Magnolia Mystic: Sentinels of Savannah (A Magnolias and Moonshine Novella Book 10) Page 7

  “All my life. Why?”

  He leaned back on the table as the boat tilted. “And you’ve been alive now…”

  “Twenty-seven years. What’s my age got to do with anything?”

  He kept his voice low, soothing. “Am I twenty-seven years older than the first time you met me?”

  She frowned, staring at his lined face. She’d never given it any thought, but he had to be about sixty when she was a little girl. Skye took a step closer, examining the wrinkles around his smile.

  Goosebumps rose on her arms as her voice caught. “Are you saying you’re…”

  “Even older than Colton.”

  Her head throbbed, fighting the impossible conclusion he was asking her to make. “There’s no way.”

  “You remember the legacy wall at Bob’s?”

  She’d seen it a million times as she entered his restaurant. “Yeah. All your relatives who ran the restaurant before you.”

  There was a twinkle in his good eye. “We all got one eye, and ain’t none of us young.”

  “Young men probably don’t manage restaurants, not enough experience.” Her pulse raced as she clung to the edge of reality by her fingernails.

  He waved his hand at her. “You telling me it’s more believable that every male relative I’ve had has looked just like me with one eye?”

  “Some had beards, and others had eye patches.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Wake up, Skye. I gotta change my appearance a little every time people start noticin’ I don’t look my age. It’s gettin’ to be about that time again.”

  She gripped her head in her hands. “There has to be an explanation.”

  “There is.”

  She turned as Colton’s big frame filled the door. He nodded to Bob and the cook quickly zipped from the room. Skye set the doubloon on the worktable and crossed her arms. “Okay, so how is it logically possible that you’re over two hundred years old, but you don’t look a day over thirty?”

  He raised a brow. “I said there was an explanation, not that it was logical.” He gestured to a stool. “Let’s sit.”

  The boat tilted again making her take her seat more abruptly than she intended. He pulled a stool up beside her. “You seem to know the stories. Do you remember the final Spanish ship plundered by Captain Flynn and the Sea Dog?”

  She dug into her mental files. “It was coming back from the New World. Possibly El Dorado, right?”

  He nodded, his eyes distant, lost in a memory. “The Queen’s Rose rode deep in the water. Her pregnant hull weighed down with gold. We’d been huntin’ her. Rumor was, she carried more treasure than we’d ever seen. We tore into her with cannon fire, I still smell it in my dreams. I gave the command: ‘Grapnels ready, prepare to board!’” He shouted the last part and stared down at his boots.

  She ached to touch him, but she didn’t allow herself to reach out. If she bought into this delusion, she might never find her way back to reality.

  “We boarded, but instead of a full crew of soldiers for the Queen, we found a priest and a small crew of slaves.” He lifted his eyes to her face. “We locked them up and searched the ship for the gold. In the captain’s chambers, we discovered a chest. We cracked the lock, expecting to find the gold from El Dorado. Instead, there was only a cup—a grail carved from olive wood.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you telling me you stole the Holy Grail?”

  “We didn’t know what we had. Captain Flynn was pissed, but I picked it up and when I turned it upright, it was full of water. None of us had poured it.”

  “It just magically filled itself?”

  He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure, but I told John to bring the rest of our crew on board.” While the Captain questioned the priest, I showed the relic to Caleb, our navigator. He was convinced we’d found the Lord’s cup and to drink of its eternal waters would heal us and strengthen us. Maybe even keep us young.”

  She worried her lower lip. As a psychic, she was used to keeping an open mind about the “laws” of the universe, but this…immortal pirates. It couldn’t be real. Fighting it wasn’t going to change the fact that reality was changing before her eyes. Bob had been right. There was no way every male relative in his family would be missing an eye. Why hadn’t she thought about it before?

  “You all drank from it,” she whispered.

  Colton nodded. “Aye. And it did heal us. It took a few years before we realized we weren’t aging anymore.”

  “Bob drank it, too?”

  “One-Eyed Bob, John, Keegan, Caleb, my whole crew.”

  She pointed toward the door. “Everyone out there has been alive for over two hundred years?”

  “Aye.”

  She reached for his hand and pushed up his sleeve to examine his tattoo. Now she remembered where she’d seen it before. Her gaze locked on his. “This is a talisman for a pirate. The North Star. I remember the stories.”

  He stared at his forearm. “It was to make sure I was never lost at sea. I could always find my way home.” Lifting his head, he started to smile. “Don’t tell Bob you heard it from me, but he has a tattoo of a pig on one foot and a rooster on the other. They can’t swim, so the legend said if you fell overboard, God would use a miracle to save the innocent animals.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “One-Eyed Bob isn’t much of a swimmer.” Colton sobered. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

  She crossed her arms. “It couldn’t be stranger than finding out the guy I slept with last night really is a pirate.”

  He chuckled meeting her eyes. “After the Sea Dog sank, I swam to shore and walked into Savannah. I had taken all the gold I could carry before we lost her to the depths, so I wandered into the Pirate’s Inn for a cup of rum to warm me.” He took her hand, and instead of pulling away, her fingers laced with his. “There was a seer there, a witch. She came straight for me and told me I was destined to meet a woman with violet eyes. She would signal the beginning and ending of my life.”

