Pirate's Ransom

Chapter 3

“Here,” His massive hand held out a silver goblet. It was probably from one of his many plunders, she thought. “It's water.”

“I cannot take that,” she said as she glanced at it. His dark fingers wrapped around it so firmly that it appeared that he would crush it in his hand. She swallowed hard.

“And why not?”

“My dress will fall.” Her heart thudded in her chest.

“So use your other hand.”

“I cannot,” she said simply holding her head high and looking outward over the bow. Her home was too far for her to even swim to if she were able to jump. Her gown would probably drag her to the bottom of the ocean anyway.

The pirate moved to her other side and she moved to hide her fist.

“Show me.” He boomed.

She ignored his order.

He grabbed her arm firmly and forced it up. She avoided looking at him but her periphery showed him studying her fingers right before he started to peel them back slowly one, by one.

Her tiny cricket sat happily in her palm and began to chirp as she released the tension in her hand. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him square in the eye. Only to see his eyebrow cocked at why sat peacefully in her hand. Had he expected a tiny dagger or something

“A cricket? If you expected good luck, it didn't work as planned.”

She nodded carefully, her eyes directed back at her home. It was the only reason she was keeping her composure at the moment. She felt the warmth of his hand holding hers open and she tried to close her fingers.

“No.” He picked the cricket up carefully and it stopped chirping, alarming her. It was stupid really, but it was the last living connection she had of home on the ship.

“Please don't kill him.” Her voice sounded more desperate than she had meant it too. Isabella hoped he wouldn't kill it out of spite.

“Drink and I won't.” She could feel his eyes burrowing into the side of her face. It send a shiver down her spine, or perhaps that had been the wind.

The drink had to be poison. She supposed that her father didn't have to know she was alive to pay a ransom, or give him whatever he wanted. So it would make sense for the pirate to just kill her. She had heard stories of the types of men that these pirates were. They plundered and raped, killing those that got in their way of riches. For a moment, she wondered which would be a worse fate; death by poison or being the only woman on a pirate vessel.

She grabbed the goblet from the side of the ship and pressed her lips to it. His glare left her as he walked away. Isabella was careful not to let the liquid touch her lips while he watched her. Quickly, she dumped the liquid into the crashing waves below her. The rise and fall of the ship was making her ill. Or maybe it was just the fact that she could no longer see her home. She could only make out a faint glow in the distance. Surely someone would give chase for her, right? If anyone was coming, she hoped they hurried because she had no idea how long the pirate would keep her alive once he realized she had not drank the poison.

“Are you feeling ill?” His voice said from behind her. While she felt ill, it was not for the reason he thought, but she figured she would let him think that she was poisoned. “Come along. I will show you to my room.”

She spun around, only to have her face inches away from his. “Y-Your room?” Her voice was unsteady, but then so was she. His face was serious but held a bit of a smirk at the edge of his full lips.