Sail With Me (A Discovery Series Book) (15 page)

“We have not come to hurt you,” Captain Finley said.

“I know. You only have daggers. You were wise to bring nothing else.”

“We are merely interested in visiting this area, bringing supplies to a
settlement north of here, and then going on to find my son. We don’t wish to
cause you any trouble,” the captain said.

“Then you shall be granted safe passage and come to our great city,” the
native said. “There is no city like it.”

His voice was as hypnotic as his amber eyes. Deep, yet musical somehow.
The tension in my shoulders relaxed as his words sifted over me.

“My people will escort you,” he said.

“Thank you,” Captain Finley replied. “How is it that you know our
language?”

“I have lived among your people.” His brows lowered and a look of
displeasure wiped across his face. “Not by my own choosing.”

“You were enslaved?”

The native nodded. “Your kind has come before, taking whatever they
pleased, including people. I was bought and sold in your country—England.” He
said the word as if it were poison on his tongue.

The captain stretched out his hand. “I am Captain Samuel Finley of the
Rose
and wish you to understand that not all Englishmen are selfish brutes.”

“We’ll see,” the native said, but that grin was back on his lips. He
shook the captain’s hand and bowed his head. “I am Tizoc Metztli. Welcome to
the soil of the Sunal Empire. Remain peaceful and you shall see wonderful
things with my people. Turn on us and you will die.”

We followed Tizoc and his tribesmen up a small slope away from the
shoreline. Retreating back to the dory would have appeared weak, and we did not
wish the natives to view us in that manner. Nonetheless, our party had
tightened back into a group. Daniel and I were once again in the center. The
men had begun to whisper among themselves, Tizoc’s threat still hanging in the
air around us. As I twisted my head this way and that to keep an eye on Tizoc
at the lead, Daniel’s hand closed around my forearm.

“That was close,” he whispered.

“Very. How do you think he knew?”

“I don’t know, but natives have been known to have excellent perception.
He sensed you weren’t what you seemed.” Daniel turned his gaze to Tizoc. “I’m
not sure we can trust him. He could be leading us into a trap. How do we know
he’s going to take us to his great city?”

“I don’t think he’s lying.” For some reason, I believed that. As if when
Tizoc had figured out I was female, I had seen into him as well.

“He harbors a grudge toward the English, Charlie,” Daniel pointed out.
“He may want to settle the score.”

“No.” I shook my head. “He could have killed us already if he meant to do
that. He has more men than us. Weapons too. Why not kill us on the beach and be
done with it?”

“Natives are ceremonial,” he said. “They probably have a ritual or
something for killing outsiders.”

“Don’t be silly.” A sliver of irritation snaked into my voice. “He’s
given us no reason not to trust him.”

“He’s given us no reason
to
trust him,” Daniel said.

“I think not killing us gives us a reason to trust him, don’t you?      

“He said he would kill us if he had to.”

“Yes, but he hasn’t. That counts for something.”

I didn’t want to fight with Daniel. In all the months we’d worked side by
side, we hadn’t quarreled. Not once. This was no time to start. We didn’t know
Tizoc, that was true, but he didn’t seem hostile. Even his one threat was
delivered with a slight grin. He got the hint he should stop insisting a girl
was among our crew. If he wanted to, he could have exposed me on the spot in
front of everyone.

“Let’s just be careful, all right?” Daniel said as we neared the top of
the slope.

“Of course.”

As we crested the hill, I tossed a glance over my shoulder. The
Rose
was nothing but a child’s plaything in the water now, swiveling on her anchor
line. Once we were on the other side of this hill, she would not be visible.
Our tie to the known would be severed. Only the unknown would stretch ahead.
Despite this fact, the stirrings of fear upon first setting foot on land had
been replaced by a more potent emotion.

Curiosity.

I wanted to see Tizoc’s great city. I wanted to know about his people. I
wanted to know about him.

****

We traveled on foot until the sun was low, casting long shadows across
our path. The sands of the shore had been left behind, and we trudged over
swaths of grassy land now. This far inland, the trees had changed from the
wide-leaf ones to ones more like those in England. They offered shade from what
remained of the sun, but my legs were tired. The effects of my rowing earlier
in the day were now evident.

