The Cursed Doubloon (4 page)

“No, in contrast I have found my mind. For once I finally feel alive and respected by someone.”

“That’s nonsense. And where is your crown?”

“Your crown?” I asked looking over at him.

“I am done with my crown and I am done living under the ruling of our father.”

Callisto stayed silent for a moment before nodding his head. “Alright then. You have made your choice.” He turned around and dove into the water, his large tail making a quick appearance before disappearing completely from view.

“I must say I am a bit confused,” I said, being the first to break the silence.

“I can explain everything.”

“Yes, I believe I deserve to know what’s going on here. Your crown? Your father’s rule?”

He dropped his head back and gazed up at the stars, releasing a heavy breath. “My father is King Xander, ruler of our kingdom Orbellika. I am his son, Prince Ladarius.”

My mouth fell open at his confession. “Prince?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Yes, Prince. Second in succession, behind my brother. You see, he is older so he will rule first after my father’s—”

“You lied to me!”

“What?” he asked, his eyebrows rising. “What do you mean I lied to you?”

“You never told me you were a prince! You have known me all this time and never revealed your true identity. You are a liar!” I jumped up from the sand and stomped into the ocean with the oyster shell gripped in my hand. I could feel the sea soak back into the fabric of my dress as I pushed through the water toward my father’s ship. Within seconds, Ladarius was at my side.

“Where are you going?” he demanded desperately.

“Back to the ship. I’ve had enough of you for tonight.”

“What do you mean? I didn’t lie to you, Grace. You’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting?” I choked out, taking some sea water into my mouth. “I’m not overreacting!”

“You need to calm yourself or you’re going to drown.”

“You won’t let me drown.”

“Yes, that is true,” he smiled.

I stopped in place and kicked my legs below me to keep my body afloat. His smile could stop whatever ill mood I was in. I both loved him and hated him for it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I wanted you to like me for who I am. All the people in my realm are infatuated with my royal bloodline. You’re not.”

“But I would like you for who you are anyway. I am not a mermaid, and your royalty does not affect me in any way.”

“Yes,” he sighed, “I know. I am truly sorry I kept it from you. Now will you please go back to the beach and lay with me on the sand?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I do not want to be cold again. I am warmer here in the water.”

“Oh,” he nodded. “Then I shall hold you here for as long as you will let me.” He took my wrists and pulled me against him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “There. Safe with me once more.”

“As I always am,” I said, smiling up at him. “Well, I suppose now would be the time to tell me more about your family. And tell me everything; don’t leave anything out.”

“Are you sure you want to know everything?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay then. Well, my father rules his kingdom with an iron fist. I love him, but we don’t get along at all. I’m more of a free spirit and he hates that about me. My brother is just like him, although he can be much kinder than my father. He is next in succession but if something were to happen to him I would step in and become king. If that were the case I would rule my kingdom the opposite of the way my father does.”

“And what about your mother?”

“She’s a harlot.”

I rolled my eyes. “Come on Ladarius, quit with the joking.”

“I wish I
were
joking.”

“Your mother is a prostitute? You can’t be serious.”

“I am. My father is king; he has been with many mermaids that have birthed royal heirs.”

“So he has many children?”

“Yes. I have many brothers and sisters. But Callisto and I share the same mother and father.”

“So doesn’t that mean your father has many sons in line to rule after his death?”

“Yes but Callisto was his firstborn, and I was the next male that was born after him.”

“Callisto. He didn’t like me much,” I pointed out.

“Don’t take it personally. He doesn’t like
any
human, beautiful or not.”

“Well he was quite beautiful himself.”

“The mermaids think so as well.”

“Not as beautiful as my Ladarius, though,” I said, skimming a hand over his hair. “You are much manlier than he is. He comes off a bit feminine in my taste.”

“It’s the long hair. The mermaids go crazy for it.”

“They do?” I laughed. “But your hair isn’t long. Do they not go as crazy for you as they do for him?”

“Oh the mermaids love me, long hair or not.”

“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Ha, yes I guess I am. But Callisto is a PearlWeeper. That makes him very attractive in our realm.”

