Chapter 13
Dermott opened his eyes to see the worried face of Bryn hovering above him. He grinned crookedly and raised a hand to her cheek. "Hey there," he said.
Her eyes widened and she jerked back as if burned. His own eyes narrowed to thin slits of green. His hand fell away and he drew his lips into a thin line. "I had no idea that my touch was so distasteful to you, though," he said in a cold voice. "My sincere apologies."
Bryn stared at him and took a deep breath.
It was now or never.
"It's far from distasteful, love," she murmured.
When he focused on her, stunned, she took the initiative and captured his mouth in an intense, soul-wrenching kiss.
He was too surprised at first to respond but then, he returned her gesture with a ferocity that took her breath away.
She threaded her fingers in his thick hair and gave herself wholly to the moment.
****************************
Sinbad and Maeve watched the scene and both began to chuckle.
"I never thought that the day would come when those two would stop fighting," he remarked.
"Now they can channel all of that passion into something more productive," Maeve replied.
Sinbad cleared his throat and faced her. "Maeve, I have something to tell you. Something that I should have said a long time ago. I love you."
Her face lit up and she was about to reply when the joy on her face turned to shock. His head whipped around to see Rayan on his feet and lurching towards them. In his hand, he held the crystal that Bryn had dropped in the battle against him.
Sinbad cursed and sprang to his feet. He faced Rayan and once again brandished his sword. He started when the blade began to glow, and then looked gratefully at Maeve. She winked and focused on her brother and Bryn who had come running at the sign of danger.
Rayan stood on the edge of the pit and once more extended his hand. "Now I shall drop this and I hope you all go to hell!"
Sinbad lunged at the precise moment that Rayan dropped the crystal and managed to grab the precious object. Unfortunately, his momentum had him careening into the evil wizard and they both toppled over the edge.
At the last moment, Sinbad twisted and tossed the crystal into Dermott's hands. It was the last they saw of him as he fell into the thick black smoke, along with Rayan.
************************
The group stood immobilized as they watched the death fall of the legendary sailor. Then, Maeve's pained cry jettisoned them into motion. They all ran to the edge and peered down. Nothing.
Maeve began to cry - deep, body-wrenching sobs that came from her very soul. Bryn could feel the tears build in her throat and she clung tightly to Dermott.
He stood as if in shock - staring down at the crater that had claimed the life of his friend. Hoping against hope that Sinbad had maybe fallen onto a ledge like he did, Dermott leaned over the edge and stared into the volcano. Nothing.
Just then, the crystal in his hand began to glow. He breathed in sharply, drawing the attention of the two women. They all stared transfixed at the shining gem and then as one, their head turned to where an answering light appeared in the midst of the smoke.
Sinbad emerged from the volcano, his bracelet shimmering on his wrist. He had a huge smile on his face and as he cleared the smoke, he headed straight for the spirit of Maeve.
He raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "I can touch you now." The words were a promise.
Her eyes widened and she brought up her trembling hand to cover his. "You - you're......"
"Dead?" he supplied, and then laughed. "Strange, but I've never felt more alive."
He turned to Dermott and Bryn. "The crystal will help you get back to our world. I want you two to tell the crew what happened." He paused and smiled. "And Dermott?"
"Yes?" the other man replied, his green eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Take command of my ship. I know that you will make a fine captain - especially with Bryn at your side."
He winked at them and Bryn blushed. Sinbad laughed heartily. "Don't let her go and don't make the mistake that I did. Tell her that you love her. Every day, if possible."
"But Sinbad," Dermott protested. "What if the crew won't accept me as the captain?"
Sinbad chuckled and pulled the bracelet off his wrist. "Take this," he instructed his friend. "This will settle all questions."
Hesitantly, Dermott reached out - expecting his hand to pass through the wristband. Instead, astonishingly, the band clamped itself around his hand and began glowing with a ferocity that was matched by Bryn's own.
They looked at each other and smiled. As if of their own accord, their hands linked together and they held on tightly.
Maeve smiled at them and walked into Sinbad's embrace. "I love you both," she told them. "Live long and be happy."
Then the two lovers disappeared.
Dermott and Bryn stood looking at the spot where their friends were for a long time. Then, Bryn gasped as she saw a bright light appear to the left of them.
"Dermott! Look!" she pointed.
He turned in the direction that she was showing him and started to grin.
"There's our way home, love," he said, taking her hand.
He felt her hesitate and turned to her, a question in his eyes.
"What will, the crew say?" she wondered aloud.
Dermott brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. "They will be deeply saddened, it's true, but, they will be happy to know that Sinbad and Maeve are happy now."
She smiled a trifle wistfully at that. "Yes, they are. I'm glad that they got another chance at their love."
Dermott took her hand and led her towards the opening. "Let's go darling. Our future awaits."
Together, they walked into the light and vanished - leaving the world that had taught them so much.
