Dead Man's Chest (The Plundered Chronicles Book 5) Page 8

  “I hear tell yer mighty good at it.”

  Quinn blushed. “I try. It takes its toll at times. There are lots of lonely moments.”

  “I can see that. You do not look very happy, my sweet. Your eyes seem so distant, so hollow. I worry fer you.”

  “I worry for myself sometimes, but I have a hundred men to worry about and a long way to go.

  “And then what? Will ya ever settle down? Find love? Live in peace?”

  Quinn chuckled. “Peace? What is that? I can’t imagine not being at sea or surrounded by so many lively, robust men, but I do not know what peace feels like any more.”

  “Ya love ’em.”

  “I do. Verra much. I love the adventure, the danger, the journey. I love what we do and can barely imagine living on land.”

  “Then you’ll raise that sweet little girl on yer ship—raise her to be a pirate?”

  “I’ll raise her to be strong, to make smart choices. I’ll raise her to know her worth, to never settle, and to always believe in herself. Whether or not we are on the sea or land, I would teach her these things.”

  “Then she is a very lucky little girl, Captain Callaghan.” Taking Quinn in her arms, Becca hugged her tightly. “Be safe, dear one. Come home soon.”

  Nodding, Quinn started up the plank.

  “And Callaghan?”

  She turned. “Yes?”

  “Keep yer eyes out on that Kaylish. She watches you like a hawk.”

  Waving her off, Quinn continued up the gangplank to watch the preparedness continue from her captain’s post, her heart heavy. Then she heard Becca call her back.

  “Callaghan?”

  Quinn turned, her eyes misty with new tears.

  “Ya love as good and as decent as ya can, but in the end, all enna one will ever get, if she’s lucky, is half of ya. I loved the half ya gave me. So did Fiona, but yer a creature of the sea now. Do the rest of the women who love ya a favor and walk away before they lose their whole heart to half a yers.”

  Tears fell down Quinn’s cheeks. She knew Becca’s words were true, and that she meant to convey her pain in losing Quinn to the sea, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear.

  “Thank you, Becca.” Turning away, Quinn walked back up and inspected the riggings, the masts, the gun powder, and the pain in her heart.

  As early morning gave way to midmorning, she began feeling better, especially as more and more of the crew returned.

  Including Seanie and Laing, her laoch cuidiches—turned—Galloglaighs.

  “Seanie!” Quinn was so thrilled to see him, her blues seemed to disappear.

  Seanie clapped Quinn hard on the back. “Didja miss us, Captain?”

  “Of course I did! Like bad wind, you jackarse.” Quinn smacked him upside the head before hugging Laing. “To be honest, we rolled dice to see if you’d be returning. Half us did not expect the two of you back.”

  “Seriously, Captain? We ken ya can’t live without us!”

  Quinn laughed heartily. “You do ken that we’re going to be on the water for nearly four months going and coming.”

  “Aye, we do. Stop tryin’ to scare us off, Captain. Where you go, so do we. Simple as that,”

  “Well then, you land lovin’ scaliwags, put your backs into some work—this ship isn’t going to sail itself!”

  By noon, they were on the water, heading toward the great unknown.

  After an hour, Kaylish joined her on the deck.

  “This is very exciting,” Kaylish said, gazing out at the expansive blue sky ahead of them.

  “Is it?”

  “Verra much so. I’ve heard the New World’s like paradise.”

  “I suppose right now, enna thing seems better than Ireland.”

  Kaylish moved closer. “You sound sad. Did something happen?”

  “I suppose I am. We’ve been fighting for nearly a decade to keep us out of Elizabeth’s grasp. I’m afraid we have failed. Ireland is nothing more than a pawn on her chessboard now.”

  “Is that why you agreed to take the box to Lady Killigrew’s sister?”

  Quinn watched as the port vanished from sight. “Aye. Oh, and I appreciate you sending word back to Lady Killigrew that we’ll be going. I was happy to know you’d come with us.”

  “So you…like me.”

