To Ocean's End (15 page)

“Two hundred and seventy seven.”

The two looked at me, then at each other, and then back at me. Ted said, “Right...”

“I was born on July twelfth, 2135, thirty years before the Purge. Yeah, I survived all that nuking. But... I should’ve died in 2180 in a hurricane off the northern coast of Australia. My ship sank, my crew drowned, and I was brought face-to-face with Amphitrite--
the
Amphitrite. That night she bestowed a curse on me because I wasn’t happy she’d saved my life.” My tone grew bitter towards the end. “So here I am today, still alive, and still trying to lift my curse.” As nice as it was to remain relatively young this long, it felt as unnatural as it was. It wasn’t right. Every so often I’d scrutinize my reflection for wrinkles or grey hairs, hoping for a sign that I wasn’t stuck in limbo. Every time my heart sank.

Jessie looked at me like she believed every word. Ed and Ted stared with mouths ajar. Ed recovered first and looked at everyone again. “Is this... is this an elaborate prank?” Several men shook their heads.

“Not to be rude,” Ted said, “but do you have any proof? Anything from the 2100’s?”

My thoughts immediately jumped to the gun I had holstered against my chest. I put a hand over it. “I do.” My gaze darted to Jacobi. “I carry a gun with me at all times.”

The two techies’ eyes widened. “Are you serious?” Ted asked.

I looked at O’Toole, who was watching me, more specifically the hand over my gun. I angled my back to him and quickly flashed the weapon at them. All they could see was a leather holster and the dull metal of the handgun’s grip. I refastened a coat button and smoothed down my front. O’Toole crept closer, never taking his eyes off my gun’s hiding place. “Back away, O’Toole. They’re not coming out to play.” The Irishman obeyed and stuck one of his hood strings in his mouth. I went to the sink and turned on the faucet. “And if you need one last bit of proof...” I willed the streaming fluid to follow my hand into the air. I guided out two feet of water, then shut off the faucet and collected the water into a sphere over my hand. I molded the water into the likeness of a reaching arm, then into a koi fish, and then a replica of my gun. I stood at the edge of the table and let all of them get a good look at my artwork. Many of them leaned forward. I never showed off my talents, except on occasions like this. Using my command over water served as proof that I wasn’t human. I would remain the same with the rest of the world changed, grew, lived, and died in cycles.

Once I felt like they’d had a good enough look, I flung the water into the sink and released it from my will. “Now are you believers?”

Ed said, “How is that a curse? Long life and command over water? That’s pretty darn awesome from my perspective.”

“I can’t die,” I said unhappily. I wasn’t going to bother explaining how painful it got outliving every single person you knew and cared about. “I can get sick and injured, but any fatal injury or sickness will get wiped away once a month. You could shoot me in the head and I wouldn’t die. I’d bleed everywhere and black out, but once my lockdown period comes around, I’d heal right up. Remember my sprained ankle from jumping off the boat?” I lifted my foot and rolled my ankle a few times, unhindered by pain or swelling.

“That’s... amazing,” Ed said. “I don’t get why you don’t like your curse. Your powers are amazing.”

“You’re forgetting my five-day lockdown.” I stuck my hands back in my coat, crossed to the sink, and leaned against it. “I have to hide in total darkness for five days and nights once a month. If any light touches me, I transform into a water demon called a ketos. Jessie got a good look at that, thanks to Amphitrite meddling with her. Despite the lockdown, I can transform into the ketos at will, but I refuse to. It would only give her satisfaction to see me like that.”

“Your curse still sounds cool,” Ted said.

“It comes at a steep price. I’ll trade places with you any day.”

He hesitated. Fear crept into his eyes. “Can you do that?”

“No. Nor would I if I could. Don’t give her more mortal toys to play with. She’ll belittle and humiliate you ruthlessly.”

“Your curse isn’t contagious or anything, is it?” Ed said.

“Not a chance. You have to be unlucky on your own time. And this brings me to an important question for all of you.” I panned my gaze around the room. I had their rapt attention. “Do you wish to stay on this ship and continue working for me? I force no one to stay. Mido?”

“I’m in.”

“Jacobi?”

“Same.”

“Scully?”

“You bet.”

