Chapter 21
Dylan
I couldn't calm my heart. Naia had been gone for over half an hour, but I couldn't relax. Feeling her hands on my body had been an exquisite experience. They were so gentle, made me feel things I couldn't explain. I had never felt anything like it.
Every time Naia had placed her palms on my skin, I had felt a tingling all over my body. It stayed with me long after she left, and I couldn't forget the sensations she'd given me. I didn't know that just by touching a person, you could feel all that. And it made me want to do it again. To have her touch me like that again. Or the other way around. Let me be the one to touch her. I wanted to feel all the emotions I was feeling right now, again. I wanted her touch, her hands on me.
It was weird to think that. Did I feel desire for her? I thought for a moment, but I already had the answer. I'd known it since she'd put her soft palms on my body. It was yes. Still, it was crazy. She had only been on this boat for a few days, I couldn't have let my guard down that much. This wasn't like me. I didn't even know her.
There was only one possibility to this. I had gone mad. I, who distrusted everything and everyone, could not feel this way. Especially for a girl I didn't trust. Okay, she had already saved my life, but I knew she had a dark side, a secret big enough to upset everyone once I found out.
Well, it was decided. I wasn't going to let my emotions dictate my behavior. I was going to follow my plan, which was to decipher the map, find the treasure, and in the process, unearth Naia's dark secret. Then I would suffer the consequences afterwards. For there were always consequences. I just had to face them.
Chapter 22
Dylan
I was away from Naia, who had gone back to work. So I left Ondine at the helm and went to Morgan in the small kitchen so I could concentrate. I'd tried when I'd retrieved the map from the deck, but every time I did, my eyes would veer towards the long dark-haired girl, and I couldn't. I had a plan to keep. I had a plan to stick to. So I'd chosen to go to my best friend.
“Well, it's been a long time," said the latter.
“Yeah, sorry, I was pretty busy," I apologized.
“You know, you still owe me a favor.”
“I wish I had forgotten," I whispered to myself.
“Don't worry buddy, I would have reminded you," he said, giving me a friendly pat on the shoulder.
I sat at a table beside him while he prepared food for the evening. I laid the card and the sunstone side by side, thinking of a way to make them work together, like the water tear.
The stone was shaped like the sun. It had eight spikes, which surrounded a round evenly. It was domed on the front, with crystals that reflected the daylight passing through the wood of the ship. It was just beautiful. I was amazed every time I looked at it.
“How's the research going?" Morgan said.
“Not very well. I thought that putting the stone in the sun would reveal the next destination, like with the water tear, but it didn't work earlier.”
“Maybe you need both stones for it to work?”
“Maybe, but I don't feel like going to Naia right now.”
I regretted my words as soon as they left my mouth. I knew Morgan, he wasn't going to let go until his curiosity was satisfied.
“Oh, my God, did something happen between you two? I knew it. Tell me, tell me, tell me!”
“For one, nothing happened. I just want to be alone. Second, what do you mean you knew?" I said, mimicking quotation marks.
“First, I don't believe you," he said, copying my way of speaking. “Secondly, it's so obvious. You're the same, with a few exceptions. You're both stubborn, strong characters and it shows. You behave differently with her.”
“But absolutely not. There is nothing between us and there never will be.”
“I think you're just in denial, mate. And never say never," sneered the young man.
“I don't even trust her,” I replied.
“Well, trust is something you learn over time. Why don't you give her a chance?”
“She has a secret," I said.
“Everyone does, including you.”
That shut me up. He was right. I had my secrets, secrets that only he and Ondine knew, because they were my best friends and I trusted them. But I was first and foremost a pirate, and I loved to unearth treasures, to explore new horizons. And that's what Naia was to me, an enigma that I was going to solve.
Chapter 23
Naia
Dylan had been avoiding me for a few days. I'd see him. He'd glance at me sometimes, but that was as far as it went. Had I done something wrong? Could it be because of the moment I put the ointment on him? Maybe I had hurt him? I had been so wrapped up in the sensations he had given me that I hadn't paid attention.
Anyway, too bad for him if he didn't talk to me anymore. I wasn't going to force him either if he didn't want me around. I had Ondine, Morgan and Kevin by my side, and that was enough for me.
