Page 11

Kenna felt a knot tighten in her stomach. “My marriage proposals are no business of yers,” she said.

“Aye, and my life is no business of yers. I hae made my choices, and I can live with them. Make sure that ye can tae,” he said, and turned his back to her, manners be damned. Kenna left, feeling annoyed and frustrated. Perhaps it shouldn’t have bothered her so much because, after all, they were not betrothed to each other, and their clans did not have a formal alliance. And yet, there were thoughts about him that she could not shake.

She returned to her cabin and thought about what he said. His words had struck her heart, because, in truth, she knew he was right. Marriage was her duty, and perhaps part of her anger towards him was actually misdirected. She was envious of the way he had been able to shirk his duties and build a life for himself that was exactly what he wanted, without any sense of obligation or destiny. He had broken free of his trappings and become a new man, but she knew that she was only ever going to be somebody’s wife.

She could deceive herself and pretend that she would be given to a man who would appreciate her spirit, as Cal called it, and her independent streak, but in her heart, she knew she would be expected to do her husband’s bidding and provide him with many children. It was a path that held little mystery and little hope for adventure. She went to sleep dreaming of becoming a captain of a ship herself, sailing the open ocean with a loyal crew at her back and the wind whipping around her head, with the horizon all around her, and the freedom to do anything she wanted.

Kenna’s melancholy grew the closer they came to home. Through the mist, they could see the outline of Britannia, foreboding and huge. She had been filled with courage when she had left Spain, but now she was thinking more about her reunion with her father, and she could imagine the anger and disappointment that would be directed her way. She doubted she would be able to convince him that she did the right thing. She just hoped that he would not punish her with his next choice in a husband. She sighed as the boat swayed, and rubbed her temples to ease the tension that was growing in her mind. She had given up on talking to Ruairi. He was stubborn, and his mind was set on the choices that he made. It seemed a blessing that he was returning home at all.

At dinner, there were rumblings of a storm approaching. Men were busy fastening crates and supplies to the deck, tightening every rope. Kenna’s throat dried as she remembered the storm that had hit the Purity, and prayed that they had enough speed to make it back to Scotland before they were hit by the storm. The waves were more powerful, and the boat rose and fell as though it was being tossed about. In the distance, she could see forks of lightning flashing, and then the rumble of thunder followed, a booming harbinger of destruction. Water sprayed onto the deck, and the men rushed about, barking orders at each other. She could hear the tension in their voices, and it made her feel scared as well. Ruairi was on the prow of the ship, the proud captain. She wondered if he still loved the sea even now, when it threatened death. The expression on his face was impassive, and it was almost as though he was staring down the storm, warning it to stay away.

But the storm had a mind of its own. It seemed so far away, and then suddenly, it was upon them. Huge waves tossed the boat about, and men lost their footing, sliding down the deck. Kenna just barely managed to hold onto a barrier. Cal was there as well, wrapping his strong arm around her, trying to drag her to safety. Lightning flashed, and the sail was suddenly on fire and in tatters, falling away into the sea. Thunder was deafening, and the ship was filled with chaos. Water drenched her and filled her mouth as it came crashing over the sides of the boat. The world twisted and turned, lurching as darkness threatened to swallow them all. Lightning poured down and struck the boat all over the deck. Cracks began to appear, and the wood creaked and snapped. She heard frenzied cries of pain, and when she looked up, she saw members of the crew—men whom she had eaten and laughed and sang with—being pulled away into the ocean’s maw. The look of panic and fear on their faces was chilling. There was no coming back for them, and suddenly she realized how precarious life was.

Cal was calling at her to get below deck where it was safer, but she wanted to be on deck in case she could help. She turned and lightning flashed, illuminating the form of Ruairi, who was a man possessed. He gestured with his arms and ran around the ship, barking orders at the men, rallying them against the storm. Another huge wave hit and almost turned the boat upside down. There was a huge gash, and the boat teetered as water flowed onto the deck, as though it had fingers that were pulling the boat down into the abyss. Fear clutched at Kenna’s heart. She could feel her life slipping away. Suddenly destiny and duty and obligation didn’t matter at all.

“Kenna!” Cal cried. Kenna swung around and saw a beam of wood hurtling towards her. She yelped as Cal pushed her away. Kenna gasped as she hit the deck, her palms and legs stinging as water flowed around her body. The plank hit Cal in the side of the head. He was dazed, and staggered for a moment. He touched the side of his face, and when he took his fingers away, they were sticky with dark blood. He looked at her, and then his eyes glazed over, and he fell. The sea took him away into the darkness. Kenna screamed as she reached out to him, but he was already gone. She continued screaming until her throat was raw, but the sea swallowed him up just as it took everything else. She clung to whatever she could find as the Redemption was lifted up by the waves, a terrible sight, broken and splintered and beyond saving. From somewhere, she heard Ruairi’s voice above it all.

“Abandon ship!” he bellowed. “Every man for himself!”

Kenna twisted her head around and realized that she was alone. Cold water and warm tears mingled together on her cheeks. She had lost everything, and now the only thing to do was let go and pray that the sea would be kind to her, that it would carry her to shore.

Please, she begged, I don’t want to die.

Crates and barrels crashed down around her, falling vertically as the boat lurched. Kenna glanced at the side. She summoned whatever courage she had left and ran across the slippery slanted deck, using loose ropes to propel her along, before she jumped off the ship and dived into the water. It stung her as it embraced her, and the cold was all around her. She had no idea if any of the other men had survived, or if even Ruairi had managed to make it off the ship. The storm had taken everything. She bobbed in the water, thrashing about, losing the sense of all direction as the sea beat her. Salty water filled her mouth. She coughed and spluttered and heard the Redemption cry out in pain as it finally broke in two and crashed.

The waves pushed Kenna away, and bits of wood floated around her. For a moment, she was all alone, just her and the storm, and she wondered if this was some kind of divine punishment for disobeying her father. But then there was a surge of water, and a strong arm wrapped around her, dragging her to a thick piece of wood. In the chaos and the darkness, she couldn’t see who it was, but she knew it was Ruairi.