Chapter 18

18

CASSANDRA

" S o, this is Sevten?" I ask Ryland, who hovers next to me. I stand at the front of ship, watching the island coming into view. It's been a mad week on the ship, with me trying to get used to everything. Working in the kitchen with Zack is always the fun part of the day, while the un-fun part is trying to stay out of the way. The ship is chaos most of the day, but I like it. Most of my life has been quiet, and the ship is never quiet. Also, I'm rarely alone. I have slept in Chaz, Ryland, and Jacob's rooms all week. They said that next week will be Hunter, Zack, and Dante's turns to stay up at night. Ryland's room has the most comfortable bed, and I slept so well in it last night. I haven't seen much of the pirates, other than Zack in the kitchens and Chaz when he got me some cream for the scratches on my leg. He told me that Salty Sam does it all the time to everyone, and it's not worth getting infected.

"Yes, and where are you hiding?" he asks me, and I roll my eyes at him. Ryland has gone over the plan for me to hide in his room more than once. I suggested going below deck, but he said that's where anyone would look for someone. Ryland is worried someone might say something about me being on board, so he is leaving Dante to watch the ship. Dante is going to sit near the entrance to the ship and stop anyone from coming on board. It's a simple plan, and they are all clearly worried about me. Well, other than Hunter, who I'm sure would sell me off in a heartbeat for some gold or food. The evil looks he gives me make it clear he doesn't care much for me.

"In your room," I say, and he nods, looking back at the island with me. Sevten is about the same size as Onaya, but it's so different. The beaches are full of ports and different ships. The main city wall is visible as it's on the beach, and there are rows of green-leafed trees with brown fruits hanging off them. The city is built high, unlike our small houses, and they seem to have towers. The towers look to be made out of wood and are in block shapes. The city looks full of life and busy. I can't believe the amount of ships I can see from here. There must be at least fifty of them docked.

"It's so different," I say.

"And dangerous," he says, and I glance back as we get closer. I can now see that most of the ships have pirate banners. The place must be full of them, and what first seemed like a pretty sight is now a little frightening. I can't imagine all the different types of people that must be on this island. I see another ship, with big, dark green sails and a black-painted hull. It's so different from the others, and I know it's a guard ship. I remember my father telling me that the royal colour is a dark green, like the crowns the king and queen wear. The royal symbol is a green dragon on a black background. My father showed it to me once and said it was because the royal last name is Dragon.

"Time to go and hide," Ryland tells me, and I nod. I pass the seven people waiting to leave the ship, and every one of them watches me. The looks they are giving me are not pleasant. My eyes catch the beautiful woman who ran away from me, and she still looks terrified as she takes a step back. A warm hand grabs mine as I walk past, and I stop to look at Jacob who is standing with Chaz.

"Stay safe, we won't be long," Jacob says, and Chaz nods at me.

"I will," I say with a smile before walking away from them.

I don't say anything, just walk into Ryland's room. I close the door behind me and take a deep breath. I wander around his room, feeling the ship being stopped and hearing the shouts of my pirates. I stop with that thought. Since when am I calling them mine? They aren't mine, and I know that, but it's hard to think of walking away from any of them now. I walk over to the wall, which has five shelves; each has a bundle of things, including books. I pick up a book with a red spine and cover. There are no words on the outside, just a rose inside a crown on the cover. I sit on Ryland's bed as I open the book and read through it.

"The Dragon royal family were purely changed ones. Every single one of the royal line has been born changed, and they bring nature to life. I have witnessed the gifts, and they are truly wondrous. This was not a well-known fact but those of us who are close to them, know it. The royals do not appear in public. We know how the queen has no power without her king, and the king is the changed one. It draws people to him, like it did her to him many years past. It seems to only work when they are near each other. The changed king could have any wife, but the princess Lauraina was the one he chose.

The newly born daughter with pitch-black hair, has the mark and is a changed one. There have been no female changed ones recorded for many years, so to have a royal female is a wonder.

The child is sweet, and her parents care dearly for her, but they argue. There have been harsh disagreements between them, and it's well-known that the king is having an affair with a maid. It is not well-known that there was a fair-headed child born. A child who was not changed and taken away by the mother. The queen would have left the king if she found out. They both have lovers, but bastard children are another matter. I wonder what that child will be like when she is older.

I wonder what the changed royal will be like when she grows up and takes the throne.

I flip over to the next page and start reading more.

The child has grown into a beautiful woman, with long, black hair and dark blue eyes. The princess has found four chosen men and they have been named the four princes of Cal–"

"In here," a male voice says, stopping me from reading the rest of the book, and I look up as the doors to the room are opened. Two dirt-covered men walk in, and I slide the book onto the bed as I stand up. They both have deeply tanned skin that is covered in dirt, rag-like clothing, and when one of them grins, I can see a mouth full of cracked teeth. Being honest with myself, this is what I thought pirates should look like when I imagined them . I wonder where Dante is.

I can't see him just letting them come in here for me.

"The girl was right, a changed one. I'm glad we paid her well," one of the men says in a crackly voice. I can just about make out what he's saying. The accent is so different, deeper than I'm used to hearing. The pirates' accents are like mine, so there is little difference.

"She will fetch a few pennies and ten barrels of food," the other man replies, and I laugh.

"You have to catch me first, boys," I say, and they both grin at me. I ignore the fear I feel as they step forward, moving around the big table. I glance quickly around the room and mentally cringe when I see there are no weapons. Damn it. The big sword is gone. I bet Ryland took it with him. I should have thought to have a weapon in case this happened.

"Maybe we should have some fun with her first?" the one man asks as he looks me up and down. I've always liked the way the pirates look at me, but the way he does, makes me want to be sick. I would rather die than let them touch me. The fear I felt before is worse now as I back away and towards the window. The glass looks thick, and I know there isn't anything heavy enough for me to throw through it. I still glance around desperately.

"No, she is worth too much money, and she is a changed one. They will pay more for her to be untouched," the other man says, and I don't pause in my search, but keep my eyes on them. They move closer with every step, and my heartbeat is too loud in my ears for me to think straight.

"Shame," the other man draws the word out slowly as they get closer. I pick up the heavy paperweight off the table. At least it's something.

The men nod at each other, splitting up and going to either side of the table. I'm trapped unless I can knock one of them out. Choosing to wait is a bad idea, so I do the only thing I can think of. I jump on the table and run across it, jumping off the other end and running towards the door. I struggle to pull it open, and when I do, I run straight into something hard. I bounce to the floor and look up to see another man, holding a sword at his side. The man is just as dirty as the other two and has a crooked smile. My mark starts burning for the first time in my life. I have never felt anything from it, but I have to put my hand on my head, and then I see a little brown hair behind the man's feet. I move slightly to the right of the man and see Dante on the floor, blood pouring from a cut on his head. Someone has tied his hands and feet up, too. My mark just burns more, and everything is going blurry.

"Be a good girl now," the man says, and he points the sword down at me. The tip touching the end of my chin, he moves it slightly, and I wince at the pain as he cuts me. I know it's only a little cut, but it hurts all the same as he presses the sword closer to my neck. The mark is burning more, and all I can think about is getting to Dante. I need to know he is okay.

"Come on, the auctions start soon, and we need to get her there," one of the men says behind me, and a cloth is held over my mouth.

My last thought as I scream and kick at my kidnappers is, I hope Dante is alive , just before everything goes black.