I had become very close to the doctor. First of all, because he was treating my wounds, which had finally healed. I was more than happy about it. And then, because I was so curious to know how he prepared all those ointments. They were mostly based on plants, found during expeditions. I was amazed by all the knowledge that Kevin had.
He was in the process of explaining to me that he was preparing a new mimosa-based recipe when Morgan arrived in the infirmary.
“Hi Kevin," said the latter with a huge smile. “Hi Naia!”
“Hi Morgan," I said as Kevin waved at her shyly, which wasn't like him.
Kevin was quite open. At the same time, with his job, he had to interact with everyone on the boat. And I had never seen him like that. Normally, he spoke with ease.
“Did you want anything in particular?”
“Yes, I wanted to see if you had any mint leaves left. I need them for a dish.”
I watched this exchange with a smile on my face. Morgan was looking at the doctor intently. I could see his desire to talk with him, no matter what the subject. He wanted to be near him, I could feel it from where I was. It was so sweet.
Morgan moved closer to Kevin, as if he wanted to be closer to him, as if he wanted to touch him. I should have left, let them have a moment together, but I was afraid to break the mood. So I stayed, silently watching their conversation.
“Oh yes, I must have some left. Wait, I'll take a look," said Kevin.
He rushed to his storeroom to get what Morgan had asked for. A minute or two later, he came out with a jar full of mint leaves.
“Here you go!”
“Thank you. Will you give me the whole jar?" asked Morgan, puzzled.
“Yeah, don't worry, we'll get it next time. Besides, I don't need it right now, so take it all.”
“Okay, well, thank you very much then. It means a lot to me. And I'll take your word for it, next time we'll go find some together.”
Then Morgan retrieved the jar and headed for the kitchen. Once they were both there, Kevin sighed.
“Do you like him?" I asked the young man, even though I already knew the answer.
“What? No, it's not like that.”
“In any case, he likes you.”
“Really?" he smiled, his eyes full of hope.
“Yes, really. Then you should go for it.”
“But are you sure?”
“Yes, I am. There are things that don't deceive and the way he looked at you meant everything," I said with conviction.
Anyway, I was going to do anything to make it work. One, because it would take my mind off it. And two, because they were just too cute and would make a great couple.
Chapter 24
Dylan
I had put my research on hold while I healed from my burns. During this time, I worked out my plan of approaching Naia, but nothing helped. Every time I felt ready to approach her, my heart would start to race again, and I would chicken out. So, since then, I have been avoiding her. Yes, it was childish, but I didn't know how else to do it. So I thought of another way to get what I wanted. And that was to ask Ondine for help. She was close to Naia. It was normal, after all they shared a cabin, but I had the impression that they got along really well.
And so my plan was to use this friendship to get the water tear. That's why I was walking towards the young woman with blonde hair who was holding the bar.
“Captain," she greeted me.
“Ondine. How is everything going?”
“Good, even if we don't have a course yet.”
“Yes, I'm working on it. Besides, I'll need you to ask Naia for the water tear so I can find out where we are going next," I said.
“Why don't you ask her directly?”
“Because she doesn't like me very much, while she likes you.”
“She would like you more if you were nicer to her," the young woman said.
“Yeah, well, for now it's like this. Can you ask her?”
“I will, but I'm not promising anything.”
“Thanks, that's all I wanted.”
Then I took the rudder from her. I wanted to sail a little, to feel my boat on the water. It soothed me, made me feel in control. And I loved that feeling. Then Ondine would have time to ask Naia for the stone. I was killing two birds with one stone, literally.
*
Naia
I was watching the sun set from the bow. It was the best place to do that. You could see everything: the sky turning color, the birds flying, the sea reflected in the sun. It was wonderful!
“I knew I'd find you here," said a voice behind me.
“Like every night,” I answered her.
Ondine came over and stood beside me to look at the sun.
“It's true that it's beautiful.”
I couldn't agree more. And to think that we were entitled to this show every night, well almost.
“Why did you choose to become a pirate,” I asked, curious.
“Because I was tired of living among hypocrites. I dreamed of being free, of knowing how to defend myself against the morons who think that women are inferior. So I left and followed my dreams.”
“And you did well. I envy you, you know, for being so strong,” I admitted to her. “Sometimes I think I'm strong, but then I remember that I've been running from a man who wants to hurt me all my life. I can't find the strength to face him, so I run away.”
