I knew what this was.
It was a pirate ship.
“Queen Anne’s Revenge, miss,” the girl whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
I know that name. Why do I know that name?
“They’re coming, miss!” The girl hissed.
I cursed and looked up just as a few of the ship’s inhabitants peered over the side and spotted me. One of the men’s eyes widened. He shouted then turned back to the ship and shouted more while pointing down at me.
A thick brown rope shot over the side of the ship and then dropped down beside me in the water. I reached out and wrapped my arm around it—
“Goodbye, miss!”
“Good luck!”
I turned back to them and found their transparent eyes watching me. I had no idea what I was doing, I’d never been initiated into The Coven nor had I any specific training for my gift – I hadn’t ever even asked Paulina. But I remembered from my youth the Death Card in Salem could send lost souls to peace.
I bit my lip then reached down. “Take my hand! Now, hurry!”
They dove for my hand without hesitation and I sank a bit in the water, but the rope held me up.
I summoned my magic, the one I wasn’t used to yet. The one that felt like a crisp cool autumn breeze. I pulled that into my heart, then pushed it down to my hand. Soft golden light shimmered through my arm and then into theirs. Their bodies lit up.
“Be at peace,” I whispered. “You’re free.”
They gasped. Their eyes widened and little smirks pulled at their lips…and then they were gone.
“PULL!”
The rope tightened on my arm and then I shot straight up. I gasped and pulled my wings in and the world passed by me in a blur. One second I was floating in the ocean, the next my bare feet hit the wooden deck of the ship. I collapsed to my knees and coughed.
“What ‘ave we ‘ere?” A deep gravelly voiced purred in my ear. A large hand gripped the back of my neck then hoisted me up to my feet. The man in front of me had large blood shot eyes and a grimy dirty face. His clothes were so tattered, torn, and covered in dirt I couldn’t tell what he was even wearing. He looked me up and down, then grinned and let out a sick chuckle that made my stomach turn. “You a purrrrty little thing.”
The hand gripping my neck dragged me backwards until my back slammed into someone’s chest. A disgusting stench I couldn’t even begin to describe hit my nose and I gagged. Those fingers dug into my throat. I froze. I had to play this right if I wanted to survive. Pirates weren’t the kind of men you gambled with. I needed strategy, a plan because the swords strapped to their bodies told me I was heavily outnumbered.
Lips pressed into my jaw. A man purred in my ear. “Mmmm she smells good.”
“Bet she tastes good, too,” the first man growled and his eyes flashed down to my chest.
“Ay, where’d she come from?” Someone else shouted from beside me.
The first man stepped back and I saw just how much trouble I was in. There had to be twenty of them surrounding me with thirsty eyes and sloppy grins. I couldn’t tell any of them apart. They were all equally dirty and disheveled. Their clothes hung from their bodies in tattered threads. Their skin was crispy red from days on board in the sun. Empty bottles rolled from side to side over the deck as the boat swayed with the ocean.
“Ain’t no land out here!”
“She’s a witch!”
If only you knew. But I kept my mouth shut. I needed to bide my time to catch my chance to get away. We were still in the middle of the ocean. The sound of the waves lapping at the side of the wooden boat filled my ears. The sun beat down on me, warming my skin and drying some of my dress. The smell of saltwater filled my nose. I wanted to look around to find an escape from this. An idea formed in my mind but I hated it. The Seelie tunnel was my only option. If I could get back inside of it, I could get back out again.
“Maybe she’s Calypso…”
Her name is Keltie, not Calypso—
“Bring ‘er ta Blackbeard,”
I gasped. My eyes widened. Blackbeard?
OH NO.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
Blackbeard was old…I used to hear men speak of him back when I was first cursed…which meant – no, no, no, no. I’d traveled back in time. I had to get back to the Seelie tunnel now.
The two men closest to me lifted me off my feet by my armpits. Their fingers pinched my skin and my soaking dress weighed down on my legs.
Think, Saffie. THINK. Where’s the tunnel?
I held my hands behind my back, hiding them under the heavy red curtain of my hair so none of the men would see my gold glittery magic coiling around my fingers. I closed my eyes and focused on the warm energy of my magic against my skin. Show me the tunnel. I flicked my fingers out—
“Ay, Captain? Got a wee present,” the man on my right grumbled.
A wave of sharp cold energy rolled over me. I opened my eyes – and my stomach rolled. A man stepped out of the shadows of the cabin behind him and strolled toward me. He was tall with broad shoulders, and the black hat on his head cast its own shadow. Dark black hair hung past his shoulders and his beard was just as long. Both had metal bands coiled around knotted strands. He wore a red coat with pistols strapped to his chest. A long saber was gripped in his hand.
I didn’t even need to be told his name. I would have known who this was by the long fuses sticking out of his beard on either side of his face.
Blackbeard.
Big black eyes latched onto my body. His gaze traveled down and back up again and my pulse quickened. I pushed my magic harder and felt it slide over the herd of hungry pirates behind me…but I didn’t feel the tunnel anywhere.
Blackbeard pulled the pipe out of his mouth and blew a puff of smoke. Then he grinned and licked his black stained teeth. “Guess I know what I’m having for dinner.”
The men cheered and my stomach turned. Bile rose in my throat. I needed that damn tunnel and I needed it now.
“Put ‘er in my chamber—”
There was a loud crack like thunder and then a massive wave shot straight up into the sky. The wave rolled over and crashed right down on us. Queen Anne’s Revenge rocked to the side and the mens’ grip on me lightened. They dropped to their knees but I threw my wings out and kept myself upright just as a huge ship made of solid gold burst out from under the sea. Waves crashed beneath it. Water sprayed like rain. Tall gold masts with sails of gold stood tall against the blue sky.
My pulse skipped.
Fire bloomed inside me.
He’s here.
Blackbeard rushed to the rail as his men shouted and scrambled. He turned back toward me and lit the fuses sticking out of his beard with a wild grin. “READY ON THE GUNS!”
The men shouted and leapt into action. The black sails dropped down lower. Blackbeard dove for the wheel and spun.
The golden ship charged for us faster than any human-made pirate ship could have. The gold glistened in the sunlight. Waves crashed into the side of Blackbeard’s. And then I spotted him. RIAH. Standing at the nose of the golden ship in his matching golden armor. That pale blond hair flying in the wind behind him. His gold eyes swept the ship for me. I dove to the ground, sliding across the inch of water on the deck until I slammed into the cabin door.
“Captain?!”