Page 101 of Found at Sea
29
Fletcher
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Alek’s face as he lay in the water with a hole in his chest, staring up at me one last time before sinking below the waves. It haunted me. I replayed the scene over and over in my head, trying to think of another way it could’ve happened.
Maybe if I would’ve rushed Dax, startling him, Alek could’ve moved aside and Kellan could’ve killed only Dax. However, living in the past would never change the present.
Alek was gone, and no amount of wishing would bring him back.
“What is this?” I asked the physician that morning, after she handed me a small phial to drink. The contents smelled sweet.
She was young and possessed a delicate beauty. Her touch was gentle, and her eyes were kind.
“An elixir to help you heal,” she answered, and I noticed a hint of an accent in her voice. One that reminded me a lot of Alek. The ache in my heart grew. As I drank the unknown elixir—which tasted like honey—she lightly dabbed a cream to the wound before replacing the bandage. “You are very fortunate, young one.”
My wound wasn’t healed, as it had only been four days, but it didn’t appear to be that bad. The memory of getting stabbed made me think it should’ve looked and hurt a lot worse than it did.
“I’m not much younger than you by the looks of it,” I pointed out. Her blond hair held no gray and there were no wrinkles on her face, apart from the small ones in the corners of her eyes that said she’d smiled a lot in her life.
A small smile played at the side of her mouth as she tilted her head at me. Her blue eyes gleamed like she knew some secret, and the knowledge amused her.
“What brings you here, young one who is not young?” she asked, and her tone mirrored the enjoyment in her eyes. “They say your ship nearly sank. Seems fortune was in your favor once again by granting you passage here.”
“We were attacked,” I said, not understanding why I felt so comfortable speaking with her, but I did. Maybe it was because she reminded me of the friend—and brother—I’d lost. “A close friend of mine was killed. I wouldn’t call that good fortune. Not really.”
“I am sorry to hear of your friend,” she said, gathering her items and placing them back into the basket she’d brought them in. “The fates have plans for all of us. They would not have taken your friend, unless it was for a bigger purpose.”
She turned to leave.
“What’s your name?” I asked, stopping her.
“Eva,” she answered with a kind smile. “I will return on the morrow to doctor your wound once more.”
Kellan entered the room after that, and she gave him a quick bow of her head before leaving. He approached and sat in the chair beside the bed.
“She’s nice. I like her,” I said, reaching for his hand.
He linked his fingers with mine. Something about the look in his eyes gave me the impression he knew something I didn’t. It seemed to be a reoccurring theme that day.
“Are you feeling well enough for a walk?” he asked. His blue eye appeared paler that day, and his brown one darker. Maybe it was due to the stark sky outside the window. “You must be going mad being bedridden for so many days.”
I nodded and pulled back the blanket. Kellan was dressed in boots, black pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a coat on over it, so I scrounged around for something warm to wear too.
When I cringed after bending over too far, Kellan lightly pushed me back on the bed and finished gathering my clothes.
“Do you intend to dress me too,Captain?”
Kellan smirked and lifted a brow. “Only if I must.”
I chuckled, but it died off fairly quick. I’d miss that kind of bantering with him. He was still firm on his decision of letting the curse take him, even though I’d argued with him for two days over it.
In just over a week, on his thirtieth name day, I’d lose him forever.
Once I was dressed and bundled up in a thick coat, we left the room and found the stairs at the end of the hall. We moved at a dawdling pace, since it was the first time I’d walked so far since being injured, but I had no pain whatsoever.
Eva caught my eye from the entrance of the Inn, where she was chatting with a young couple, and she gave me a warm smile.
Suspicions arose about her, but I didn’t dare bring them life. If I was correct, I didn’t want Eva to be targeted. I’d mention them to Kellan later, when we were alone.
