Chapter 3
She closed her eyes, remembering the dreams that she had been experiencing lately. They featured Sinbad and herself and the handsome sailor had given her endless pleasure throughout the nights.
She recalled the rapture that she had felt when his hands and lips caressed her body, making her scream in bliss. She loved doing the same to him - taking him over the edge, making him lose all control, hearing him call out her name.
She sighed in regret. Too much time had passed - too much things had happened. What if when they met once again, he no longer had feelings for her? She knew that there was a new girl on the Nomad, a pretty sorceress named Bryn. Did she now hold Sinbad's heart?
Suddenly, Maeve opened her eyes in alarm. Something was wrong. She could sense incredible danger surrounding Sinbad and she knew that the time had come to go back to him. Her training was complete and she was finally strong enough to hold her own against Rumina.
Raising her hands in the air, she chanted an incantation that transported her from the world in which she felt safe, to the world of the man she loved.
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Sinbad faced the witch, his sword drawn and ready for combat. She laughed throatily and made a disdainful gesture.
"Do you really expect that little piece of steel to hurt me? Oh come on Sinbad, I thought that you would have known better by now."
She waved her hand negligently and his sword flew out of his hand and across the deck. Her dark eyes blazed with unholy fire.
"You will pay for destroying my life," she hissed, her beautiful face transforming in her rage. "I will obliterate you and all that you care for."
"Not bloody likely," a voice said behind them.
They both looked in the direction of the newcomer and their jaws dropped. Maeve stood primed for battle, her sword in one hand and a glowing fireball in the next.
She threw the orb at Rumina, knocking the other sorceress off her feet. Rumina snarled and got back up, gathering her power.
She flung an arc of blue light towards Maeve, who contemptuously swatted it away as if it was a bothersome fly. Rumina's eyes widened and she cursed.
"You've grown stronger, you little peasant bitch," she spat.
Maeve smiled sardonically. "Does it show?"
Rumina gathered her forces, and prepared to launch a full-scale attack on the fiery haired woman. Maeve laughed in anticipation and began a counter spell.
Sinbad stared in stunned disbelief at the battle going on before his eyes. Maeve was actually here! His eyes drank in the sight of her, standing so tall and unafraid - her long copper curls, cascading over her shoulders, gilded silver in the moonlight. She wore a short dress of a rich, burgundy color, and her black boots came halfway up her calves.
He wanted to call her name but he feared distracting her and causing her to lose the fight, so he stayed silent.
Maeve circled Rumina, her eyes taunting her arch-rival. Rumina began to feel fear as she realized that the sorceress was now more powerful than she had anticipated. She deduced that the only way to survive tonight was to disappear and return another day after studying her opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
She murmured a spell under her breath, but it was too late. Maeve's sword sliced through her neck and Rumina vanished with an unearthly scream.
Maeve fell to her knees, tears of joy and relief streaming down her cheeks. It's over, she thought, finally, after all of these years. It's over.
Sinbad went to Maeve and knelt beside her. He knew that soon the crew would be coming up for Rumina's death scream had been loud enough to, well...wake the dead.
He tenderly placed two fingers below her chin and brought her face up to his.
"Tears?" he questioned softly.
Maeve sobbed, and flung her arms around his neck.
"Oh Sinbad! It's finally over...all those years of pain and uncertainty. She's dead!"
She pushed away from him. "Dermott? Where is he?"
"Dermott is fine. He was flying around the ship the last time I saw him."
"NO!" Maeve cried out. She ran to the railing and looked out. "Dermott!" she called, studying the ocean.
"Uh, Maeve, shouldn't you be looking up?" Sinbad suggested helpfully.
She ignored him, because just then her ears picked up a faint splashing and she could make out a shape swimming towards the ship.
"Oh, thank God!" she breathed in relief. She waved her hand and caused the person to levitate, depositing them gently on deck.
Sinbad stared in astonishment at the tall, well-built man who stood naked before them. Maeve laughed in delight and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. Sinbad felt a stab of jealousy that lasted until Maeve turned to him.
"Sinbad, this is my brother...Dermott."
Sinbad did a double take. "Your...WHAT?"
It was then that he noticed the strong resemblance between the two. Dermott extended his hand and Sinbad grasped it firmly.
"Pleased to finally get to talk to you personally Dermott," he smiled.
Dermott grinned wryly. "I feel the same way, Sinbad," he said in a low, melodious voice. "Although, I would have preferred our first meeting to be with me having on some sort of covering."
