“Yes, and I’mafraid I have bad news,” he said solemnly.
I blew thematch out and laid it on a plate. “You didn’t find her.”
“How did youknow?”
I shook myhead and opened my satchel of goodies, pulling out new bandages andclean cloths to wash his wounds. “I think I must have known allalong, just didn’t realize it. My wish, it was specific to me. Iasked for me to find Maria. Not you. Not anyone else.”
“Yes, but westill aren’t sure your wishes even worked, Dianna.” Then he quicklyadded, “I’m sorry to say. But it’s true.”
“Well,” Ireplied and soaked a cloth in the basin of room temperature water.It was cool, but it’d have to do. “I have proof that my first wishworked.”
“Oh?” hequirked an eyebrow. “How so?”
“Benjaminshowed up.”
Henry didn’treply, only tried to mask the stunned expression his face held. Iwent on to tell him everything, from the beginning. About Charlieand his family. And then how Benjamin found me, that we sleptaboard The Queen, and how we took Lottie up to Pleeman’s farm tobring his ashes home. All the while, I cleaned his healing woundsand dressed new bandages as Henry nodded and listened intently.Seemingly deciding how to feel about Benjamin suddenly being in ourlives.
“He’s got noone in this world, Henry,” I said in the end. “And he’s my friend.I want him aboard the ship.”
Henry let outa huff of hot air and grabbed hold of my thighs, bringing my bodyclose to his face where it peered up at me from the bed with afiery intensity. “I’ll do whatever you wish, Dianna. Happily. Butlet it be known that you are mine.”
I raked myfingers through his long blonde hair, pressing my bosom against hisneck as I slid my knees along either side of him. I straddledHenry’s waist and could feel his passion for me growing beneath mycenter. My mouth lowered onto his and placed a single kiss beforegrinning against it.
“I am yoursand you are mine.” My tongue flicked out and traced a gentle lineacross Henry’s upper lip.
He growled anddug his fingers deep into my bottom, crushing me against his hips.“God, I want you so bad I can hardly form a thought.” The softbristles of his facial hair rubbed against my neck. “You couldcommand me to do anything and I’d happily be your fateful servant,Dianna.”
I threw myhead back, letting his mouth devour my bosom as his fingers clawedat the drawstring of my shift. I managed in a breathless reply,“Then take me, Henry. I’m yours.”
The manhungrily ripped the thin shift from my body and took me in hisconsuming embrace where I happily fell into a void of space andtime where only the two of us existed.
ChapterFifteen
Dreams are a funny thing. They have the ability towrap you in a world of unreal wonder and then spit you back outinto reality, sometimes taking away all recollection of theotherworldly adventure you’d just had.
But sometimesdreams bleed into reality and carry with you. All day. Every day.They’re so real that it becomes hard to tell the difference betweenthem and the real world. I often wonder if it’s our way of hidingfrom the harsh realities we face and the stressful lives welive.
All around,meadows of fresh lupins blew in the wind, just like they did by myhome in Rocky Harbour, as I stared up a towering stone side. Istood at the bottom of a never-ending staircase that led to thethick clouds above. From them, I could hear her voice again.Calling to me.
“Diannaaa…”
One foot infront of the other, I raced up the stairs, willing myself to gofaster but the threads of the dream wouldn’t allow it. It felt likeforever before I managed to make it past a dozen steps. But hervoice beckoned me, and my limbs took on a mind of their own.Reaching for my long-lost mother.
“Mom!” Icalled to the top. “Wait for me! I’m coming!”
Faster andfaster I ran, falling and stumbling as I went. But, still, Ipersisted.
“Dianna….” hervoice danced through the wind, seeming to move further away withevery step I took.
I began topanic. “No! Mom, don’t go!”
I could seethe top, could catch a glimpse of the tall grass that hung downfrom the cliffside. My feet finally touched the ground and I bentover in a huff, gasping for the air that suddenly escaped myburning lungs. When I stood and glanced around, I found that I wasalone. The meadow bare.
“Mom!” Icalled desperately. “Where are you?”
“Right here,”cackled a different voice.
Harsh fingersdug into my shoulders and spun me around. Bringing me face to facewith Maria. Her mouth twisted into an evil grin, revealing a fewblackened teeth and blood seeping from the corners of her eyes.
“I’ve alwaysbeen right here… sister.”
Her hands,still on me, gripped my upper arms and gave one mighty shove,sending my body flying over the cliff I’d just worked so hard toclimb. A guttural scream rang from my chest as I fell endlessly tomy death. Just as the ground rushed upwards and my face smackedpainlessly against the dirt, I awoke from the dream with astartling cry. Cold sweat covering my skin.
But Maria wasstill there.
I laid, boundand tied at the wrists, pushed to the floor by my own dead weight.Drool stuck to the side of my face and stuck to the cold floorunderneath. Where was I? The room seemed unfamiliar and it feltlike hours had passed by since I was last awake. Frozen, my mindstruggled to accept the woman laying on floor next to me. Her eyes,full of unhinged rage, bore into mine, just inches away.
I wanted tomove. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I opened my mouthto speak, to call for help, but something sharp pressed against mystomach. I glanced down and spotted the tip of a dagger, pinned tothe growing mass and my panicked eyes shot back to my sister’sface. Her finger, soiled and already bloody, lifted and pressedagainst her puckered lips.
“Shhh,” shehissed. “Don’t want to wake Mommy.”
I lifted myhead and followed her gaze across the room where a still body laidhaphazard on a bed. Seemingly lifeless and just
