The Belladonna

Chapter 12

The bonfire was still blazing. Sky could see its orange light when she come around to the front of the manor. Her chest tightened with anticipation. As she made her way back down to the beach she thought out how she was going to word her question. She couldn't outright ask him; she got the feeling he would just brush her off. Or look at her. Both seemed to throw her off and she wasn't happy about it.

Back home on Rendes she wasn't the kind of girl who deliberately put herself in trouble; she didn't go searching for fights, but at the same time if fights came to her she refused to back down. This was one of those times. These men had forcefully boarded their ship, they had killed people and kidnapped her for some sick game.

Why am I still around? Dustin didn't seem particularly interested in her, in fact from what she could tell her presence was simply annoying to him. As for the rest of his crew; none of them even really noticed her at all. But that was perhaps due to the fact that Sky had spent all her time up on the poop deck and none of them had really gotten to close to her. Still it wouldn't have been difficult for any of them to act on their own desires and Sky couldn't help but wonder why. These were pirates not gentlemen.

She thought of the way they had helped the townspeople. The compassionate look on Dustin's face when he spoke to the men of the village. Something was odd about these pirates. And Sky was on her way to finding out what it was.

The grass under her feet became sandy as she neared the fire causing her feet to sink in. She could hear music. Happy and fast paced; dancing music. Figures, a mix of the townspeople and the pirates, spun around the fire casting long thin shadows on the surrounding sand. Sky moved towards them and saw that there were many people around the fire that were simply lying on the sand enjoying the joyful atmosphere.

Such a change from what I saw before.

Sky saw that many of the pirates were enjoying all that this small island had to offer. Sky shuddered at the thought of 'pleasing' a man who murders for a living and moved past the tangled bodies farther from the fires heat as they created a heat all their own.

When she was only a few feet from the fire, the heat making blood rise to her face, she saw Thomas sitting next to the frie with a bottle of something in his hands. He noticed her and waved her over. Sky hesitated only for a moment. She scanned the people gathered around the fire and was more deflated than she should have been when she didn't see a certain face amongst them.

Sky plopped down next to Thomas careful to keep her distance from him; he was still a pirate and she had no clue what his intentions were.

"Hello there lass," He gave her a toothy grin that she weakly returned.She watched him as he took a long swig from his bottle then offered it to her. Sky declined; she would not start drinking especially around these men.

"Everyone seems pretty happy considering..." She spoke in a soft voice but loud enough for him to hear.

"We live a dangerous life. If we don't die today it could be tomorrow." He paused to drink some more. "Gotta make the most out of things. Thats why we celebrate everyday we don't die." Sky smiled at the notion as the dancing figures began to spin around one and other. Amongst them was Marle and his lady friend. Both enjoy each other's company.

From her side she heard Thomas chuckle. "The Captain seems to be enjoying himself." He said looking across the fire.

Sky followed his line of sight and what she saw instantly killed her mood. Said captain was lying on the sand closer to the water, his long jacket and hat off and thrown next to him carelessly. He was not alone. At his side was a woman. She was stretched out next to him her head on his chest and was looking up at the dark sky overhead. She was beautiful; her long dark hair fell across Dustin's chest and curled into ringlets at the end. Sky also couldn't help but notice the feminine shape of her body. Cured in all the right places with a narrow him and a delicate face.