Raven Quest (6 page)

“Nathan Lawler, captain of the
Vengeance.
You've a fine place here, Yellow Hal.”

“Aye, 'tis a good little place.” To Olive, he snarled, “Don't just stand there, woman. Tell that lazy boy to draw two tankards of rum for us.” He motioned for Nathan to sit with him. “
Vengeance,
eh? What do you carry, Lawler?”

“A little of this and a little of that.”

Rory watched as the men talked. She wondered why Nathan ignored her. When he finished his rum, he stood and bid Yellow Hal a good night. She stared in disbelief as he walked out of the tavern. Weren't they going to speak with the Blindman tonight? She started to step around the bar, but Caroline snarled an order for more rum. She could not chance being seen as she left.

As the night faded toward dawn, the customers drifted away. Finally, Yellow Hal decided he could not postpone bedding Caroline again, leaving his men snoring in drunken stupors by the tables. Rory ran for the stairs and her room. She pushed the bolt in place and went to the small window. It would be a tight fit, but she could squirm out.

The door crashed open. She spun in astonishment. Terror choked her as Yellow Hal closed the cracked door and swaggered toward her. “Did you think you could fool me, Rory?”

“Fool you?” she edged away.

“What is your real name, my sweet? Rory isn't a lass's name.” He grasped her and dragged her to his sweat-stained shirt. Ripping the concealing handkerchief from her head, he drew in his breath as her hair fell.

Eagerly he forced her mouth under his and crushed her back onto the bed. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong. When he groped at her breasts, she raked her broken fingernails down his face.

With a curse, he slapped her. She moaned as he seized her shirt, sending the top buttons flying. He yanked the bag from her necklace and emptied it on the bed. His eyes grew round. “Where did you get these coins?”

“I found them.” She should be honest, but she could not. Nathan had saved her life last night. She could not focus Yellow Hal's fury on him, even though Nathan had left her here to face this beast alone.

Again his hand raised. “Tell me the truth!”

“'Tis the truth. I saw them glimmering in the shallow water.”

“You're lying, girl, but we'll get the truth out of you later.” He ignored her shriek as he loosened his breeches.

Suddenly, he fell heavily on her.

“Shove him off,” came a familiar voice. “Shove him off, and get out of here, Rory!”

Crawling from under him, she saw Olive holding a cast iron skillet. “Thank you,” Rory whispered, understanding the risk Olive had taken. She scooped up her coins and put them in the bag. She had worked for the money, and she was not going to leave it behind. She tied the bag around her neck and found two pins to secure her shirt.

“Don't thank me,” Olive mumbled past her swollen lip. “You don't deserve what he would do to you.”

“I don't want you to be hurt more.”

She smiled. “He doesn't know who hit him. Don't worry. I'll take care of Caroline. She won't reveal any more secrets to him. Go!”

“Come with me.”

“No, you will have to depend on other friends now.” She hesitated, then said sadly, “If you see that Ernest from the
Vengeance,
tell him to come back sometime.”

“Olive—”

“Go while you can.”

Rory gave her a quick embrace and ran down the stairs, stuffing her hair back under her kerchief. She had to hide. Although Yellow Hal would not know who hit him, Rory would be the one to pay. She must risk going to the Blindman and having him help her.

The dawn colored the sky with pale wisps of light as she raced out onto the street. An arm snaked around her waist and she shrieked.

“Quiet, Rory.”

The hushed whisper sent heat through her. “Nathan!”

“Hush.” He spun her to face him. His smile faded when he put a finger out toward her bruised cheek. “Where did you get this?”

“Where do you think?” She tugged against his grip on her. “Let me go! I have to get to the Blind-as untamed as a feral cat, butman.”

“He's not there.”

She stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“I went out there tonight to let him know we'd speak with him tomorrow night. No one was there.”

“He never goes anywhere.”

“Maybe he went after the
Raven
's gold.” Nathan did not give Rory a chance to answer as he herded her toward the harbor. The old man might have betrayed him, but the Blindman did not have Rory.