  Skye tightened her hold on his hand. The two of cups card was taking on a whole new meaning. His cup wasn’t like hers. Even if they loved each other, she’d age and one day die, while he’d be left behind, forever young.

  Staring at their joined hands, she whispered, “But your life will never end.”

  He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “This is where it gets interesting.”

  “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  He cupped her check, searching her face. “You’re stronger than you know.”

  Chapter 9

  He wanted to memorize every curve of her face, the way her smile shone in her eyes. She shook her head. “I guess we’ve gone this far down the rabbit hole, why not dive in head first?”

  “Our first gunner, Eli, the one from the car wreck, he drank from the cup, too.” He dropped his hand in his lap, watching her face as she connected the dots.

  Her jaw slackened. “He didn’t heal.”

  “Aye.” He ran a hand back through his hair. “Bob cut himself and I had a rope burn on my hand. We healed faster than normal men, hell, no one would’ve survived Eli’s accident.” He met her eyes. “But we’re pretty sure the curse is lifting.”

  She raised a brow. “Eternal youth is hardly a curse.”

  “I didn’t think so at first, but the best parts of living are knowing you have to cherish it because it won’t last forever. Take that away and all the color fades from the world.” He straightened on the stool. “So I never understood the witch’s prophecy, until I met you.”

  A crease pinched between her brows. “I’m not following you.’

  “I forgot how to live until the day you trespassed on this boat, and since then, everything has changed. I look forward to each day because it might have you in it.”

  She searched his eyes, her voice dropping a notch. “What about the other half of the prophecy? Am I somehow going to lead to you getting yourself killed?”

  He lifted her hand to his lips. “I don’t think so.
” He sobered. “The cup is missing—stolen—and we’re going to find it.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “And when we do, I’ve decided I’m not taking another drink.”

  Her eyes widened. “But you’ll—”

  “Grow old with you.” He watched her face. “If you’ll have me.”

  She put her hands up, hopping off the stool. “Wait a sec. You need to think this through. You have the chance to live forever. You shouldn’t give that up because a psychic gave you a confusing riddle two hundred years ago.”

  He looked up at her, his pulse racing. Alive. He started to smile. “I’ve thought it through. I’m tryin’ to say, I love you, Skye. This is the life I want. With you.”

  Her violet eyes shimmered and his chest tightened. Maybe he’d misread everything. Just because he wanted to begin and end every day with her in his arms, didn’t mean she felt the same way.

  He waited, watching her every move for a clue to her thoughts. Finally, she returned to the stool, her gaze locked on his. “I came on board last night and got in your bed because I made a choice, too. I know you don’t believe in the cards, but for the past year, every time I lay out a spread for myself, the two of cups comes up. It’s usually a ‘love’ card of sorts. It symbolizes a union or partnership between two people. I rushed into a relationship with Curt because I thought I was following my divine course. Destiny.”

  She shifted on the stool and looked at the floor. “When I found out he was lying to me, I lost faith in my gift. But last night the card came up again and I realized maybe it was never Curt at all.” She lifted her head, meeting his eyes. “I think it was you all along.”

  He yearned to draw her into his arms and never let her go as relief washed through him, but as he leaned closer, she put her hand on his chest. “I’m not finished.”

  The nerves were back in full force. He ground his teeth and nodded, giving her more space.

  “Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a pirate. When I heard the old stories, they weren’t just legends, they were dreams. My dreams.” She took his hand, calming the tempest of emotions swirling in his gut. “But I never believed I would actually fall in love with one.”

  It took a minute for her words to sink through his thick skull. He started to smile, tentative, some part of him sure he was dreaming. “Are you saying you love me, too?”

  “Aye.” She chuckled, and nothing could have wiped the grin from his face.

  She reached for his hand. “But if you ever lie to me again…”

  He shook his head. “I’ve told you all my secrets.”

  She grinned and grabbed his shirt pulling him in for a kiss. Her lips were soft, warm, and he would never get tired of tasting them.

  Resting her forehead on his, she whispered, “Do I get to help you find the Holy Grail?”

  “Aye. If I have anything to say about it.”

  Her grin lit up the room. “Can’t hurt to have a psychic on your crew, right?”

  He pulled her onto his lap and fused his lips to hers, his heart pounding in his ears as his tongue explored the paradise of her mouth.

  “Crew’s gettin’ hungry.” Bob opened the door and Skye jumped free of Colton’s arms.

  The cook grinned at them both. “Good to see you’ve mended your differences.”

  Skye nodded. “I can’t believe I never figured out all the pictures on your wall were really all you.”

  “Savannah’s a mystical place.” One-Eyed Bob chuckled. “Folks see what they want to see.”

  Chapter 10

  Skye finished with her last client and went to the back cupboard of her shop. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and drew out the crystal ball hidden inside. The clear orb had been passed down through the women in her family for four generations that she knew of, maybe longer.

  But she’d never used it. That wasn’t exactly true. As a teen, she’d taken it out once, struggling to get the face of her soulmate. Typical parlor tricks, but she hadn’t expected it to work. That night she saw something, and it frightened her enough that she’d kept it stashed ever since.

