Chapter 16: Belle

Crystal

I watched the ship come very close to Captain Bayou’s ship, my heart was thumping harder than ever. I looked up at Captain Bayou.

“A lady that is worth my tastes,” he mentioned, walking up to the edge, I followed, and Max groaned.

“What in the world is she doing here?” I heard him mumble to himself. To my utter surprise, the woman grabs a thick rope from the poles, wrapping it around her wrist and swang herself to our side, thumping hard against the wooden floor.

“You sure know how to make one hell of an entrance, but love, please, I do ask, don’t destroy my home, it’s the only one I have,” Captain Bayou said in a calm manner. The woman suddenly giggled, tilting her hat up.

“You know me too well, Captain. Don’t worry, I’ll get my crew-member to fix it up. Plus, that was a little payback from our last encounter.”

She turns to face Max, no expression passes her eyes, but Max just leaned against the edge of the wall, and crossed his leg.

“Well, I’m not pleased,” he coldly stated.

“Is that how you treat an old friend? Shame really.” she hummed at him. I raised a brow, confused at this situation.

She shakes her head and walks up to him, his eyes tighten, but she retreated to look at Captain Bayou.

“Rumors have it that you took that pig’s compass.” Captain Bayou arched a brow, turning to face me. I just blinked, feeling my face growing hot.

“Rumors spread too fast for my own liking, don’t ya agree love?” he asked me.

“Depends on the situation.” I told him, Captain Bayou kept looking at me, then turned to face the pirate lady.

“What about it?” He asks her. The pirate lady shrugs at him.

“You won’t reach the Island by tonight, I can guarantee you that.” She says with a light tone of amusement.

She moved gently, going up to me. I took notice of how dark her eyes were, a slight brown in them. Her dark red hair is long and curly, reaching her shoulders. She has a pale look, not pale as if she was sick. Her cheeks are thin and her body had curves and a big bust. I suddenly felt self-conscious, standing next to her. She is very beautiful. She screams out pirate, noticing how tall she is, as well wearing a seethe on her right waist.

“What makes you think that?” He asks, grasping her wrist, spinning her to face him. The woman stared at him with a blank expression, then she moved to cup his cheek. My hand fisted at the sudden movement.

Is touching a thing for them?

“Calm down pirate, I came to give you one hell of a deal.” She smiled, turning to face me.

“Exactly what deal Belle?” Max asked, walking up.

Belle? So that’s her name?

“You are so pretty,” She said, coming up to me, placing her hands on my shoulders. A sudden hiccup escaped my lips as I stared at her with wide eyes.

“Err, I...” but Max came and grasped her arm, turning her to look at him.

“We are wasting time, explain,” Max growled at her. She calmly grasped his hand and patted it.

“Calm down lover boy, I will get to that soon, please introduce me to the princess, I mean the young woman,” she asked. Captain Bayou and Max glanced at each other.

“You took notice?” Max asked.

“I’m not stupid Max, princess Drea is well known across the nation, after all she is the daughter of the king of the lands. She is not her, even though people hadn’t seen her, I have at least at a distance. Who is this woman?”

I cleared my throat.

“I’m Crystal Bay, nice to meet you.” I bowed before her. She turned and clapped in response.

“Polite young lady, I like, call me Belle Waters, I’m one of the few women pirates that have sailed the seven seas. I hope we can be friends.” She grasped my hand and shook it. I looked up, watching her smile deeply at me.

Well, her demeanor change fast for a pirate, but I never had a female friend, this is strange.

“Love, we can speak later, please care to explain what you meant earlier, and can you please tell your followers to leave my ship.” Captain Bayou asked pointing behind him. I turned to see many pirates invading his ship, well, rampaging it.

“Didn’t I say I’ll get them to fix your ship? Also, here’s my deal, have you ever heard of the Under Hunters?”

“Under Hunters?” I repeated, watching Belle talk to Captain Bayou, Max sighed after he came back from talking to them and leaned against the wall, watching the island that was coming closer into our view.

“They look friendly,” I said to him.

“They are, we met about five years ago.”

“Oh,” I bit my lower lip, then something dawned on me, and my whole body went rigid.

“She mentioned that we aren’t going to reach the island tonight, what does that mean?” My hands started to shake, Max went quiet for such a long time that I became frustrated.

“Max please, answer me, what does that mean?”

“You won’t be able to return home just yet. You are stuck with us.” My world stopped for a brief second.

“So I’m stuck here? What is the deal Belle was asking about?”

“To find her sister, the Under Hunters took her, and after we are done with that job, she will tell us where the map is.”

My body went limp, which prompted Max to come to me, holding me up by my shoulders.

So I’m stuck here? Just because of a map? Wait, her sister is kidnapped?

“Crystal? Are you okay?”

I nodded, anger and frustration boiling at me.

“Yes, give me a second, I thought I would be going home soon, but now I’m stuck here.”

I moved away from Max, and turned to face Captain Bayou, I watched as that Belle woman placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Oi, Bloody Pirate!” I screamed, he turned to look down at me.

“Ai love?” he asked in a polite manner. I fisted my hands.

“I’m stuck with you, are you still going with your pirate word?” I asked. Captain Bayou went silent for a second.

“Aye love, a pirate word is his or her honor, I will return you to your home when all of this is over, don’t ever doubt me on that.”

Something in his words seem sincere. My heart pounded hard against my ribs, and I nodded.

“I count you responsible for that,” I only said, turning around, heading for Max’s Cabin and feeling my world crashing down once again.

Mama, I’m sorry, I’m stuck. I thought stopping for a moment, then Max’s words echoed in my head.

’I’m doing this to find her sister, the Under Hunters took her, and I do know the feeling both sisters is going through right now.

It felt like a cold bucket of ice water poured down on me.

Oh Mama, I can’t leave Belle’s sister alone, you wouldn’t want me to do that. With that thought in my mind, I turned, taking a breath.

God, please give me strength.