A Pirate's Curse (Legends of the Soaring Phoenix) Read online

  He blocked everything out of his mind and concentrated on the needle pushing in and out of his skin. Sleep, just forget everything.

  “Come on, lassie. Let’s leave him to rest. I think you need some fresh air to put color in your cheeks,” William said. William escorted her out of the crew’s quarters.

  Kane’s fingers gripped the blanket. He wanted to beg Hannah to stay, to tell him she forgave him, but his damnable pride stood in the way. What if she said no?

  “Mallory,” he slurred.

  “Aye, Capt’n?”

  “Set sail for Saint Kitts.”

  “Saint Kitts?”

  “Do I need to repeat myself?”

  “Nay, Capt’n,” Sean answered.

  “He needs rest,” Doc said.

  Footsteps clamored around him and the door opened and closed. Kane leaned up on his forearms. A heavy sigh escaped him. “Probably better this way.” He wiped the single tear slipping down his cheek. “Some Capt’n.” He shook his head and slumped back onto the bed. An empty lump formed in his gut. His head swam around the cabin, his eyes refused to open. For the better. All he could think of was William kissing Hannah, stealing her away from him.

  “Don’t leave me Hannah,” he mumbled before the rum sent him into oblivion.

  Chapter Twelve

  Hannah clasped William’s hand tight. He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to the galley. She rested against him, inhaling his masculine scent of cinnamon. Her erratic breathing slowed with the steady beat of his heart. She frowned. Why wasn’t he angry with her for stabbing his brother?

  Upon reaching the upper deck, the sea salt air wafted around her. She left William to grip the ship’s railing, staring straight ahead. Tortuga's port slipped past as the Phoenix eased toward open waters. There were half dozen ships anchored in the harbor, all of them waving the pirate colors. She sighed. Kane was right. The other pirates might not be vampires, but they’d be vicious. She was trapped.

  “Why did you stab him?”

  “He just scared me. I've never had a man kiss me like he did.”

  A cool breeze blew onto the deck. William touched her shoulders and she shivered, but ’twasn’t the same she felt when Kane touched her. Kane’s was firm, determined but gentle. William seemed almost hesitant and unsure, whether ’twas indecisiveness or due to the cold or something else she couldn’t tell.

  “Kane drives people to do things they normally would not have done. Are you cold?”

  Hannah stared at Tortuga—her last bit of freedom passing away. Now, she and her father would be completely at the mercy of these vampire pirates. Kane was the one who could control his crew, prevent them from killing her and her father, but he was wounded. Thanks to her. “Where are we going?”

  His gaze lingered too long on her lips. “I don't know, lass, but I'll find out.”

  She turned away from him and gripped the railing. When Kane healed, what would he do to her? She avoided the gaze of the men rushing past her.

  A tall burly pirate whisked by and mumbled, “Witch.”

  Or had he said bitch? She hung her head. What did she expect?

  William came up alongside her. “Saint Kitts.”

  She whirled around. “What?”

  “Aye, the blood fool is taking us to Saint Kitts.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “We’re pirates, Hannah. What kind of welcome do you think we’ll get there?”

  “Then why?”

  He gave her a hard stare. “For once Kane is making the right decision when it comes to you.”

  She wrung her hands. “Meaning?”

  “You and your father must find a ship in Saint Kitts to take you back to England. You can’t stay in Saint Kitts or anywhere in the Caribbean. We’ll track down the Fiery Damsel and hold her at bay, while you and your father escape. Palmer’s a determined bastard. ’Tis not safe for either of you here.”

  “You want us to be safe? I mean after what happened?”

  “Kane hasn’t been himself lately. You’ve distracted him.”

  “I have?”

  “Aye, lass.” He tilted her chin. “He’s been trying to find a way to break the curse. You know you can’t be with him. Ever. He’s too dangerous. A vampire.”

  She nodded. “I know. Has he, or anyone of them, ever tried to…”

  “Bite me?” His eyes appreciative, William released her and ran his fingers down her arm. “No, they’ve never fed on me. Remember, they’re cursed. They changed into vampires after drinking from the lake.”

