The Pirate Fairy (19 page)

A strange roar invaded the space, and Denny finally looked up and his heart almost gave up its fight. He’d never seen anything like the strange, floating sea-green blob with bones protruding from its head and back. Angry red eyes stared at him from a mountain of wavering, spiky tentacles that seemed to make up his hair and face.

His hands were webbed with sharp talons that Denny knew the creature was dying to use. Blood dripped from them, and Denny’s voice came out in a frightened squeak. He looked down at his chest and saw that he’d been ripped and slashed. Denny fell down the sharp, icy steps to land on the bottom of the cave floor.

“My clothes,” he whispered. He was naked and his wings felt as though they were on fire as he lay on his side, trying to catch his breath. He was afraid, and also unable to move his arms to feel them. He swallowed as the monster came toward him once more.

“Cetus. Stop!” the female voice shrieked.

From somewhere ice cracked and frigid water dripped onto Denny’s head and back. The agony it caused was indescribable. His skin was white. He knew he was freezing to death.

“Put his clothes back on,” the woman insisted. Denny knew that voice. “We haven’t condemned him… Yet.”

Denny looked around him but couldn’t tell where the female voice was coming from since it was just him and Mr. Ugly in the cave room. Denny kept shivering, the condensation from his breath coming out in thick puffs as he gave his full attention to just trying to breathe.

“Cetus!” the female voice commanded.

The sea creature roared, opening his mouth to reveal row after row of tiny shark heads, all screaming and snapping their jaws. Denny tried turning his head away, but was still unable to move so he closed his eyes, uttering a silent prayer:
I am sorry, God. I really am
. He couldn’t bear to see those hideous jaws coming for him. The cold, meaty breath swamped him as Cetus advanced on him, then suddenly a crack of thunder reverberated in the room and the sea monster squealed and retreated, one huge, webbed claw hugging the cave floor, the other pointing at Denny. The creature was furious.

“Back, Cetus.
Now
.”

The creature whined as he scurried back and disappeared into a spray of ocean water.

Silence.

For several minutes, Denny waited. The cave warmed and from nowhere his clothes appeared on his body. They seemed covered in beige slime. The sea monster. Denny wanted to be sick but footsteps in the distances made him stop and listen. They were coming from the far left. He was surprised when the monk’s habit appeared and whoever wore it moved quickly toward him.

“Merritt?” Denny’s voice came out in a whisper. The hood on the habit fell back and Denny almost screamed. “Fortunata.” He had nowhere to run, nowhere to move. He’d known she’d been around but from the moment he’d landed here, nobody had spoken of her without trepidation. Like Denny, they all seemed afraid of her. He tried not to show his fear, but she skewered him with a look.

“My brother came to watch your trial and he was abducted late last night,” she said. She was as beautiful as ever but grief had etched hard lines around her eyes and red rims that, even now, threatened to spill over with tears.

“Abducted?” He squinted at her. “Surely you can’t think I had anything to do with it.”

“No. I know you are not responsible.”

“Then why…all this?” He shrugged, looking around the cave. “Have you heard anything? Is Merritt in good health?”

She looked at him a moment. “The trial had a hung jury. Two of the jurors feel you can never heal from the things that have happened to you and that you can never be a good man.”

“Which two were they?”

“The twin seers,” she said.

That shocked him. He didn’t know how to respond. “I thought they liked me,” he whined when he’d recovered from the news.

“They do, which is why they have agreed to change their vote.”

“Really? What did you all decide?” Denny held his breath with anticipation.

“The others feel you deserve a second chance. So the seers have a question. They sense you have aspects of goodness. I am willing to give you the opportunity to prove it.”

“You said they have a question?”

“Yes. A question about love.”

“Love?” What was she talking about?

The twin seers’ voices emerged from somewhere deep in the cave. Denny couldn’t see them but heard them clearly. “There is one thing you can do to persuade us to change our minds,” they said in unison. “Prove you are worthy of being loved and trusted.”

“How?” He couldn’t help the sulky tone.

Fortunata spoke then. “Rescue my brother for me.”

“I can but try.” He paused. “Why do I feel there is the weight of many conditions on this?”

“Because you’re not as stupid as you look.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“It’s a compliment, you buffoon.”

He was a prisoner of a lunatic woman in a horrible cave. He was in no position to argue.

“We know who took him. I am willing to let you rescue him because I know you have genuine feelings for my brother, and because his captors would never suspect you would be able to come for him.”

“Who are his captors?”

She gazed at him, a malicious gleam to her eye as she said, “Pirate Captain Rigby.”

Denny’s eyes widened. “He’s not a captain. He’s a second mate!” Taking a moment to absorb the shock he asked, “Are you sure he took Merritt?”

“Oh yes. The fool is attempting a ransom. He sent Merritt a note, pretending it had come from you. Of course, Merritt fell into the trap and raced to meet you and got caught.”

Denny became enraged. “He tricked him?” He wanted to kill Rigby right then and there.

“Trust me, when I get my hands on him, he won’t just be sprouting fairy wings.”

Denny looked at her. “He wouldn’t hurt him again. He wouldn’t put him in chains. He might be all kinds of a monster, but—”

“Oh no. He likes Merritt. He just wants a lot of money for his safe return.”

Denny couldn’t deny himself a stab of jealousy. “I didn’t know Rigby was homosexual. Are they…ah… Are they lovers?”

“Of course not.” She looked indignant. “My brother thinks he’s in love with you.”

Denny couldn’t resist a smile.

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “Rigby’s attraction to my brother is purely financial. Things haven’t been good between me and Merritt since we left your ship.”

Denny waited. There was nothing to say. She had to know Denny, too, was miserable.

