Swashbuckling on the Edge

Chapter One

He shrugged off my hand, hiding the inflamed bullet wound, still fresh. "Leave it," he muttered.

I frowned at him. "What's put you in such a foul mood?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Your injury?" I guessed, confused at his sour look. He scoffed and turned his head away. I caught on. "Or...the one who inflicted it." The slight tightening of his jaw told me I had guessed correctly.

"Yes, he who shall not be mentioned," Dark said.

"I didn't mention his name," I pointed out.

Dark let out a sigh through his teeth like a hiss. I tried changing the subject. "It's still inflamed, isn't it? We should get Kaspar to have a look at it."

"It doesn't hurt," Dark replied. "Did a piss-poor job of killing me, Duncan di—Ooww!"

"Hm, I suppose it does hurt," I said mildly, prodding the wound with my index finger.

Dark lurched backwards to avoid further attacks, spinning the hammock off balance. It flipped over and rudely tossed him face-first onto the sand. Dark clutched his shoulder with a groan.

"Determined to finish the job, are you?" he asked, his voice muffled.

Hiding my smile, I knelt down and helped him flip onto his back. Brushing the sand away from his bandages, I said, "Just reminding you to take care."

He raised a hand and pointed a defiant finger at me, eyes burning. "I'll take care next time I decide to trust the likes of you."

I smacked his hand away and then helped him back to his feet. A little weaker than usual, he leaned against me for support, holding me to his side. The heat from his suntanned skin burned through my light shirt. I pressed a hand against his forehead.

"We should get you out of the heat," I said. He mumbled in agreement. I deposited him on the hammock, then bent to retrieve his shirt and boots. While he dressed, I swept my hair back and wove it into a loose, manageable braid. It kept the heat off my face.

When he stood up I looped my arm around his waist, keeping him close. His hand slid across my back, squeezing my hip affectionately. We walked together back through the patch of jungle to the house, a short trek. Drawing up to the French doors of the rear porch, I saw that there was already someone waiting for us.

Leaning against the door frame, he raised a hand in greeting at our approach. A deep blue coat dropped to just above his knees, covering a dark vest and shirt, and tailored pants. On his head was a wide-brimmed hat with a blue feather to match his coat. His clothes were smart and clean, but his boots were well-worn, mended and dusty. His manner, as well, was too casual.

He let out an energetic laugh as we walked up, his easy smile revealing a hidden gold tooth. 

It didn't take much for me to make an assessment. Definitely a pirate. A pirate with money.

With a closer look at his face, I recognized him. I had glimpsed him upon our arrival.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he said to Dark, his tone more relieved than joking. "Thought we'd lose you for sure." He barked with laughter again.

Dark raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

"Ah! We haven't had the pleasure." The man extended a hand, hazel eyes glinting. "Captain Barton. I'm your host." Dark shook his hand, introducing himself.

"I've heard the name Barton," Dark replied as our gracious host turned to me for introductions. "Your reputation precedes you."

"Nice to put a name to the face," I said, taking in his features. He had chestnut-colored hair, worn long, and a healthy amount of stubble gracing his strong chin, streaked with some respectable silver. Despite the sea-roughened wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth, he had a genuine grin and a jovial atmosphere surrounding him.

Barton shook my hand with a smile. "Ah! Zaina, is it? Glad to see you're both feeling better."

"Thank you," I said, after his vigorous handshake. "Could you tell us...where are we?" Barton's eyebrows shot up.

"We didn't have much time to look around during our arrival," Dark explained.

Our host laughed again, something he seemed to do often. "You're on my island, mate! A safe haven for all pirates in the Caribbean."

"Safe haven for pirates?" I repeated, slightly shocked.

Barton nodded. "Indeed. Welcome to Refuge Cay, mates. Enjoy the pirates' paradise."