”
I walked over to him and sat beside him on the bed. His bed. I was suddenly very aware of his proximity. There was a warmth in his body which made me shiver. I took the ointment and poured it on my hand. Once I signaled that I was ready, he took off his shirt and I could see his back. I hiccupped in surprise. Not because he was muscular or his back was beautiful, but because he had scars all over him, in addition to all the burns he had acquired. I cut my thoughts short and applied the ointment to his skin. From the first touch I could not forget the feel of his skin on mine. My heart began to beat faster. My hand tingled every time I applied the ointment. Did he feel that too? Or was it just me getting weird?
I didn't know how much time had passed, but after a while I withdrew my hand. His back was filled with ointment. As soon as I removed my palm, a cold chill came over me. Yet it was warm on the ship.
“Thank you," I heard Dylan's (grating?) voice.
I could not speak. I had so many feelings at that moment that I could not utter a word. So I left, my head full of thoughts, each more far-fetched than the last. What had just happened? Did I really want to know? I couldn't calm down until I was away from the cabin, which meant away from Dylan. What did that mean?
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