Poseidon's Cove

The rock fell.

Caspian sucked in a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. His heart thundered in his ears, and he prayed with all his might he wasn’t heard. He heard heavy footsteps and Scar’s heaving breaths right outside the concealed cave. The darkness swallowed Caspian as he inched further into the crevice. As the pirate left, Caspian stepped on something soft.

“OW!”

Caspian grabbed Jett’s upper arm and clapped a hand over his mouth.

“Quiet!” Caspian whispered harshly. “They’re leaving.”

He removed his hand from Jett’s mouth slowly. His eyes were still adjusting to the darkness when strong fingers snatched his wrist.

“Did ye really think yah could get away from me?”

Caspian stumbled back into the blinding light and crashed into the grass. Captain Fox towered over him with a cutlass gripped in his right hand.

“Where’s Slayer and Fenix?”

Caspian glowered at the captain.

“Like I’d tell, you blaggard!”

Captain Fox kicked him in the stomach. Caspian doubled over gasping as the captain shouted orders to his crew.

“Echo and Scar, check the caves! Terence, any word on the treasure they stole?”

The one-eyed pirate shifted nervously, and Old Fox spat at Caspian’s feet in disdain.

“Uh, no. No sign of the swor—I mean, the treasure,” he said, sweat beading on his forehead. “They must’ve hidden it somewhere.”

Old Fox turned a deep shade of red.

“Well, what are you doing back here, then?” he thundered. “FIND IT! And don’t come back until yah do!”

Terence and three more pirates stumbled out of the clearing, tripping over one another in their haste to obey. Caspian allowed himself a smirk.

“Those idiots won’t be able to find the Light of the Siren. Face it, Old Fox. We’ve beaten you. You kill me, and you’ll never see your shiny stick again. And Fen and Jett know this island better than you do. You’ll never find ‘em.”

Captain Fox snarled, his fists clenched in unspoken anger. His glare sharpened when Caspian sent him a cheeky smile. He remained silent as if to prove he was still in control. Caspian relaxed a little to give the impression that he wasn’t scared.

He was, indeed, terrified.

But he couldn’t let the captain know that. Caspian prayed that Jett would play along. If Ol’ Fox found him or Fenix, it would be curtains for all of them. He could never be the cause of a friend’s death. His crew meant too much to him. And Captain Fox knew it too.

He towered over Caspian as if just coming to the same realization. He snatched a fistful of Caspian’s dark hair and pressed a knife to the teenager’s neck. The cool blade pressed against the pulse of his neck, moving slightly as Caspian swallowed hard.

“Come on out, Slayer,” Fox shouted, his voice echoing through the mist. “No need to spill your precious leader’s blood. Bring me the Light of the Siren, and I’ll spare ’is life.”

Caspian dug his fingernails into the captain’s arm as he pulled himself up, struggling to breathe.

“Don’t you fellas move!” Caspian gasped. “This is bigger than all of us—”

“Silence, brat!” The captain pressed the knife harder against Caspian’s neck. Blood trickled from the wound, staining the collar of his shirt. Silence settled on the clearing as heavy as dense fog. The only sound that penetrated the quiet air was Caspian’s ragged breathing.

“You may as well kill me, Fox. They will never give that cursed sword back to you.”

Captain Fox tightened his grip for a moment, but his lip suddenly curled into an evil smile. Caspian strained to see what had claimed the pirate’s attention, and his heart immediately sank. Jett was standing in front of the cave, his fists balled at his sides.

“Let ’im go, Fox! And we’ll spare you and your crew!”

The captain laughed.

“It’s a shame you’ve thrown in your lot with them, Slayer. Yer crazy gumption would have made ye a good pirate on me crew.”

“Not a crew like yours!”

“You’d rather die for a coward like him?” Fox sneered. Before Caspian could blink, he was back on the ground. Searing pain shot through his chest, and he looked up at the captain, who leered down at him. Caspian’s breath retreated when the captain’s boot crashed onto his chest, leaving the teenager gasping and groaning.

“He’s not the coward I see,” Jett spat. “And you’ll regret ever insulting him!”

Old Fox stormed toward Jett and snatched him by the throat.

“HOW DARE YE THREATEN ME!” he yelled, swinging Jett to the ground. Jett rolled across the grass, coming to a halt next to Caspian. The captain slowly approached the two boys, clearly enjoying his apparent victory. Jett grabbed Caspian’s shoulder and leaned toward his ear.

“Get ready to run, Cap.”

