Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

A t that moment, like an ill omen, the skies opened up, dousing the embers and extinguishing the fire. They dashed inside, running up the stairs as they sought refuge from the sudden downpour. There in the living room, they stood dripping on the hardwood floor, both slightly out of breath.

"I'll grab the towels," Mary said, disappearing down the hall.

Aiden ran a hand through his wet hair, pushing it back from his face as he moved to stand on the multicolored braided rug. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt as if he'd come home.

The comfortable, well-worn furniture, the overstuffed bookshelves, and most of all, the presence that lingered even when Mary had walked out of a room, all made him want to give up life on the sea and stay here with her. Though if he did, Aiden knew he would want a small boat or ship to take her on adventures.

As much as she claimed to be tied to the land, he heard the longing in her voice, saw the way she sometimes looked out at the sea … and knew…. That deep within, his lass had the soul of an adventurer.

A soft towel smelling of rain and the oranges he liked hit him in the arm, pulling him from the images in his head of them sailing around the world.

"Here," she said, her hair wrapped up in a blue towel. "Dry off before you catch a cold."

The shirt stuck to his chest as he shook his head, sending droplets of water flying. "Lass, I've weathered far worse storms than this."

She rolled her eyes, but he caught the hint of a smile on her lips. "Of course you have. Let's change into dry clothes and then I'll show you the coin."

With a nod, he went to his room, quickly pulling off the sodden clothes and dressing in another pair of jeans and a long-sleeved navy shirt.

When he passed through the living room, he saw her door was still closed, so he strode to the kitchen where Inky wound around his legs.

"Hold on ye wee hungry beast, I'll feed ye." Aiden dumped the bits into the crystal bowl, then filled the other with clean water.

"You're going to get fat and lazy, not having to hunt anymore."

Inky simply twitched his tail and kept eating as Aiden stroked the big tomcat.

The box of cold … nay, the fridge she called it, was a most wondrous thing, keeping food and drink cold so it wouldn't spoil. He grabbed two bottles of dark ale, deciding he would sell another gemstone and use the gold to take the lass on an adventure after the festival was over.

When he strode into the living room, she was sitting on the sofa, her bare feet tucked under her. The first time he saw the color on her toes, Aiden crossed himself. That is until she explained that women in this time painted their nails.

"I thought ye might be thirsty." He opened the beer and held out the bottle.

She took a sip, then set it on the table. "That hits the spot." Once he sat, she slid a book across the table.

"I found this a few days before you showed up," she explained, voice soft. "It was part of that estate sale collection I mentioned."

A frown crossed her face. "I did try to contact the family members, but the person didn't have any family, so it's not like I can return the coin to its rightful owner."

Slowly, he picked up the book and flipped it open, revealing a small compartment carved into the pages.

"I don't know why, but I've been carrying it around in my pocket. I only put it back in the book so you could see how I found it."

Nestled inside was a silver coin, its surface dulled with age but unmistakably silver. Aiden's breath caught in his throat as he recognized the symbols from the drawing on the map.

"How did it end up here in this time?"

With a shrug, she took another sip of the beer. "I don't know. But there's more."

She stood, crossing to her desk where she retrieved the talking box people in this time always carried with them. After a few taps on the screen, she held it out to him. "Look at this."

Aiden peered at the device, still marveling at the technology, even as his eyes widened in recognition. There, on the glowing screen, was an image of a map.

His map.

The very one he'd discovered in the hidden compartment of his desk just before the storm hit.

"This was with the coin?" he asked, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"It was," she explained. "But when I tried to smooth out the map, it crumbled to dust. I barely had time to take this picture before it was gone."

The map, the coin... They had somehow found their way here, to this time, just as he had. But how? And why?

"Aiden," she said, her voice pulling him from his thoughts. "There was writing on the back of the map, but I didn't get a chance to photograph it before it disintegrated." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

Not wanting her to be chilled, he grabbed a brightly colored quilt off the back of a chair, bringing it back and draping it around her.

"Aye, there was writing on the back. A riddle of sorts, if I remember correctly."

Mary grabbed a notebook and pen from the coffee table, holding them out to him. "Can you write down what you remember? Every detail, no matter how small, could be important."

The excitement in her voice brought back the warmth to his skin. He took the offered items, hand shaking slightly as he put pen to paper. The words came slowly at first, then faster as the memory solidified in his mind.

As he finished writing, Aiden looked up to find Mary staring at him, her eyes wide. "This is... incredible," she breathed.

Before he could respond, a movement caught his eye. Inky sauntered out of the kitchen, tail held high. The feline jumped onto a nearby armchair, curled up, and promptly fell asleep, seemingly uninterested in their excitement.