 “A PearlWeeper?”

“Yes they are extremely rare in our species. He literally cries tears of pearls.”

“Cries tears of pearls? It sounds like something out of a dream. Are the pearls of any worth?”

“Well, yes in a way. He only cries two per Merfolk, and he has to
want
to cry them for you. And if he does then he considers you to be a close friend and trusted companion. He hasn’t given very many out.”

“Has he cried any pearls for you?”

“No, but I haven’t asked him to. I already know I am his trusted companion.” He looked off for a moment, gazing far out into the black sea as if he were looking for his brother. “He showed you his face tonight, which is something I never expected him to do. If a human were to catch him his pearls would be a fine prize.”

“I’m sure they are worth a lot to humans.”

“Yes but not in the way you may think. There are certain legends that Merfolk believe about the pearls that he cries. I guess I believe them as well. One day I hope to ask him to cry them for me so I can see if one of the legends can be proven.”

“What do the legends say?”

He looked back at me with a smile. “They are only legends that I wish were true. But, I fear they are most likely not. I will tell you them someday, but for now the stories would be a waste of our precious time together.”

“You mermen and your secrets.” I smiled and sunk down in the water, placing my cheek against the broadness of his chest.

“No more of them, I promise.”

The movement of his tail swayed below us as I listened to the beating of his heart. Such an unbelievable merman he was, making me feel more loved and protected than anyone else had before. His hidden truths were a lot to take in; I couldn’t believe he was from royal blood. Even more so I couldn’t believe how possessed he was by me. He could literally have any mermaid he wanted. But that wasn’t what he desired at all.

He brought a hand out of the water and ran it down the length of my wet hair. “So, what do you
really
think of a merman’s kiss?” he asked.

I smiled against his skin. “Ladies never talk.”

“I see no lady here . . .”

“Oh you are just a humorous fish, aren’t you?”

“Hey, enough with the fish talk. Is that really all you see me as?”

I pulled my head back to see his face. “No, not at all. I see a respectable man, a handsome one at that, who cares for me more than anyone ever has. I see someone who is my protector and my friend.”

“And your lover . . .”

“Well I love you, yes, of course.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Yes,” I sighed, “but how are we supposed to be lovers when we were not created the same?”

His eyes searched my face while his mind searched for the right words to say. “I will make love to you one day, Grace. I can promise you that.” He pulled me close and kissed me deeply, igniting a fire deep within my loins. I wished for him to peel my dress off and deliver on his promise right then and there.

“Grace!”

The calling of my name made our lips break apart. “Oh great. It’s my father.”

“Grace!” my father called again. “Where ye be?”

“Do you really have to go?” Ladarius asked.

“If I don’t he’ll send the whole crew out to look for me.”

“Gracie Hayes! I’ve got a suitor for ye!”

“Ugh, not again,” I moaned.

“A suitor? What does he mean?”

“A pirate, some young one I’m sure. He always finds one in whatever tavern he’s in and tries to pair us together.”

“Oh,” he said, his face falling to a frown.

I brought my hand to his cheek. “Don’t worry, my Ladarius. You are the only suitor for me.”

He smiled at my honest words. I gave him a quick kiss and let go of his neck to swim off toward shore.

“I love you, Grace Hayes,” he called out after me.

“I love you too, Ladarius,” I said, spinning around to see him. “You are the only man I will ever love.”

His mouth widened with a grin, showing off his white teeth and bringing the dimple in his cheek to the surface of his skin. “I shall see you tomorrow.” He leapt out of the water and stretched his arms behind him, diving backward into the sea and leaving me with the wave of his tail.

I paddled my way over to the ship and treaded the water in its shadows. I couldn’t believe my father, trying desperately to find me a suitor. And a pirate at that. My father knew how much I detested pirates; I don’t know why he would even consider trying to pair me with one.

“Gracie!” he called once more.

I looked up to see him hanging over the side of the ship, staring right at me. “What is it, Father?” I yelled up at him.

