Chapter Twelve::Friends

Crystal

My heart raced, and my hands shook, I couldn’t believe it.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, not to him, but to the horse.

Captain Bayou’s eyes narrowed at my words. Then I swung my arm, shot, and fired on the ground millimeters away from the horse’s leg, hoping that I wouldn’t harm it. The horse jumped up, startled, making Captain Jones arch his body up, trying his best to control his horse.

I turned to stare at Captain Bayou.

“For a second there, I thought you were about to shoot me, love, you surely become my witch. I am so proud of you.” He winked.

“Don’t be,” I murmured.

“Good shooting, in both parts,” Bayou huffed out.

“It was my first time using a pistol. It was pure luck. It was scary, but I wanted to distract them by scaring you,” I told him. He glanced at me and gave me a smirk.

“Nice love, but next time, aim straight at him, I’m not the bad guy, at least not now.”

His words caused me to feel odd once again, it felt like he’s trying to tell me something.

“You wench, you will pay, princess or not!” he shouted.

I turned only to feel Captain Bayou hand on mine as he pulled me toward the ship. We ran as fast as we could, only to stop once again when a heavy rain poured over us, drenching us from head to toe.

“Just great.” Captain Bayou grunted, then another gunshot pierced the air. Captain Bayou pulled me, spinning me around, to duck it.

“Thank you, but we need to go,” I shouted.

Captain Bayou glanced back, and I looked up at him. He looked worried. I turned as well.

Is he worried about Max?

“He’ll be here, don’t worry, let’s go before they kill us,” I told him, grasping his hand.

He glanced down at me, and I noticed how wet his hair had become. It was plastered down, making him look more mysterious than ever. I suddenly hiccuped taking a step back.

Without a word from him, he pulled me upwards and we were heading up, but in doing so, we stopped. Five men appeared on top of his ship each with their pistols pointing at us. A dark laughter came from behind us.

What happened to Shawn? I actually worried.

“You thought mate, that I wouldn’t prepare, and look it here, is raining, and that’s not a good thing,” Captain Jones spoke.

I turned to see him closer to us, holding his own pistol at hand.

“Now be a good lad and die,” he fired, causing me to jump.

The bullet hit the side stairs, missing me by a hair. Captain Bayou started to laugh, but his laughter wasn’t the funny kind, no it was a darker version altogether.

Then he said to Captain Jones,

“Ain’t stupid Capt. I can tell you that,” his heavy accent kicked in, as he pulled me forward.

The next thing I knew, Captain Bayou waved his hand and with my own eyes, I watched mystified as Capt. Jones was flown out of his horse. I looked up with wide eyes at him.

“How did you?” but my words were cut short, when he grunted in pain, holding his arm.

“Let’s go,” he moved rapidly running down the ship, with the others following closely behind us.

We kept on running as fast as we could, and I was thanking God that Max had bought me flats, if not I doubt I could have run any farther.

We stopped when we spotted Max running in our direction. He stopped and glanced at Captain Bayou.

“Bayou you didn’t. You bastard didn’t I—” he complained, giving Captain Bayou the most irritated and mad look I had ever seen on him. Captain Bayou chuckles.

“I can’t let my witch die now, can I?” He glanced at me and winked. I blinked, but lowered my head, letting my wet hair cover my face.

He’s too much, what in the world did he do? No, the question is, what is he?

“No, but that was too much, you killed someone already. Oh God, since when did you become stubborn?” Max ran his fingers through his wet hair.

“Since the day you met me,” Captain Bayou cockily answered him.

“Can we just stop talking, our lives are on the line right now.” I tugged on his arm, desperation taking over. Max turned.

“There’s a secret passage in the woods, we can lose them there,” he told us. We both nodded, and we started rushing toward our right.

We reached the woods, it was so pitch black, so cold, and we were drenched. I shivered, Captain Bayou took notice and placed his leather jacket over my shoulders. I looked up. He looked concerned and pale. I frowned.

“Thanks,” my voice was very low while it chattered from the cold. He didn’t say anything, but he moved forward and grasped Max’s shoulder.

“Go back and sneak in and find a way for us to get back, that bastard is looking for my witch and I. We need to leave this island before daybreak if not we will miss our opportunity to meet with the bastard,” he told Max. Max gave Captain Bayou a long look, then glanced at me.

“What about the girl?”

Captain Bayou glanced at me then back at Max.

“She’s with me, remember that she’s my witch and at any cost, she can’t leave my side. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her, just Go!” he shouted at him. Max sighed and nodded, walking up to me, he placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him.

“Please, I beg you to take care of him. He used his powers, soon he’ll collapse. Since he made you his witch, it’s your duty to protect him.” I blinked blankly at him.

“What do you mean? Why does he keep calling me his witch, I’m just a plain girl and..” but Max shook his head.

“I’ll explain later, but what I can give you, Captain Bayou isn’t your ordinary man. He ain’t called the deadliest pirate on the seven seas for no reason You’re the only one apparently that can control him. His curse chose you to be his Witch. Crystal you are the Witch’s Pirate.” His explanation didn’t make any sense to me.

“The Witch’s Pirate?” I asked confused. Max nodded.

“I’ll explain later, just watch him, please, if not he’ll die, he already killed a person, that git,” he cursed and then he started to run away. I looked, only to jump when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Captain Bayou, from what I could gather, he looked paler.

