Sail With Me (A Discovery Series Book) (18 page)

“Looks as if they’ve brought many choices for you,” she said.

“Choices?” I eyed each of Tizoc’s sisters.

“Well,” Yaretzi said with a laugh, “you can’t wear
boy’s
clothing
to the feast.”

Teiuc, Xochitl, and Er
é
ndira
joined in on the laughter. Xochitl’s eyes softened as she stepped closer to
where I sat.

“We don’t mean to make jokes,” she said, “but we’ve never met a girl who
would choose to be a boy for so many months. We love being females.”

All four of them nodded in agreement, their dark eyes shining at me.

“I only did it so I could have an adventure.”

“Is life in your England that tiresome?” Er
é
ndira
asked.

“Most people like it, I suppose,” I said, “but I wanted to sail.”

“Tizoc admires your daring,” Teiuc said.

At the mention of Tizoc, all four of the sisters giggled.

“He speaks highly of you,” Yaretzi said, a grin playing on her lips—one
that made her look more like Tizoc’s twin.

My cheeks flushed, and I stood, not enjoying the fact that four sets of
eyes drilled into me.

“Come,” Xochitl said, recognizing my discomfort. “Let’s get you dressed
and see if we can make a proper
cihuapilli
out of you.”

At Xochitl’s order, the other three hopped into action. Each of them held
up a dress. It was decided amongst them that a pale blue one, flowing and
without sleeves, would be the best on me. Though back home I hadn’t much cared
what I wore, anticipation washed over me at the prospect of slipping the dress
on.

“Here.” Yaretzi held the dress out to me and motioned to a wooden
changing screen in the room.

Once behind the screen, I shed the robe and put on the dress. I didn’t
even get a chance to see myself before Er
é
ndira
clamped onto my arm and dragged me out into the room.

She edged me toward the stool again and pushed on my shoulders until I
sat. Running her dark fingers through my still-wet hair, she sucked in a long
breath.

“Not the best haircut, I know,” I said, thinking of Benjamin chopping my
hair. “It was done in a moment of insanity and by someone who is used to
shearing sheep, not humans.”

Er
é
ndira met
my eyes in the dark looking-glass. “I can do something with it.”

She motioned to Yaretzi with her hand, and her younger sister placed a
pair of shears in her open palm. I swallowed loudly and folded my hands in my
lap.

“Relax,” Er
é
ndira
said.

I took in a deep breath and did as she said.

Furrowing her brow, she set to work. I sat as still as a statue, closed
my eyes, and let my mind wander to other things.

Daniel, of course, was the first “other thing” to pop into my head. I
closed my eyes and conjured up an image of us somewhere in the future. A simple
house on a beach somewhere in the Americas sketched itself before my mind’s
eye. Rolling green hills hugged the back of the house while the ocean sprawled
out in front of it. Bobbing off a mooring just off shore was a good-sized
vessel, the name
Charlotte
emblazoned on its transom.

“All right,” Er
é
ndira
said.

I opened my eyes and peered into the obsidian. My mouth opened, but I
couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Tizoc’s sister had worked a miracle.
The unevenly chopped hair that had spilled haphazardly about my neck had been
transformed into a wavy masterpiece. She had parted it on the right side and
cut layers so my naturally curly hair fell in loose coils about my head. So
soft and feminine. I caught a glimpse of the old Charlotte—of my mother—in the
image that reflected back to me.

“Oh, Er
é
ndira,”
I whispered. “How did you manage it?” My eyes had filled as I gaped at myself.

“She’s got our mother’s artistic eye,” Xochitl said, looking at me
approvingly.

“Thank you so much.” I got up to study myself in the looking-glass, tears
spilling onto my cheeks now.

Xochitl stepped around her sister and hugged me close to her, the faint
smell of jasmine seeping up to my nose. She held me until I stopped crying.

“Happy tears, yes?” she asked. “You look wonderful.”

I nodded, not able to speak just yet. Their kindness had overwhelmed me,
and seeing my female form again was like meeting an old friend, only that
friend had changed. Changed for the better.

“Now some jewelry.” Yaretzi adorned me with two of her arm cuffs. One was
smooth, polished silver while the other was made of delicately braided strands
of silver, gold, and copper. “There, you’re almost a
cihuapilli
now.”

“What more do I need?” I inspected my improved self.

“Footwear.” Teiuc handed me a pair of brown sandals, and when I slipped
my feet into them, they fit perfectly.

I walked around the room in the sandals. They were lightweight and comfortable.
A definite change from the heavy boots I had been wearing since September.

