Aztecs' Curse

Excerpt

Terribly sorry for the lack of updates, much less the lack of Book 2 of this series! As always, I'm a busy gal. But, I was in the mood to write out at least a little something pirate-y, and what better than a little clip of my OC Cyrus. I'll try to motivate myself to start the second book the next time I write on this account!

Rain was never much of a bother. In fact, Cyrus quite liked it. Of course, there was a time that he didn't particularly care for it...until her.

The man narrowed his eyes as he studied the horizon before his nose twitched a little. It was always easy for him to predict when the skies were about to open up, especially after she taught him.

"There's a certain scent about the air," she would always say as her eyes glistened, eyes all dewy, as they always were whenever she talked about something she adored. Quite often, she would've approached him from behind only to brush her lips against his ear as she spoke, voice hushed as if afraid of the possibility of frightening the rain itself away. "But, you must keep in mind that it's an easy miss. Doesn't help that we're always surrounded by the sea, of course."

"Of course," he breathed, mostly instinctively, as he reopened his eyes--having had closed them momentarily as he recalled such a short and simple memory. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the ocean around the ship he was aboard, grasping onto the edge as he tilted his head back, and...there it was.

It was so brief, and yet, it was there. Sure enough, a light sprinkle picked its way through the sun-filtered sky, light clouds ever-so-slowly darkening. He relished in such a beautiful sight, though he couldn't avoid the pain of the memories that it brought him.

"You sure you know where you're going, love?" a tender voice asked from behind him, startling him. But, he wasn't quick to react.

Without turning to look at the young man that had addressed him, his jaw set before he said, "I could never lose the path back to Tia Dalma if I tried." Lord knew she wasn't one he would willingly visit unless he felt that he must, and this most certainly was such a case. "I expect that the ship will remain on standby as I drop Barbossa off, however." This time he glanced at the other pirate, one brow raised, expression demanding, though somehow blank all the same.

The well-chiseled man slowly gave him a sly smile, his brows pitching upwards as well, though he looked more enticed than fearful. "I sense an unspoken threat about you, darling." He winked. "Try not to tempt me." Those words spoken, he strode off, pulling a flask from one of the many pockets of the long jacket that was draped from his shoulders.

Amused, Cyrus turned his attention back to the sea, rapping his knuckles on the wood of the ship for a moment before he pursed his lips and stopped. "Just you wait, little bird... Just you wait."

Gradually, the rain began pouring down harder.