  “Palmer and his men?”

  “The same, but they keep going back to Zuto’s island and drink more. They don’t need a full moon to change into a vampire.”

  She rubbed her neck, as the memory of Palmer and his men biting into her crew’s neck flashed in her mind. “But they can’t change you?”

  “No, they can’t. Zuto has the power to do it and Palmer has the power to break the curse.”

  “Why does Zuto want us?”

  “I’m not sure. But Kane suspects the demon has made some kind of bargain with his lord. He’d alluded to this before Kane and the crew the fled his island.”

  “How does Palmer have the power to break the curse?”

  William lifted her chin, his thumb caressing her cheek. “By handing you and your father over to Zuto.”

  She swallowed, trying to concentrate. “Why does Palmer want to hand me over to Zuto?”

  “He wants your father to feel his pain.”

  “Why? What did my father do?”

  “Zuto said your father left Palmer’s brother infected with small pox on an island to die. That’s why Palmer's willing to hand you over to a bloodthirsty demon. He wants your father to watch you die. He wants revenge.”

  Hannah’s heart pounded, blocking out any sounds around her. She couldn’t comprehend what she heard. Kane wanted to break the curse to be human. Her father and she were the key to setting him free. “Are you sure Kane isn’t taking us to Zuto?”

  “No lass.” His thumb traced around her lips. She stilled not sure what to do. She'd just been with Kane, the captain and now she was standing here with his brother. William stirred more uncharted feelings for her, not as strong as Kane’s, but still there. Was it because Kane was a vampire or was it something else? Kane elicited unfamiliar feelings, forbidden feelings, scary feelings. One look from him and she became a withering mess, a sloshing ocean. Her feminine core pooled and throbbed and she wanted— but she did not know what she wanted.

  William peered into her eyes. “Kane sought another way to break the curse. He would not hand over an innocent.”

  “Oh, I see.” Her thoughts blurred, but her feelings remained strong, not caring that Kane was a vampire. He’d proved himself in so many ways.

  Her stomach growled.

  William dropped his hand and laughed. “Are you hungry lass?”

  “I don’t know how I could be after what,” her gazed dropped to her boots. “after what happened.”

  “Kissing someone to calm them wasn’t the grandest idea. Come lass. You’ll feel better after you eat.”

  Heat swept over Hannah’s face. ’Twas more than kissing. Her breasts were still tender from where Kane’s chaffed beard had brushed against her, but what surprised her most, was she liked it. His mouth had suckled and kissed her, fueling a passion she never knew existed. Had he cast a spell on her, turning her into a shameless harlot?

  William clasped her hand and Hannah reluctantly followed him down into the galley. Kane was taking her to Saint Kitts. He was a pirate, a wanted man, condemned to hang, but he was taking her there to find safe passage. She would never see him again. A few minutes ago, she wanted to kill him— literally. But never seeing him again left a hollow ache in her chest. She felt like she stood on an edge of the cliffs, like the ones in Dover, about to fall in into a churning ocean of despair.

  For the next few hours, the ache grew in her chest as the Soaring Phoenix sailed for S
aint Kitts. The waters were calm and the wind blew strong so the ship made good time. Not a cloud in the sky. The sun moved through faster than she had hoped, but Kane never came up on board. More than once, she started to approach Doc, but facing Kane, sent shivers down her spine. She hadn’t even realized that she called upon her power until ’twas too late. If Kane hadn’t been immortal, she’d have killed him. How could she apologize for what she had done?

  Her father had woken from the sleeping draught and become furious after overhearing men talk about what happened between her and Kane. He marched toward the cabin, bent on thrashing Kane. Amadi and Doc restrained him and William ordered him to be thrown into the brig. He swore he would not hurt Kane, but William didn’t believe him and said it would be Kane's decision when he’d be released. Father was at least happy they were returning to Saint Kitts. But she knew him. He would not find safe passage to England. No, he’d want to stay and force her to marry.