  Quinn blinked, remembering Becca’s words. “I like how happy Gallagher is to have you around, aye.”

  “She is the sweetest thing, Callaghan. She is bright, inquisitive, funny, and she just adores you and the crew.”

  “Well, I appreciate you coming with us. Won’t your family miss you?”

  Kaylish gazed out at the sea. “I have no family. They were all killed by the English several years ago. I’ve been working for m’lady all this time in order to make enough coin to book passage to the New World where I hope to start a new life.”

  Quinn studied her profile. “And now you’re bound there on a pirate ship. How interesting.”

  “Not just any pirate ship, Captain. An Irish pirate ship captained by a woman. It could not have worked out any better for me.”

  “That’s good because you are stuck with us for at least two months. What is it you wish to do in the New World?”

  Kaylish sighed. “I wish to be free of the politics of religion. I wish to not worry that I am on the wrong side. I had to get out before it was too late.”

  Quinn tilted her head. “Get out?”

  Slowly turning, Kaylish narrowed her gaze at Quinn. “You have a Druid Priestess as a friend, aye?”

  Quinn nodded. “A dear friend, aye.”

  “Then would I be safe to admit that I am… like your friend?”

  “You are a priestess?”

  Kaylish shrugged. “Of sorts. I am…” she lowered her voice, “I am…a witch.”

  Quinn stared out at the sea. A woman on board could be problematic, but one who was a witch? That could be disastrous.

  Inhaling deeply, Quinn continued to stare straight ahead. “We will never have this conversation again, Kaylish. As long as you keep that information to yourself, you might make it to the New World unscathed. If, however, you make the huge mistake of sharing that information with enna one else on board this ship, I’ll never be able to save you should they throw you overboard…and they will.”

  Kaylish nodded. “And that is why I am off to the New World. Perhaps it will be safer for someone with different ideas and philosophies.”

  “Fair enough.” Quinn sighed heavily. She wished she had never shared that. “Just keep it to yourself and—” she wheeled around. “You’ve not even joked about it with Gallagher, have you?”

  “Of course not. I have only told you because I wanted you to know why I was staying there. Anywhere is freer than England. Scotland or Ireland. Anywhere is freer than the whole of Europe. I want to be free, Callaghan. Free like you’re free.”

  Quinn slowly turned back to her. Kaylish was a beautiful woman with a softness, a gentleness that washed over her like a warm wind. “Thank you for your honesty, then, but I think you should really know what you’re getting into before you let us set sail back here without you.”

  “Do you know what to expect?”

  Quinn pulled out her telescope and perused the horizon, looking for any signs of a storm. “In truth, I do not. I just know that two months on the water will do my spirit some good, but might verra well make you wish you had rethought this.”

  Kaylish gently smoothed Quinn’s hair away from her face. For a split second, they gazed like lovers into each other’s eyes. “The men won’t talk about it around me, but I suspect you’ve been through some very rough patches.”

  Quinn chuffed. “Rough is an understatement, and yes, I have. You don’t live this life without losing friends and loved ones, and I’ve lost my fair share of both.” Quinn pocketed her telescope and grabbed the wheel. “Please bring Gallagher up top. I’d like to see how she’s doing with her lessons.”

  Kaylish hesitated a moment before saying,
“As you wish,” and made her way briskly down the steps.

  Quinn had had to kill her best friend, hold another while he lay dying, say goodbye to Fiona, and watch Evan be horribly abused. It had taken years for her to be at peace with who and what she had become. Not just be at peace, but embracing it with all her heart.

  Indeed, maybe it was definitely time to heal her spirit.

  Tavish slammed his good hand on the table, making the coins jump and jingle. “Ya canna be that lucky all the time!” he crowed to Seanie, who laughed as he pulled his winnings to him.

  Quinn came below before bed each night to watch the crew play cards, dice, and some Scottish game she did not know the name of. She felt it was a good way to keep up on their spirits, to make sure in the lull of the night that she was keenly aware of their disposition.

