Finn had noresponse because he knew I was right.
“No,” I saidagain. “The wishes had to have worked.”
He nodded,probably just to placate me, and patted my arm before taking a stepback toward his room. “I believe ye, Captain. I just dinnae ken howmuch longer.”
I watched myfriend retreat to his room, his tall and broad figure disappearinginto the shadows, and I fought back the urge to cry. I was an uttermess lately and I loathed being that way. I had to pull myselftogether, shake off the hormones, and get my head back in the game.I would find my damn sister. Soon. I just wish I had some sort ofsign to assure me everything would be okay.
ChapterTwelve
The next morning, after I cleaned myself up anddressed, I gave Henry some pain meds and a fresh dressing on hischest burns. The small tube of Polysporin I had wouldn’t heal theextent of his wounds, but it would definitely help. I used itsparingly, knowing there’d no doubt be a need for it in thefuture.
I waited untilthe meds kicked in and he fell into a comfortable sleep before Islipped out in search of food. But also, in search of my crew. Iwas tired of waiting around, waiting for the universe to plop Mariainto my hands and she sure wasn’t going to turn up there at TheSiren’s Call. I had to get out there, walk the streets, askquestions. Maybe pay another visit to that merchant who traded withher for Henry’s things. Anything, any little inkling thatwould steer me down the path to finding her.
I rounded oneof many corners and stopped in front of a wide set of patio doorsthat led out to a grand garden of sleeping plants, covered in athick blanket of snow. Everything was so white, so crisp. It wasblinding. But I stared in awe at the still-beauty of winter beforeme. My eyes rolling over the curves and lumps of snow-covered benches.
My stomachgrowled in protest at the delay of breakfast and I turned to leavethe gorgeous view when something caught my eye. Something far outin the garden. Just like in my nightmare, her long curly black hairfell down around her shoulders, the cool breeze catching its wavesas she slowly turned to face me. Those bottomless eyes sinking intome.
Maria.
A gasped as myhand took on a mind of its own and reached for the brass handle ofthe door. She was there. Right there. I could end this allright now and, as if bewitched, my body moved without prompting andturned the handle. But before I could haul the patio door open, ahand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me from the spell I wasunder.
“Dianna,”Wallace spoke. “What are you doing? It’s freezing out there and youdon’t even have so much as a sweater on.”
I turned toher, blinking hard, my mind snapping back into focus, and shot mygaze back toward the garden in search of my sister. She was goneand there were no footsteps in the fresh snow. I shook my head. Wasthe stress of the failing mission making me crazy? Did I sodesperately want to find Maria that my mind was manifesting imagesof her, both in and out of sleep?
“No, I-I–”Words evaded me. What could I possibly say to this woman? “I justwanted some fresh air. I’m feeling… a little queasy.”
“You’re justin need of some good food, is all,” she told me with a smile.“Come, I had the cook prepare a morning feast for everyone.”
“Oh, I canjust grab something quick,” I replied, still reeling from thehallucination.
She regardedme with a curious brow. “In a hurry to go somewhere?”
My eyesflitted to hers and I scrambled to mask the emotions I knew werewashing over my face. “No. I mean, yes. I, uh, I have some thingsto tend to in town.”
“Dianna,” thewoman said my name much the same way a disappointed mother would asher arms crossed over the tight-fitting red blouse. “The doctorsaid you should be resting. And eating. I see you doing neither ofthose things. What’s your errand? I can have someone tend to it foryou.”
I tried tobrush past Wallace, but she held an arm out in front of me. I mustered up the nerve tolook her square in the face.
“I canmanage,” I told her stonily.
Her armdropped and so did her polite demeanor. “Look,” she began. “I knowyou and I won’t ever be friends, but I’d at least like to try andbe friendly.”
I thought ofher hands on Henry, her lips on his skin as I stared up from thefloor below in utter horror. Like she was stealing away my veryreason for living right in front of me. I thought of the way I justcouldn’t settle around her, no matter how nice she pretended to be.There was just something about the dark beauty that scratched at mynerves.
Wallace backedaway, giving me space. “I think we can both agree that Henry is anamazing man.”
I shrugged.“Of course. That’s just a given.”
She tipped herhead to the side, the long chocolatey hair falling down around thefront of her body. “And he would want you to take it easy, tolisten to the doctor, Dianna.”
“And I will,”I said, trying not to grit my teeth at her pushiness. I dodgedaround her and began walking toward the smell of food.
“Then let mehelp you,” she insisted.
I didn’tbother to turn around. “You can’t help.”
“Try me,” shecalled. “You’d be surprised what I can do.”
The womandidn’t let up and it bothered me to no end. Not just because Ididn’t want her help, but because I knew she couldn’t. Not withthis. But I spun around and walked back to where she stood in frontof the glass doors.
“Thank you forthe offer but there’s nothing you can do unless you track downpeople who are hard to find.”
Her expressionturned curious. “I found you lot, didn’t I?”
I guffawed.“Tracking down a crew of pirates at a local tavern isn’t exactlystealthy.”
Wallace seemedconfused by my use of modern terms and I quickly amended before shehad the chance to respond. “Anyone can find someone who isn’t evenhiding.”
Wallace’s hardbottom boots