“Why ye be swimmin’ in the ocean’s tide fer so long? I was worried the curse took hold of ye.”

“I’m fine,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “I just enjoy being away from you boisterous pirates. Swimming in the sea at night is relaxing. It helps to clear my mind.”

“Well I hope ye be done clearin’ yer mind ‘cause I found ye a suitor. A young pirate, a year’s older than ye be.”

“Thank you, but I’m not interested.”

“What?” he huffed. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to marry a bloody pirate, that’s why.”

He growled to himself and crossed his arms over his long black coat. “Then I be going back in and lettin’ him down. Ye’ll be sorry ye passed this one up. He be a scavenger of the seas.” He flipped around and trudged off down the length of the ship. “Melody! Ye be comin’ with me fer some rum, bird!”

“Honestly,” I muttered, “that man has completely lost his mind.” 

The warm rays of the sun peeked past my cotton drapes the following morning, the slow rocking of the ship moving them slightly enough for me to see that the sky was blue outside. As I fought the fluid movement from sending me back into a comfortable slumber, I stretched my arms above my head and thought of my Ladarius. His kiss was exhilarating, filled with so much passion and intensity, stirring up feelings inside of me of which I had never felt before. And that beautiful pearl. What did it mean? He never actually told me its meaning or why he gave it to me. Although, he did tell me he loved me by the night’s end. Maybe the pearl was a symbol of his love. I would have to ask him when I saw him next. I rolled over in my bed and smiled, knowing I would see him again at the day’s end.

“Melody!”

My father’s loud cry startled me. “Oh god, what’s wrong now?” I threw back my covers and stomped out of my cabin to the deck outside. “What are you yelling about?”

He sat on the ground with his face in his hands and his crew surrounding him. “It be Melody! She be gone!”

“What do you mean she’s gone? Did she fly away?”

“No, no. She be taken from me!”

“Father, who on earth would take your bird?”

He lifted his head from his hands. His face was red from his overindulgence of rum and his eyes were glossed over with tears. “It be Lawrence.”

The men around him all reacted to the name, some of them shaking their heads, others spitting and cursing.

“Who’s Lawrence?” I asked.

“Only the scourge of the seven seas,” John answered, placing his fingers on the handle of his sheathed cutlass. “Lawrence ‘Keelhaul’ Kelley be his name. He be the Captain of
Hades Halo
.” He pulled out his sword and put it against the neck of the pirate standing next to him. “He might choose to kill ye by slicin’ yer throat open and feedin’ yer blood to the fish,” he said while dragging the blade lightly across the pirates skin. “That’s if ye be lucky.”

“But,” the pirate warned as he brought his hand up to the sword and pushed it away, “if ye
not
be so lucky, then he’ll likely keelhaul ye under his ship until ye be surely dead.”

“Melody!” my father cried again.

I crossed my arms and twisted my lips in thought. “Well, how do we get Melody back from this vile man then?”

The crew stayed quiet. I had never seen them behave in such a way before. They were rough pirates who weren’t afraid of anything or anyone. Apparently the Captain of
Hades Halo
was really someone to be feared.

“Well?” I asked again. “How do we get her back? Surely there’s got to be a plan.”

John’s eyebrows knitted together, making the scars on his forehead contort into new shapes. “We be havin’ a problem with that, Grace. Keelhaul knows about the Cursed Doubloon.”

“Everyone knows about the Cursed Doubloon, John. It’s a legend.”

“Aye. But he knows yer father be in possession of it. He be wantin’ it fer himself.”

“And he took me Melody!” my father cried. “He knows me Melody will tell him where me treasure be!”

“Not if he doesn’t know the secret word, Father. And how does he know about Melody, anyway?” The men looked around at one another, each of them taking on their own unique appearance of embarrassment and shame. I knew right away what it meant. “You mean to tell me my father’s most trusted companions ratted him out to the most murderous, brutally violent pirate on the seven seas? How dare all of you!”