The excited glint in Jett’s eye told Caspian all he needed to know. He braced himself against the ground as Old Fox reached them.

Jett shouted.

“NOW!”

Five explosions erupted, and smoke filled the clearing in an instant. Caspian jumped to his feet and grabbed onto Jett as both of them sprinted to safety, the smoke enveloping them completely as they reached the trees. They didn’t go far before Jett scaled a tree. Caspian followed without argument, and by the time the smoke cleared, the boys were hidden high in the branches. Caspian tried to slow his ragged breathing, his adrenaline dulling his previous pain. Captain Fox’s guttural yell echoed for miles.

“I’LL FIND YE, CASPIAN SILVERIUS! YOU AND YER LOUSY CREW! I’LL KILL YE ALL!”

“Gotta find us first,” Jett whispered, sending Caspian a crooked smile. Caspian and Jett didn’t move until they were certain the pirates were gone. They looked around at the treetops, and Caspian smiled when he saw Fenix, Marshall, Jagger, and even his sister Dyanna all in nearby trees. Each of them raised three fingers, and the new sign of victory for Caspian’s crew was born. They’d escaped today, but Caspian knew rougher seas were ahead. But today, they won. They’d won.

20 years later

Calak lurched forward, and—much to his chagrin—so did his dinner. The murky stew sloshed and splattered into Arathorn’s waiting bowl. If Calak weren’t so hungry, he would have been impressed by the child’s reflexes. Hooting laughter exploded in Sedge’s corner, and the rest of the galley echoed the flamboyant pirate’s outburst.

“He sure is a sneaky little fellow,” Jagger bellowed, slurping down another swig of ale. “Reminds me of the captain.”

Calak blinked at the gunner, trying to envision his no-nonsense uncle as a rapscallion urchin darting through the dusty streets of Poseidon’s Cove. He couldn’t picture it.

“No harm done,” Marshall said, spooning another large portion of stew into Calak’s bowl. Calak gave the quartermaster a sideways glance when he heard Marshall hum his way back through the swinging door. Calak’s attention bounced between Jagger and the swinging door for a moment before the young pirate chose a seat. He leaned toward Scarlett who was busy rubbing a knife against a small sharpening stone.

“Scarlett, I think something’s wrong with Marshall.”

“He’s got a soft spot for the kid,” she said, a sad sort of smile gracing her usually hard features. “I think we all do.”

Arathorn had claimed a spot next to Jagger and snuggled up against the gentle giant as he wolfed down his latest portion of stew.

“He’s not much different than the rest of us, I’d reckon. Although he’s quieter than most of us,” Jagger said, his usually loud voice softening considerably. Calak looked between his shipmates, his own heart slowly melting. They were right. Arathorn may be an inconvenience to their mission, but he was better here with them than with the slave-trading mercenaries.

The door to the galley swung open, admitting another member of the crew. Avila had taken to sea life better than Calak had ever thought possible. The former barmaid seemed to have left her former life behind completely, donned in a billowing white shirt and a red skirt with a generous slit. She looked every inch the pirate she’d become. And she acted like one too. Calak had to admit that he liked her better this way—sharing his life with her in a way he’d never thought possible.

Her tall boots thumped on the boards as she approached, and Arathorn scrambled off his bench to greet her.

The maiden swung him onto her hip while he gave her a wet kiss on her cheek.

“Morning, Vila,” Sedge greeted, lifting her pint of ale before taking a long drink.

Avila ignored the pleasantries as she turned to Jagger with an urgent expression.

“Captain wants you and Jett topside. We’re here.”

Although the summon was only for the first mate and giant, everyone cleared the galley faster than a rat in a hurricane. They found Captain Silverius starboard side with a spyglass in one hand and a worn map in the other. With lips pressed in a thin line and sweat beading on his brow, he was the image of a troubled man in desperation to flee. But he gave the crew a level look when they approached. Calak looked past his uncle and swallowed hard.

Poseidon’s Cove appeared to be a completely normal island at first glance—white beaches, towering palms, and dense vegetation ideal for native wildlife to hide. It was a perfect paradise. But the longer Calak looked, the bigger the pit in his stomach grew. It felt like an anchor had been forced down his throat and settled in the furthest corner of his gut.

A dark mist shrouded the island like an inky fog that billowed and breezed atop the mountain peaks and flowed down toward the treetops. Calak shuddered, an overwhelming sense of evil smacking him hard.

When he finally tore his eyes away, he could tell by the ashen expressions of his shipmates that they felt the same as he. Arathorn had already hidden behind Avila and wrapped himself in her skirt as if it had the power to make him invisible to the evil that lurked so nearby.

