Fate and Destiny (The Fated Series, #2)

Chapter 34 - Katarina - Locked Up

Okay, so maybe I kind of like the pirates. They're not as bad as I thought them to be. In fact, they kind of intrigue me. I don't know, but now I find myself busing the majority of my days talking to the few women in the crew.

There's Etta, who is obsessed with everything blue and only has a wardrobe full of it, only a few splashes of either white or black to break up bits and pieces here and there. She even dyed the bottom half of her hair a deep blue, and she always smudges her eyes with the same shade beneath the black kohl all the pirates seem to wear along the borders of their eyes. Etta explained that it keeps the sun out of their eyes while they're at sea and need to be able to always have clear eyesight to keep watch of the horizon or spot other ships. She wears her kohl slightly thicker though due to her shifts up in the crow's nest - whatever that is. I got the very vague answer that it was a part of the ship that someone goes to in order to see more of the surrounding area. Still don't know what it means, but the whole blue color suits her well.

Vasilisa and Arlene are both archers who enjoy drinking day and night. A fact that I could've made well enough on my own without having them tell me when I first met them. It was the first thing they said upon our introductions right after their names. I thought it was a rather strange thing to add, but then I realized that it was more of a warning than a friendly attempt to make conversation. They have strong kidneys, I'll say that, but once they've had their fill they're rather...to put it nicely: entertaining.

Then there's Thyra and Toya who claim to be sisters with two years in between, but they look more like twins. I apprached them one night after they broke out in song, sitting in front of one of the fires the pirate's light every night to fight of the winter chill. The song wasn't one I had ever heard before, but it wasn't the song that made me walk through the camp to find the melody's source, it was their voices. They can harmonize seamlessly with any song the rest of the crew throws at them. They smiled when they sang, and everyone around them either stood up and danced along to a quicker tune if they set it, or sat quietly and fell into their spell if they slowed it down and told a story.

Watching them for a while had me missing Fauna. I remember her singing that one night when we were all gathered together and Darius was playing the guitar. No one looked like they were going to sing anytime soon, but she didn't hesitate to jump in and shock us all with her voice. Thyra and Toya's voices were both higher whereas Fauna and Henry's had two contrasting tones still finding a way to blend and weave in and out of one another. I had to run to Claritia to find out what the name of that song was, and then I ran over to the women and begged them to sing it.

After a little convincing, they agreed, and I felt my eyes start to burn. Hearing it sung in two different voices made it sound wrong even when the sisters never faltered or did it an injustice. They sang beautifully, but it wasn't the same. If anything, my attempts to live once more in a happy memory of Fauna failed miserably, and I found myself wandering the dark forest alone for an hour. Then I hated myself for getting so worked up over one Godsdamned song, then I felt guilty, and then it all just became too much. When I found myself in Darius's clearing, I looked up at the dancing lights that still lived overhead, and then I screamed at them.

Cliff was the one to find me. He said he saw me leave alone and got concerned when I headed east rather than back to the cabin. He waited until I was done screaming before approaching me, and when he did, he scared the living shit out of me because I had thought I was alone. Then he proceeded to say my scream sounded worse than a wailing seagull. If he wasn't so damn funny, I probably would've picked up a rock on our walk back to the cabin and chucked it at his head. I do have to admit it though. Cliff's quick comedic wit was refreshing.

He isn't a female, but he sure does enjoy our company compared to that of his fellow males. It wasn't hard to tell that he has no sexual interest in women, as he paid Thea no heed when she practically jumped in his lap. She's been pouting about it ever since, and I've been holding in a laugh just as long. The look on her face when he shoved her off and she landed in the still runny mud from the rain the night before with a very audible splotch was priceless. I wish I could've had it painted if only to show Darius.