Daniel still walked beside me, but because of the coming nightfall I
could not see anyone else clearly. I had fallen into an automatic pattern of
following the footsteps of the sailor in front of me. I had no sense of where
we were headed. Follow was all I could do.

The crewman in front of me stopped, as did all the others, and I nearly
banged into him. Daniel pulled on my arm to keep me from stumbling.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Uh-huh. Getting tired is all.”

“And that is why we have stopped,” a voice said to my left.

Tizoc stood beside me. His golden eyes were fiery in the fading light. I
searched for something to say to him, but was caught off guard by his
proximity. I could only utter a weak, “Oh.”

Bright white teeth showed from behind Tizoc’s full lips. He looked at me
again as he had when we first met. As if he looked through me. As if he knew
what was hiding beneath my brother’s clothes.

“Our city is still half a day’s walk from this point. We will make a
small camp and spend the night here. Does that suit you…” he paused, waiting
for my name.

“Charlie,” I said.

His lips twitched to a smirk. “Does that suit you, Charlie?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Tizoc said something to his people in a tongue I could not decipher.
Whatever he said sent his tribesmen in several different directions.

“They will hunt, but a fire will need to be built.” Casting a quick look
to Daniel, he said, “Can you two help gather wood?”

“Of course we can,” Daniel said, a note of insult in his voice.

“Good. Do so. I shall instruct the other members of your group.”

He left us to talk to Captain Finley, and as soon as he was gone, Daniel
was beside me. “He doesn’t think I’m fit to gather wood.”

“He didn’t say that.”

“He looked right at me and asked if we could gather wood, Charlie. As if
gathering wood might be too much for someone like me.”

“What’s the matter with you, Daniel? You don’t usually care what other people
think.”

“Well, I don’t care what
he
thinks if that’s what you mean.” He
huffed out a breath.

He tugged on my arm, and I followed him to some trees nearby. Along with
some other crewmen, we picked up branches and sticks that had fallen to the
ground and hauled them back to the camp that was still getting organized. Some
of Tizoc’s men had returned with fresh kills ready for roasting. I was
impressed with their ability to hunt so efficiently with spears and arrows.

As Daniel broke up some of the sticks with his foot and left hand, I
scanned the darkened area. At first I wasn’t sure what I was looking for
exactly, but that didn’t matter. Within a few moments, I was again held
prisoner by Tizoc’s tiger eyes. He was seated on the ground across the camp. His
well-defined left arm rested on his bent knee as he watched me. He motioned to
me with his hand, wanting me to come over to him.

I looked back to Daniel who worked with two of our crewmen to get the
fire started. I had a few moments to spare, perhaps. Walking slowly, I crossed
the camp to stand near Tizoc.

“Sit with me.” He peered up at me from behind long, black lashes.

I lowered myself to sit about two arm lengths away from him, but he
shuffled closer.

“How long have you been hiding?” he asked in a whisper.

“I don’t—”

“It’s all right.” Tizoc held up his palm. “If you don’t want them to
know, I won’t say anything. I’m sorry about before. I thought they knew.”

“Why would they know? How did
you
know?”

“Everything about you is female,” he said with a soft laugh. “Your eyes,
your skin, the way you move, the way you smell.” He inhaled deeply.

“I smell as if I’ve been on a ship for four months. That’s how I smell.
Just like the rest of them.” Did I, in fact, reek like a true sailor? That
question made me shift away from Tizoc.

“No,” Tizoc said. “You don’t smell like them. Besides, your aura is
feminine.”

“My what?”

“Your aura. The natural light that shines
around you. It’s purplish. Female, for

sure.”

He was so positive of himself that I couldn’t help smiling. He returned
the smile and held out his hand, palm up.

“Give me your hand.”

Again, I glanced toward Daniel who was still busy with the fire making.

“Don’t worry about him. Give me your hand.”

I slid my hand into his, and he put his other hand on top of mine. The
rough contours of his palms scuffed across my own ship-weathered hands. Tizoc
closed his eyes. A sudden warmth encapsulated my hand, as if heat were exuding
from both of his into mine. I pulled my hand away, but he tightened his hold.

“I see.” He opened his eyes to gaze at me but didn’t release my hand.

“What do you see?” I pursed my lips.

“You’re a female all right,” he began, “and you’re in love.”