Xochitl rummaged around in the fabrics she had brought and extracted a
multicolored triangle of sheer fabric. Blue feathers embellished the two
shorter sides of the triangle, tickling my bare arms as she draped the fabric
over my shoulders. I settled into my new garb by wrapping the shawl-like piece
around me a little tighter.

All four of Tizoc’s sisters examined their work. I wasn’t as
uncomfortable about their scrutiny as I had been when they started. They had
done an amazing job. So amazing I almost forgot what it was like pretending to
be a boy aboard the
Rose
. There wasn’t a sliver of boy left in the
reflection before me.

Charlie Hamden was gone.

A soft knock on the threshold around the curtained doorway of the room
broke the silence. Tizoc’s sisters whisked up all of the materials they had
brought with them and fluttered to a door at the opposite end of the room.

“We’ll leave you to your company,” Xochitl said with a slight bow. “You
look wonderful. We’ll see you tonight.” She smiled and was gone with the rest
of her sisters as another light knock came.

“Yes.” I fiddled with my clothing for an extra moment. “Come in.”

Before I saw the face that went with the hand on the curtain, I knew it
was Daniel. I sat on the stool, fussing with my dress. My heartbeat filled my
ears as I waited for him to enter. What would he think of my transformation?

The look on his clean-shaven, handsome face said it all. He froze in the
doorway, his mouth half open, his blue eyes wide.

“Charlotte?”

“Mmm-hmm. What do you think?”

He stared at me a moment longer before shaking his head as if waking from
a dream. “I’m pretty sure I’m not capable of thought right now. You look… you
look like an angel. You can’t be real.”

He entered the room. Someone had cleaned and mended his tunic and
breeches. The knot that usually hung from his empty right sleeve was gone.
Instead, the sleeve had been trimmed further, folded, and stitched neatly. His
boots had been replaced with sandals similar to the ones I wore and along with
a shave, his hair had been washed, combed, and gathered into a knot at the base
of his neck. As he neared me, a fresh citrus scent mingled with the jasmine
aroma swirling about me.

I stood when he was an arm’s length away from me. “I’m real,” I assured
him, taking his left hand in my right one and pulling him several inches
closer.

His grin was slow to come as he came out of his shock. I was not usually
so self-indulgent, but cripes, I enjoyed every moment of his reaction.

“You were beautiful to me as you hid in your brother’s clothes,” he
started, searching my face with his eyes, “but this is a beauty I’ve never seen
anywhere before.”

He lowered his head and brushed his lips against mine, sending floods of
heat sweeping throughout my body. I leaned against him and wrapped my hands
around the back of his neck. He slid his hand under the sheer wrap about my
shoulders. His palm was warm through the fabric of my dress, and my heart
fluttered.

“So you like it then?”

“Very much.” Daniel’s lips found mine again.

My legs felt weak as I gave in to the desire. I was hot and chilled at
the same time. I trailed my hands down to Daniel’s shoulders and found myself
wanting to get him closer somehow. We kissed for what seemed like an eternity,
and I would have been happy to die in that exact embrace, but another knock at
the doorway had him pulling away from me.

“We’ll finish this later,” he whispered, playfully nipping at my ear.

“Promise?”

“With all that I am.” He sat on the stool and looked to the doorway.
“That’ll be my uncle.”

“Come in, Captain.” Although I enjoyed the captain, I wished he would
disappear and let Daniel continue his exploration of Charlotte Denham, English
female sailor and Sunal
cihuapilli
.

Captain Finley stepped into the room then stumbled backward, banging into
the curtain. “Oh, my. You sure do fancy up nice.” He noticed Daniel sitting on
the stool. “Both of you.”

“You too, Captain,” I said.

His garments had been freshened, his beard and hair groomed.

He crossed the room to take my hand in his. He kissed it and shot Daniel
a sly look. “Quite a treasure here, boy. Quite a treasure.” 

I curtsied to the captain, holding the ends of my dress out properly, and
Daniel stood, his arm coming around my waist.

“The more time I’ve had to think about it, Charlotte, the prouder I am to
have had you as my first female crewmember,” the captain said.

“It is I who am proud to have served on the
Rose
under your expert
seamanship, sir,” I said. “I know I… lied… to you, but do you think you’ll take
other women on as crew?”

“I’ve learned my lesson,” the captain replied. “Yes. The next hard
working female who wants to work on the
Rose
shall have her chance.” He
shifted his gaze to Daniel. “Maybe I’ll hire one my age and see if I can find
some love for myself.”