“Sorry love, I wasn’t joking earlier, you are my witch until this curse is lifted.” I gulped.

“How? I mean, I don’t get it.”

“Search over there!” I heard someone shout. I glanced at Captain Bayou. We started to run, heading deeper into the woods. Captain Bayou grasped my arm and pulled me behind an old oak tree. He pushed me down hard before his large hand covered my mouth.

“Is too dark, I doubt we can find them.” A male shouted. I glanced up at him while I breathed hard. He looked down at me, removing his hand away from my mouth, he opened his legs and scooted me between them before wrapping his arms around me as well.

This is wrong, don’t do this. I thought, as my eyes doubled in size staring at his dark face.

“Be quiet, it’s too dark for them to find us.” He whispered into my ear. I nodded, grasping his thin white shirt. I felt his body shake. I heard rustling in the back before I felt Captain Bayou move his hand, and suddenly a loud sound was heard, like a falling rock. Captain Bayou moaned darkly, lowering his head.

“Oi, heard something over there, search.” The same voice shouted. Then I heard them move away. I breathed out.

“I think they are gone,” I whispered, just in case. Captain Bayou sighed, and I moved my hand.

“You are shaking,” I told him. My eyes widened when he pressed his forehead against the juncture of my neck.

“I feel like hell. We can’t leave just yet. They will come back.”

He was trembling, and his jacket was still firmly wrapped around me. Without thinking, I moved away from him as he started without shame at me. I ripped off his jacket and wrapped around him. He continued to just silently stare at me.

“I don’t know what the heck is going on. I don’t know what you are, or what a Witch’s Pirate means, but one thing is for sure, we stay here, you will die. I’m against my will, but I am against people dying, even the most disgusting men on earth. Life is a gift God gave us, including yours and the man you just killed.”

Bayou

I stared at the woman in front of me. My body was boiling over from using my powers, given killing someone at the same time wasn’t a good idea either, but I hadn’t a choice, he was heading straight for her. No one can touch her.

I was surprised when she changed her aim to the ground next to the horse earlier today. I knew I had chosen the right woman to be my partner. My eyes had never failed me, even if I had kidnapped the wrong person. My blood boiled the first time I looked at her, even though I hadn’t seen her face.

“Let’s make a deal. Since I only have two more days, I think.” her teeth rattled from the cold. I stood up.

“What?” she wrapped her arm around my waist, catching me by surprise. I looked down at her.

“What are you doing love?” She covered her face with her thick wet hair, and I knew she was blushing hard.

“You are weak Max told me to take care of you, or not he’ll be sad if something happens to you. He really loves you. I know how it feels to be separated from family.” Her tone was that of sadness.

Aye, Max would probably resurrect me somehow and re-kill me if I left him. After all, he sacrificed most of his youth to help me. Guilt started to crawl into my heart.

“Lead the way,” I told her. She nodded, and we started slowly walking. I felt my pulse quicken. She tried her best to keep me up.

“For a short thing, you’re sure strong.” I complimented.

She didn’t reply. We headed further into the entrance.

“What deal do you want love?” That caught her attention.

“Let’s stop fighting. I don’t know what is going on with you or why you have that title. I don’t know why I suddenly became your witch, or whatever. One thing is for sure...” Crystal’s eyes were full of sadness when we reached the end of the woods.

“What love?”

“We are going to travel for a few more days, I pray, let’s try to become more friendly.” I stopped in my tracks and moved away from her.

“You want to become my friend?” I asked surprised. Besides Max, no one ever wanted to be my friend. My reputation was the one thing that everyone was afraid of.

“Yes, so far, even though you have me doing labors, you haven’t mistreated me. You are a strange pirate.”

“So you aren’t afraid of me? I have a cursed place on me, and I do kill, you know, and I have powers, and some you haven’t seen yet, and someday I might betray you. I am known as the deadliest pirate in the seven seas. You haven’t seen anything.” That sounded piteous, now that I had heard it from my own lips.

“Everyone sins in this world, only God can judge. From what I can see, you only kill to defend. You don’t do it liberally. You could have killed everyone back at the party, or here. Let us try to become friends. ”

She stretched her hand out. I looked down at it.

“You sure love, I do warn, I can betray you.” She shook her head.

“When that happens, we’ll cross the bridge together. I am sick and tired already.”

I smirked, stretching my hand out to grasp her cold, damp hand.

“I hope you don’t regret this,” I told her. She shook her head once more.

“Me either,” we both shook hands, then I pulled her against me, making her gasp out. I lowered my head, and came dangerously close, our mouths were so close, that I could practically feel her plump lips against mine. My heart started to beat wildly.

Why is my heart racing? Her hot breath brushed against mine, and her eyes were wide as saucers, her small body shook, and I felt her hand wrap around my arm.

“Wh- What are you doing?” her voice turned timid. I suddenly spun her around and pinned her against the tree. Her breath caught as I pushed my body against hers and looked down at her.

“Quiet,” I told her, I had heard footsteps around us. She glanced up at me.

“Oi, we didn’t see anyone, are you sure they are here?” Someone called out.

“Aye, they have to, where else would they run, keep searching.” I sighed, shaking my tired head.

“Tonight will be a long night.”