He glanced again at her bruise-shadowed cheek.
To perdition with Yellow Hal for striking her!
Steering her toward where Alfred waited with the lighter, he saw the cook talking to a group of sailors. He cursed. He did not want anyone seeing him sneak Rory out of here.

Alfred waved toward him, and the men walked away.
Good!
He was glad he could trust the cook, who had signed on only a few months ago.

“I should go to see if the Blindman left me a message,” Rory said.

“You can read?”

She scowled at him, then winced with pain. He fought the yearning to go back and repay Yellow Hal for hurting her. Shoving her ahead of him toward the lighter, he climbed in behind her. He pushed it off and handed one oar to Alfred as he took the other.

“Nathan, I should—”

“If you stay here, Yellow Hal will kill you.”

Her eyes widened. “How do you know?”

“I was watching from outside the taproom. When he followed you upstairs, I knew you were in trouble. Olive told me to wait, and she would get you out.” He slammed the oar against the water. Could she guess how difficult it had been to stand there and do nothing but wait?

He gazed at her soft lips. A pulse of fury coursed through him as he imagined the pirate tasting them. Rory might be as untamed as a feral cat, but Yellow Hal was not the one to tame her. Another throb rushed along him, but this one was of pleasurable anticipation. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to hold her again.

Following him up the rope ladder, she said nothing as he held out his hand. She looked from it to him, her eyes again wide. Slowly her fingers rose to his. With a grim smile, he led her to his cabin. This conversation would not be easy, but maybe she would be willing to listen to the truth now. His smile faded when he lit a lamp against the dawn's shadows.

Rory put her hand up to her cheek. “It's not so painful.”

“You're lying.”

She squared her shoulders. “I'm grateful this is all he did to me.”

“Does Warwick know you're a woman, or does he have a taste for young boys?”

“He knows. Caroline told him.”

“Does he know you are Powell's daughter?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Tonight, Warwick was asking about the
Raven.
” He grinned as he sat on the bed. “He asked before I had a chance to mention the ship to him. If I had, I'd be dead now.”

When he took her hand and drew her down to sit beside him, she closed her eyes and placed her head against his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. It terrified her to think of what Yellow Hal would do to his rivals.

He chuckled darkly. “He's going to be furious when he learns Stuart Powell's daughter has been working for him all this time. It'll be more than your virginity he'll be interested in.”

“He doesn't know who I am. Not yet, but it won't take him long to find out.”

He caressed her unbruised cheek. “You are lucky he has no idea that you are the key to this.”

“You keep saying that. I don't understand what you mean.”

“I told you. You're the first line of your father's poem.”

“I want nothing to do with Stuart Powell.”

“Or with me?”

Her fury faltered. “What do you mean?”

“This has nothing to do with your father any longer, Rory. This is my quest.”

“But not mine.”

He scowled. “I just saved you. The least you could do is help me.”

“As I see it, we're even.”

Grasping her shoulders, his hands curved up along her face. He did not touch her bruises but whispered, “If you believe that, I can have you rowed back to shore and Yellow Hal.”

Fear struck her like the pirate's fist. “You wouldn't.”

“Not if you will listen and tell me if you understand any of it.”

Staring into his midnight eyes, she realized this quest was more than a search for gold for him. This was the search for a dream. “I'll listen, Nathan.”

“Good. Listen well.” Taking a deep breath, he released her and whispered, “Look for the blackbird of the dawn. The sheperd's tale will give you the clue to steer on between the low gods and Spain. Seek the coral key if treasure you yearn to gain.”

She waited for him to continue. When he arched an ebony brow, she laughed.

“What is so funny?” he demanded.

“You! Have you really been searching for years with only that as a clue?”

“It is all the clue I need,” he answered in the same tight voice.

“How do you expect me to know the answer to nonsense?”

“The Blindman didn't think it was nonsense!”

Rory did not have a quick answer. Although she wanted to accuse him of lying, she was sure he was being honest. Why hadn't the Blindman told her what Nathan had said? Why hadn't he warned her?