I called each of them in turn and they all declared their wish to stay. When I got to the newest recruits, Ed said, “Your coolness factor just went through the roof. There’s no way I’m leaving now.”

I blinked. “You’re not in the least bit afraid?”

“Not at all,” Ted said. “Should we be?”

I glanced at Jessie, who was listening intently while leaning against Mido. “Sooner or later, yes. But for now, not really. My curse is mundane to anyone else, except when Amphitrite is involved. You just happened to pick an interesting time to join my crew.” That much was true. My seasoned crew had a solid routine that worked around my lockdowns.

Ed said, “Hey, I still wish I had your powers.”

Ted said, “Yeah. Hey, Jessie--or rather miss Amphitrite--curse us so we can command water like him.” The two broke into light laughter as Jacobi gave Jessie a wide-eyed look.

“I don’t have any magical powers,” she said quickly.

I studied her a moment. She was clearly lying but I wasn’t about to put her on the spot in front of the entire crew. “That remains to be seen.” She certainly had a magical power or two.

Jacobi said, “Why did you just call her Amphitrite?”

Ted said, “Because that’s her real name.” My cargo pusher gasped. “You didn’t--? Oh, crap. I wasn’t supposed--Captain, I’m sorry!”

I gave him a dismissive wave. “I was actually about to get to that.” I pushed off the sink and stood next to Mido. “Jessie, it’s no coincidence that you found your way to my ship. You do realize that now, correct?”

She searched her thoughts. “I hadn’t really considered that, but now that you mention it, yes. What does this all mean?”

“I’m still taking you home after Morocco. I won’t make you stay if you don’t want to. But the thing is, your name means you were sent to help lift my curse. No clue how exactly, which is why I’ll be taking a very long side trip to Australia. Now, before I ask--”

“We’re going,” Ed and Ted said in unison.

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“Don’t care.”

Mido said, “You already know I’m going, Captain.”

“As am I,” Rammus said.

The others chimed in their declaration to accompany me, even Jacobi. I said, “I don’t think any of you grasp how dangerous this’ll be. Well, Cancer, Sam, and Rammus sort of do. You three are the only ones who’ve gone on that trip with me before, and she didn’t make the visit overly pleasant.” The four of them grimaced.

Rammus said, “I think I’ll stay on the boat this time, Captain. Once is enough.”

“What happened last time?” Sauna asked.

I offhandedly said, “She seduced one of the techies and tried to drown the rest of us on our way out. I almost went water demon, but I managed to keep everyone alive without it. The next visit with Jessie, if she decides to go, will be even more dangerous.”

“How?” Jessie asked.

“I don’t want to discourage you to stay, Jessie. You’re the person I need the most to stick around if I’m to find a way to lift my curse. However, this is a lot to take in and you may not even want to be a part of all this.”

“I...” She looked at Mido, then back at me. “I’m still not sure. I want to go home so badly, but... I feel like I should help you if I can. I don’t know. I need time to think.”

Jacobi said, “Captain, I say dump her on her doorstep and be done with her. Same name or not, she’s just as much trouble as the other.”

I agreed with the trouble part, but I knew I needed to have her accompany me of her own free will. Mido whispered something to Jessie about not listening to Jacobi, that the guy was an jerk. Mido was right on both counts, but still. Jacobi was a good man and sailor, despite his womanizing streak. “My ship, my rules. I can drop you off somewhere nice while your leg heals if you don’t want to be a part of all this.”

He considered my words a moment, then gave Jessie an angry look and shook his head. “I’m staying.”

“Very well.” I wanted to ask him what changed his mind about quitting after Newport; however, I wasn’t going to put him on the spot in front of everyone. I’d ask later, if the opportunity arose. What mattered more was the look he just gave Jessie. I didn’t like it one bit. “Now let me reiterate this to all of you one more time.” I spoke slowly and carefully. “Sticking around and going to Australia means putting your life on the line. That’s how dangerous this is. This is not a joke or a vacation. So, are all of you sure you still want to come?”

With exception of Jessie and O’Toole, everyone gave me a resounding yes.

I began to feel suspicious. “That was rather easy to get all of you to come with me. I’m glad but...”

Ted said, “A hybrid of human and water demon for a Captain? Too cool to say no to!” Ed voiced his agreement.

Rammus said, “I’ve been sailing under you too long to quit now.”

