The Cursed Doubloon (6 page)

He smiled and nodded, letting out a quiet laugh. I wished in that moment that we were alone. But no, my father was to my one side and John to my other, both of them smelly and breathing heavier than they should for men their age.

“I can’t be believin’ me eyes,” my father said. “Ye be human.”

Ladarius ran his hand over the blanket and down the length of his legs. “The legend of the Cursed Doubloon and the PearlWeeper’s pearl is true.”

“Aye.”

“So,” I said, “what now?”

“Help me up.”

John and my father each grabbed one of his arms and lifted him off of the ground as I pulled the blanket around him and held it securely behind him.

“Go on, try and take a step,” I advised.

“I must admit I am afraid.”

“That’s understandable. Now try.”

He readjusted his arms, hooking them behind their necks. “Okay, here goes.” He placed one foot forward and tried to balance his weight, then put his other foot out but lost his footing. We all stumbled a bit but regained our balance as they pulled his arms tighter around their necks and held him up like he was a drunken shipmate. “This is a lot harder than it looks.”

“Try again.”

He shook his head and looked down at his new feet that were poking from the bottom of the blanket. Letting out a sigh, he tried again, placing one foot in front of the other. He was shaky at first, almost falling the first few steps, but he quickly gained his confidence and moved a bit more quickly. “I’m walking!”

“Ye be doin’ a fine job, matey,” my father praised him. The compliment took me aback; I was surprised he offered such nice words, especially since he frowned upon the creature Ladarius was before.

“We be havin’ us a new crew mate before we know it,” John added.

I looked down at the balled up corners of the blanket in my hands. “Oh, we must be getting you some proper attire then. I shall go out into the town as soon as day breaks and find you something that suits you. I’ll have to measure you beforehand. Father, I’ll need some money.”

“What?” he shouted. “He can just borrow some of the crew’s clothes.”

“Father you can’t be serious—”

“It’s okay,” Ladarius cut in. “I will wear anyone’s clothes. I’m just happy to be able to wear them in the first place.”

“See?” my father replied. “He be no high-maintenance pirate.”

“I don’t care. This is one thing I will not budge on. He’s going on Keelhaul’s ship to be recruited to steal
your
silly bird. It won’t harm you to front some money for some proper attire. Besides, you’ll have Melody back and she will lead you to your treasure so you’ll be rich again.”

My father pushed Ladarius’s arm off from around his neck. “Fine!” He stomped across the small room back to his bed and reached beneath the mattress, pulling out a few spare doubloons. “Here!” he said while shoving them at me and then storming out of the room.

I tried to catch them before they fell and released a corner of the blanket, exposing Ladarius’s backside. “Oh, see what you made me do you drunken pirate!” I grabbed the coins and then the blanket, covering him up once more. “You can at least give the man some dignity!” I yelled after him.

Ladarius’s laugh bellowed in the cabin. “I’ve never had a backside like this before. I don’t mind exposing it.”

“Alright, I be goin’ back to bed,” John said, obviously having enough of the conversation. He pulled Ladarius’s arm away from his neck and strolled out the door.

Ladarius swayed from standing on his own for the first time. I panicked and wrapped my arms around him, bringing them up under his armpits and clasping my hands together in front of his broad chest. The blanket fell to the floor.

“Well,” I stuttered after an awkward moment of silence, “we have ourselves in quite the predicament, don’t we?”

He brought his hands up and placed them on the protection of my arms. “Yes, I do believe so.”

“Do you think you can stand on your own?”

“I will try.”

I carefully slid my arms away from him and grabbed the blanket off of the floor. “Here,” I said while reaching around him once more and wrapping it around his waist, this time bringing the two ends to meet together in front of him. “Can you hold the corners together?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Thank you, Grace.”

I came around to face him. “You’re very welcome. I’m so happy the curse granted you your wish.”

“As am I.” He smiled warmly and began to wobble.

“Oh, dear,” I said, grabbing his arm. “I shall take you to my quarters. You don’t want to be in this smelly old pirate’s room.”

“It is quite smelly now that you mention it.”

I smiled and motioned toward the open door. “Do you think you can make it with me holding onto your arm?”

“I think so. It’s worth a try.”

“Good. We’ll go slowly.”

We shuffled over to my cabin, going as slow as a turtle to make sure he didn’t fall. Once we were at my door I pushed it open, revealing a small clean space.

“This is your room? It’s very nice. Much different from your father’s.”

“Thank you. I pride myself on not being disgusting like the rest of them.”

“Oh, they’re not that bad, are they?”

“No,” I smiled. “I guess not. They are my family in a way and I love all of them differently. I just wished they took better care of themselves, that’s all.”

The curtains to my windows were open and a small sliver of sun poked out from the morning horizon, tinting the tiny room with soft light. Ladarius looked out at the calm sea.

“Do you miss it?” I asked.

His face lightened. “I haven’t been away from it long enough to miss it. But my brother is going to wonder why he can no longer find me.”

“You mean you didn’t tell him what you were going to do with the pearls?”

“Not completely.”

“Well, what did you say to make him give them to you?”

His gaze broke from the view outside and fell on my face. “I told him about the Cursed Doubloon and that I wanted to try a wish upon its surface. I told him I knew of someone who had it in their possession; I didn’t say it was your father and I didn’t say I was going to wish to be human. He as well has wondered if the legends of its wish granting were true, so he didn’t hesitate to cry them for me so I could prove its suspected power. He told me to be safe and to report back to him so he could tell the realm if it worked or not.”

