Behind The Wooden Door (15 page)

I closed my eyes and let myself remember. It was here that I saw Tristan for the first time. His body the only one not encased in armor. His green eyes met mine for only a brief moment, and somehow, I had known he was special.

Voices drifted in the wind around me. I didn’t have to open my eyes to see who approached me. They were the only two who felt a stronger connection to my kingdom than the others.

Their boots made soft thuds against the stone as the
y joined me on the balcony. Cormac stood on my left and Tommy on my right. We stared out at the fire blown sky that hung over my kingdom.

I smiled at the orange sky and wondered if by any chance dragons would make the sky as beautiful in the next world as they did in Rattonim.

CHAPTER 22 – EPILOGUE

Pirates. I hear their cannons in the distance and see the flashes of red. From my window, I can even see the emerald sails of the ship. I knew they would come here. They’ve gotten closer and closer with every raid. There’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll invade my home. My father and I live in one of the only houses worth stealing anything from.

A woman screams from somewhere in the street. She hasn’t any reason to scream yet. The pirates haven’t even reached this side of the town. And I’m not going to be here when they do. I’ll stand a much better chance hiding in the streets than staying in my home.

My father and the king’s other soldiers will destroy the pirate scum before daybreak. I just have to survive until then.

I lock the front door behind me when I leave even though I know it won’t keep the sea crazy men out.

Everything is chaos in the street. People run in every direction trying to find a safe place. A gun fires close by. Too close. Is there any safe place?

Another gun shot. That’s when I see them. There are at least six ragged pirates coming down the street. And they’re heading my way.

A large man beside me pulls a pistol from the holster on his belt, and I pray he’s a good shot… I don’t find out though. He drops dead before he can even cock his pistol. A knife juts from his forehead. The garnets encrusted in the hilt shine in the firelight.

I back away in horror from the dead man and run as fast as I can down the chaotic street. People push and shove to get away as quickly as possible. A third gunshot rings out.

The woman behind me pushes me to the ground. She’s only concerned with her own life. She doesn’t care if I get murdered by pirates or trampled by the panicked locals.

“Lanie?”

I don’t recognize the guy’s voice when he says my name. A hand wraps around my arm and roughly pulls me from the ground.

He’s one of them.

Messy brown hair falls around his face. His black clothes are ripped and tattered. His entire face lights up as he stares at me, but I don’t know him. Something about him feels familiar. It’s like I’ve seen him in a dream before.

“How do you know my name?” I ask. My voice is surprisingly steady.

His smile fades. “You don’t remember?”

“Good. We can just leave her then,” another pirate says from behind. His blonde hair is cut closely to his scalp and his dark blue eyes bore into me as if saying ‘I know more about you than you know about yourself.’ He tosses a knife into the air and catches it by its hilt. I recognize it instantly. He killed the man with the pistol.

“We can’t just leave her,” the brown haired guy says and tightens his grip on my arm.

I don’t know how he knows me and frankly, I don’t care, but I am not going with them. Especially not with the blonde. He’s scary.

I rip my arm from the brunette’s grasp and kick him in the shin as hard as I can. He jumps back and yelps out in pain. I run.

Don’t look back. Just keep running.

The sound of ripping fabric fills my ear. I hit the ground.

“You could have killed her!” the brunette pirate yells.

“I couldn’t get that lucky,” his asshole comrade says.

They stand over me like towering, demonic shadows. The blonde reaches down and pulls out the knife that’s pinning the bottom of my dress to the ground.

“What do you want with me?” I ask choking back tears.

“You really don’t remember?” The brunette’s face is full of worry.

I shake my head.

“Let’s take her to the Death. Maybe she’ll recognize our captain,” the blonde says. He points his knife at my throat. “If you run from us, don’t think I won’t aim to kill.”

They each grab hold of one of my arms and pull me along with them. I don’t fight them, though. I truly believe the knife thrower will kill me if I do. We pass through the town quickly and no one tries to help me. I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t help any of them either.

The ship is much larger than it looked from my bedroom window. It sways back and forth with the tide.

The two pirates push me into a small longboat. I watch as everything I’ve ever known shrinks away, and the unfamiliar, unwelcoming pirate ship draws closer.

The green sails of the pirate ship flap loudly in the wind, and small waves crash around our tiny boat.
Please let this be a dream.

A small ladder hangs from the side of the ship. The brunette goes up first and motions for me to follow him. I place my hands on the rungs and try my best to avoid the green sea fungus that’s growing on the ship. My legs shake as I climb. What if I don’t recognize the captain? What will they do to me then?

A crew member helps me aboard. His hands are large and calloused. He’s tall and broad and looks like he could easily lift an ox. He smiles at me as if greeting an old friend and not a captive.

The blonde pushes past me, runs up the stairs that lead to the helm, and bangs on the door of the captain’s quarters.

I inhale the salty air and wait. Dread, anticipation, and excitement gush through my veins.

The door opens.

The captain’s boots fall hard yet slowly on the wooden stairs. His blonde hair is cut short and spiked. He, unlike his men in solid black, wears black pants, and a black vest hangs loosely over his white shirt.

I want to cry. As I look upon him, all I feel is happiness. I close my eyes tightly and see another world. Another time.

Cold air rushes around me as I look out from a stone balcony. I’m dancing around a dead garden in an auburn and gold dress. A door slams.

I open my eyes quickly at seeing the door. It’s haunted my dreams for years.

The captain’s green eyes look over me, analyze me. He runs his fingers through his hair and smiles a crooked smile at me.

He takes one step closer. “Well, hello, Princess.”