Chapter 3
Jenna went below deck and found Piers sitting at the table, a glass filled with a small amount of rum sitting next to his hand that lay palm down on the table as he read a letter that he held in his other hand. Jenna assumed that today was a special occasion. Piers never drank unless he had reason to celebrate. Jenna gasped. "Oh no, I forgot your birthday didn't I?"
Piers looked up at her, confused. "What? Oh, no it's not my birthday. Why would you say that?"
"Well, I just thought maybe today was special." She told him, glancing at the rum.
Piers smiled and stood up. "Ah, but it is a special day! I've just received the most amazing letter!" He picked her up by her waist and spun her around, causing her to laugh and smile. "King Hydros has just sent us congratulations on lighting the last two lighthouses. Not only that but he says my uncle is doing well and Lord Conservato is not." He handed the letter to her and let her read it over. "He says Conservato got so angry his face turned as purple as a plum."
Jenna laughed and put down the letter, dancing around happily. "Oh, I'm only disappointed that I couldn't have been there to see it!"
Piers watched her silently, smiling pleasantly. Jenna picked up the glass of rum and laughed. "Quite the daredevil, aren't you?"
Piers took the glass and set it back down. "Jenna, when you've lived as long as I have you realize there's much more to life than temporary highs such as alcohol."
Jenna cocked her head in a flirty way and gave him a coy smile. "Exactly how old are you, Piers?"
Piers noticed the fire Adept's trickery right away. "Oh, no." He shook his head. "I'm not telling you." "Oh, come on. Please?" "No." "I promise I won't tell anyone." "Except everyone on board." "Why won't you tell me?" "Because." "Because why?" "Can you just forget this please?"
Jenna put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Make me."
Unexpectedly, Piers grabbed Jenna's shoulders and pulled her to him. "Fine, I will." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
Jenna blinked, surprised. Was Piers doing what she thought he was doing? She leaned forward slightly and still felt his mouth over hers. 'I guess he is.' She thought happily.
She began to slide her arms around his waist, but he pulled away. "Well, I'm off. It's my turn to steer the boat and Felix gets upset if I forget." He walked away as if nothing had happened.
Jenna touched her lower lip gently. It still tingled coldly from Piers icy touch. Realization quickly dawned on her. "Piers, wait!" she called, running over to him and grabbing his arm. "You didn't answer my question. You didn't tell me how old you are."
Piers sighed and shook his head. "That kiss was supposed to make you forget. Obviously, it didn't work."
Jenna smiled hopefully up at him. "If I ask you again, will I get another kiss?"
Immediately, she blushed and began to stutter out an apology, embarrassed by her forward behavior. But, he put a finger to her lips and gazed tenderly down at her with his sea blue eyes. "You don't have to apologize nor do you have to ask again to get me to kiss you."
He leaned down once again and removed his finger from her lips before replacing it with a kiss. Jenna wanted to pull away; she knew she should. As amazing as it was to be kissing Piers, she couldn't help but feel like she was betraying Isaac. Lately though, she had been thinking that her attraction to him was just a silly crush rather than love.
Piers tentatively kissed her, slipping his fingers into the soft, silky curls of her hair. He did so uncertainly, afraid that if he moved too fast, she'd pull away. To his surprise, she pulled him closer.
"Piers!" Felix shouted down, causing the two of them to quickly break apart. "Hey, it's your turn to steer!"
"Coming!" Piers yelled back up, keeping his head down so Jenna couldn't see him blushing. Before she even had a chance to say a word to him, he had already begun his retreat up to the deck. Jenna sat down at the table, where Piers had previously seated himself.
Felix came below, followed closely by Sheba, who was riding on his back. Felix looked at his sister curiously. "Jenna, why is you hair messed up?" He eyed Piers' glass of rum next to her hand.
"Oh, it must be the humidity." Jenna lied.
Sheba caught Jenna's thoughts of kissing Piers and decided not to point out that the air outside was dry.