Maeve laughed. "A problem easily rectified, big brother."
She waved her hand and Dermott was instantly clad in clothes similar to Sinbad, the only differences being that the leather pants on her brother were of a dark brown color and the shirt was cream.
Just then, the rest of the crew came aboard, and Dermott breathed a sigh of relief. The men pulled up short at the sight of Maeve and the copper- haired stranger standing next to their captain, and then erupted into cheers and laughter.
They rushed Maeve and pulled her into hugs and kisses, exclaiming over her and telling her how glad they were to have her back.
Maeve fought back tears as she surveyed her former crewmates - especially Doubar, Rongar and Firouz. Her amber gaze fell on the petite girl standing at the back of the crowd and she sobered.
Walking up to Bryn, Maeve held out a hand. "Hello, Bryn. I've heard much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Bryn looked at her, startled. Maeve was even more beautiful than she had thought and she could now see why she had captured Sinbad's heart. She could sense no ill will from the other woman, so Bryn smiled widely and clasped the redhead's hand.
"Likewise, Maeve."
Maeve then turned to Dermott and brought him forward. "Everybody, I'd like you to meet my brother...Dermott."
The crew gasped in amazement and Maeve grinned. "Yes, he was the hawk."
Dermott stepped forward and proceeded to charm the crew by thanking them for taking care of him in his vulnerable form and accepting him. His eyes, no longer that of the feathered predator, were now a deep, mossy green that sparkled with humor and exuberance.
Sinbad laughed and clapped Dermott on the back. The two men shared similar height and build and were both extraordinarily handsome.
Maeve groaned inwardly as she watched her brother next to the captain.
I see trouble, she thought wryly. The two of them are going to be beating off the women with sticks.
Bryn was having the same thoughts. She was still in shock that the hawk that she had carried on her arm for the past two years was in reality an incredibly good-looking man - one that - she flushed fiercely - she had changed and bathed in front of on many occasions.
Just then, the object of her thoughts looked over at her and winked, while at the same time giving her a wicked grin.
She frowned fiercely at him, mentally cursing the damned man. The bugger! This was war!
Maeve smiled secretively, picking up on the signals floating around her. Things were about to get pretty interesting aboard the Nomad....
****************************************
She closed her eyes, remembering the dreams that she had been experiencing lately. They featured Sinbad and herself and the handsome sailor had given her endless pleasure throughout the nights.
She recalled the rapture that she had felt when his hands and lips caressed her body, making her scream in bliss. She loved doing the same to him - taking him over the edge, making him lose all control, hearing him call out her name.
She sighed in regret. Too much time had passed - too much things had happened. What if when they met once again, he no longer had feelings for her? She knew that there was a new girl on the Nomad, a pretty sorceress named Bryn. Did she now hold Sinbad's heart?
Suddenly, Maeve opened her eyes in alarm. Something was wrong. She could sense incredible danger surrounding Sinbad and she knew that the time had come to go back to him. Her training was complete and she was finally strong enough to hold her own against Rumina.
Raising her hands in the air, she chanted an incantation that transported her from the world in which she felt safe, to the world of the man she loved.
********************************
Sinbad faced the witch, his sword drawn and ready for combat. She laughed throatily and made a disdainful gesture.
"Do you really expect that little piece of steel to hurt me? Oh come on Sinbad, I thought that you would have known better by now."
She waved her hand negligently and his sword flew out of his hand and across the deck. Her dark eyes blazed with unholy fire.
"You will pay for destroying my life," she hissed, her beautiful face transforming in her rage. "I will obliterate you and all that you care for."
"Not bloody likely," a voice said behind them.
They both looked in the direction of the newcomer and their jaws dropped. Maeve stood primed for battle, her sword in one hand and a glowing fireball in the next.
She threw the orb at Rumina, knocking the other sorceress off her feet. Rumina snarled and got back up, gathering her power.
She flung an arc of blue light towards Maeve, who contemptuously swatted it away as if it was a bothersome fly. Rumina's eyes widened and she cursed.
"You've grown stronger, you little peasant bitch," she spat.
Maeve smiled sardonically. "Does it show?"
Rumina gathered her forces, and prepared to launch a full-scale attack on the fiery haired woman. Maeve laughed in anticipation and began a counter spell.
Sinbad stared in stunned disbelief at the battle going on before his eyes. Maeve was actually here! His eyes drank in the sight of her, standing so tall and unafraid - her long copper curls, cascading over her shoulders, gilded silver in the moonlight. She wore a short dress of a rich, burgundy color, and her black boots came halfway up her calves.
