There was no amount of chin tapping that could help me solve this sudden change of events. These pirates were chasing us for days with every intention of killing us, and now we’re getting released. “Are you sure we can trust these people?”
“Evie.” His voice grew raspy, as one hand dropped to my waist. “I can’t promise that this isn’t a setup, but I need to trust that you are safe at home while I see this through.”
He had my heart on a yo-yo string, lifting it up, and then jerk dropping it back down. So much had happened since I left home, that I wasn’t sure if it would feel like home anymore. Jasper had started to feel like home, but now he was back to acting shadowy again. Maybe I couldn’t trust him?
“I think,” I started slowly, still unsure of what I thought, but I didn’t like the way my heart was being jerked around. “I’m ready to go home,” I breathed out, instantly feeling a release. “If you have business to take care of, then do that. After you’re done, come find me.” Maybe it was a challenge? Would he care to look me up after we’d gone our separate ways?
Was our bond only a trauma bond we’d both soon forget?
We were about to find out.
After we docked, Jasper was quiet when he walked me through the wharf and hailed a cab. You’d think I’d be relieved to be on dry land, but there was so much uncertainty in the air, I wasn’t sure if this was a goodbye, or it really wasgoodbye.
All of my I.D.’s and money had sunk with my boat, but I was able to use the cab driver’s phone to log into my digital bank and prepay for my ride. Once the exchange was done, he was ready to go.
But I wasn’t.
“How will I find you?” I asked, still holding Jasper’s hand the way I’d been doing for days now.
“I’ll find you.” His eyes roamed my face, the inflections had transformed so much over the last hour. Between the sea beside him, and the skies above us, the spirals of blue were achingly gorgeous. But it was deeper than that. It was a connection, like a secret club that we both belonged to. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. My chin quivered, the stress of the last few days rose into my throat. The fear, the hunger, the pain, the exhaustion, and something I’d never anticipated feeling, the heartbreak.
This was silly.
He was never mine.
I was hushed, feeling all my feelings, when he tipped my chin up with his finger, and whispered, “Evie, don’t be scared. I’ll find you.” His gaze bounced from my eyes to my lips, and without hesitation I took the hint, and leaned forward. The inflections in his eyes softened even more as he lowered his chin to meet me halfway.
My eyelids lowered when our lips folded together in a cautious, first kiss, hinting at a possibility of something more. His lips were soft, asking permission, tugging at mine in the most tender way. I couldn’t help but wonder if everything we went through was fate’s way of bringing us together. Our bond was the first seedlings of something greater, and my heartwrenched when I thought about the possibility of Jasper leaving, and never finding me. The moment was perfection.
The cab honked, jolting us apart, and my heart sank lower as I forced my lip inward and smiled shyly. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you.” Jasper echoed as I turned toward the cab, and got in. He shut the door as soon as my feet were tucked safely inside. Ha! I scoffed at the thought of my feet being safe again. It was everything I wanted, so why did I feel broken?
sixteen
Jasper
I watched the cab shrink over the horizon, feelingeven. I attributed the feeling of evenness as peace, which was brand new to me. It didn’t come from leaving Evie, as that put my heart in a chokehold. If anything, it came from having Evie, a person to connect with. I hated leaving her with all this uncertainty, but she couldn’t come where I was going. I didn’t want to apprise her of the details, and that’s why I was ambiguous. Plus, she went home to a warm bed, food, and all the amenities, which was the best thing for her.
I can’t wait to join her.
Now I have a new mission.
To find my mother.
I sort of had a plan, but it had a few potential flaws. First, I was going to hitch a ride—or walk if I couldn’t find a random stranger to pick me up—to the palace, at which point I would stroll right up to the golden gate and knock.
My gaze slid to the side, as I already knew that wouldn’t work. They would never let a homeless thief on their grounds, let alone give me a chance to talk to the queen.
How about a disguise?
I could find a mailman shirt or something. I pondered as I sauntered past the businesses on the wharf and headed toward the palace. I’d never been to this little country before, but it wasn’t hard to navigate as the palace loomed high over the village on a hill, standing taller than any other structure. It really was an impressive architectural masterpiece, with its ivory towers and spirals of windows that seemed to wrap to the sky.
I cut through an alley and came out in a clearing filled with vendors, resembling something like a street carnival. Food trucks and drink carts lined the road, and everything from face painting booths to jugglers took the main stage in the center. My stomach churned, begging for a taste of the decadent smell. The old me would have snuck behind a hotdog cart and helped myself, but something in me had changed. It didn’t give me the same thrill. I pushed my rumbles aside and continued.
Cheerful music piped out, and kids and elderly alike all danced in a circle. They clapped, they stomped, they bowed to their neighbor, and took their hands and twirled. I stood back watching, thinking about what a happy little village this seemed to be. I had the steps about memorized when it dawned on me. This was the merchant square Captain told me about. This was exactly what he had seen when he’d wandered off his boat all those years ago. It must just be a Saturday tradition to gather in the square, that never fell away, even after all these years.
With candy-colored houses, and cobble stone streets, it was the quaintest village I’d ever seen, and it was certainly enjoyable to stroll through. My gaze swept both ways as I crossed the street, turning on the white pebble path leading to the palace road. My palms started to sweat, as I only had so much time tofigure out something persuasive to say to get me inside. Yet, I knew I could do it. After escaping death so many times this last week, I wasn’t intimidated by this.
Okay, maybe I was getting cocky?