“It be nothin’ like that,” John stepped in. “We were all carousers in the tavern last night, partakin’ in more of the grog than we should have been. Keelhaul came in after we be three sheets to the wind. He joined our table and told us stories of the hogsheads he be willin’ to sell to us fer a fine price. Those casks can hold one hundred gallons of rum fer our long journeys on
The Fog Chaser.
It could be savin’ us plenty of money if we all chipped in some of our loot and bought one from him.”

“But we be loaded to the gunwalls,” a member of the crew continued, “and we weren’t thinkin’ clearly. We started runnin’ our mouths about the Cursed Doubloon and how we be on long trips to try and recover where yer father hid the rest of his treasure. The hogsheads looked to be a fine idea fer our journeys.”

“So let me guess,” I cut in, “he ended up asking more about the Cursed Doubloon and why you all didn’t know where the treasure was hidden, am I right.”

“Aye,” John said. “We told him how yer father hid it when we were all back home on land. And we told him how Melody be trained to remember where it be hidden if she were told the secret word.”

“Let me ask all you pirates, would you have told him where it was hidden if you actually knew?”

They grew angry at my question. “No!” they shouted together. “Not at all!”

“Then why did you reveal so much to him?”

They quieted down, their eyes casting down to the deck under their feet. “We be drunk,” one of them answered. “That be our only excuse.”

“And his reputation be intimidatin’ to us,” another one called out.

I looked down at my father who was slouched against the side of a mast. “And where was my father while this deceitful conversation was taking place?”

“He be passed out drunk on the floor in the corner of the tavern,” John said. “Melody be perched on his shoulder the last time I saw her.”

“My goodness,” I sighed.

“And we all joined him in passin’ out right after that.”

“Then how do you know it was Keelhaul who took Melody?”

“Because I be wakin’ up with this in me grasp,” my father said, sticking his hand out and handing me a rolled up piece of paper.

I took it from him and opened it, noticing right away the black smudge across its top. “It is marked with the black spot.”

“Aye,” John said. “The threat of death.”

I nodded and read the letter aloud. “To the cursed William Hayes, Captain of
The Fog Chaser
, be warned that I have yer bird who holds the secret to yer motherload. I know ye be in possession of the Cursed Doubloon and I’ll be killin’ ye fer it soon. Signed Captain Keelhaul.” I rolled it back up and crossed my arms. “Well this is just great. You are all idiots.”

“Melody!”

“Oh, stop it, Father. We’ll get you your silly bird back. I’m not afraid of any bloody pirate
or
his poorly written threat. He’s probably all talk I’m sure.”

“Ye don’t be knowin’ what ye be sayin’, Grace. He be a bad pirate.”

“You’re all bad pirates,” I scoffed. “Every one of you. Especially betraying my father like that . . .”

“He be betrayin’ us!” one of them yelled. “He hid the treasure like we would be willin’ to steal from our Captain!”

“Well he was right to!” I countered. “You ratted him out as quickly as you all could. Now look at him, a drunken mess on the floor. He’s a cursed man, you know. Isn’t that enough of a repayment to you for him hiding the treasure?”

“Aye,” a few of them yelled.

John stepped forward. “Ye know how the curse be broken, Grace,” he whispered. “Keelhaul will have to kill yer father. It be the only way the Cursed Doubloon will follow its next rightful owner.”

“Yes, John. I know.” I raised my hand to his scarred cheek. “You are my father’s closest companion. I know you will be at his side through this fight.”

“Aye.”

I nodded and smiled weakly at him; I couldn’t be mad at John for long. My father’s respect lied with him, and he had proven his loyalty time and time again. Everyone makes mistakes. Especially pirates.

“Father, I just don’t understand why he didn’t kill you when you were passed out.”

“Because I don’t be carryin’ me doubloon on me person. He will most likely use me Melody as a bargainin’ tool to get me to bring it to him fer a trade.”

“But that’s not how the silly curse works. Apparently he has to kill you, which is something I really don’t believe.”

“Ye better be believin’ the curse! And Keelhaul must be havin’ other plans in mind. He wants more.”

“Like the blood of the crew,” John said. “He’s a killer, he is.”

“Then he should have just killed you all in the tavern.”