“I want to see this through,” Scully said. More men voiced their agreement.

I gave all of them a flat look. “Any more sappy, heartfelt answers floating around?” I asked dryly.

Sauna said, “The pay’s muy bueno.” The rest of the crew laughed.

I pointed at him. “That’s the answer I was looking for! Now get back to work you crazy greedy bastards.” I said it all with a genuine smile. I knew Sauna’s statement was a humorous truth. I paid them well not only in compensation for the danger factor, but also for putting up with my curse.

My crew filed out, Jacobi hobbling away on crutches. Ed and Ted approached me and squeezed me in a group hug. “Glad to be a part of the crew, Captain,” Ed said.

I gave them a stoic smile. “Don’t ever hug me again.” The techies laughed and Ed smacked my rear. I went wide-eyed. “Or that.” Mido laughed. “Good god, how does Sauna put up with you two?”

“Pretty well,” Ted said.

“Yeah, we caught him once on our second day,” Ed said. “We asked him if he wanted any help but he just ignored us. Apparently he’s used to everyone walking away every time you’ve caught him.”

“Yep,” I said unhappily, my mind going back to memories I did not want to remember.

“Well,” Ted said mischievously, “I put my hands down the back of his pants and he flew out of his chair like a Mexican jumping bean.” The two giggled. “Haven’t caught him since.”

Ed said, “He gave us such a nice view before that mast went down.”

Chapter 14

Decisions

After spending a few hours trapped with a monster, then being told she was needed to help lift a curse, Jessie needed to lie down and think for a bit. She’d had a nice, quiet breakfast with Mido right before the talk, but now she felt like she was crashing from a long adrenaline rush. On top of that her brain still had the energy to race with questions.

She leaned against Mido for comfort as everyone but Dyne filed out. Men left in both directions while chatting among themselves about the day’s schedule and Dyne’s curse. “I need to lie down for a bit,” she whispered to Mido.

“Okay.” He let go and followed her to her cabin.

It was still a little nerve-wracking to have a man behind her, standing or walking. The pigs on Tethys’s ship had taken her from behind most of the time. All any of the men on Dyne’s ship had to do was tackle her small frame and that would be the end of her struggle. Since it was just Mido behind her, it was easier to push past her knee-jerk panic reaction and calm down.

She traversed the hall with no one the wiser to her brief emotional spike. She didn’t know why Mido was following her at the moment. She’d assumed he had to start getting lunch ready. She wasn’t going to complain, though. His company always made her calmer, or at least calm down faster, especially his kisses to the top of her head. He also made her feel safer. He was protection from others.

Jessie stopped inside her cabin and faced Mido. He stopped in the doorway, his expression contented. That contentedness drew her to him. She just wanted to stay in that positive energy bubble. She leaned forward and gave him a hug.

He returned the hug, gentle but firm. “I’m a lucky man today. Do you mind if I stay with you for a few minutes?”

“Not at all. I just need to lie down.”

“I can work with that.” He slipped past her and reached inside the bottom bunk. Jessie heard the clunk of two latches, and then the raised side of the bunk rotated so it lay horizontal. “Have a seat.” He patted the varnished wood.

She sat on the newly created space and marveled at the brass latches. “I didn’t know my bunk could do this.”

“They all do. Makes changing sheets and replacing mattresses easier.” He knelt before her and began untying her boot laces.

“I can do that myself, you know,” she said, but made no move to stop him.

“I want to do it for you,” he said in that tone Jessie recognized as his “don’t bother arguing” voice.

“I know.” He looked up with a straight face. Making eye contact made them both smile and Jessie’s chest flutter.

Mido deftly loosened the laces and pulled her boot off, then repeated the process with her other boot. He tugged her cargo pants straight so they reached her ankles, then rubbed each foot. “There you go.”

Not wanting the pleasant feeling to end, Jessie just basked in the attention. Mido waited for her to pull her feet onto the bed, but once it dawned on him that she wasn’t moving, he plopped into Indian style and began massaging one of her feet with both hands. Jessie let out a small sigh. The kneading felt wonderful. Tension she didn’t even know she’d been holding onto was leaving her foot, and the relaxation traveled up her leg. Mido spent a few minutes on her foot, then set to work on the other, resting her ankle on where his legs crossed. He began with her heel, then moved onto her arch, sole, each toe, and the whole foot as if he was trying to rub calm happiness into her. Just like when he’d cut up her french toast, she watched his chest and arms flex minutely with his movements. The relaxed feeling spread up her other leg.

