Benjamin kept adecent distance and I saw large fists ball at his sides as his eyesglared at me from under the thick brow. “You’ve no idea what you’retalking about.”
“No?” Ichallenged. “Do you not eat the poor souls that wash up on theshore?”
He raised hischin, proud and defiant. “I do not.”
“So,Pleeman is a liar,then?”
Benjaminsighed. “No, he isn’t.”
“Tell methe truth, Benjamin!”
He advanced,taking one long stride toward me. “I’m just as much a prisoneraboard this ship as you are, you know! I cannot leave. I don’t evenhave death to look forward to. My brother surely sees to that. I’ma pawn in his hands. Even the protection I hold over you won’tlast.”
“Protection?” I guffawed. “Is that what you’re doing?Protecting me? So, as long as I’msleeping with you, I don’t have to sleep with him, is that it?” I crossed my arms as he inchedcloser, leaving hardly any space to breathe between us.
“Thinkwhat you will, but I’m doing my best to keep you safe. I’m only oneman and it’s me against them.”
“Why evenbother at all, then?” I asked, lowering the spite in my tone. Heseemed so… defeated. “Why not just let them have me and saveyourself the trouble?”
“I’d hadenough. Pleeman and I saw the smoke from your fire and wentsearching. To do our duty. We watched from the forest, but when wesaw that it was a woman, that it was you…” he shook his head and heaved a tired sigh.“Pleeman knew we had to keep you safe straight away. Insisted onit. He blabbered on, trying to convince me, but I already knew. Ineeded no convincing.”
I was stronglyaware of the nearness of the pirate before me and the sincerity inhis words. I felt the emotion and desire to touch me emanating fromhis skin. I couldn’t meet his gaze. Wouldn’t give him theopportunity to place his mouth on mine.
“W-whatwas your duty?” I whispered at his chest, my mouth suddenlydry.
“My jobis to retrieve any castaways and bring them back to the ship,” hebegan. “Just as you guessed. Pleeman’s job is… he’s the butcher.”He muttered the last word, laced in disgust. “But we’re the onlytwo who don’t…”
I feltbad for the obvious struggle he faced with speaking the horridwords out loud. I dared lift my chin to look at the man’s face,both our chests rising and falling with rapid breaths. He leaneddown, inching his face dangerously close to mine. I froze. Panicfilled my veins. But Benjamin’s warm mouth never touched mine.Instead, it brushed aside and placed a gentle, friendly kisson my cheek before he pulledaway and stepped back.
“I’dnever hurt you, Dianna.” He grabbed a heap of blankets from a chestand plucked a pillow from the bed, tossing it all on the floorwhere he then sat. Looking up at me while removing his big leatherboots, he continued. “Yes, I’ll admit, when I first laid on eyes onyou, the lonely and greedy part of me wanted to keep you a secret.To keep you all to myself. But not in the way you think. I’d neverforce you to do anything against your will.” He sighed and lay backon the pillow.
I still stoodin place, awestruck by the sudden change in his actions. Gone werethe bold and brazen advances, making room for a new man. One thathad been hidden under a hundred years of loneliness. A part of mefelt bad that I could never give him what he hoped for. WhatBenjamin thought this would lead to. Us together. But my heart andsoul belonged to Henry, and Henry alone.
And I didn’tplan on staying.
Suddenly, anidea came to mind. I slugged off my red jacket and sat on the edgeof the bed, my legs dangling near Benjamin’s head on the floor.
“Have youever thought about breaking the curse and setting yourself free?” Iasked him.
He tucked anarm behind his head and peered up at me. “Every day.” He rubbed histired face. “But the only way to break the curse would be to returnthe siren’s heart. Not exactly an easy task when you’re trapped onan island, unable to leave. Afraid I’m stuck, sweetness.”
My brain mulledthrough the possibilities. “Well, what about the people who washashore? Couldn’t you send them out to break the curse for you?”
The pirate eyedme curiously then and lifted to a half-sitting position, proppinghimself up with one arm as the other wrung through his long, brownwaves. “What are you gettin’ at, Dianna?”
I shrugged.“Nearly a hundred years. I just can’t help but think you could havesent one of the people back out to return the gem.”
His molassescolored eyes bore into mine. “You don’t think I thought ofthat?”
“I wasjust aski–”
“Even ifsomeone came along who I could trust not to run off with the gem,no ship has landed on the shores. Bits and pieces, yes. But nothingmore.” He heaved a deep sigh of frustration and I felt bad forprodding. “The island does not exist, sweetness. No man on the seawould steer off the common course enough to even see it witha spyglass.”
He shifted onthe floor and leaned over to where I sat, placing his massive handover mine and squeezing it gently. Our eyes locked.
“We’relost souls, Dianna. My fate is now yours. The sooner you acceptthat, the better.” A silent sob erupted from my throat and a tearran down my face. He reached up to wipe it away. “I’m so very sorryfor that. But, maybe one day, you can be happy here.”
I had nowords. He truly believed that I could stay there on the cursed shipwith him and a cannibal crew of pirates and be happy? Benjamin was delusional. He couldn’timagine a world outside of the one he lived, he’d been on The BlackSoul for too long.
But Igave him a shaky smile, regardless. To placate the man. He lay backdown and rolled over, his back turned to me.
