16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Dominick

T he fire died sometime close to dawn, but I was too exhausted to add more wood. Luckily, it wasn’t very cold, and I slept most of the night, even through my nightmares. I sat up and realized that Meria was gone. The sunlight woke me as it climbed high enough to shine into the cave. I stood up and walked around the cave, looking for her; then, I went outside. When I spotted her wild, blond-pink hair, I breathed in deeply with relief. I hated how quickly I had come to care about the safety of that maiden. It was clear that she was in great need of help, and being the only other person on the magical island of Marren, that had to be the reason I cared about her well-being. She was the only other person there, and I did not want to be alone.

But why would being alone be a problem? You like being alone.

I shook my head to dislodge my thoughts. I had awakened that morning, feeling the same lingering pains from the many people whose pain I had taken upon myself–as well as the ones I had tortured, but with needing to make sure Meria was alright, I’d been distracted from the pain. Seeing her safe caused the pain to slowly trickle back up my arms and down my back. I clenched my fists and my jaw, waiting for the pain to ebb away–at least, the intensity of it; it was never truly gone. I stretched out my arms above my head. It did not help with the pain, but it did distract me from it. I found that distractions were the best thing for pain; hence, trying to find Meria had distracted me that morning.

Meria is a good distraction, which is probably why I also care about her well-being.

That is it.

She was easy to spot in the dark jungle in the dim morning light. In her hands, she had a white sail. She was smiling as she turned around to face me. I felt my own lips curl upwards. Joy was all over her beautiful face, and somehow, that large grin transplanted itself onto my mouth, too.

Smiles are contagious, I told myself. But, when Sands smiles, you don’t smile–or when–

I shoved my useless and unhelpful thoughts to the side and focused on Meria. It did not matter the reasons I smiled, or acted kind, or cared for that maiden. We were alone. I could do whatever and be whoever I wanted. She was beautiful, yes, and I, as a pirate, loved jewels and gold and other glistening, beautiful things, so it made sense that I was drawn to her, like she was a treasure, and I wanted to keep her safe.

See, that is all. I sighed, feeling relief wash through me.

“I have this from a ship. We can use it for the cave.” Her words shook my ridiculous thoughts away.

“The floor of the cave is that uncomfortable for you?” I asked with a small smile. She was talking more than she had before. Perhaps, with time, she would warm up to me.

“Well, the sand on the shore would have been more comfortable,” she said. “But everything is so still here; it is hard to sleep.”

“But there would be no protection from the elements if we slept on the sand. What do you mean by ‘still’?”

“Oh, true, and um, I just mean–” She didn’t finish the sentence. She appeared embarrassed, so I went on.

“You must be speaking of the movement while on a ship. I miss the lull of the ship, too. Where did you find it?” I asked, pointing to the sail.

“On the other side of the island, there is a broken ship.”

“A ship?”

“Yes, a wreck.”

“Oh, I should look at that. See if there is anything else we can make use of.”

“It is interesting. But, most things here are.”

“Do you think your family will send rescue for you?” I knew I wouldn’t be rescued, and I did not want to spend the rest of my days on a magical island, even if I was with that beautiful woman.

“My father is not searching for me, of that, I am sure,” she said.

Why? Why would her father not search for her?

“I am sure he is looking for you as well as he is able.”

“He banished me; I refused to do as he asked,” she said with a frown.

“What did he ask?” I asked her, and she frowned again. Maybe, that was too forward.

“Something impossible. My father is so stubborn and stuck in his ways!” she nearly shouted as she dropped the ripped white sail she had been holding.

“You can yell? I did not know you had it in you, Meria,” I said playfully, and I was not going to think about how out of character it was for me to tease a maiden.

“Sorry–” She quickly bent down and picked up the sail. “I did not mean to be–”

“Upset? I understand; truly, parents can be rather horrid. My mother, for example, sent me away, too. We do not call it ‘banishment,’ but now that I think of it, that is what I am–‘banished’ from her and from my home.”

“So you are not able to travel to Walden?”

“I can, but not to the palace–not yet, anyway, not until I find my sister.”

Why in the fathoms am I telling her these things? These things that I just barely told Sands after knowing him for years.

“While I am grateful to not be under my father’s control, I do miss my home,” she said in her normal voice.

“Yes, this place–not very homey, is it?” I asked. There was a pause between us as she looked around, shaking her head, no .

“I seem rather useless on land,” she said with a huff, and her shoulders slumped.

“You sound like me. I always feel more at home on a ship. Have you spent most of your life

at sea?” I asked.

“Oh–yes, the sea, it is home,” she said slowly. Her hair was also all over the place, I noticed, as I walked closer to her. That hair, I was certain, would take an entire day to untangle. “What?” she asked as I must have been staring too long.

“Oh, nothing.”

“That is a lie—sharks got your tail, there,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows up and down, ridiculously.

Such a strange saying. She was strange, though, and I could not help but be grateful that she was speaking more.

“It is only your hair,” I said.