Dyne appeared in the cabin doorway. Mido turned.

“Oh, hi, Captain.” He stopped massaging but didn’t let go.

“You two seem to be getting along nicely,” he said conversationally, his gruff face casual. “Carry on. Don’t stop just because I’m here.”

Jessie inadvertently twitched her leg, causing Mido to let go.

He got to his feet. “I--” He cleared his throat. “I have to get started on lunch soon anyway.” His cheeks were flushed. He turned to squeeze past Dyne, but the captain placed a hand on the doorframe.

“Might be better if you stick around a minute. I need to talk to Jessie. I’d like her to be as calm as possible.”

“Do you want me to stay?” Mido asked her.

Jessie considered both men a moment. Dyne acted completely human and normal, the same person from when they’d first met. There’d been a monster underneath this whole time. But he didn’t like turning into it. Despite the demon in hiding, he hadn’t gained the same trust as Mido. He didn’t come off as a potential rapist; just scary and respectable. So... “It’s up to you, Mido.” She tried to say it neutrally but her wish for him to stick around came through.

“Just stay,” Dyne said, then stuck his hands in his coat pockets and leaned against the doorframe. Mido glanced back and forth between them, then mumbled his consent. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, showcasing his broad chest. Dyne spoke to Jessie. “So... what did you think of my demon form?”

Not the question she’d expected. “Scary,” she admitted. “I’ll never do that again.”

“Good to know. What do you think of me being able to turn into that?”

She thought a moment, trying to come up with an honest answer. “Unreal. I’ve seen quasi-children before, so your demon form isn’t so much of a stretch--maybe more of a shock. I’m not sure what I’m trying to say.”

Mido said, “I think you’re trying to say that, with the quasi-children and his curse, what other supernatural things are out there that we’re not even aware of yet?”

“Yeah, something like that. Have you ever seen what he looks like?”

“No, but I’ve been curious for years.”

Dyne said, “Now don’t you sneak into my container next.”

Mido held up his hands. “I’m not
that
curious.”

Dyne grimaced. “Now that you mention it, she better not send all of you in there one at a time. I’ll be really pissed.”

“How many people have seen your demon form?” Jessie asked.

“Out of this crew? Just you. I’ve transformed only several times. You’re not the first person Amphitrite sent into my container to lure the demon out. It’d been a while, so I was overdue, I guess.” He shifted so he was leaning on the other side. “This brings me to some important questions I didn’t want to ask while everyone could make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You want to know if I’ll help you.”

“Right,” Dyne said unhappily. “It’s a lot to ask of you. My curse isn’t
that
horrible. It’s more of a nuisance than anything, but still. I don’t want to be cursed anymore. The worst of it are pockets of time like this one where Amphitrite meddles with us mortals and makes everyone’s lives stressful for her own amusement. It’s gotten old over the past two hundred years. I hate how she treats me and all the innocent bystanders like you two. No respect. No empathy. If my curse is lifted, that’ll all come to and end, but I need your help to achieve all that.”

That answered a few questions. Now she understood more about why the curse needed lifting, instead of just tolerating it. “Why is it more dangerous to have me around?”

He gazed levelly at her. “You are basically her avatar.”

Jessie tried to picture what that meant. Since she and the other Amphitrite didn’t look that much alike, her imagination came up short. “I’m not sure what that means.”

“You are an incarnation, so to speak, of the goddess Amphitrite. You are a goddess in human form. She will take everything personally when it comes to how we treat you. Chances are we’ll pay for Tethys’s stupidity, even though we didn’t do any of that. She doesn’t care. So, if I say you’re coming to Australia and that you have no say in the matter, I’ll pay for that, too. You’re a double-edged sword to have around, but I’m willing to risk it.”

“Why exactly do I need to go all the way to Australia? I don’t get it.”

“She’ll want to see you, talk to you, ask how you were treated, admire her handiwork and stupid stuff like that. Most importantly, if I want her audience, I have to go to her; not her come to us. So, if we’re going to convince her to tell us how to lift my curse this time, we bow to her arrogant will.”