“Oh,” my shoulders fell. “Well, how are you going to do that?”

His hand came to my cheek. “I’m not. I am no longer a merman and can’t swim below the sea as I used to. Maybe one day he will find me somehow and I will tell him then, or
show
him, rather.”

“But you’re going to break your families bond—”

“It’s already been broken.”

“Because of me . . .”

“No,” he said, stroking the side of my face. “It is not because of you. It is because I am a free spirit who has never wanted to live under the ruling of my father’s hand. I was looked down upon long before you came into my life.” He took his hand away and smiled. “Now, let’s get me fitted for my new role.”

I matched his mood and went to my end table, tossing my father’s money on top and opening the drawer to fetch the measuring tape my mother used to use to make our dresses. “I’ll need to measure your chest and your waist, as well as the length of your arms and your new legs.”

“My new legs,” he beamed. “I love how that sounds.”

“As do I.” I planted myself in front of his body, which was becoming sturdier in its stance, and wrapped the tape around the back of him, bringing it under his armpits and across his chest. “My mother used this to fit us for the dresses she made. It’s the first time I have touched it since I brought it on the ship.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Very much,” I said, making a mental note of his chest measurement. “We were very close. I think her death would have been easier to bear if my father was in his right mind. It’s almost as if I lost both of my parents.”

He clutched the blanket with one hand and stuck out his arm for me to measure. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. And now you’re here on
The Fog Chaser
, living among a cursed father and his drunken crew.”

“
The Fog Chaser
,” I scoffed. “Did I ever tell you the reason he gave it that name?”

“No, I don’t believe you did.”

“Because it’s always surrounded by fog, supposedly. There have been plenty of times when the ship has sailed or docked
without
fog surrounding it. But my crazy father still imagines it as another sign of the curse, blocking his view from the dangers of the sea so his ship will capsize and he will never find his hidden treasure.”

“Oh, that’s just a harmless fantasy, isn’t it?”

I stopped measuring and crossed my arms. “Are you taking his side on the matter?”

“No,” he chuckled, “I just think it’s an inoffensive part of his imagination working hard at trying to cope with his misfortune in life. I’m sure he is struggling in his mind with the death of your mother and his curse just as much as you are.”

“I know,” I sighed while casting my eyes down at the floor; I could feel the tears start to well up. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to come off as not caring about him or anyone else on this ship for that matter. I’ve just struggled so much with my mother’s death and my father’s decline—”

“Hey,” he hushed while hooking his arm around my back and pulling me against his chest. “Don’t be sad, Grace. What you are going through is a lot to handle.”

The tears rolled down my cheeks and ran onto his skin. He was warm and his touch was protective and comforting, making me relax in his hold. Ladarius was the only man who had ever made me feel completely at ease in his embrace. I treasured him for it.

I gathered my emotions and looked up at his charming face. “Well, I guess it’s time I continue on with my measurements.” Stepping back, I looked down at the area that was covered by the blanket. “I need to measure your waist.”

He lowered the blanket to below his navel.

“Is that low enough for you?”

“Uh,” was the first word I could push out of my mouth. “Yes, yes . . . that should be fine.” I wrapped the tape around his waist and brought it back to the front, pulling the end to meet with a number.

He laughed out a puff of air. “You’re blushing.”

I smiled down at my hands, unable to meet his gaze. “I’ll be blushing a lot more in a moment; I need to measure your leg.”

He pulled one of the corners of the blanket away and held it out to his side, revealing his muscular thigh. “How’s that?”

I bent down and began the measurement from his foot. “You’re not very modest with your new body, are you?” I smiled up at him.

“As I said before, I’ve never had a body like this. I don’t mind exposing it.”

“So you’re just going to go around showing all the women your nakedness?”

“No,” he laughed, “of course not. Only you.”

I shook my head, unable to hide the grin that was pushing up my blushing cheeks. “Well, I’m at a loss for words,” I said, standing back up face to face with him.

He closed his blanket shut. “I’m glad to leave you speechless.”

I smiled and looked out of the window. “The day has officially broken. I will go right out and buy you something to wear.”

“Changing the subject so quickly, are we?”

“Oh stop it, you!” I jokingly pushed him arm, which made him sway a little.

“Hey watch it now! I haven’t mastered these legs yet.”

“You will, I’m sure. You master everything you put your mind to.”

“Well, mastering the use of my legs isn’t the first thing on my agenda.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Then what is?”

“Grace!” My father’s yell startled us as usual.

“Oh, god. What does that man want now?” I hurried over to my cabin door and pushed it open. “What is it, Father?”

“Get that merman some clothes! I don’t be wantin’ him to be wastin’ any more of me time!”

“He’s
not
a merman!”

“I don’t be carin’ what he be, he be makin’ me late fer gettin’ me Melody back!”

“Oh, that man!” I said with the slam of my door. “I’m sorry he calls you a merman.”

“But that is technically what I am. It does not offend me.”

“But it’s not what you are anymore. You are a
man
. And a handsome one at that.”

“You still find me handsome?”

“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

He looked down at his chest. “My skin no longer shimmers in the light of the moon, and my tail is no longer here. I know how much you loved it so.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “you
were
spectacular as a merman, but you are even more spectacular now. Because now you can actually
be
with me.”