******************************
Dermott opened his eyes to see the worried face of Bryn hovering above him. He grinned crookedly and raised a hand to her cheek. "Hey there," he said.
Her eyes widened and she jerked back as if burned. His own eyes narrowed to thin slits of green. His hand fell away and he drew his lips into a thin line. "I had no idea that my touch was so distasteful to you, though," he said in a cold voice. "My sincere apologies."
Bryn stared at him and took a deep breath.
It was now or never.
"It's far from distasteful, love," she murmured.
When he focused on her, stunned, she took the initiative and captured his mouth in an intense, soul-wrenching kiss.
He was too surprised at first to respond but then, he returned her gesture with a ferocity that took her breath away.
She threaded her fingers in his thick hair and gave herself wholly to the moment.
****************************
Sinbad and Maeve watched the scene and both began to chuckle.
"I never thought that the day would come when those two would stop fighting," he remarked.
"Now they can channel all of that passion into something more productive," Maeve replied.
Sinbad cleared his throat and faced her. "Maeve, I have something to tell you. Something that I should have said a long time ago. I love you."
Her face lit up and she was about to reply when the joy on her face turned to shock. His head whipped around to see Rayan on his feet and lurching towards them. In his hand, he held the crystal that Bryn had dropped in the battle against him.
Sinbad cursed and sprang to his feet. He faced Rayan and once again brandished his sword. He started when the blade began to glow, and then looked gratefully at Maeve. She winked and focused on her brother and Bryn who had come running at the sign of danger.
Rayan stood on the edge of the pit and once more extended his hand. "Now I shall drop this and I hope you all go to hell!"
Sinbad lunged at the precise moment that Rayan dropped the crystal and managed to grab the precious object. Unfortunately, his momentum had him careening into the evil wizard and they both toppled over the edge.
At the last moment, Sinbad twisted and tossed the crystal into Dermott's hands. It was the last they saw of him as he fell into the thick black smoke, along with Rayan.
************************
The group stood immobilized as they watched the death fall of the legendary sailor. Then, Maeve's pained cry jettisoned them into motion. They all ran to the edge and peered down. Nothing.
Maeve began to cry - deep, body-wrenching sobs that came from her very soul. Bryn could feel the tears build in her throat and she clung tightly to Dermott.
He stood as if in shock - staring down at the crater that had claimed the life of his friend. Hoping against hope that Sinbad had maybe fallen onto a ledge like he did, Dermott leaned over the edge and stared into the volcano. Nothing.
Just then, the crystal in his hand began to glow. He breathed in sharply, drawing the attention of the two women. They all stared transfixed at the shining gem and then as one, their head turned to where an answering light appeared in the midst of the smoke.
Sinbad emerged from the volcano, his bracelet shimmering on his wrist. He had a huge smile on his face and as he cleared the smoke, he headed straight for the spirit of Maeve.
He raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "I can touch you now." The words were a promise.
Her eyes widened and she brought up her trembling hand to cover his. "You - you're......"
"Dead?" he supplied, and then laughed. "Strange, but I've never felt more alive."
He turned to Dermott and Bryn. "The crystal will help you get back to our world. I want you two to tell the crew what happened." He paused and smiled. "And Dermott?"
"Yes?" the other man replied, his green eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Take command of my ship. I know that you will make a fine captain - especially with Bryn at your side."
He winked at them and Bryn blushed. Sinbad laughed heartily. "Don't let her go and don't make the mistake that I did. Tell her that you love her. Every day, if possible."
"But Sinbad," Dermott protested. "What if the crew won't accept me as the captain?"
Sinbad chuckled and pulled the bracelet off his wrist. "Take this," he instructed his friend. "This will settle all questions."
Hesitantly, Dermott reached out - expecting his hand to pass through the wristband. Instead, astonishingly, the band clamped itself around his hand and began glowing with a ferocity that was matched by Bryn's own.
They looked at each other and smiled. As if of their own accord, their hands linked together and they held on tightly.
Maeve smiled at them and walked into Sinbad's embrace. "I love you both," she told them. "Live long and be happy."
Then the two lovers disappeared.
Dermott and Bryn stood looking at the spot where their friends were for a long time. Then, Bryn gasped as she saw a bright light appear to the left of them.
"Dermott! Look!" she pointed.
He turned in the direction that she was showing him and started to grin.
"There's our way home, love," he said, taking her hand.
He felt her hesitate and turned to her, a question in his eyes.
"What will, the crew say?" she wondered aloud.
Dermott brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. "They will be deeply saddened, it's true, but, they will be happy to know that Sinbad and Maeve are happy now."
She smiled a trifle wistfully at that. "Yes, they are. I'm glad that they got another chance at their love."
Dermott took her hand and led her towards the opening. "Let's go darling. Our future awaits."
Together, they walked into the light and vanished - leaving the world that had taught them so much.
******************************