  The sun was setting when William approached her. “Lass, ’tis dinner time. You’ve been staring off the portside all day. Won’t you join me?”

  She glanced at his arm. “Are you sure you want me to join you? Nobody has spoken a word to me all day.” Why would they? She stabbed their captain.

  “Come, lass. No one will harm you, I promise. Any crewmen that ventured to harm you would have to face Kane.”

  She sighed and tore away from the setting sun. He escorted her to the galley. Upon entering, the crew stopped talking. All eyes were on her. Some of them were curious, others were hostile and some were wary. Her stomach tightened. She was an anomaly. The enemy. A dangerous liability aboard their ship. William was Kane’s brother, but he didn’t possess the same authority or stance. Kane emitted power. His word was law, but he wasn’t here. He was laid up in his cabin, thanks to her.

  Hannah took a step back, but William tugged on her arm and led her to five empty settings at the end of the table. She stared down at the floor and wished she could disappear where there were no pirates. No ghosts. No demons.

  “She stabbed the captain,” a bald pirate muttered.

  “She’s a witch. Should be in the brig,” another stated.

  Sweat trickled down Hannah’s temples and she bit her lip. Her legs shook. She should have stayed outside.

  “Are you defying the Captain,” William growled.

  “Nay,” the bald pirate stated. His eyes widened. “I was stating what happened.”

  William glared and the man returned to his supper and didn’t raise his head. The other pirate blurted, “I meant no disrespect. I wasn’t going to drag her to da brig. You’ll not tell da captain, will ye?”

  “Anyone who tries to harm the lass will face the Captain.”

  The muttering and grumbling stopped. The men gazed at William and nodded. They returned to their food and ale.

  William might not be the captain, but he commanded the same demanding obedience as Kane and the men obeyed. Strong. Competent. True.

  Doc walked through the door. “Ah, Hannah. You’ve got some sun, lass.”

  His jovial voice set her at ease. He didn’t hate her. Maybe sitting between Doc and William she could get through dinner. She cleared her throat. “How’s my father?”

  “Brought him food and he threw it on the floor,” Doc said. “Says he’d rather starve.” Hurt reflected in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Doc.”

  He gave her a brief smile.

  She stared at the food. Hunger was the farthest from her mind. What about Kane? Had he eaten anything? Was he still in pain?

  There were several crocks of stewed mussels in the middle of the table. Along the side of the crocks were bowls of boiled potatoes and steamed coconut rice. William and Doc sat down on either side of her, and William dished up her plate first. He piled her plates with mussels and rice.

  Despite the tantalizing aroma, she picked at her food with her fork. She couldn’t bury her guilt over Kane. It gnawed at her until she was raw.

  “Eat up, lassie,” Doc urged. “Da Captain be upset if you don’t eat.”

  "Aye,” William agreed. “You’ve got to eat something.”

  She pushed her mussels around with her fork, but stabbed one and twirled it around her plate. The mussels were chewy and delicious. Licking her lips, she ate two more, but when Cook filled her mug with stout, she ignored the savory mussels. She gulped down one pint and another. She wanted to block out what she had done. Forget Kane was a vampire.

  “Hannah, you need to eat,” William said.

  But she ignored him and guzzled down more of the ale.

  She laughed, drawing the attention of more than one pirate who gazed at her curiously. Some openly glowered at her and others shook their heads. She didn’t care what they thought. The galley spun around in circles, and she clasped the table to keep from falling out of her chair. She bathed in a giddy happiness.

  Hannah lifted her mug. “Cheers.”

  Her voice sounded thick and slow, but she didn’t care. William’s face blurred in front of her. She grabbed her mug again, and he whipped it out of her hand.

  “No, I’m not doooone yet,” she slurred.

  William cocked an eyebrow. “You’ve had enough, lassie. Here let me help you out of this chair.”

  “Sure,” she giggled. She swayed on her feet. “Let’s go!”

  Wrapping his arm around her waist, he steadied her and kept her from falling forward head first. She rested her head on his chest again.