I leaned forward and kissed Captain Finley on the cheek. “I completely
understand why Daniel has turned out to be such a wonderful man.”

The captain’s eyes softened then he rubbed his hands together. “Looks as
if we have a feast to attend. I’m starving.” He walked to the doorway, pulled
open the curtain, and stepped into the hallway outside.

“Do you think they need any help in the kitchens?” I asked, nudging
Daniel in the ribs with my elbow.

“We’re off duty tonight, Charlotte,” he said. “Besides, you’re far too
beautiful tonight to be cooking.” He let his gaze sweep over me and I felt the
caress of it all the way down to my soul.

“I know I was wary about trusting Tizoc at first,” Daniel began as we
walked toward the patio behind the captain, “but his family has been kind.
Citlali asked about my arm when she was mending my shirt. When I told her what
happened, she put down her work and gave me this enormous, motherly hug.” He
paused and swallowed, a swell of emotion pouring over his face. “It was nice.”

“Xochitl did something similar to me, and all of Tizoc’s sisters were
wonderful.” I gestured with my hand to my garments and hair.

“Yes,” Daniel said, looking at me. “Remind me to thank them for their
expertise.” He trailed light kisses along the length of my arm, and I wriggled
at the tickling sensation he caused.

We arrived on the patio where Citlali and Tizoc’s sisters sat waiting for
us. Each of them was dressed as I was, only in different colors. Together we
were a rainbow of flowing fabrics.

Citlali cast an appraising eye over me as she reached out her hands for
mine. She twirled me around. “Stunning. A
cihuapilli
for certain.”

“Thanks to your daughters.” I allowed Citlali to bury me in an embrace
that warmed me from the inside out.

As she released me, Tizoc strode onto the patio. His gait had been
confident and smooth until his tiger eyes rested on me. He halted and regarded
me for a long, silent moment. No one moved or spoke for what seemed like
forever.

Finally, Xochitl cleared her throat. “We should be getting to the temple.
Tahtli
will be waiting for us.” Her voice broke the trance, and she
brushed Tizoc’s arm as she passed him. “Come.”

He turned stiffly to follow her, but I could still feel the energy his
stare had radiated out to me.

Daniel sidled up next to me, his hand settling on my back. “I may trust
his family,” he whispered, “but not him. I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

I shrugged in an attempt to show indifference, but Daniel was right.
Tizoc’s reaction to me was as awestruck as Daniel’s had been.

Maybe a little more so.      

****

We climbed the steps to the top of the temple pyramid and were led to a
table under a huge canopy of stone. Sunal warriors, armed with spears, stood
like statues at posts along the edges of the temple—a clear sign for us
visitors to behave. Torches blazed orange-red flames around the perimeter of
the feasting site, and most members of the crew that had come with us were
seated. Citlali motioned for us to follow her, and she brought us to a line of
tables at the head of the area. Yaoti stood as his wife approached.

“Citlali.” He stretched a hand out to her. She accepted it with a slight
bow and took the seat next to his. Tizoc’s sisters filed in next to Citlali and
Tizoc slipped in next to his father.

“Sit here, Captain.” Citlali indicated a chair next to Yaretzi on the
end. “Charlie, Daniel, next to Tizoc.”

Daniel was quick to make sure he was seated next to Tizoc instead of me.
A quick scowl zipped across Tizoc’s face, but he buried it.

We were on display. The gathered crew and other Sunal occupied tables in
front of ours. Long tables stretched out on either side of Yaoti’s table. Some
of our crewmen looked at me, and I smiled at their confusion. Let them wonder
where Charlie had gone.

“It is a position of honor to be seated at an official’s table,” Tizoc
said.

“We’ll try to remember that,” Daniel said.

Tizoc narrowed his golden eyes at Daniel, but I sent them both a pleading
look and they backed off.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel said. “I’ll behave. For you.”

“Thank you.” I tossed him a sweet smile.

“I’ll do anything if you keep smiling at me like that.” Daniel tapped the
end of my nose with his finger.

“I’ll have to remember that.”

A loud drum crash made us both jump in our seats. At once, the Sunal
stood and we Englishmen—and woman—awkwardly rose with them. The drumbeat
continued as a line of Sunal warriors trailed in from my left. In the midst of
this parade of sorts, a figure emerged.

“Dimazuno!” the Sunal around us sang out together.

Tizoc leaned past Daniel to speak to me. “Our emperor.”