  Like Grace had taught her, she never played games with the crew. A captain had to give the appearance of never losing, of never being down, and surely, of never gambling, so Grace had taught her early on to watch and not participate.

  So far this night, Seanie had the lucky hand, but Quinn knew Tavish well enough to know that he was not nearly as drunk as he pretended to be, and it was only a matter of time before he took back that pile Seanie had just cleaned…and then some.

  “You boys keep this up, and one of you will be left naked in the New World,” Quinn laughed.

  The men roared.

  “Captain, you think the New World is even ready fer the likes of us?” Logan asked.

  “Not even remotely, boys. By the time we leave there, it’ll probably have another name.” Quinn rose and patted Tavish’s back. “Have fun, fellas.”

  When Quinn was back on deck, she stood by the wheel and closed her eyes, feeling the sea air on her face.

  “It’s gonna be a long trip, Callaghan,” came Maggie’s voice from the shadows. “Ya got enna plans fer keepin’ ’em busy?”

  “You mean out of trouble?”

  “You ken what I mean.” Maggie joined her at the wheel. “They’ve never been gone for such a stretch. If you don’t give them a common enemy, they’re likely to turn on each other.”

  “You think we should engage an enemy?”

  Maggie nodded. “They’re pirates, aye? This New World holds no allure for them. What they want is action. Doona be afraid of lettin’ them blow off some of that male energy.”

  Quinn sighed. “I think you’re right, and I believe I would have played it too safe.”

  “You love ’em is all. No harm in that, but two months at sea comes with its own devils.”

  They stood in silence a long, long time before Quinn said softly, “Do you think I am destined to be alone?”

  “I doona ken, lass. Do ya want to be? Seems to me ya keep choosin’ women who canna give you what you want, so it begs the question… what is it you want?”

  The Scots were so pragmatic, Quinn couldn’t help but smile. “What I want is someone besides those mangy men to love me.”

  “Then make better choices, love. A married woman, a tavern server, a Scottish warrior, and a Moroccan pirate are not the best choices fer the life of an Irish pirate.”

  “Then I need a woman like you, one who would come on board and—”

  “Oh no, no, lass. As captain, ya canna have the distraction of a woman. These men would never trust that you hold out for them first.”

  Quinn held the wheel and stared at her hands. The half-moon lit up the deck. “Then that answers my question, doesn’t it?”

  Maggie laid her hand on top of Quinn’s. “Love is a tricky beast, dear friend, even more so when your life involves plunderin’ and sword fightin’ and what not. It’s gonna take a special woman to understand this life we live. When she comes around, you will know it. In here.” Maggie tapped Quinn’s head.

  “Why my head?”

  “Because the heart lies. It’s lied to you in the past, so trusting it would be a fool’s move. Ya need to trust somethin’ else, aye?”

  Quinn nodded. “Aye. I believe I do.”

  The first two weeks were choppy and rough, but the crew had no issues staying on point and getting their jobs done.

  Gallagher was getting in a lot of bow, dagger, and fighting time with the men, but her main interest was in Jacob and Arracht, who kept a watchful eye out on both of them at all times.

  So far, Arracht had defeated every single man on board in arm wrestling. Not even Tavish had come close. It was as frightening as it was awe-inspiring, and Quinn was happy to have him on their side. She needed some muscle and he was definitely that.

  Maggie kept Kaylish busy, showing her how to close wounds, to make unguent, to keep the crew healthy. Kaylish seemed to be a good study who listened respectfully to Maggie, but Quinn wondered if she hadn’t already learned a great deal of that as a witch.

  Quinn kept the Emerald moving at a decent clip, twice outrunning storms.

  She just wondered for how long. According to the maps she’d ever seen, there was actually no land between them and the New World. It was entirely possible they would not see another ship for months.

  And what would she do if they did? What would they want her to do? Fight? Flee?

  “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world.”

  Quinn turned to see Kaylish coming up the steps. The sun barely passed the horizon, leaving the sea and the air in a beautiful gold glow.

  “Sometimes it feels like I am.”