A small smile played on her lips as she shook her head. "At least someone's not impressed by all this mystery."

She stood, heading towards the kitchen. "I'll fix us a snack. Maybe we can figure out the location."

Aiden watched her go, his mind reeling from the revelations of the past few minutes. He'd never dreamed he'd find the treasure, thought it was merely an old legend, and now, here in this odd future, he might actually find the treasure. If only his crew were here to share in the bounty, it would be the biggest prize in history.

"Aiden." Mary's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Come, look."

He was on his feet in an instant, rushing to join her. She stood in the doorway of her bedroom, two bags of the crunchy chips he liked clutched in her hands, her gaze fixed on something inside.

"What is it, lass?" he asked, peering over her shoulder, hand on his knife.

There, on her nightstand, the piece of sea glass he'd given her was glowing with an otherworldly light. Its pale blue hue had intensified, pulsing like a heartbeat in the dim room.

Aiden stepped into the room, drawn to the light. As he approached, the glow seemed to intensify, casting strange shadows on the walls. He reached out, his fingers hovering just above the glass.

"Don't touch it!" She hissed, but it was too late.

As his skin made contact with the smooth surface, a jolt of energy surged through him. Images flashed through his mind. That of a stormy sea, a shimmering veil reaching from the stars down to the water, and a pearl the size of his fist, glowing with the same intensity as the sea glass. Then, as quickly as it started, the vision faded.

Aiden stumbled back, gasping for air. The sea glass's glow dimmed, returning to its normal, unremarkable state.

"What happened?" She asked, setting the bags down and placing a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, still trying to catch his breath. "I saw... I'm not sure what I saw. But I think it was connected to the Mermaid's Tear. And the Veil."

"We have to find the rest of the legend," she said, her voice filled with excitement.

"And I think we need to find the treasure, too. Maybe... maybe that's why you traveled through time. Maybe it's here, on the island."

She hesitated for a moment, then added softly, "And once we find it, we can send you home."

Home. Aiden's heart clenched at her words. He'd been so caught up in the mystery and the excitement of this new world that he'd almost forgotten about returning to his own time. But looking at Mary now, her face flushed with excitement and her eyes bright with curiosity, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go back, even if he did find the treasure.

The next morning, the paper tacked to the wall behind the counter told him 'twas Thursday, October 30th, and tomorrow was Samhain.

The day dawned bright and clear, the previous night's storm leaving the air crisp and clean, the leaves mostly gone from the trees as fall gave way to winter. He watched as Mary added more pumpkins in all shapes, sizes, and colors to the display of Halloween-themed books in the front window.

The bell above the door chimed, and her friend burst in.

"Hey, you two! You won't believe the turnout for today's tour," she exclaimed, practically bouncing on her toes.

"And wait until you see the costumes some of the kids are wearing. Totally adorable!"

Mary straightened, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "That's great. Just try to keep them from knocking over any displays or putting their sticky fingers all over the counter this time, okay?"

Lily waved off her friend's concern. "Don't worry. They're all perfectly behaved. In fact..." she trailed off, her eyes widening as she looked out the window. "Is that... a pony?"

Aiden followed her gaze, his brows rising in surprise. There, standing calmly in the middle of the yard, was the dappled gray pony he'd befriended yesterday.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, already moving towards the door.

Outside, a small crowd had gathered, tourists snapping pictures with their phones as the pony stood placidly, seemingly unperturbed by the attention.

"It's the one that escaped from the pen yesterday," Mary said, coming to stand beside him. "How did it get all the way into town?"

"Horses are clever beasts, lass. Especially when they've got a mind to be somewhere."

As if on cue, the pony turned its head, its gaze landing squarely on Aiden. With a soft nicker, it began to approach, weaving through the crowd with surprising grace.

"Aiden," Mary hissed, tugging on his sleeve. "What are you doing?"

But he was already moving, meeting the pony halfway. "Aren't you a bonny one," he said softly, reaching out to stroke its velvet nose. "Ye've come a long way, haven't ye?"

The pony nudged his hand, clearly seeking affection. Aiden obliged, scratching behind its ears as the crowd watched in amazement.

"I've called the park service," she announced, joining him. "They should be here soon to take him back to the pen."

Never one to ignore his intuition, Aiden nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the pony's appearance was more than mere coincidence. As if reading his thoughts, the animal turned its head, gazing down the street with sudden interest.

"What is it?" Aiden murmured, following its line of sight.