An annoyed look chased across Daniel’s features, but he did not say
anything. I went back to watching the Sunal emperor arrive at the feast. He
exuded majesty in his high, feathered helmet and long, white robe that draped
around his shoulders. Silver earrings pierced both his earlobes, and a long
silver chain was wrapped around his neck in three loose loops. He had a serious
face with a long nose and close, deep brown eyes. One would have recognized him
as their leader without Tizoc’s explanation.

Dimazuno took his seat on an elevated platform behind the official’s
tables. His attendants sat on low cushions on the ground to either side of the
emperor.

In a thunderous voice, he addressed all those gathered at this feast. I
did not understand a word of his speech for he delivered it in his native
tongue. When he finished, however, his people gave up a wondrous cheer and some
turned to regard us.

“Yaoti,” Dimazuno said.

Tizoc’s father rose to his feet and said, “Englishmen, our mighty emperor
wishes that I translate his words for you.”

“We welcome you to Ezenoch,” Yaoti said. “May your time here with us be a
fruitful exchange of culture. Learn, explore, enjoy, but leave us as you found
us. There have been others that have visited and taken advantage of our
hospitality. We will not be taken for fools.

“Your captain was wise enough to come with only small daggers, so we take
that as a sign of faith—a sign that you will not harm us—and therefore we will
not harm you. Let us share this meal as a symbol of trust in one another.”

When Yaoti took his seat, Captain Finley rose. “We thank you for your
generosity. We look forward to learning your ways and exploring your amazing
city. We have come a long way to see the land that lies across the mighty ocean,
and now that we are here, we see the paradise in which you live. It is truly an
honor to be among you.”

All of our crew let out their own roar of agreement. As the captain sat,
Yaoti stood again, translating Captain Finley’s words so the emperor and the
rest of the Sunal could understand.

When Yaoti finished, Dimazuno nodded to the captain then clapped his
hands together. More Sunal poured in carrying trays heaped high with food. The
smells that wafted in with them had my mouth watering, my stomach growling.
Though I did not recognize some foods, my hunger was so great that everything
looked tasty to me.

The sound of Tizoc’s laughter tore my attention away from the nearest
tray. I shifted my gaze to look at him.

“Sorry.” He placed his hand over his mouth to stifle his amusement. “You
must be famished.”

“We’ve eaten little since we arrived on your shores,” Daniel said in my
defense. “And our rations on the
Rose
had been dwindling for the last
few weeks.”

“Again, my apologies.” Tizoc gained control of his laughter. “But Charlie
looks like she’s a wild animal ready to attack her prey.” His amber eyes
flickered at me beneath raised eyebrows, and a smile automatically came to my
lips.  

“I might attack it.” I thrust my chin up. “You forget I’ve been
pretending to be male for months. I may have lost all memory of proper
etiquette.”

“Not all males are without manners.” Tizoc signaled to the nearest Sunal
with a tray. When the boy came closer, he bowed to Tizoc and peeked at Daniel
and me. Was this the first time he had seen English people up close?

Tizoc spoke to the boy in the quick language of his people, and the boy
bowed again. He came over to me and piled various foods onto my plate. I had to
hold up a hand to stop him. Tizoc was laughing again, and even Daniel smiled
along with him.

“Tizoc, what did you tell him?” I got lost in the aromas floating around
my face.

“I told him to feed the lady first for if you stayed hungry you were sure
to leave this feast and take your beauty with you.” Tizoc sent me a full smile
that dimpled his left cheek. “No one would want you to leave,
Cihuapilli
.”

“Especially me,” Daniel said, looking at Tizoc instead of me. “Tizoc, you
understand that Charlotte and I—”

“Are in love,” Tizoc finished, cutting Daniel off. “Yes, she has told me,
but it is… Sunal custom, shall we say… that keeps me from hiding my own
feelings for Charlie. I’ve never seen anyone like her. She is radiant.”

Radiant?
No one had ever used that word to describe me before.
Odd, yes. Solitary, definitely. But radiant? Never.

“Well.” Daniel’s tone indicated a struggle to contain his rising
irritation. I caught a glance of the Daniel who hadn’t wanted to break in a new
fish all those months ago. A Daniel whose words had held disdain. “Charlie and
I have waited to be together without having to hide how we feel. I’m not going
to let you, or anyone else, ruin what’s happening between us.”

“What about what Charlie wants?” Tizoc asked.

“I know what Charlie wants,” Daniel said.

“Do you?” 

“Yes, I—”

“Stop, please, both of you.” I laid a hand on Daniel’s arm and glared at
Tizoc. “First of all, you both speak as if I’m not sitting with you. Secondly,
if I don’t eat right now, you’re both going to be sorry. Thirdly, what I want
is a matter of what
I
want, not what you two
think
I want.”