  Doc stood. “D’ye need any help William?”

  He waved his hand. “Nay, Doc. I can manage her.”

  Smiling, Doc returned to his seat. “Good night, lassie.”

  “Good night, my friend.” Although she garbled the words, she meant what she said. Doc had been kind to her, even to her father. He may be a vampire, but he wasn’t a cold blooded killer.

  William ushered her out of the galley, up the stairs and into the night air. He tightened his arm around her waist as they strolled along the deck. She inhaled his scent of cinnamon, but she missed the musky scent of sandalwood. She quit giggling and listened to the waves gently slosh against the sides of the ship.

  She bumped into him more than once. “I’m sorry for drinking so much.”

  “You’ve had quite the day, Hannah. ’Tis understandable.”

  “I didn’t mean to stab him.” She couldn’t stop repeating herself and didn’t know if she was trying to convince him or herself.

  “Don’t worry about it, Sharon.”

  She stopped. “Sharon? Who’s Sharon?”

  He frowned. “What? I said Hannah.”

  Hannah laughed. “No you didn’t.” She punched him in the arm. “Who’s Sharon? You’ve not mentioned that name before. Who is she?”

  He jerked away, but she moved in front of him. She grabbed both of his hands and swung his arms back and forth like she did when she was a little girl with her friends. “Tell me. Who is she?”

  “Nobody.” He broke free of her grip. “Drop it.”

  William grabbed her arm and dragged her until he backed her against the mast, trapping her. The ship rocked, and he leaned into her. His mouth came crashing down onto hers, tasting like ale, silencing any protest.

  He molded his body to hers, but his kiss was hard, cruel, angry, punishing. Her hands pushed on his chest and she turned her head, but his mouth refused to release her. Heart pounding, she dug her nails into his shirt, trying to get him to release her. Kane had never kissed her in anger. To keep her from screaming, yes. But never to punish her. Why was William so angry? Was he going to force himself on her? She bit down on his tongue. Metallic blood squirted in her mouth.

  William jerked his head back and touched his mouth. “You bit me.”

  “Don’t kiss me again without my permission.”

  “You mean you gave my brother permission? A vampire?”

  She tilted her chin. “That does not concern you.”

  When voices approached, he took a step back. Hannah covered
her swollen lip with her fingers and winced. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath. Heat stained her cheeks. What if his men thought she wanted to kiss William? Would they tell Kane? Would he believe she didn’t invite William to kiss her? What would an angry wounded vampire do?

  William ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I don’t know what came over me.” Seizing her hand, he hauled her down the stairs and her feet stumbled, but he lifted her up. Her mind whirled, and she blinked to try to focus.

  He set her down and she swayed. “Since Kane’s resting in his cabin,” he said, “you'll have to sleep here.”

  His arm wrapped around her, steadying her. “May I make up for my behavior earlier?”

  “What?”

  “Will you allow me to kiss you?”

  She peered around the cabin. They were alone. Maybe ’twas the ale, but before she could stop and think, she said, “Yes.”

  He bent his head and kissed her. This time, the kiss was gentler, softer. She responded and indulged in the kiss. He stopped before she knew what was happening. “I’ve got to go before I do something I’ll regret.”

  She nodded. Hammocks swung from beams. The crew’s quarters? Was it safe? Before she could protest, William bowed. “By your leave, my lady.” He left.

  The hammocks, lanterns and ceiling spun around, and her head swam. Her stomach flipped-flopped and she tasted mussels and ale at the back of her throat. She seized a hammock and held on until the cabin stopped spinning and her stomach eased. Putting her hand on her forehead, she slowly turned around and slipped into the canvas sling. Sleep, she needed sleep.

  She woke to the snores of the crew ringing in her ears. Sweat trickled down her back. She tried to breathe, but inhaled hot air. Throwing her arm over her forehead, she sighed. William had kissed her and at first, she refused him. But then, she allowed him to kiss her again. What was she thinking? What would Kane believe? Accuse her of being a harlot?