He wanted to call her name but he feared distracting her and causing her to lose the fight, so he stayed silent.
Maeve circled Rumina, her eyes taunting her arch-rival. Rumina began to feel fear as she realized that the sorceress was now more powerful than she had anticipated. She deduced that the only way to survive tonight was to disappear and return another day after studying her opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
She murmured a spell under her breath, but it was too late. Maeve's sword sliced through her neck and Rumina vanished with an unearthly scream.
Maeve fell to her knees, tears of joy and relief streaming down her cheeks. It's over, she thought, finally, after all of these years. It's over.
Sinbad went to Maeve and knelt beside her. He knew that soon the crew would be coming up for Rumina's death scream had been loud enough to, well...wake the dead.
He tenderly placed two fingers below her chin and brought her face up to his.
"Tears?" he questioned softly.
Maeve sobbed, and flung her arms around his neck.
"Oh Sinbad! It's finally over...all those years of pain and uncertainty. She's dead!"
She pushed away from him. "Dermott? Where is he?"
"Dermott is fine. He was flying around the ship the last time I saw him."
"NO!" Maeve cried out. She ran to the railing and looked out. "Dermott!" she called, studying the ocean.
"Uh, Maeve, shouldn't you be looking up?" Sinbad suggested helpfully.
She ignored him, because just then her ears picked up a faint splashing and she could make out a shape swimming towards the ship.
"Oh, thank God!" she breathed in relief. She waved her hand and caused the person to levitate, depositing them gently on deck.
Sinbad stared in astonishment at the tall, well-built man who stood naked before them. Maeve laughed in delight and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. Sinbad felt a stab of jealousy that lasted until Maeve turned to him.
"Sinbad, this is my brother...Dermott."
Sinbad did a double take. "Your...WHAT?"
It was then that he noticed the strong resemblance between the two. Dermott extended his hand and Sinbad grasped it firmly.
"Pleased to finally get to talk to you personally Dermott," he smiled.
Dermott grinned wryly. "I feel the same way, Sinbad," he said in a low, melodious voice. "Although, I would have preferred our first meeting to be with me having on some sort of covering."
Maeve laughed. "A problem easily rectified, big brother."
She waved her hand and Dermott was instantly clad in clothes similar to Sinbad, the only differences being that the leather pants on her brother were of a dark brown color and the shirt was cream.
Just then, the rest of the crew came aboard, and Dermott breathed a sigh of relief. The men pulled up short at the sight of Maeve and the copper- haired stranger standing next to their captain, and then erupted into cheers and laughter.
They rushed Maeve and pulled her into hugs and kisses, exclaiming over her and telling her how glad they were to have her back.
Maeve fought back tears as she surveyed her former crewmates - especially Doubar, Rongar and Firouz. Her amber gaze fell on the petite girl standing at the back of the crowd and she sobered.
Walking up to Bryn, Maeve held out a hand. "Hello, Bryn. I've heard much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Bryn looked at her, startled. Maeve was even more beautiful than she had thought and she could now see why she had captured Sinbad's heart. She could sense no ill will from the other woman, so Bryn smiled widely and clasped the redhead's hand.
"Likewise, Maeve."
Maeve then turned to Dermott and brought him forward. "Everybody, I'd like you to meet my brother...Dermott."
The crew gasped in amazement and Maeve grinned. "Yes, he was the hawk."
Dermott stepped forward and proceeded to charm the crew by thanking them for taking care of him in his vulnerable form and accepting him. His eyes, no longer that of the feathered predator, were now a deep, mossy green that sparkled with humor and exuberance.
Sinbad laughed and clapped Dermott on the back. The two men shared similar height and build and were both extraordinarily handsome.
Maeve groaned inwardly as she watched her brother next to the captain.
I see trouble, she thought wryly. The two of them are going to be beating off the women with sticks.
Bryn was having the same thoughts. She was still in shock that the hawk that she had carried on her arm for the past two years was in reality an incredibly good-looking man - one that - she flushed fiercely - she had changed and bathed in front of on many occasions.
Just then, the object of her thoughts looked over at her and winked, while at the same time giving her a wicked grin.
She frowned fiercely at him, mentally cursing the damned man. The bugger! This was war!
Maeve smiled secretively, picking up on the signals floating around her. Things were about to get pretty interesting aboard the Nomad....
****************************************