Jenna went below deck and found Piers sitting at the table, a glass filled with a small amount of rum sitting next to his hand that lay palm down on the table as he read a letter that he held in his other hand. Jenna assumed that today was a special occasion. Piers never drank unless he had reason to celebrate. Jenna gasped. "Oh no, I forgot your birthday didn't I?"
Piers looked up at her, confused. "What? Oh, no it's not my birthday. Why would you say that?"
"Well, I just thought maybe today was special." She told him, glancing at the rum.
Piers smiled and stood up. "Ah, but it is a special day! I've just received the most amazing letter!" He picked her up by her waist and spun her around, causing her to laugh and smile. "King Hydros has just sent us congratulations on lighting the last two lighthouses. Not only that but he says my uncle is doing well and Lord Conservato is not." He handed the letter to her and let her read it over. "He says Conservato got so angry his face turned as purple as a plum."
Jenna laughed and put down the letter, dancing around happily. "Oh, I'm only disappointed that I couldn't have been there to see it!"
Piers watched her silently, smiling pleasantly. Jenna picked up the glass of rum and laughed. "Quite the daredevil, aren't you?"
Piers took the glass and set it back down. "Jenna, when you've lived as long as I have you realize there's much more to life than temporary highs such as alcohol."
Jenna cocked her head in a flirty way and gave him a coy smile. "Exactly how old are you, Piers?"
Piers noticed the fire Adept's trickery right away. "Oh, no." He shook his head. "I'm not telling you." "Oh, come on. Please?" "No." "I promise I won't tell anyone." "Except everyone on board." "Why won't you tell me?" "Because." "Because why?" "Can you just forget this please?"
Jenna put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Make me."
Unexpectedly, Piers grabbed Jenna's shoulders and pulled her to him. "Fine, I will." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
Jenna blinked, surprised. Was Piers doing what she thought he was doing? She leaned forward slightly and still felt his mouth over hers. 'I guess he is.' She thought happily.
She began to slide her arms around his waist, but he pulled away. "Well, I'm off. It's my turn to steer the boat and Felix gets upset if I forget." He walked away as if nothing had happened.
Jenna touched her lower lip gently. It still tingled coldly from Piers icy touch. Realization quickly dawned on her. "Piers, wait!" she called, running over to him and grabbing his arm. "You didn't answer my question. You didn't tell me how old you are."
Piers sighed and shook his head. "That kiss was supposed to make you forget. Obviously, it didn't work."
Jenna smiled hopefully up at him. "If I ask you again, will I get another kiss?"
Immediately, she blushed and began to stutter out an apology, embarrassed by her forward behavior. But, he put a finger to her lips and gazed tenderly down at her with his sea blue eyes. "You don't have to apologize nor do you have to ask again to get me to kiss you."
He leaned down once again and removed his finger from her lips before replacing it with a kiss. Jenna wanted to pull away; she knew she should. As amazing as it was to be kissing Piers, she couldn't help but feel like she was betraying Isaac. Lately though, she had been thinking that her attraction to him was just a silly crush rather than love.
Piers tentatively kissed her, slipping his fingers into the soft, silky curls of her hair. He did so uncertainly, afraid that if he moved too fast, she'd pull away. To his surprise, she pulled him closer.
"Piers!" Felix shouted down, causing the two of them to quickly break apart. "Hey, it's your turn to steer!"
"Coming!" Piers yelled back up, keeping his head down so Jenna couldn't see him blushing. Before she even had a chance to say a word to him, he had already begun his retreat up to the deck. Jenna sat down at the table, where Piers had previously seated himself.
Felix came below, followed closely by Sheba, who was riding on his back. Felix looked at his sister curiously. "Jenna, why is you hair messed up?" He eyed Piers' glass of rum next to her hand.
"Oh, it must be the humidity." Jenna lied.
Sheba caught Jenna's thoughts of kissing Piers and decided not to point out that the air outside was dry.