“Gentlemen,” Igreeted, and they gave me a smile. “What’s this I hear about a tripto Cupers Cove?”
They bothexchanged a look and held their smiles. “Yes, ma’am,” one repliedand tipped the brim of his flat hat. “We’re headin’ out tomorrowmorning.”
“Do you haveroom for one more?” I asked, hopeful.
They exchangedanother look, but their smiles began to fade. “Not really,” theother told me. “We got some business to tend to.”
The other onepiped in then. “And the sea is no place for a lady, anyway.”
I hopped downfrom my stool and took a few steps to their little table. “Lookiehere,” I began and narrowed my eyes. “I know you’re going to seeThe Devil’s Heart. I heard you. That’s my ship. Those aremy men. And I’d very much appreciate a ride home if you’d be so kind.” I stood straight andtried my best to hold a firm expression, but I was dying on theinside. If these men wouldn’t take me, I’d resort to smugglingmyself aboard their ship if I had to.
But, ratherthan the off-put, angry tone I expected in reply, their expressionsturned solemn. “Oh, Miss,” the first man spoke. “Where have youbeen?”
I tried tofeign confusion but that long-forgotten feeling of an anvil hittingthe bottom of my stomach nearly knocked me over. Their long facestold me bad news. “What do you mean?”
“The Devil’sHeart sits at the bottom of the harbour,” he answered.
My breathingquickened, and I wrestled with myself not to jump across the tableand force the answers from his throat. I flexed my fingers beforethey balled themselves into tension-filled fists.
“Whathappened?” I asked through gritted teeth and, when they appearedconfused, I asked again, louder. “What happened?”
Just as I wasabout to grab his shoulders and scream at the poor man for nottelling me, a hand locked onto my arm and hauled me off toward thestairs. Lottie dragged me through the tavern to a backroom that wastucked behind and under the old wooden staircase and pushed me upagainst a wall.
“I thought yousaid you didn’t have anything to do with The Burning Ghost?” sheangrily accused.
“I-I didn’t,”I replied. “I mean, I don’t.”
“Then what areyou doing asking about The Devil’s Heart?”
“That’s myship,” I told her honestly. “I got separated from my crew about aweek or so ago and now I’m trying to find them.”
“You,” Lottiescoffed, eyes wide, “a woman? Part of a crew? And the Devil’s crew,to boot?”
I straightenedmy coat and held my chin high. “Yeah, so? What’s so hard to believeabout that?”
“A woman is abad omen on the sea,” the barmaidexplained and then smirked. “Unless her heaving breast adorns thebow.”
My cheeksflushed with anger. “I’ll have you know that Captain Barrett and Iwere to be wed,” I half-lied. Truthfully, I never did acceptHenry’s proposal. But I would have. I will, I added tomyself. “Those men are my family. I’m just trying to get back tothem.”
Lottieappeared confused and scanned my face for dishonesty. “But–” sheshook her head, “I don’t get it. Where have ya been? How do you notknow?”
The anvil feltheavier and cold as ice as my stomach clenched tightly. “Knowwhat?”
“Dianna,” shesaid, her voice suddenly soft, low, weighed down with pity. “TheDevil’s Heart is gone.” Lottie took my hand in hers as my othergrabbed at my chest, tears wellingin my eyes. “And so is the crew. All of them. Singed to ash andsitting at the bottom of the harbour. Those men are probably going out there to seewhat they can scavenge from the ship.”
The tears roseand poured out over my bottom lids, cascading down my face. Mymouth opened to ask what I already knew the answer to. “W-who didit?”
Lottie’s handtightened around mine and her head tilted to one side. “The BurningGhost.”
ChapterSeven
I had left a stunned Lottie downstairs as I retreatedto my room. My emotions were holding on by a thread as I struggledto stick the old brass key in the hole. When I finally got in, Islammed the door and collapsed on the bed where the thin holds gaveway and my emotions tore through. I let out a long wail of pain asmy heart grieved for the loss all over again. Only, this time, itwas worse. At least I’d had hope before, the small sliver of hopethat Henry and the crew were at least alive. I’d been taken awayfrom them, but at least they were alive.
Or so I’dthought.
Now, I’d foundmy way back to the past and I was stranded with nothing, no one tocall my own. The cries were painful as they erupted from my bodyand I curled over in a ball to try and console myself, rocking backand forth, my arms wrapped tightly around my torso. But it didn’t work. I had to exorcise the pain from my body because I wastoo weak to hold on to it.
All night Istayed like that, crumpled up in a sobbing ball on the bed. I hadno idea how long it took me to fall asleep, but I finally did atsome point. I awoke to a pounding on the door and the blinding,early morning sun. With great force, I peeled myself from the bed,realizing that I hadn’t even bothered to get under the blankets,and stumbled to the door. It opened with a loud creak and Lottiestood there with a tray of food.
“Let me in,”she insisted, face stern.
“Excuseme?”
Thebarmaid rolled her eyes andentered the room, ducking under my arm that held the door. I shutthe door and returned to my bed where I sat and cuddled a pillow tomy chest. I watched as Lottie scanned the room, slowly taking in myscarce belongings before walking over and setting the tray down onthe bed next to me.
“You didn’tcome down for breakfast,” she began. “And, after yourbreakdown–”
“It wasn’t abreakdown,” I snipped.
She pursed herlips and just stared at me.
“Fine,” I gavein, “It was a slight breakdown, but you don’t know whathappened.”
Lottie smirkedand turned her gaze to the window. “It appears that you don’t,either.” She then grabbed a date from the