There, shimmering in the distance like a mirage, he could have sworn he saw the outline of a ghost ship. But when he blinked, it was gone.

The sound of an approaching vehicle broke the spell. The park ranger's truck pulled up, and two men climbed out, looking both amused and exasperated.

"Looks like our escape artist is at it again," one of them said, approaching with a lead rope. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him, folks."

As they prepared to load the pony into the trailer, Aiden felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see a young boy, no more than seven or eight, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Are you a real pirate?" the child asked, his voice filled with awe.

Aiden crouched down, bringing himself to eye level with the boy. "Aye, lad. That I am. Have ye ever thought about a life at sea?"

The boy's eyes lit up, but before he could respond, his mother appeared, ushering him back to the tour group with an apologetic smile.

As the crowd dispersed and the pony was safely loaded into the trailer, Aiden turned to find Mary watching him, an unreadable expression on her face.

"What?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious.

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Nothing. It's just... You're good with them. Kids, animals... It's like they're drawn to you."

A warmth spread through his chest at her words. "Aye, well, I've always had a way with creatures of all sorts. It's served me well over the years."

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of customers and book recommendations. As the afternoon wore on, Mary made the decision to close the shop early, much to Aiden's surprise.

"Are ye sure, lass?" he asked as she flipped the sign on the door to ‘Closed.' "Won't ye lose business?"

A determined glint in her eye, she shook her head.

"Some things are more important than sales. We've got a legend to unravel and a treasure to find."

With that, she led him to the table and chairs at the back of the store, where she'd already set up a makeshift research station. Books on local history and maritime lore were stacked high on the table, alongside maps of the island and printouts of old newspaper articles.

"I figured we could start with what we know about the Mermaid's Tear and go from there," Mary explained, settling into a chair and pulling a thick tome towards her.

Aiden nodded, taking the seat across from her. "Aye, that's as good a place to start as any. Though I must warn ye, much of what I know comes from sailors' tales and tavern gossip."

Mary grinned. "Sometimes those are the best sources. Now, tell me again everything you remember hearing about the treasure."

For the next few hours, they pored over books and documents, piecing together fragments of the legend. Aiden shared stories he'd heard in port towns across the Caribbean, while Mary cross-referenced them with historical accounts and local folklore.

"It says here that the Mermaid's Tear is said to grant the power of immortality," Mary read from one of the books. "But only to those pure of heart."

Aiden snorted. "Well, that rules out most pirates I know."

Mary looked up, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Present company excluded, of course?"

"Of course," he replied with a wink. "I'll have ye know I'm as pure as the driven snow."

A loud crash interrupted their laughter. Both turned to see Inky perched atop a now-toppled stack of books, looking entirely unapologetic.

"Ye wee devil," Aiden chuckled, rising to clean up the mess. "Yer as much a troublemaker as any pirate I've sailed with."

Mary sighed, though there was a fondness in her voice as she scolded the cat. "Inky, what have I told you about climbing the shelves?" She pushed up the sleeves of her orange sweatshirt with a ghost and books on the front that proclaimed, Haunted by my Tbr . Puzzled, he asked her what was a ‘Tbr'? She laughed and said it meant To Be Read. It was the stack of books she kept but hadn't read yet. Aye, the lass had a hoard of the Tbr books.

As he restacked the books, movement outside the window caught his eye. There, standing calmly in the backyard, was the dappled gray pony.

"Looks like our friend has returned."

She joined him at the window, her eyes widening in surprise. "How did he get out again? And why does he keep coming here?"

Aiden shook his head, a strange feeling settling in his gut. "I'm not sure, lass. But I don't think it's a mere coincidence."

They watched as the pony grazed contentedly on the small patch of grass, showing no signs of leaving anytime soon.

"Should we call the park service again?" Mary asked, but Aiden held up a hand.

"Not yet. I've got a feeling he might be trying to tell us something."

The next day as the last members of the Ocracoke Historical Society Book Club filed into Read Between the Tides, the scent of caramel, leaves, and wood-smoke filled the air from the new candle Mary lit.

A large bowl of candy sat ready for trick-or-treaters that evening, which Aiden found he couldn't keep out of, being particular to a peanut butter and chocolate pumpkin. Earlier that morning, he'd pushed several tables together to accommodate the gathering so they would have plenty of room.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Mary called out, tapping a spoon against her mug of hot chocolate.

"I know we don't usually meet again this quickly, but given the recent developments, I thought we could make an exception."

Agatha Waters, her silver bun adorned with a miniature witch's hat, could barely contain her excitement. "Oh, you won't believe what I found online from a tiny little folklore library in the Scottish highlands!"