“I… I…” I started in a hushed tone, again looking around us.

“Don’t bother denying it.”

Anger boiled up in my belly. I shot to my feet and walked a few steps
away from Tizoc.

“Wait!” He stood quickly.

I stopped and looked at him over my shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I’m just curious. I have never met a female with such
boldness, such courage. To hide among men and sail across the vast ocean
requires great strength and discipline.”

He took a step closer to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. He turned
me to face him. His eyes were a deeper shade of gold, the flames of the now
roaring fire flickering in them.

“I’ve known only the cruelty of English men, not the bravery of English
women. I want to know more of you, Charlie.”

A racing heat flooded through my body as he slid his hand down my arm and
held onto my wrist. My head swam for a brief moment.

I glanced toward the fire and saw Daniel scanning the area. He hadn’t
found me yet. “I have to go.” I shook free of Tizoc’s grasp then ran off toward
Daniel.

By the time I got to the fireside, thoughts were swimming inside my head.
I lowered myself to have a seat on the ground while the food was being cooked
over the fire. It had turned a bit cooler now that the sun was gone, and the
moon had risen to keep a watchful eye on us all.

I angled my head back to look at the moon, noting that she glowed the
same as she had back in England and all along our journey. She had seen all
that had led me up to this moment. Did she know what was to come next?

“Hey.” Daniel sat next to me. “That game ought to be cooked in no time.
I’m starving.”

“Me too.” My thoughts were still some place else.

“Looks as if we’ll be sleeping under the stars tonight,” he said. “Hope
the wild animals lurking about don’t want to snack on you.” He gave me a
playful jab that no one would have noticed in the darkness.

“Very funny,” I said, getting more into conversing with him. “I’ll bet
you’d make a tastier snack than me.” I shot him a coy smile causing him to
laugh.

As the orange-red glow of the fire danced off Daniel’s chuckling
features, I berated myself. Why was I letting curiosity over Tizoc, a complete
stranger, cloud my mind? I
knew
Daniel. I enjoyed his company, his
touch, his kiss.

I stole a glance back to where Tizoc was sitting, still watching me. A
few of his tribesmen were around him now, but he didn’t seem to be paying much
attention to them. He was focused on me. Something fluttered in my stomach, and
I turned to face the fire once more, trying my best to ignore the physical
reaction I had to Tizoc.

After Daniel and I secured ourselves some of the roasted meat, we took a
seat on the ground amongst the crew and ate until our bellies were full. We had
half a day’s journey ahead for tomorrow according to Tizoc, and we would need
every bit of strength we could get.

His great city waited.

I dreamed of my mother. She wore a blue dress with lace at the throat and
along the sleeves. Her eyes were the exact color of the dress, the same as my
own, and her blonde hair spilled along her shoulders in springy curls. She
waved from a dock as I had seen her do on countless occasions each time my
father set sail on one of his trips. I had usually been clinging to her skirts,
waving along with her as the
Emily
drifted farther and farther from
Southampton’s shore.

This time, however, she waved to me.

****

The sun had been beating down on us for hours as we trudged over the
terrain toward Tizoc’s home. Accustomed more to standing still in the crow’s
nest on the
Rose
than to so much walking, my feet blistered in my boots.
Still, I kept up with the other crewmen, as did Daniel by my side. Every once in
a while I glanced ahead to see the back of Tizoc as he led us onward. His ebony
hair fell about his shoulders like a dark, shiny curtain. Though he resembled
the rest of his tribe from the back, his height set him apart. I could find him
every time I looked up.

“How much farther do you think it is?” I asked Daniel.

“Don’t know. Never been this way before. You getting impatient?” Daniel poked
me in the bicep. He turned his head to face me, and I got lost for a moment in
his blue eyes.

I shifted my gaze down to his lips.

“Stop that.” He leaned closer so only I could hear him. “I won’t be able
to behave a moment longer if you look at me like that.” He stepped away,
putting two crewmen between us.

“We’re nearly there now.”

I jumped and turned to my left to see that once again Tizoc was beside
me.

“Stop sneaking up on me.”

“Warriors move quietly.” The smooth, dark skin at the base of his neck
crinkled as he shrugged and it fascinated me.

“Where is your city?” I said, focusing ahead of us.