She sighed. “Somehow, Rigby has managed to obscure his exact location from my attempts to find him. If anyone can see through his web of spells, it’s you.”

“Web of spells? What do you mean?”

Fortunata looked to her right, and Denny noticed the twin seers emerging from the shadows.

“You’re right. He really doesn’t know.”

“I don’t know what?” Denny wanted to scratch his head but still couldn’t move his hands.

“Rigby is a powerful sorcerer. He lied to me about you and made me think you were the sorcerer. I see I was wrong now.”

“That’s why you whammied me?” Denny stared at her.

“And you rejected me.” She sniffed.

“I told you that you were beautiful. I also told you I don’t fancy women. It was nothing personal.”

She held up a hand, a pained expression on her face. “The two sisters here have helped me see the error of my ways.” As though to ward off any argument or questions from Denny she said, “I am willing to offer you a handsome reward for my brother’s recovery.”

“Like what?” He had no idea why he was being so sullen but he didn’t trust her one bit.

“You don’t trust me.” It was a statement, not a question.

“No, I don’t. Look what you did to me.”

She pulled a face. “I can’t change it, and I’ll confess I can practice no magic without my brother being here. We’re bonded by an old family curse and our powers lie in each other’s well-being.”

He absorbed this a moment. “So when can I start looking for him?”

“Wait,” she said. “This depends upon your answer…” She gestured to the twin seers, who looked at her, then at each other, then down at Denny, who was still on the cave floor.

Denny gulped. “I’m ready,” he said, trying not to focus on the fact that neither of the twins appeared to have feet and they looked even stranger up close and personal. They had bird-like features with eyes that blinked and took in everything. Their long blue robes had a musty smell.
Whatever question they have, I bet it’s a doozy
.
I hope they don’t ask me the meaning of life or love. What’s the meaning of anything?

“We want to know about your relationship with Merritt,” the twins said in unison.

“Fire away.”
Oops. Those are dangerous words around here
.

“What exactly are your feelings for him?” they asked.

“Oh, that’s easy. I felt sure he understood me and I loved him for every aspect of what he did and who he loved. I had a complete…a resting place finally.”

The twin seers stared at him. “And what is the meaning of life?” they asked him.

When he looked stumped they tittered, pointing at him. “Only joking,” they said.

“There are a couple of things you need to understand if you are to take this mission,” Fortunata said, holding up a hand to stop the tide of bird-like giggles. “One. You are to bring my brother home. If you want to be with him, you will need to live here.”

“Here?” He peered around him.

“Not here, you buffoon.”

“You’re rather fond of that word, aren’t you?”

“I think it’s apt where you’re concerned.” She rolled her eyes. “I meant here on the island. You can live in the palace with us.” Fortunata leaned down to him and enunciated carefully, “I cannot and will not live without my brother.”

“Understood. I don’t like living without him either.” He took a deep breath. “You’re inviting me to live in that big, sparkly palace with you and Merritt?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you,” he said.

“Well!”

“I’ve learned from experience that you’re a switchy witch. Why should I trust you?”

The twin seers turned in unison and stared at her. “You must tell him.”

“Oh, all right.” Fortunata glowered at them, then at Denny. “Once you return with him you can never leave the island. I have promised the judge I won’t place anymore whammies on people of the high seas. I can’t do that unless I never leave here. I have a terrible temper, you know.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

The twin seers giggled. Fortunata glared at them.

“Is the rest of your island nicer than this?” Denny asked.

She gave him a sharp glance. “It’s paradise. Well, most of it is. I’m going to clean up the port and stop all the trials. The judge and jury want to retire anyway.”

He thought for a moment. That sounded pretty good to him but he missed his sister terribly. Could he live without being able to keep searching for Penny?

“I have one other thing that might persuade you to stay here,” Fortunata said. “I have arranged for the rescue of your sister. I know where she is and I can bring her to you. And that is a promise.”

Chapter Ten

Merritt was chained to a bed. Delirium held him.

“What did she do to him?” a male voice asked.

“She said it was a sleeping spell, but he’s been unconscious for days. He keeps muttering, ‘Denny’.”

Denny
.

Merritt smiled. Ah. He was having his favorite dream. Sometimes the dream hurt because when he awakened, Denny seemed farther away than ever. Right now, the dream seemed real, and helped him to want to live.

“I’m here, my love,” Denny said, reaching for him. They were in the room, the only one they’d ever shared as lovers. “I’m here.” Denny pressed him against the cool white wall, kissing him. Denny kept interrupting their heated embrace to stroke Merritt’s cheek, as though he couldn’t believe he was real. Somehow he was real. Merritt could taste and touch Denny’s beautiful mouth. He needed more. So much more. Merritt pulled up Denny’s shirt, fumbling with the buttons.

“Your wings are gone,” Merritt murmured.

Denny’s laughter filled the sunlit room. His shirt fell to the floor, his gaze one of soulful intent as he pulled Merritt to him and kissed him again. Merritt ran his hands all over Denny’s body, exhilarating at the rippling muscles in his arms, chest and back. He moved down to Denny’s pants where his rigid cock strained against the tight fabric.

Denny tore at Merritt’s clothing, too, peeling off the layers as fast as he could. “Did you dress to torment me?” he asked. “I’ve never seen so many undergarments.”

Merritt laughed as Denny bent and took down Merritt’s pants, dropping succulent kisses on his neck and chest. He fell to his knees and moaned as he reached Merritt’s cock. Denny let his tongue do the talking. He licked the shaft from base to tip then back again. Merritt’s cock sprang into Denny’s mouth, making both men moan. Denny drew his warm mouth over the length and sucked it in gently, picking up speed as their mingled cries filled the air. Merritt kept touching and holding Denny’s head, stroking his bristled cheeks.