Calak turned his attention to the senior members of the crew. Their faces looked the most perplexed and shaken.

“After all these years.”

“I never thought we’d ever be back here,” Jagger finished Jett’s sentence, looking equally as nervous. Calak bit his lower lip, the confidence he’d felt earlier that morning quickly slipping away. Whatever this “Light of the Siren” was, it sure couldn’t be something good.

“What’s that weird black fog?” Sedge asked.

“It’s the Siren’s magic,” Captain Silverius answered. “This is not a mission for the faint of heart.”

He turned to the crew, his jaw hardened with resolve.

“Any who wish to remain on the Tempest need not feel cowardly. An evil lives on this godforsaken island, and destroying it isn’t going to be easy.”

His eyes rested on every crew member individually as he spoke.

“This isn’t like anything we’ve done before. I just want you all to know, you have been the best crew—”

He broke off as a loud gunshot pierced the air. They all looked at Sedge who blew the smoke from her pistol.

“Sorry, Captain. Had to stop you before you get all mushy on us. Let’s just get this cursed thing over with so we’s can get back to terrorizing the rest of the seven seas.”

She pushed a rowboat into position while the rest of the pirates followed her lead. Calak looked back at his uncle, swearing that he wiped away a tear. The young pirate hurried to help with the boat but stopped short when he saw Avila preparing to climb down the rope ladder.

He rushed forward and grabbed her arm. She yanked herself away from him.

“I know what you’re going to say, Cal, and the answer is no! I can handle myself out there.”

“What about Arathorn?”

The maiden’s resolved expression wavered for a brief moment.

“Marshall said he’d look after him.”

“But—”

Avila silenced him with a stern glare, her determination flooding back.

“Old Fox most likely has my father with him, and I’m not going to rest until I’m sure my family is safe. And, like it or not, I’m a better option than Marshall when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.”

Calak let out a long breath, unable to argue—for once. She was a better swordsman than the quartermaster and had taken to a cutlass faster than even he did—not that Calak would ever admit it. He stepped aside, finding himself praying that they would all make it out alive.

The moment the crew of the Tempest set foot on the island, its trees seemed to shake from a sudden wind that threatened to tear each pirate out of his boots. Black fog surrounded them in a swirling torrent, initiating a loud cursing shout from Sedge. An unnatural darkness followed them as they entered the forest, causing the hairs on the back of Calak’s neck to prickle. Captain Silverius led the way with a lantern held high above his head. Not that the flickering light did much good. The black fog snuffed most of it, making it hard for the rest of the crew to keep up. Any sarcastic and slapstick comments went unsaid as even Sedge felt strangely nervous.

Jett brought up the rear of the troop, his sword already raised in a battle-ready defense as if he expected an ambush at any moment. Calak found himself drawing his own cutlass and walking a little closer to Avila as she climbed through the overgrowth next to him. They finally stopped in a clearing of sorts with a rumbling waterfall tumbling into a large pond.

“Hey, Jett. Wanna climb that tree? There might be honeybees in it this time,” Jagger asked, earning a soft glare from Jett who soon surrendered to a reminiscent smile. Calak had a hunch that a story lay behind the shared looks of the older crew members, but he didn’t have the heart to ask. Captain Silverius looked carefully at the worn map in his hands and led them back into the forest. Calak followed closely behind but soon found himself in step with Avila. He stole a glance at her hard expression and couldn’t hold in the long breath that followed. She sent him a glance that was neither friendly nor hostile.

“What now?” she asked. Calak’s heart thumped unevenly.

“Oh, nothing.”

She turned, giving him her full attention.

“I know you better than that, Cal,” she said. Her voice was soft and smooth, giving Calak the image of a cat purring. She looked at him intently. “There’s a good chance we all may not come out of this alive.”

She returned her eyes to the path, but Calak couldn’t stop staring at her. She was right. As much as he hated to admit his weakness, he was terrified. The last thing he wanted was to die. But what haunted him more was the possibility of surviving without her. As he finally formed these thoughts into words, he didn’t have the chance to say them.

Captain Silverius halted and turned back to face them. “This is it,” he said, his announcement sounding more like a haunted whisper. “Stay close and keep yer eyes open. The Light is in here somewhere.”

