Battles and Secrets (Queen of Piracy Duology #2)

Chapter 1: The opposite of fun

Never underestimate people's capacity to surprise you. Life loves punching everyone in the face... Why am I telling you this? The answer is easy! Because many people are entirely different than you expected. Don't assume you know others well because... Guess what? You don't! They might have fooled you for years, and you didn't realize it soon enough. Go ahead, call me insane, but people often aren't what they seem. Although I'm paranoid, thinking twice before believing someone can spare you the pain. Maybe you'll become upset even if you're careful... Isn't life fun? Yes, except when it throws you to the sharks! Also, don't doubt your heart's ability to make you crazy... Anyway, enough of this subject. I'm a pirate captain, not a boring relative giving advice, so I'll stop talking. I'll show you my new home... A cozy prison cell! Having a hard time trusting people didn't save me from that stupid dungeon.

It was 1734. While the guards took me to my cute grey room, I wondered why the craziest things always happened to me. Perhaps life enjoyed doing that because I was so adorable... Who am I kidding? I'm crazy! I breathed faster as the heat from the fire torches got closer to my face. Hot temperatures are great, but definitely not in a dungeon. The guards were gentlemen... Who am I kidding? The bastards squeezed my arms so firmly that I thought my bones would break! Being dragged to that jail wasn't one of my best adventures.

"Thank you for your hospitality!" I smiled nervously and quickly sat on the cold floor. "Perhaps we could drink together someday!"

One guard rolled his eyes while the other shook his head in denial. Yeah, they definitely didn't have a sense of humor... or any feelings, apparently. I sighed in relief once they left. The last thing I needed was to spend more time with dull people... Don't judge me! I was in prison already, so I didn't want bad company.

Why is this dungeon so dirty? I thought that lunatic would be a little kinder to me!

Squeezing my eyes shut, I wondered what that maniac had done to the people I cared about. I didn't know what terrible fate awaited my family... My only consolation was that Francis, the best dog ever, would defend Luna and Tess if necessary. I'd freak out if anyone hurt my little girls... What a bunch of idiots! I gulped, also worried about my other family members.

I crossed my arms and looked up. As if my situation couldn't get any better, water was leaking... Wasn't that delightful? Exactly my idea of happiness! I'd never see my family and crew ever again. All because I wasn't quick enough to escape that moron... Don't worry, I'm explaining this later. My situation was the opposite of fun. I took several deep breaths to avoid crying.

I raised my brows, "Maybe I can turn this water into rum. At least death will be less painful."

My eyes bulged as two other guards dragged Maartje towards my cell. She winced while elbowing the men for the third time. Seeing one of my closest friends in that situation made me tremble and sweat. Even though I should've been happy with her presence, I wanted to sob... No, I wasn't upset at my cousin, I just didn't want her to have the same fate as me.

I hope Willem is still alive. Laurens and Maartje will panic if anything happens to their son... and so will I.

"You'll regret this!" my cousin shot an icy glare at a guard. "When this ends, I'm punching you so hard that all your teeth will turn to dust!"

The man pushed her closer to me, "Shut up, witch!"

The guards threw her inside the cell. Maartje flinched as she hit her head against the wall. Once the guys locked the door, two remained close while the other two went away. I hugged my cousin desperately, still trying to hold my tears. If I said who'd put Maartje and me in that situation, you wouldn't believe it... Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Just keep in mind it isn't the person you'd expect to hate you.

Maartje bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry I couldn't save us. At least you're alive and well."

"It's not your fault," I sighed while remembering the horrible things that happened. "Also, I disagree about the 'well' part. Prison isn't exactly my definition of joy."

We laughed loudly. My smile faded once I recalled we'd be executed soon. Besides, we weren't the only ones in danger. I couldn't stop thinking about the rest of my family... Could they be alive? If my enemy was slower than I'd thought, perhaps everyone was still breathing. My chin trembled as I recalled that person's cruel words... You'll probably gawk once you find out what my enemy said.

"I don't think the guys will be spared," my cousin sobbed desperately while rubbing her eyes. "They'll be the first ones to die."

That's very comforting! I feel so much better now!

I stared at the ceiling to try and forget the imminent assassination of everyone I loved... Wait, it gets worse! We weren't even the first pirates that bastard had caught. I couldn't say the idiot's name without feeling nauseous. The worst part was I had no idea why that person hated me so much. It didn't make any sense... Well, nothing really makes sense if you think about it. Life is everything but consistent.

"Let's not admit defeat yet," I forced a smile. "Maybe our enemy has a soft spot for handsome men and cute kids!"

Maartje chuckled, "I don't think that's the case, Eva."

"Can't we bribe those guys with anything?" I knit my brows. "I have a lot of gold!"

"They must've seized our booty by now. I hope they let us say goodbye to everyone," my cousin pressed her lips firmly together. "I don't think we'll escape."

I wiped away my tears. "This can't be the end!"

I sighed. There was no way out. My chest hurt so much that I thought I'd die. My cousin and I would either perish in that cell or be murdered... Wonderful, wasn't it? Nothing could've made me happier! You must be confused about my situation... It's complicated, to say the least. Many things changed since my daughters were born. More than you can possibly imagine. To understand the mess my crew and I had gotten into, let's go back a few months in time. 

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Author's note: I'm back! The wait is finally over and the "Ocean Storm" sequel is here! I can't wait to show you the entire book because this first chapter is just the beginning... ;-) Please vote and comment if you like this story. English isn't my native language and I'm not a professional editor, so please send me a private message if you find any issues. The link to my Spotify playlists is on my bio and you'll find the one for "Battles and Secrets" there. Thank you for supporting "Ocean Storm" and I hope you enjoy "Battles and Secrets" as well. Also, there will be several references to people and events from "Ocean Storm", so feel free to message me if you forgot about a few things and I'll clarify everything for you. What happened to the other characters? Why is Eva so worried? Keep reading and you'll find out... :-)

I dedicate this chapter to my dear friend SueLou66