“His men be drunk and passed out alongside us,” one of the crew said. “And Keelhaul was loaded with rum as well. He probably didn’t have his wits about him.”

“Okay then,” I sighed while handing my father back his written death threat. “I suppose you all are willing to make up for your transgressions, am I right?”

“Aye,” they graveled in unison.

“Then we shall ready ourselves for a fight.”

“That not be possible with ye on board,” my father moaned.

I crouched down in front of him and smoothed my hand over the scraggly hairs of his beard. “I can handle myself, Father. You have trained me well.”

His eyes rose to meet with mine. “Ye don’t know what ye be sayin’. We’ll be up against a monster of sorts.”

I exhaled slowly and dropped my shoulders, trying to search for the right comforting words to tell the broken man in front of me. “Do you remember how you and mother used to handle the monsters that were under my bed when I was a little girl?”

“No, I, I don’t be rememberin’ much these days.”

“Well I remember perfectly: You faced them. Mother would bring you your flintlock pistol and you would get on your hands and knees, looking under my mattress for what I was so afraid of. You called him out and made silly noised like you were firing at him. Time and time again you both saved me from my fears. And mother is still with us today, watching over us as we speak. She will help us face this monster together.”

His blue eyes glistened with the dampness of tears. “Ye really be believin’ that?”

“Yes, Father. With all of my heart.”

“Aye, Grace,” he said, his bearded mouth rising with a smile. “Then let’s be readyin’ ourselves fer a fight.” He grabbed a hold of the mast and stood up with a renewed energy. “Alright me hearties! Make sure we have plenty of six pounders on hand! We be pullin’ anchor by sundown!”

* * *

We spent the day readying the ship for a battle. My father went back and forth about whether or not to use all of his cannons—they weighed down the ship tremendously—but in the end he decided to keep them all on hand, even if it did make our ship slower.

I knew I had to find a way to tell Ladarius our plan before we left the dock. I went back to the stern of the ship and hung over the edge in the same manner I did when I faked being sick. Ladarius was there within seconds.

“Hello, my love,” he greeted me with a smile. “You look very beautiful as always.”

“Why thank you my Ladarius. As much as I love your compliments I have something important to tell you: We will be departing shortly on another one of my father’s crazy expeditions.”

“Ah, I was wondering when he would get another itch to take off on a wild adventure.”

“And this one
will
be wild. We’re going to go after a pirate who stole my father’s bird. Will you be joining us on our journey?”

“Stole your father’s bird? Why on earth would someone steal a bird? And of course I will join you.”

“Good,” I smiled. “You will be a welcomed relief when I swim at night. Now, do you remember how my father professes that his bird knows where his treasure is hidden?”

“Yes. I do believe he is delusional.”

“Well, he mostly likely
is
delusional, but the pirate who stole her is holding her hostage in a way. He’s using her to get a doubloon my father claims ownership to.”

“Why would a pirate care about a single doubloon? I would be more inclined to find the hidden treasure, not some lone golden coin.”

“Yes,” I sighed, “I know. But this one is supposedly cursed. It takes a hold of any captain who carries it.”

“Are, are you joking?” he asked, his face hardening with seriousness.

“I know it sounds ridiculous, but—”

“Please tell me you are talking about the Cursed Doubloon.”

My posture stiffened. “Yes, I am. You have heard of it?”

“Yes, but,” he stuttered, “I . . .I don’t—”

“What’s the matter with you? Why are you acting all funny?”

He stared at the side of the ship before looking back up at my face. “There is a legend that says you can take the pearl tear of a PearlWeeper and place it on the Cursed Doubloon. If it is the doubloon’s desire it will grant you the wish you ask of it.”

“What?” I frowned. “You can’t be serious.”

“But I am. Why did you not tell me this before?”

“I told you my father was cursed.”

“Yes, but every pirate professes to be cursed. And you didn’t say it was the Cursed Doubloon that had him cursed. I can’t believe you kept that from me.”

“You act as if I did it on purpose! And all this, coming from a man who left me in the dark about his royal bloodline.”