Jameston stared at her for an interminable moment before something in his countenance changed. No longer was he Jameston, the lover who sought to woo his childhood love. Now he was Jameston, the pirate with eyes hard and dark, gripping his sword so tightly his knuckles were turning white.
“You… youlovehim?” He stared incredulously at Phillip before looking back at Norah, his eyes a strange mix of wrath and hope. “But all those times we shared–”
“I wasnine!”Norah exploded. “How in thedepthscould you have believed I was in love?” She got to her feet, glowering up at him. And for a moment, she wondered if he would lashout in anger against her, too. Instead, however, after a long moment, Jameston only choked out a strange chuckle.
“You truly have a will of fire to match your hair.” He reached out to touch her face with a trembling hand, but Norah jerked away.
“You want to see my temper?” Norah let out a half-crazed laugh. “You’ve seen nothing. Youknownothing! But you’ll knowexactlyhow fiery I can be if you keep on with this charade in which you–!”
“Take care with your words,” Jameston growled, suddenly stepping closer to her. Phillip jerked forward, but the pirates pushed him back. Once he was secure, Jameston went on. “You seem to have no idea–”
“Then let me be clear!” Norah spoke through her own clenched teeth. “Icouldn’tlove you even if Phillip were gone! And Iwouldn’tif given the chance!”
Jameston stood there, staring at her as though he had been turned to stone. But then he whirled around, and with a shout of rage, ran his sword through Phillip’s heart.
Chapter 18
Because…
Norah screamed. But before she could do anything else, Jameston grabbed her by the arm and yanked her through the crowd of pirates toward the stairs, and Norah had no choice but to stumble after him.
But if Jameston thought he had vanquished her spirit by widowing her, he was in for an unpleasant surprise. For the second she stepped over her husband’s body, which was still bleeding onto the floor, Norah realized with a sudden wave of rage that she didn’t care to escape.
She wantedjustice.
Jameston continued to drag her forward, then up the stairs. But as he did, something changed inside the girl he pulled behind him.
Or rather, the woman.
This man–this monster–had stolen the decision Norah had made for her future. For though she had felt for a long time as though she’d had little say in the life the Maker had given her, marriagehadbeen her decision.Philliphad been her decision.
For as much as Freya had wanted Norah to marry Phillip, in no way had Norah been forced to do so. In fact, had she desiredit, Norah could have left the palace the moment Freya had found the piece of paper. She could have walked out the front door any time during the weeks she’d spent at the palace. And if she had, Phillip wouldn’t have stopped her. He would have let her go.
In fact, he’d made it clear once through lots of pointing and pictures that if Norah wanted to go, but was simply too afraid of the pirates to do so, he would secure her a place in a traveling caravan headed deep into the continent, where the pirates would never find her. All Norah had to do was say the word, and she could have traveled the world as she had always dreamed of doing. Her hands were strong, and without Nanny, there would have been nothing to hold her back except memories of pain and loss.
And yet, she had chosen Phillip.
“Do you see this?” Jameston yanked Norah up onto the deck, where she could see the harbor growing smaller by the second. Alongside them sailed five more ships. “You’re alone now. Completely and totally alone! Unless…” He turned to face her, his dark eyes burning, “youletme love you. Because if you don’t let me protect you, you’re going to be alone for the rest of your life, serving on my mother’s ships as the healer without anyone to speak for you!”
“Fine!” Norah snapped, yanking her arm out of his hand. “So be it!”
Jameston blinked, seeming taken aback. “You… you would choose to be alone? Over a life with–”
“IchosePhillip!” Norah was shouting again. As they argued, the crew gathered around them, revealing just how many men were on the ship. This should have frightened Norah, as Nanny had taught her long ago what happened to girls who were left alone with pirates when no one was there to protect them.
But Phillip was dead. And Norah was angry.
She wasn’t just angry with Jameston, however. She was also blindingly aggrieved with herself.
For in her heart, she knew now why the healing hadn’t worked in full. Itwasbecause of her. Shehadfailed Phillip. Not because her power had been wanting, though, as she’d so often feared it would, but because she’d only said the vows with half of her heart. The other half was still waiting for some other path, an escape like the one she had longed for for so long.
If only she could go back and do it all over again, she would choose Phillip with all her heart. Because she knew now that shedidlove him. And that she would have learned to love him even more with each passing day. Yes, her choice might have brought her pain. But it would also have brought her joy and companionship, and they would have created their own adventurous life together. Perhaps not the one she had wanted, but one with a path all its own. Because Phillip had been agoodman, and together, had she put her heart and mind to it, they could have changed the world.
“Matthus!” Jameston shouted, his eyes welded to Norah’s. “Where is the body?”
“Here, sir!” a man grunted.
Norah turned to see two pirates carrying Phillip’s dead body over their shoulders as they trudged up the stairs onto the deck. He was so large that even with two of them bearing his large frame, they struggled.