With that said, Daniel and Tizoc looked away from each other. They both
had the look of small boys that had been scolded. Good. I turned my attention
to my plate and sampled the medley of foods collected there. Daniel and Tizoc
did the same in absolute silence. Cripes. I wasn’t sure what more to say to
them. My own feelings were getting mixed around, and I didn’t like it at
all.      

I concentrated on the vegetables to busy myself. Several varieties of
potatoes adorned my plate and melted in my mouth when I tasted them. A flat
white bread made of corn—
tortilla
—Tizoc called it, had a lovely flavor
especially when I followed some of the Sunal around me and rolled strips of
turkey into the bread with tomatoes and chili peppers. I warmed my insides with
a soup of large maize kernels called
pozole
.

Everything had a spicy jolt of seasoning that made me feel as if I had
been eating sawdust on the
Rose
. I would never admit that to Daniel,
because he had done most of the cooking, but without access to the fresh
vegetables and game the Sunal had, the food on the ship had been bland,
repetitive, and sometimes moldy.

I cleared my plate, savoring every bite. After the dishes were carted
away, mugs filled with a dark brown liquid, white foam cresting at the top of
it, were passed around. I sniffed at the fluid and a pungent, but pleasant odor
filled my senses.

“Xocolatl
,” Tizoc said, as Daniel and I studied the contents of
the mug. “We roast the seeds of the cacao tree then grind them into a powder.
Mixing it with water creates this.” He held up the mug in his hand and brought
it to his lips.

Daniel, not wanting to be seen as less daring than Tizoc, lifted his mug
and took a drink. His features relaxed as he tipped the mug for another sip.

“Is it good?” I peeked into my own mug at the muddy concoction.

“Surprisingly so,” Daniel said. “Try it.”

I liked it so much Tizoc had my mug filled twice more, and I finished it
all. As the feast came to a close, many of our crewmen excused themselves to
head back to the comfortable, yet guarded accommodations Yaoti had provided
them. Daniel slid his chair back as well and stood, but before I could join
him, a slender brown hand rested on my shoulder. When I turned, Xochitl smiled
down at me.

“Daniel, come here, boy,” Captain Finley’s voice rang out.

“I’ll be right back.” Daniel glanced at Tizoc as he left.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Xochitl asked after Daniel was gone.

“Oh, yes. Everything was wonderful. I especially liked the
xocolatl
.”

“It is a favorite drink,” Xochitl said. “Good for celebrating.” She
turned to her brother who had closed the distance between us. “What do you
think of our work, Tizoc?”

“Did you have to make her so beautiful?” he whispered, turning his
honey-colored eyes on me.

“Did you want us to make her hideous?” Xochitl said, holding her hands
out beside her.

“It would have made things easier.” Tizoc sighed as he gave me a long
glance that touched me deep down.

Shaking his head, he looked past Xochitl. “Zolin needs me.” He leaned
over and kissed his sister on the cheek. He took a step toward me, but stopped
himself. Instead, he walked around me, brushing his hand along my arm as he
passed, and headed toward a young Sunal man standing at the table next to ours.

“Zolin is our cousin,” Xochitl explained. “He was with Tizoc… in your
country. They are very close.”

A small crowd of men surrounded Tizoc as soon as he reached Zolin. They
spoke in hushed voices, and I assumed they were talking about the ritual to
follow this evening’s feast.

“I should go.” I stood, and Xochitl was right beside me.

“Are you all right, Charlie? Shall I get Tizoc to escort you back to our
home?”

“No,” I said. “No, I’m fine. I’ll just—”

“Ready to go, Charlotte?” Daniel was somehow standing next to me. I had
been ready to leave alone, but now that he was so close, I was soothed by his
presence.

“Yes.” Turning to Xochitl, I said, “Thank you for everything.”

“It was our pleasure. Perhaps tomorrow my sisters and I can offer you a
tour of Ezenoch’s gardens?”

“Oh, yes. I would like that.” Good. Something else to focus on besides
what was going to happen at this temple after Daniel and I left.

Daniel edged me toward the steps leading back down to ground level. As we
descended, another shudder zipped through me. Daniel’s hand tightened on mine
and my nerves settled. His lips tickled my skin, and the rest of the walk along
the paved street toward Tizoc’s home passed quickly. Soon, Daniel and I found
ourselves at the curtained doorway of my quarters. With the captain and Tizoc’s
family still at the feast, the house was silent. Without saying a word, I
tugged on Daniel’s arm as I pushed the curtain to my room aside.