Save the Sea (Saved by Pirates #3)(3)

“I’m just so happy you’re alive, nothing else matters to me,” I whisper to him, but I doubt the others have missed what I said. Jacob’s lips turn up in a small smile before he leans down and presses them gently against my forehead. Words aren’t needed in this moment, the feelings shown on our faces says it all.

“There were at least thirty guards at the end of the cave, standing in between us and the ship,” Ryland cuts into our moment to explain to me, and then shakes his head.

“It was a bloodbath. Thank the gods that we had weapons on us, but we still had serious injuries . . .” Zack says, looking towards Jacob, and then his eyes drift over to Ryland. Ryland stands up, lifting his white shirt and showing me the five scars littered across his stomach. It’s like someone slashed him repeatedly with a sword, over and over again. No one should have been able to survive an attack like that. My heart pounds wildly as Ryland stares at me in silence. I want to go back, make sure none of them are hurt like this. My chosen carry so many scars, scars none of them ever deserved to receive.

“I never believed much in the power of soul mates, of the bond between chosen and changed ones. Well, I didn’t until I had five deadly holes in my body that healed themselves, and I lived,” Ryland says as he pulls his shirt back down, sitting back in his seat. I turn on Jacob’s lap and look up at his eye.

“Then, why didn’t this heal? Why are you blind in one eye?” I ask, wanting to fix it, fix him. I can’t stand the thought of him in any pain, of being blind in one eye while I’m scar free. He has this because of me.

“Not all things can be fixed, but I survived when it was touch and go for a long time. I have you to thank for that Cass,” he says, then kisses my forehead. I almost wish he didn’t thank me, but I don’t want to take away what he believes.

“Don’t thank me. I wasn’t there, fighting by your side like I should have been,” I say, sliding off of Jacob’s lap, and standing up. I look around at them all and down to my hand, where the ring reflects the light in the room. I look back up, my words coming out stronger and more confident than I feel.

“I won’t leave your side, never again. I will always be there to protect you from now on. Nothing will separate us, not even the sea god,” I declare.

“Not even a god could keep you from us,” Ryland says, the challenge in his voice is clear, and I’m glad he feels the same way as I do. That they all feel that way.

“What happened while you were with the sea god?” Hunter asks me, well, more like demands of me.

“I made a deal, an in-depth deal that requires we find a queen, and some other things,” I say vaguely.

“Tell us the deal, little fighter,” Zack asks.

“A deal is sought after; a deal will be made.

The price is clear, the truth will not be forbidding. The true heir of both water and land must take the throne. The fire-touched king must fall at the hands of the water-touched pirate.

Changed ones must never have the throne and only a changed one can give the crown to the new queen.

The crown needed to win, can only be found where life lives within water. Only ice will bring the map, if she does not fall. If the deal is not agreed, then the sea will never be saved,” I finish off the deal, and they all look between each other.





“Well there is only one person to ask about an heir,” Ryland says, and I know he means Laura.

“And the rest?” I ask, because I don’t have a clue.

“We will figure it out,” Ryland says, and I know a promise when I hear one. A promise from my pirates.





2





Chapter Two





Cassandra





“Can we go and see Everly?” I ask, needing to let her know I'm alive. At the same time, however, I don't want to move from my spot, snuggled in between Chaz and Ryland in front of the stone fireplace in the living room. While Zack has filled me with food, Hunter and Jacob have been explaining the mountains to me. It’s difficult to understand it all, but from what I gather, Master Light and four other masters are the leaders of the rebellion here, and they are all changed ones. Ryland reckons there are around three thousand people living in the mountain, but only five hundred of those are changed ones or chosen. Yet everyone supports the changed ones, loves them, and treats them like gods instead of being frightened of them. From what they have told me, there are nothing but good people here, but I want to see that for myself.

“Sure, I will take you to her. She would be training at this time of afternoon,” Zack says from where he is leaning against the wall.

“Training?” I ask, curious because the Everly I grew up with never had any interest in fighting or training of any kind.

“Yeah, she trains a lot. We all train . . . but Everly, she never stops. Tyrion stays with her, making sure she actually gets some rest,” Zack explains. I slide off the sofa, stretching out as they all watch me. I can see it in the twitch of their fingers, in the way some of them almost get out of their seats, they don’t want me to leave. I can’t say I want to leave them either, but I need to see Everly is well and alive. She went through so much in the castle, and she is like a sister to me. The only family I have left, really, and I know I won’t be able to rest until I see for myself she is good.