She reached up and tried to run her fingers through her blond tangles.

Without much thought, I picked at my jacket and produced a comb, handing it to her. There were only a few things I always kept on me: my flint, a comb, a knife, my flask, and my gloves. I still had three out of the five.

“I’m—oh–thank you,” she said, confused. She held it up to her face and took her finger and ran it along the bristles.

“It’s a comb, you know, for your hair—” I said, touching the top of my head.

“Oh, yes. I know—usually my hair floats about, but here–” She stopped herself, covering her mouth with her hand. “Sorry, I do not know what I am saying.”

“That’s okay, but you do not have to keep apologizing. You are not offending me.”

“Oh—sorry,” she winced.

“You have a problem, Meria. You are apologizing to me for apologizing.” I wiggled my eyebrows, and she laughed. Her cheeks were dark with embarrassment, but she seemed happy.

“Gentleman humans are kind,” she said. She had such a strange way of speaking. She must have been from a distant kingdom.

“Do you have siblings?” I wanted to change the topic.

“Yes, I am the youngest of six sisters.”

“I see. That is a large family.”

“Yes, what about you? Is it just you and your one sister who is lost?”

Before I could think better of it, I shook my head side to side. “I also have a brother; he lives in Walden. I haven't seen him in a long time.”

“I hope that changes soon.”

“What?” I was startled.

“I hope you get to see him soon. And I hope you’ll find your sister.”

“Thank you.”

“It is so dry here,” she said with a laugh.

“If you are thirsty, we can go to the stream,” I said as she stuck the comb in her hair with a smile attempting to untangle her locks.

We made our way silently to the stream where we both drank and then walked back to the cave. Meria got to work, first setting the ripped sail on the ground where we had slept the night before. I watched her as she sat down and pulled the comb from her hair and attempted to comb her hair with it some more.

“Can I help you?” I asked, walking closer to her and reaching for the comb. With defeat, she nodded.

I pulled the comb from her hair and picked up a section of her curls. I lightly combed through them. I did not know exactly what I was doing, but I had this strange urge to help her and touch her hair. I knew it was dangerous without my gloves, so I made sure with every single stroke that my bare fingers were only in her hair, and that her skin was far away.

“Oh, I see. That is helping,” she said faintly as I moved through another section after placing a tamed section over her shoulder. I went behind her and continued to comb out her long, beautiful hair. I had never seen such light blond hair, and the pinkish hue in places was incredibly unique. Although tangled, her hair was incredibly soft. As I touched the strands, it almost soothed my pain–made it feel as if it would go away entirely if I continued to touch her.

“I have never done this before, so hopefully, I am helpful.”

“You are helpful. Thank you, and I am so sorry for this.”

“Meria—” I said as I pulled out a piece of seaweed from her hair.

“What?”

“‘ Sorry’ –Do not keep apologizing. It seems you have a nasty habit.”

“Oh, sorry–” She froze, and I chuckled. She turned to look at me, over her shoulder, and I placed my hands in my lap. Our eyes connected, and I smiled.

“A habit I will help you break,” I said.

She nodded, then turned back around, and after my heart began to beat normally, I continued to brush her hair.

“My father liked it when I did as he asked, and when I did not–well, I had to apologize right away, and then do as he asked.”

“Well, here on our little island, you do not have to apologize to me for existing and needing help.”

“Thank you.”

Once I was done with her hair, I stepped back. She ran her fingers through it in surprise. She jumped and turned to hug me. I found myself wrapping my arms around her. Then I stopped, pushing her away, remembering that I had no gloves, and I had just been touching her hair and her skin .

“Are you alright?” I asked, putting my hands behind my back.

She looked at me strangely.

“I am fine. What is wrong, Dominick?” she asked, and I could hear the worry in her voice.

“I–I should not be touching you without my gloves. I am so sorry–”

“Should I be wearing gloves, too?” she asked.

“No–but I need to wear them–”

“Why? Does it have something to do with the black veins on your arms?”

“Yes–I am cursed .”

“Cursed! By an Ancient?” she gasped. “But how? Only human royals are cursed.”

“It is possible; I was born a royal, although I am not a royal anymore; I am a pirate.”

“A prince–a cursed prince–” she said with fear in her eyes.

I hated that expression on her face.

“What is your curse?” she asked.

“I cause pain, and I can also take it away.” Why am I telling her everything so easily?

“How?”

“By touching someone,” I said.

“Which is why you wear gloves?”

“Yes,” I said, glancing at the cave floor.

“But–I was not in pain when you touched me,” she said. She walked up to me and reached her hand out as if to pull my hand to hers–

“No–please–I could kill you.”

“What do you mean? You just touched me a moment ago–nothing happened.”

“I do not want to test it,” I said gruffly. I felt bad as I had let go of the darkness while on the island, but remembering my curse, seemed to bring it back. When had I last been in such a dire situation that it caused me to forget my curse?

Never.

“I will be back later,” I said as I walked away from the cave and kept walking until I was at the waves on the shore.