The door burst open. She whirled, reaching for her knife but recognized the bald man as Nathan's first mate. As Ernest stepped into the light brightening through the window, she saw blood on his face.

“We've got to sail,” he shouted. “Now!”

Nathan put his hand on her arm. Did he think she was going to flee out the door? She had no place to go. “What happened? The Blindman?”

“Never got there.” Ernest wiped blood from his face. “We were attacked and chased back to the city. I think we lost them.”

“Did they know who you were?”

Ernest shook his head. “How could they?”

“Set the sails.” Nathan glanced at her. “Make ready to leave Port Royal. We have all we need.”

Rory took a step back from his intense stare. “I thought you wanted to talk to the Blindman first.”

“I'm willing to gamble that he won't be able to tell me any more than you can, Aurora Raven Mullins.” He sat again, folding his arms over his chest, and said, “You can tell me what you know now, and I'll have you put ashore.”

She looked from him to his first mate, who had paused in the door, an expression of amazement on his face. At her name or Nathan's offer? Scraping her tongue along her lips, she whispered, “I can't go back there. Take me with you.”

“That could be very costly for me and the
Vengeance
when you claim you understand none of the poem.”

“I will give you back the gold you paid me.” She pulled the pouch from under her shirt.

“That much gold will not satisfy Warwick if he wants the
Raven's
treasure.” He looked past her. “Ernest, convey my orders to the crew.”

The first mate nodded, his lips taut. “Cap'n, if you'd like my opinion—”

“Not now.”

The door closed after Ernest, and she heard him shouting to the crew. When Nathan stood, she swallowed roughly and asked, “What will it cost for you to take me from here?”

“You know well the price.”

“But I don't have any answers for you.”

“I think you do.” He smiled coolly. “Even though you may not believe it. However, the answers are only part of what I want from you.” He ran his finger along her arm.

“Is that all you can think of? Bedding me, and the gold?”

“'Tis more than enough to fill a man's mind.”

“I won't sell myself to you.”

As he had before, he put his hand on the door to keep her from opening it. “I thought you wanted me to help you,” he said.

“You have made it quite clear you aren't willing to do so. Not at a price I can pay.” She fought to keep her defiance from wavering, but fear taunted her. Once she stepped ashore, she would be Yellow Hal's prey.

Nathan stepped closer. Her soft gasp disappeared into his mouth as he held her against the door. Unlike Yellow Hal's, his lips were gentle. Her hands gripped his arms as he drew her into his embrace. A moan of delight rumbled from her as his mouth caressed her throat. When his tongue touched her ear, her knees grew weak with yearning.

“Are you sure you aren't willing to pay this sweet price?” he whispered.

She took a deep breath to clear her mind. On the
Vengeance
she had a chance of surviving, although this was not the life she dreamed of.

“Very well, Nathan. It's a deal.” She held out her hand.

He raised it to his lips and smiled as his tongue teased the tip of her finger. A streak of lightning seared her.

His eyes twinkled. “I think you and I are going to have grand times together, Aurora Raven Mullins, but you must be half-asleep if you're so ready to agree with me without negotiating.”

“I know what I'm doing!”

“Do you? I wonder if you'll feel the same after you have slept. Now, go to sleep.”

“Go to sleep? I thought you wanted to … That is …”

“You sleep while I get us out of Port Royal with our skins. I want to be gone before the
Scourge
or anyone else raises sail to follow us.” He glanced at the door as the shouts of the crew and the banging of ropes warned the ship was almost ready to get under way. He kissed her cheek before he grinned and slapped her on the bottom. “Pleasant dreams, Rory.”

So exhausted she did not argue, she simply nodded as he went out to oversee his crew. She did not care where they went as long as it was beyond Yellow Hal's reach. She hoped the Blindman was safe and wished she could think of a way to tell him she was. Kicking off her slippers, she curled up on the soft mattress. The boat's gentle rocking brought back distant memories of a time when life was simple and sweet.