  It wasn’t a face.

  Instead, the fog in the ball had cleared to show her a ship with black sails.

  During the past few weeks with Colton, she’d been properly introduced to the crew, and the Captain grudgingly agreed to stop hounding her to buy her property. She’d also learned the original Sea Dog that sank in 1795 had been wearing her black sails.

  So the ball had given her the answer all those years ago, she just hadn’t had any idea what it meant.

  And now, she hoped it would give them insight into the location of the cup. Agent Bale had visited her shop twice since she’d been brought into the pirate fold, and his intel about the consortium shopping the cup on the black market was helpful, but they needed more. At least if she could get a location, they’d have a place to start searching.

  Smoke twisted up from the incense burner in the corner. She turned out the light, drenching the room in shadows and the warm glow of the flickering candles. Her mother had never taught her to connect with the crystal orb, but the instinct was there. She ran her hands over the smooth surface, warming it with her energy and intention.

  She closed her eyes whispering her plea to find the location of the Lord’s cup. Gradually, energy built between the ball and her fingertips, tingling up her arms. She opened her eyes, staring into nothingness. Finally the fog inside began to clear. An image came forth.

  The fountain in the center of Forsythe Park. She pushed for more, a name, a face, but she kept getting the fountain and running water.

  By the time she broke the connection, her head throbbed. She’d been trying too hard, pulling for more information when the universe wasn’t willing to give any more. She jotted down every detail before the tendrils of the vision vanished.

  The lock on the door turned, breaking her concentration. She smiled as Colton stepped inside. He glanced around at the candles. “Romantic in here.”

  She chuckled. “Nah, just trying to see if I could get any clues about where we might find the Holy Grail.”

  He took the chair across from her. “Got any juice left to read for me?”

  She raised a brow. “You don’t believe in the cards.”

  “You believed me and my crazy story. I figure I owe you the same trust.” He got up and turned the deadbolt, then took his seat and met her eyes. “I love you, Skye. And I believe in you. This is a big part of you.” He nudged the cards toward her. “I’m ready.”

  She smiled, shuffling her well-worn deck. It was a silly thing really; she read cards for a living, but seeing Colton sitting across from her, trusting in her abilities, it warmed her all over. How was it possible that she loved him more every day?

  “Okay, I’m just going to pull three cards. Past, Present, and Future.”

  “Fair enough.” He shifted in his chair. “Do I need to do anything?”

  “No.” She smiled. “Stop fidgeting. It’s not going to hurt.”

  He chuckled and stilled his jitters, clasping his hands together on the table.

  She cut the deck and pulled three cards.

  First was the eight of cups. She glanced up from the card. “Okay so this is your past. In my deck, this card usually represents regrets and progress for the future.” She raised a brow at the surprise on his face. “Think this might be regret at taking a drink from that cup?”

  He nodded slowly, sitting back in the chair. “Aye.” His dark eyes met hers, the corner of his lips curving into a crooked smile. “So what’s my present look like?”

  She flipped the card and chuckled. “Seven of swords in this deck represents a journey and you have the endurance to see it through.”

  “The hunt for the cup.”

  She tapped her nail on the card. “I think so. He’s even on a boat in this picture.”

  “I’m impressed.” His eyes sparkled in the candlelight and her heart skipped a beat.

  She gripped the corner of
the final card. “Ready?”

  “Aye.”

  She turned the final card. “The three of coins.” Her lips curved into a smile. “This card shows that you’re a master at your trade and will profit from your endeavors. It means you’re going to end up getting what you want most.”

  His grin lit up the room as he stood from his chair. He came around to her side of the table and in one swift movement, bent down and pulled her out of her chair and onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

  Skye squeaked, struggling for a moment. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting what I want most.” He ran one hand up her thigh.

  “I think the card was referring to the cup.” She laughed as he carried her up the stairs to her flat above the store, careful not to hit her head on the doorframe as he stepped inside.

  He laid her on the bed and settled over her, his gaze locked on hers. “There’s one more thing I want.”

  She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. “What’s that?”

  He pulled out a silver ring with a big amethyst stone in the middle. “I want you to be my wife.”

  Nothing in the world could have wiped off her smile. “Yes,” she whispered.

  He slid the ring onto her finger. It was obviously not purchased in a jewelry store. She tore her eyes from the ring and stared up at Colton. “This is an antique.”

  He shrugged with a twinkle in his eye. “Wasn’t when I stole it.”

  She pulled him down and kissed him, her newly ringed hand sliding back into his hair. Never in her most precious secret dreams did she believe a pirate would steal her heart.

  Breaking the kiss, she ogled the ring on her finger and smiled up at him. “Wait a sec, am I wearing pirate booty?”

  His crooked grin warmed her all over. “Aye, lass, but would ye want it any other way?”

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  Ever since I saw the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I have wanted to write a pirate series, but the right idea didn’t pop into my head until Ciara Knight invited me to be a part of the Magnolias & Moonshine series. I love Savannah and all the pirate stories, and then Colton and his crew came to me.