  Kaylish leaned against the railing. Her bodice fluttered in the breeze. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “What? Captain a ship?”

  “No. Be responsible for so many others. The challenge must be exhausting.”

  “At times, it is. I won’t lie. I watched Grace lead for my first five years, and I can only hope to be half the captain she is.”

  “These men respect you, Callaghan, like they would any other leader. They would not if you were not deserving, and from where I stand, you are very deserving.”

  “I appreciate that.” Quinn looked up at the moon and sighed. “Why are you here, Kaylish? Be honest with me. Why did you leave Lady Killigrew’s service to spend four months on the water with a bunch of pirates and a little girl? And please don’t tell me you wanted to be a messenger. I want the real truth.”

  The wind blew Kaylish’s hair about her face. “I don’t know if you really want to hear the truth, Captain.”

  Quinn closed the distance. “Of course I do, or I wouldn’t have asked.”

  Kaylish stared out at the dusk. “It’s a long story.”

  “Luckily for you, I have a lot of time.” Quinn sat on the top stairs and waited.

  Kaylish stood in front of her. “I’d been working for Lady Killigrew for almost six years when she sent me to carry a message to a very influential nobleman and his wife. His name was Lord Harrington.”

  “I’ve heard of him. He was purchasing all the lands adjacent to his plantation.”

  “Yes. That was the one. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth and the court.”

  Quinn did not miss her use of the past tense.

  “So Lady Killigrew sent me with a message. Unfortunately, Lord Harrington wanted more than a message. I fought him off the last time and did not mention to m’lady what had happened.”

  “Why not?”

  “He was not the first man to want more than the message.” She shrugged. “The second time, however, he was ready for me and had plans…notions as disgusting as he is. I am not so sure I would have survived what he had intended.”

  Quinn thought of Evan and shuddered. She well knew the possible outcome of evil intentions directed at a woman. “What happened?”

  “I killed him.”

  Quinn’s head slowly turned. “You. Killed. Him?”

  Kaylish nodded. “Yes. I had to. He would have done horrible things to me, so I killed him and ran away. The governor sent men in every direction searching for the ‘whore’ who took his worthless life.”

  Quinn had see
n that very thing happen to Grace.

  “Well, I am no whore. When I finally got back to M’lady, she had already heard about Harrington and had prepared a ship to take me to the continent. Maybe I could escape to Paris.”

  “Then I came along.”

  “Yes, and she saw the perfect opportunity to have the box delivered and to give me an even better place to restart my life.”

  “So, you truly do wish for me to leave you in the New World?”

  Kaylish nodded. “Yes. I’ll be safe there. As a witch, as a woman, as a wanted killer, I will be able to start over.”

  “Alone?”

  “If I must. Perhaps one or more of your men will wish to remain behind as well. If not, I suppose I will be on my own.”

  “Does that scare you?”

  Kaylish rose and then sat next to Quinn on the steps. “The only thing that scares me is the thought of being hunted by that bloody governor for the rest of my days. I do not wish to spend my life looking over my shoulder. That is no way to live.”

  Like Quinn had been doing. “So Lady Killigrew knows about your plans?”

  “Indeed she does. She knew you would take the box. She just needed me to have a job that would get me on your ship. That woman is successful because she watches people. She studies them. She had no doubt you would take the risk.”

  “Because?”

  “She knows how deeply you care about your men. Ireland is changing, Callaghan. The English plantation plan is working. More and more English nobility step onto your soil every day. You and Grace cannot hide that you sided with the Spanish. Elizabeth will come for you… again. Perhaps the time away will help… perhaps not, but regardless, Ireland is not safe for anyone anymore.”

  Quinn exhaled loudly. “It’s not the men. They can fend for themselves.”

  “It’s Gallagher.”

  Quinn nodded. “Before she came into my life, I played very loosely with my own life. I cannot afford to now. She deserves the best I can give her.” Quinn shook her head. “The best. Isn’t that a joke? Fiona left her beautiful child with a goddamned pirate.”