“You're strong, too. You could have abandoned us a thousand times and you didn't. You chose to stay with us, to face all these dangers even though you don't share the same convictions as we do. Personally, I find that very brave.”
“Thank you, I'm glad you said that," I said.
“I told you, girls have each other's backs.”
“Absolutely.”
I smiled. Ondine was truly a golden friend, the likes of which I had never had. She understood me better than anyone, without even knowing my past. It was as if she didn't care, that she only cared about the person I was in the present.
“Can I ask you something?" she said, suddenly very serious.
“Yes, go ahead, ask me what you want.”
“The captain asked me to ask you for your water tear.”
“Oh, why doesn't he ask me himself?”
“I asked him about it, but he gave me a lame answer. To tell you the truth, I don't know.”
“He's been acting strange lately, avoiding me and I don't know why," I said.
“Maybe it's time the two of you had a conversation. Openly, instead of behaving like this," the young woman offered.
“Yeah, I know. We're acting like children. I noticed that, you know.”
“I'm glad you noticed," she began to laugh.
I joined in. It felt so good to laugh. I was lucky to have Ondine in my life. For all the times we spent together, laughing, talking, supporting each other. How had I managed to live a life without her? Without the people on this boat? They had all become dear to my heart, they were part of me now, like the family I had never had.
Chapter 25
Dylan
I was enraged. What do you mean, she'd said, "Why doesn't he ask me himself?" I couldn't believe she hadn't lent her damn water tear to Ondine. It just wasn't possible. That girl, she kept getting in the way of my plans. A real pain in the ass. I was so angry that I went to her cabin and entered without knocking.
“You could have at least knocked!” she grumbled. “Imagine I was in an indelicate situation!”
“Fuck it," I said, my anger exploding.
“Wow, you're not in a good mood. It's because I didn't lend you the water droplet, isn't it? No, but Dylan, you're kidding me," she said, seeing the answer on my face.
“Give it to me!”
“No way, not until you and I have a real conversation," she countered vehemently.
Arrrgh, she was getting on my nerves. I couldn't believe she would dare say that to me, dare to stand up to me. She really wanted me to explode with anger or something.
“Why have you been avoiding me for the past few days?" she asked, suddenly.
This took me by surprise, I must admit. I didn't expect it at all. Was she really worried about it?
“You could have just asked me for the tear straight away, I would have passed it to you. I just don't understand your behavior. Did I do something to upset you? That hurt you? Because the more I think about it, the more I say to myself that all this started when I applied the ointment to you, and... and... and actually, I don't understand," she rambled.
I was shocked. I was a fool for not seeing that she was suffering. I didn't want to hurt her by doing that. I was just a little jerk. And I felt terrible about it. At least it calmed my anger. However, the situation had increased her anger. And God, I thought she was pretty when she was pissed off.
“So why? I have a right to know," she shouted at me.
She came closer. Then she started beating my chest and asking me why. I let her. I deserved it after all. For causing her pain, for acting like an asshole. But unfortunately, I couldn't tell her the reason behind my behavior. Simply, because I couldn't explain it myself. I was just attracted to her every moment, and it wouldn't go away. Even here and now, I wanted her. I wanted to kiss her lips that were throwing insults at my face.
“You will answer me, yes," she shouted.
Then I did the only thing that would shut her up. I melted onto her lips and kissed her. I felt her stiffen at my touch but I didn't let go. Her mouth was soft, luscious and I ran my tongue around it. It tasted like strawberries, and I loved it. Suddenly she calmed down and responded to my embrace. I deepened the kiss, tasting her and reveling in her flavor. It was addictive! I couldn't stop. I wanted more and more. I wanted her. And my body was letting me know.
She let out a moan as I pressed my body against hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and placing my hands behind her luscious buttocks, I lifted her up. With force, I pinned her against the wall. She wrapped her slender legs around my pelvis. Oh fuck, how I loved that. I shouldn't, but it was an exquisite sensation.
Suddenly footsteps sounded in the distance. At first I did not notice them, too preoccupied with kissing the beautiful woman who was standing against me. But they came closer, and I could hear them. Naia stiffened at once and let go of me. Then, without a word, she ran off, leaving me alone in her cabin.
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