Much to Calak’s dismay, his uncle led them straight into a cave. A dark, dismal cave with an opening so small, it took Scarlett and Jett several tries to pull Jagger through. Calak ducked through easily but instantly wanted to run back out. His heart suddenly felt heavy, like a dark cloud just waiting for the right time to send rain to the ungrateful world below. He staggered to the side and caught himself on the cave’s wall as disturbing thoughts raced through his mind. His mind reeled with the sudden feeling of guilt and anger. Guilt for ever bringing Avila onto the Tempest. Anger toward his uncle for letting her come ashore. Captain Silverius stood just three feet away, his lantern flickering in the darkness. The handle of Calak’s cutlass grew damp with sweat. All he had to do was raise the cutlass over his uncle and crash it down on his head…

Scarlett seized Calak’s arm so fast, the young pirate reeled backward and fell into the side of the cave.

“Don’t let the evil win,” she whispered to him. Calak stared at her in the dying light, breathing heavily like he’d just been chased by forty feral cats across a field of erupting volcanoes. He rubbed his eyes, trying to dispel the negative thoughts, but they lurked in the back of his mind—waiting like a panther in the shadows watching for its prey to lower its guard. He looked around at his fellow pirates, seeing a similar battle behind their eyes. He started to wonder what inner demons they might be fighting, but one look at Sedge stopped him cold. The murderous expression on her usually carefree face was enough to haunt his dreams for days.

The crew of the Tempest followed their captain into the cavern, relying on the singular lantern to guide both their feet and their hearts. Calak found that focusing on the warm light diminished the harmful thoughts that harbored deep within his soul. What plagued him the most—even more than the thoughts themselves—was the sinking realization that none of the dark imaginings were new to him. He found that he’d thought every single one at least once before, and that knowledge haunted him more than he could bear. Just as the overwhelming thoughts seemed to burn straight through his skull, he felt something soft grip his hand.

He froze, realizing that Avila had slipped her hand into his and was now squeezing with all her might. The look in her eyes was nothing he’d ever seen. The fear that swam in the depths of her usually bright eyes suddenly dispelled any struggle that he felt. His sudden urge to protect her surged through him like a raging inferno, and he held his head higher. He found himself squeezing her hand in return. Both teenagers pressed onward after the captain with a new resolve to be strong for one another—no matter the cost.

The narrow tunnel soon opened into an expansive cavern that could have fit the Tempest three times over. Their lantern barely lit the vast recesses of the cave, but the pirate quickly found that they didn’t really need it. An eerie blue light shimmered at the far end of the cavern, enticing the pirates with a haunting hum. Calak didn’t even realize that he’d been walking toward it until Avila tugged him back. The pirates all exchanged solemn looks mixed with fear and excitement.

They’d found the Light of the Siren.

“Right where we left it,” Jett whispered.

The longer they all looked, the brighter the blue light seemed. The pulsing beams crept into the expansive space and washed over the pirates. The moment the light touched him, Calak staggered back, wracked with such an overwhelming sadness that he almost collapsed. Avila stood hunched in the same manner, her hand slipping from his. Calak squeezed his eyes shut, but that did nothing to avoid the horrifying memories that resurfaced within his mind’s eye.

He was suddenly back at Farren Cross—his home. Well, what should have been his home. He saw his father leaving, never to return. He saw his mom bleeding to death, her last breaths spent whispering in his nine-year-old ear. He saw the slave traders that had claimed two terrible years of his life and the scarred leader who’d whipped a young Calak within an inch of his life.

Calak’s eyes snapped open, but the pain and grief remained. Avila lay on the ground at his feet, whimpering as she clutched her head. He stooped to lean over her and grasped her hands in his. A spark ignited in both of them, giving both a fleeting moment of hope and joy. Calak lifted Avila to her feet, caressing her head between gentle hands. His pain dulled. His grief subsided, giving way to the hope of a brighter future.

He stared down into Avila’s eyes, feeling more courage than he ever had before. He wrapped her in a strong hug, letting himself shelter her from the electric blue light. He looked up and saw the veteran crew members clutching each other’s hands, tears running down their faces. He locked eyes with his uncle who nodded back to him with an affection Calak had never witnessed before.

“We can do this,” Calak whispered, his voice lost to all but Avila. She looked up at him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Yes, we can,” she whispered back. Calak grinned down at her, a fire igniting deep within him. They faced the Light of the Siren with swords drawn and raced toward it with enough determination for an entire army. The rest of the crew followed their example, and their battle cry rattled the cavern walls as they crashed onto the dark weapon of despair. Calak’s blade hit the staff first. Avila’s followed a moment later, but even the combined force did little damage to the Light. The staff suddenly morphed into a sword and struck back at Calak so fast, he barely had time to react. The blades clanged together in a flurry of swipes, leaving Calak breathless and sweaty within seconds. His arms ached and his heart raced. The Light was too fast for him. The blue blade sliced his leg, and Calak fell to one knee with the sword poised in midair over him.