“This time?”

Dyne’s shoulders drooped. “About every fifty to seventy five years--nothing exact--she sends an avatar my way to give me a chance to lift my curse. The problem is, it has never ended well.” He looked at the floor.

“What happened?”

He clenched his jaw and sighed through his nose. “Lots of dying.”

That was quite the confession, one that made Jessie’s stomach drop to her massaged feet.

“If you’re willing to help me end this curse, you’ll also help put an end to this needless dying. I know you want to get home. I won’t stop you. I’ll wait for another avatar if I have to.” Dyne’s somber expression conveyed that he was ready accept whatever decision she made without argument. He looked like he was at rock bottom.

Jessie wanted to help, but it sounded so dangerous. “What happened to the other avatars when you failed?”

He swallowed. “Like I said, lots of dying. I’ll understand if Cyprus is the last place I ever see you. But let me explain one last thing.” He met her gaze again. “Every time I transform, it becomes a little harder to revert back to human. Long ago, Amphitrite warned me that if I can’t turn back into human, I’ll be permanently cursed ‘till kingdom come. But that’s my problem and not yours. There’ll be other avatars.”

Mido went wide-eyed. “Captain, I didn’t know.”

“Only you two and Sam know. Don’t tell the others. I don’t want this to be common knowledge.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Now Jessie, think about what you wish to do. Don’t answer me until Cyprus. I’m sure seeing home will affect your decision. If you do decide to stay, your bodyguard position will become more permanent if things go well and you choose to stick around longterm.” He glanced at Mido. “We deal with pirates and black market thieves, but they’re nothing compared to the dangers surrounding my curse. They’re just predictable humans you can kick in the nuts. Which reminds me, I need to get you a pair of sparring gloves that fit.” He straightened up. “And on that note, I’m going to let you think about it. I gotta get back to the wheelhouse.” He left on silent footsteps.

Mido gazed at her longingly with pale eyes, a dead giveaway to the choice he wanted her to make. “And on that note as well, I should get started on lunch. I’d love to talk with you about everything he just said, but I’d just be biased.” He leaned in and pecked the top of her head. “Rest well.”

Jessie took ahold of Mido’s hand and reeled him back in. He gave her a puzzled look as his face drew within inches of hers. She gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Now you can go cook.”

Mido gave her a million-dollar smile as he straightened up. He brushed his fingers over where he’d been kissed. “I’m a very lucky man today. Thank you!” He didn’t take his eyes off her as he waved and walked right into the doorframe. The wood crunched and he let out an “oof!” He grabbed the frame to steady himself, then blinked a few times and shook his head. He popped an embarrassed smile and disappeared down the hall with a final farewell.

Jessie couldn’t help but laugh. It had been so unexpected. Someone who spoke and moved so smoothly capable of running right into a wall? She popped the side of the bunk back into place, drew the curtain, and settled down. The relative darkness brought her right back into Dyne’s container and steered her thoughts towards more serious matters.

Dyne didn’t look like he could turn into a demon, or that he bore a curse, so maybe there was nothing to feel or see. But still, after all she’d been through on Tethys’s ship, her growing relationship with Mido had to be proof that some sort of magic had to be going on. No one but him made her feel totally safe, happy, and at ease. And he was most certainly falling for her. She loved his soothing voice, his gentle eyes, the way his muscles flexed, and even the way he made sure she did what was best for herself when she felt like being stubborn. Gosh, maybe she was falling for him, too.

Despite all that, Dyne had made it clear that having an avatar around ensured a high chance of death for everyone, including her. He’d also made it clear that she didn’t have to go through with it.

But then Dyne might run out of time if occurrences like her sneaking into his container inevitably continued. Avatars were few and far between. What if another didn’t come along before it was too late? But if she stayed, then people might die because of her. She didn’t want anyone’s death on her conscience, not even jerks like Jacobi. So, if she went home and stayed home, the current crew, including Mido, would have a much better chance of living their lives in full. Another avatar would pick up the torch one day.

Yeah, that sounded like the best option.

To make sure that happened, she’d have to run away come Morocco. The longer she stayed on Dyne’s ship, the harder it would be to leave the comfort of Mido’s company. The parting would hurt, but it was for the greater good.