Spirits

Chapter 11

We stopped next to Alexander who was directing his men. It seemed as the sun rose higher, the men rose with it.

"Helena, dear. Would you bring Jax here?" He asked, a smile under his thick beard. "I want a word with Maurea."

Helena gave me a quick wink before disappearing into the crowd, her vibrant hair whipping behind her.

"I will stay and bring the ship into port. Jax will guide you to Intutum and I will join at the earliest convenience." Alexander asked, reading over a list of ship equipment.

"Do you think they'll accept me?" I asked, rubbing my damp palms on my skirt.

"I admit they're not particularly open to humans or Hunter. I haven't been back since I married Helena." He ran his hands through his hair. "That said, I feel your first name would be suitable."

"You're telling me to lie?"

"If I was in your situation, I would force them to recognize you before your bloodline."

Alexander walked past me, eyes flashing just before the transition from shadow to sun. Left in his wake were Helena and Jax.

"Did he say where he was going?" Helena asked, watching her husband descend the stairs.

"He didn't say." I turned back to the water, watching as another ship passed between us and the kilometer-tall cliff that overlooked the bay.

"Would you like me to get you a new dress for our arrival? I promised you it last night, yet I never delivered."

"She won't need it," Jax interjected. "We'll be leaving soon and won't go by land."

Helena's face fell, a shadow covering her features in the bright dawn. "Then do you know when you'll return?"

"I'll visit as soon as everything is set."

It was hard not to tell Helena more, but it wasn't my place. If her husband could, I would follow his example and keep her safe and ignorant of the danger we were in.

"Then I look forward to your arrival. We're due for a hiatus and I assume the men will want to stay for the fair."

"We should leave soon. Helena, you'll always be my favorite human, but we have to leave," Jax said, a smirk on his lips. "I might not see you for a long while."

"Just take care of this new one," Helena shook her head, opening her arms for a last embrace.

"I will," Jax assured, disappearing up the stairs.

"He's a bit of a wagtail isn't he?" I whispered, pulling Helena in close.

"Oh hardly," Helena laughed, patting my hand which was resting on her upper arm. "You'll find Spirits do not blush as easily. Though they hardly lack manners"

"That doesn't appall you? Even if it is commonplace for them, it isn't slightly disturbing?"

"Jax respects boundaries," Helena assured me, leading me up the stairs, "as do the others. For as trying as he can be at the time, I think you'll learn to depend on him like you would a brother."

Jax was leaning on the rail that gave way to the steel ladder, tying a knot in his shirt so it stuck flush against his skin. He was concentrating and didn't look like he'd noticed us.

"Perhaps," I said, feeling my eyebrows arch and nose scrunch.

"Stay safe wherever you go and always know you'd have a place on the ship if you need."

"I will." I gave Helena a firm embrace.

Her build wasn't so different from Isabella, though she was taller. With the height shift my transformation, the few inches levels us off so I would now be able to look down on my sister. If I ever had the chance.

"Are you ready to leave?" I asked, joining Jax at the rail.

"I don't know if you'll be able to swim well in that." He gestured to his shirt. "The looser the fabric the harder it is to swim."

"I'll leave it on."

"If you insist," Jax shrugged, climbing over the railing. He smiled up at me, his usual crooked smirk. "Stay wary of wreckage and reefs, they'll catch on the fabric."

"I'll follow you and your advice."

Jax nodded before shooting me a wink that rivaled Helena's and letting go of the ladder. He plummeted to the ocean below and I gapped, leaning over. I was still worried about human threats.

My hair caressed my cheeks and I searched the water for the man. He didn't reappear and I reminded myself, once again, that the fall would not kill me anymore than it would kill him. Nevertheless, I climbed down.

The water here was warmer and more polluted than the open ocean. I couldn't feel the same, energized buzz, but there was still the rush of power in my limbs as they soaked.

"I was worried I'd have to fetch you." The distorted voice came from below.

I followed it to the man, watching his rest on the seafloor. Other than his hair floating around him and the reflection of light on his face, he could have been lounging at the beach.

"Where do we go?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face. There was nothing I could do about my dress floating up around my legs.

"Follow the cliff until the rockslide. Then we'll take the tunnel that leads into the cliff." Jax pushed off the bottom, floating a few feet from me. "Just stay close and it shouldn't take long."

We set off, the water moving with us like the ocean was holding my hand, guiding me to another part of my life.