Okay so this isn't near as long as usual, but I wanted to leave you all with something before I disappeared for two weeks. ^.^ I thought this was a nice little stopping point. Thanks again for all the reviews and support!
All characters belong to CC! The sparkly ass mermaids and smexy pirates are all mine. : )
Alec glanced up at Magnus, hoping to see the mischievous grin that he had already grown accustomed to. Instead , Magnus had grown silent, his jaw clenched tightly. He was staring up at the ship, which had suddenly become an ominous presence on the waves. Magnus's eyes had narrowed to slits, his brow furrowed in anger. Alec looked up, trying to catch sight of what had made Magnus go so rigid. He locked eyes with a middle aged man on the deck. He looked normal enough. A large build, broad shoulders, with a shock of white blonde hair. His beard was shortly trimmed unlike most men wore it. As regular as he seemed, there was an aura that pervaded off of him. The man's black eyes seemed to seer him to the depths of his soul. Alec had never felt more exposed than under this man's gaze.
"Ah shit," Ragnor muttered, pulling up beside the colossal ship. Ropes dropped down from the rail and Magnus and Ragnor set to work securing the boat. "He's going to rip into ya Mags," Ragnor said, settling back down into his seat, as the rest of the crew hauled them up the side.
"I'll deal with it," Magnus grumbled, casting Alec a concerned look.
"Why would you be in trouble?" Alec asked, suddenly worried. Was he the cause of it?
"Don't worry your pretty head over it," Magnus said, smiling despite the mood. Alec's gaze snapped back up to the deck, afraid of what he would find. The rest of the crew resembled Magnus and Ragnor. Men from various ages in rag tag clothing and weather worn skin. Yet it was the man whom Alec could only assume to be the Captain that caught his attention. A storm of violent energies seemed to surround him. Alec suppressed the urge to flinch away. The man's black gaze pierced him, as the crew finally heaved them onto the deck. There was something about this man that was undeniably evil. His presence alone made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Mr. Bane," the Captain said with a voice as slick as oil. Alec felt as if eels were sliding against his skin.
"Aye, Captain," replied Magnus, his jaw set stubbornly.
"Would you care to explain to me why you abandoned your post?" the man asked. Magnus bore his gaze without a hint of fear.
"Doing my job sir," he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "When I saw this man here drowning, and reported as such, no action was taken. Since I was acting as look out, and everyone else was occupied, I took it upon myself to rescue the boy."
The Captains eyes narrowed to slits. "I do not appreciate your tone, Mr. Bane. Action is not taken unless given by my order, is that understood?" the man said, his voice as hard as steel.
"Aye, Captain," Magnus replied. The Captain eyed Alec once again. Alec tried not to flinch under his gaze.
"Put the boy to use. If he is going to be on my ship he will be pulling his weight," he said before disappearing into his quarters. Ragnor released the breath he had been holding in a whoosh of air.
"That wasn't as bad as I expected," he said slapping Magnus on the shoulder. "I thought he was going to keel haul you!"
"Eh, he can't afford to be rid of me. With my skills and superior wit? This ship would be a cultureless wasteland without my presence," he replied grinning from ear to ear.
"With your cheeky tongue I'm surprised Morgenstern didn't cut it out," Ragnor said, rolling his eyes.
Alec's head snapped to where the Captain had disappeared. "Did you say Morgenstern?" he asked,his voice trembling. His entire body had gone rigid, his blue eyes starring wide in terror.
"The boy can't remember what the bloody hell he was doing in the ocean, yet he trembles in fear from Morgenstern's name. Even with your memory loss, clearly the stories of his horrible deeds have made an impression," Ragnor said, eyeing Alec with a look of puzzlement.
Alec's head was reeling. He was on the same ship as the man he was supposed to gather information on. He never would have thought that he'd actually meet him. He was just as terrifying as the Clave had described him. This was the man that was hunting them? There wasn't a doubt that Morgenstern was a legitimate threat to Idris. Somehow Alec was going to have to keep Morgenstern off course for as long as possible. The fate of Idris was on his shoulders. He could not fail in this.
"Welcome to the Morning Star," said Ragnor.
I'll be updating as soon as I get back! Adios!