Mr. Johnson chimed in as well. "I've found something interesting. Been digging through old sea charts and journals all week."

While she bustled around, making sure everyone had drinks and that the tacos would be delivered shortly for an early dinner, Aiden took a seat at the table next to old Pete, who had decided to join them.

Mary exchanged a glance with Aiden, her eyes bright. "Well," she said, "It sounds like we have lots of news, so I suppose we should get started then. Who wants to go first?"

Hands shot up around the table, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, Agatha, why don't you start us off?"

The older woman beamed, pulling out a stack of printouts. "I found these on an obscure folklore website. They're transcriptions from an old journal, supposedly from a naturalist in the mid 1700s. Listen to this entry." Clearing her throat, she read the entry.

"The locals speak of a hidden cove where the veil between worlds grows thin. They say when the moon is full, and the tide is high, one might catch a glimpse of times past or yet to come. I must investigate further."

A collective murmur of excitement rippled through the group. Mr. Johnson leaned forward, nodding. "That fits with what I found in these old charts," he said, unrolling a yellowed map on the table.

"See this inlet here? It's not on any modern maps, but the notes mention strange tidal patterns and inexplicable phenomena."

As each member shared their findings. Fragments of legends, old family stories, and mysterious artifacts, Mary practically levitated out of her chair with excitement. The pieces were starting to come together, maybe they'd actually find a real pirate's treasure.

Finally, she turned to Aiden. "What do you think? Does any of this align with what you remember?"

All eyes turned to him, eager for his input. Aiden stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "Aye, there are similarities to tales I've heard in port towns across the Caribbean. But this..." he gestured to the assembled evidence, "this is far more detailed than anything I've found."

Mary took a deep breath, looking around at the eager faces of her friends and neighbors. "I think it's clear that there's something real behind these legends. The question is, what do we do with this information? Tell the museum?"

A collective ‘no' went up around the table.

Agatha leaned forward, eyes sparkling behind her glasses. "Why, we search for the treasure, of course. And solve the mystery of the Veil."

A chorus of agreement rose from the group. Mary hesitated, glancing at Aiden. His slight nod was all the encouragement she needed.

"Alright," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "Let's do it. But we'll need to be organized and quiet about what we're doing. We don't want to draw too much attention or everybody on this island will be digging all over the place. We have to wait until the jamboree is over and the tourists have gone home."

That evening, after the book club members had left, the bell above the shop door chimed incessantly. Aiden stood near the entrance, dressed in his old clothes, a bowl of candy in his hands, greeting the parade of costumed children with enthusiasm.

"Ahoy there, ye wee pirates!" he called out to a group of kids dressed as buccaneers. "Have ye come to plunder me treasure?"

Mary watched from a sofa near the front, a mix of amusement and exasperation on her face. "Just don't let them inside to touch the books with their sticky fingers," she grumbled. "I'll be cleaning handprints off the walls for weeks."

Despite her gruff exterior, Aiden noticed the way her eyes softened when a particularly adorable toddler waddled in dressed as a pumpkin.

"Ye know, lass," Aiden said during a lull in trick-or-treaters, "for someone who claims to dislike all this fuss, ye seem to have a soft spot for the wee ones."

His lass shrugged, busying herself with straightening a display. "They're cute when they're someone else's responsibility."

Why was she still alone in this world? "Have ye ever thought about having bairns of yer own?"

"No, not really. I like my life the way it is. What about you? Did you ever want kids?" Clear green eyes met his as she waited for his answer.

It was his turn to grow quiet. "As an outlaw and a pirate, I never thought I'd have the chance for a family. It wasn't a life suited for bairns."

He told her about a young boy he'd found in a port who was starving. How he'd given the boy a life on his ship, and how he couldn't save him when the storm came for them.

The shrill ring of Mary's phone shattered the quiet moment. She jumped, startled by the sudden noise, and this time he did not flinch at the infernal sound.

"Hello?" Slightly breathless, she spoke into the wee box, her hair like fire in the light. "Oh, Lily! I completely lost track of time."

Aiden raised a brow questioningly, as her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Yes, yes, we'll be ready. No, I haven't forgotten my costume. Okay, see you soon." She hung up and turned to him. "I totally forgot about the party. We're late."

As they rushed upstairs to prepare, the pony outside let out a soft whinny, drawing Aiden's attention back to the window.

For a moment, he could have sworn he saw something shimmering in the air around the animal, a faint, silvery mist that seemed to dance in the moonlight. But before he could go outside for a closer look, Mary called out, "Aiden. Hurry up, we need to get dressed."