“Beyond that ridge.” He pointed a long, slender finger toward several
small rolling hills. “I have sent one of my kin to announce that we bring
guests.”

“How come…” I started to ask, focusing on Tizoc’s golden eyes again.

“Don’t be afraid to ask me something. We should be learning from each other.
Isn’t that why you came?”

I nodded.

“Then ask your question.” He showed his bright white teeth in his smile.

“Why are your eyes so different from the others?”

Tizoc’s smile faded, and he cast his gaze to the ground. A long moment of
unbearable silence hung between us. He raised his head, but did not look at me
directly.

“They have scared a few people away in the past.” His brows lowered as if
he were in pain.

“They don’t scare me.” I rested my hand on his upper arm.

His eyes shot to mine now as if my touch had jolted him out of his
recollections. “Are you sure?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Everyone was focused on the slow forward march, not paying
much attention to us. “They’re… they’re beautiful.” I dropped my hand. 

Tizoc smiled his broad smile again, causing a single dimple to dot his
otherwise smooth cheek. “Thank you. I would not want you to fear me.”

We walked a bit in silence. Daniel chatted with a nearby crewman, too
absorbed in his conversing to see what I was doing.

And what was I doing? Nothing. Just talking with our guide. Our tall,
perfectly sculpted, exotic-looking guide with marvelous, sunlit eyes.

Harmless. Just passing the time.

“The legend says,” Tizoc began, drawing me out of my rationalizations, “every
fifty-one years, a Sunal warrior is born with the eyes of the mighty striped
feline.”

“A tiger?”

“Yes. The Sun God, Adanitupachi, called down bits of the sun and captured
them in the eyes of this Sunal warrior. The sun’s light is supposed to help
this warrior see some great tragedy before it comes to the Sunal people.”

“You’re that warrior?”

“If you believe the tale.” Tizoc waved a hand in dismissal.

“Don’t you believe it?” He certainly had tiger eyes, and he was a
warrior.

“I suppose part of me does. That’s why I have trained. If something is
going to befall the Sunal, I want to be ready for it.” He sighed and tightened
his grip on the spear in his hand, which he now used like a walking stick. “I
guess I don’t like the idea that I am predestined to carry out a role though.
I’d like to think I had some control over what happens. I’d like to think I’m
like you.”

“Like me? Cripes, why would you want to be like me?”

“You are bold and know where you want to go. You aren’t letting anything
stop you from seeing the world.”

“That’s true, but,” I began, leaning in closer to him, closer than I
should have, “if I were truly bold, I wouldn’t be hiding what I am, now would
I?”

“I guess we all have our obstacles.” He turned his gaze ahead. “Get
Daniel.”

I was a bit surprised, but called out to Daniel who was by my side within
seconds once he saw Tizoc standing next to me.

“Come, both of you,” Tizoc said, extending Daniel a friendly smile. “You
will want to be at the front of the group for this.”

He motioned for Daniel and me to follow him through the crowd of crewmen
and natives. Daniel wore a suspicious expression as Tizoc maneuvered to the
head of the pack. When we reached the front line, we came to stand next to
Captain Finley.

“Well, boys, what do you think so far?” He squinted ahead to the ridge
that came closer with every step we took.

“It’s warm,” I said, “and my feet hurt, but I love it.”

The captain let out a hearty laugh and clapped me on the back. How
someone of my frame could withstand Captain Finley’s wide palmed slap I’ll never
know. The man meant it as a gesture of affection, but he was so strong.

“Daniel,” he called. “Fetch my spyglass out of my bag.”

When he found it, Daniel bowed mockingly to his uncle as he presented it.
Captain Finley took the spyglass and rapped him on the head.

“Ouch!” Daniel rubbed at the crown of his head.

“That’ll teach you.” Captain Finley smirked.

As the two of them interacted with one another, a thirst for family
crested over me. Folding my arms across my chest, I conjured up a picture of
Eric and Riley. Identical in so many ways and yet different in so many others.
How had they changed during their time in Florida? Did they have long hair?
Beards? Were they well?

Were they in love?

Like me.

“Oh, my!”

Captain Finley’s exclamation ripped me from my thoughts about my
brothers. We had made it over the ridge. What sprawled out regally before me
was unbelievable.