The rest of the pirates watched, seemingly rooted to the spot in a combination of fear and bewilderment.

“That’s new,” Jett said.

Then all at once, light blazed through the cavern as a flare slammed into the ceiling. The Light of the Siren fell to the ground with a clang, and Calak fell. A guttural laugh echoed through the cavern as a man sauntered in. Calak stared, open mouthed at the beefy barkeep who was still donned in his greasy apron.

“Dad?” Avila gaped and then raced toward him. He wrapped her in a fierce hug.

“Glad you could join us, old man,” Sedge quipped. “Old Fox is right behind you, ain’t he?”

Fenix laughed, his joyful spirit radiating through the cavern like the sun on a cold winter day.

“I may be old, but I still have a few tricks up me sleeve,” he said, winking at Captain Silverius. “Don’t tell me ye rushed in here without a real plan, Caspian?” he asked. “Did you really expect to just hit it?”

“I—well—”

Calak couldn’t avoid laughing. He’d never seen his uncle at a loss for words before, and he had to admit—it was one of the most humorous sights he’d ever beheld. Calak staggered to his feet, doing his best to ignore the inferno raging through his upper leg.

“Something as dark as this cannot be completely destroyed, but I can say that it’s had too much time to dwell here in the darkness. It’s been comfortable for far too long, Cap,” Fenix went on, holding out several sticks of dynamite. “I managed to swipe this when I escaped Fox’s brig.”

“So he is here,” Jett clarified. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?”

“I may have been gone for twenty years, but I still know this island like the back of me hand! Trust me, Old Fox won’t find this place until he sees the smoke from the cave in.”

Jett still looked doubtful, but Calak didn’t rightly care. He staggered toward Fenix and took the dynamite. He limped back to the Light of the Siren that still pulsed with a faint blue glow. He slammed the dynamite on top of it and ran the twine through his hands until he reached the end. He dragged the line several feet away and looked at everyone expectantly.

“Well? What are ye waitin’ for? Run!”

He swiped his uncle’s lantern and lit the fuse as everyone started sprinting. Calak raced after them, the adrenaline masking the fiery pain in his upper thigh. Jagger slowed ahead of him and turned back. Before he could blink, Calak found himself dangling over the giant’s shoulder like a freshly caught deer. He hit Jagger’s back urgently.

“Faster!”

If Jagger replied, Calak didn’t hear it. The dynamite exploded in a shower of fire, rocks, and blue light that disappeared under the avalanche of rocks and dirt. Calak and Jagger raced to safety, reaching daylight as the wind from the explosion knocked them to the ground. Calak rolled several feet before stopping at Sedge’s feet. She helped him up—when she finished chortling of course. Once he was standing, Calak found Avila and wrapped her in a fierce hug. It wasn’t until they separated that he realized that the black fog was gone. The gut-wrenching tug in his stomach disappeared, and the wound in his leg felt slightly less painful.

“Let’s get back to the Tempest before Old Fox finds us,” Jett said, urging everyone back into the forest.

“Let ’im come,” Captain Silverius replied boisterously. “He’s already lost.”

“Yes, but I’d like to face ’im when I’ve got control of both my legs,” Calak said. Avila wrapped his arm around her shoulders and supported half his weight, making their trek to the lifeboats much easier. The moment they reached the shore, Calak took a deep breath of salty air and admired the blue-green waves. With the dark fog gone for good, the beauty of Poseidon’s Cove enraptured the crew of the Tempest, giving them all a calming sense of peace and comfort they hadn’t felt since before their arrival. Silverius stopped next to Calak, also scanning the horizon.

“I may have been forced into the life of a pirate,” the captain started, clasping Calak’s shoulder firmly, “but I’ll never tire of that view.”

Calak looked up at him, seeing the same look of pride and affection in his uncle’s eyes that he’d glimpsed in the cavern.

“Neither will I,” he said, but as he spoke, he found his gaze wandering to Avila who’d joined her father in pushing a lifeboat out into the shallows. Captain Silverius followed his gaze and chuckled quietly.

“Not everything is about sailing the seven seas, boy. Especially when you’ve already found all the treasure you need.”

“All the treasure I need,” Calak repeated, a smile spreading across his face as he realized that’s exactly what he had.