Dawn's Dusk on the High Seas
Chapter 10

As dawn’s colors shown through the windows to the Captain’s Cabin, Jack woke before beginning his usual routine of quickly armoring himself and testing how long it took him. Only a minute and thirty seven seconds. Not his fastest. Looking back to his sleeping wife, she slept with a small smile on her lips, curled up in warmth. Lifting the mask over his face as well as his hood, Jack strapped his weapons belt on before starting onto the deck. His crew was already laying planks down for crossing to the Vitae. Crossing onto the deck, Jack went straight towards the Captain’s quarters until Colton met him with Christopher and Vivian in tow.

“Good morning Papa!” Vivian chirped before hugging his leg.

“Careful there. My blades are sharp!” Jack quickly warned as she neared one of his daggers.

“Sorry Papa!” she squeaked, moving away.

“It’s alright, just be a little more careful,” he soothed.

“Thanks for watching them Colton. Although, it’s too bad I can’t repay the favor for you and Laura,” Jack added.

“Hah! Don’t worry. You might soon enough after tonight,” Colton chuckled.

Jack grinned before herding his kids back onto his ship. Bringing them to his cabin, he was relieved to replace that Alice had woken and already dressed. She produced an open parcel with his children’s clothes in it. Vivian and Christopher gathered their outfits before Jack brought up dividers of shadow while they changed. Once they’d finished, Jack gave them both a small pair of bracers. That he showed them how to tie securely. Then, he lifted their hoods and gleamed in pride.

“Would you like to live life on the high seas, or on dry land?” he began.

Both took in the question before saying in unison, “With you on the seas.”

Jack smirked again before moving to a drawer that he unlocked with a small key. Producing two short swords, he flipped them in his hands and caught them by the blade before offering them to his kids. Their eyes widened in pure excitement while Alice’s were wide in shock.

“You’re giving them swords?!” she gaped.

“They aren’t allowed to use them unless I say so. They’ll stay with me at any other time,” Jack explained.

Vivian and Christopher relished in the touch of the cool metal in their palms. Jack then produced two belts with scabbards before showing them where to put them.

“Now who wants to learn how to fight with swords?” he asked.

“Me!” they replied.

“Well, that’s not going to happen until you learn hand to hand combat,” Jack crooned.

Their faces fell slightly before he took the swords and belts back and locked them in the drawer.

“When we have time, I’ll train you. But I won’t if you constantly ask me to. Right now, I’m on something important. So you’ll have to wait,” he ended before returning to the deck and replaceing Colton waiting for him.

“Which way now? Did that journal come with a map?” he questioned.

“No, but a riddle spoke of where it was instead. ‘His eyes are never together, but always watching. From night till day, from day till night, Poseidon’s eye forever watch his roiling domain. When one rests, the other opens itself to gaze upon the waters. Forever switching. Occasionally, Poseidon’s tired eyes will shed a tear from exhaustion. On an island that he always watches directly upon, can the power of the tides be found,” Jack recited.

“Ughh. Just hearing that made my head hurt,” Colton grumbled.

“It may sound tricky, but it isn’t as hard as many say. What always switches with another, that always looks down upon the world?” Jack explained.

Colton gave him an irritated look until Jack swiped his hat. Colton was nearly furious when the sunlight glared down upon him. Jack was grinning.

“Now what in Hell was that for?!” Colton ranted.

“Would you say that the sun’s rays glared down upon you?” Jack cooed.

“Yes, you-,” Colton began before stopping in his tracks as realization dawned on him.

“His eyes are the sun and moon. His tears are rocks that have fallen from the sky. And the place we’ll replace them is where the sun and moon always meet in the sky. Which, as I watched two nights ago, is the star Carina. We sail directly for where Carina is every night, and we reach an island with the power to control the tides,” Jack continued.

“You always were the smartest one,” Colton chuckled.

“I knew you’d catch on sooner or later,” Jack snickered.

Colton gave a sigh before shouting to lay anchor. They wouldn’t be travelling until night. And, to get some rest. It’d be a long night. That, and to not disturb him. If there was a problem, tell Jack. Giving a quick nod, he strode down to the Captain’s Quarters and shuttered the windows before locking the door.

“What was that for?” Laura asked, standing from her chair.

“Jack and Alice had their fun last night. We’ll be sailing at night, so why don’t we have some fun now?” Colton cooed.

“I was feeling a little tired anyway,” she purred.

Colton grinned like a wolf as she strode over with the feline’s grace most women had before planting a teasing kiss on his cheek. Lifting his hat off his head, Colton flicked it over to a table and lifted her rouged lips to his and gifting them with a gentle kiss. Laura lovingly returned with a more lustful kiss as she draped her arms over her Beloved’s shoulders and pressed her lips to lock with his. Raising them up to the tops of his shoulders, Laura glided them to his neck before running them along his shoulders and down his arms before removing his jacket. Sliding through the gaps in his arms, Laura’s hands then undid the latch on his gun vest. All the while, Colton’s hands roved along her back and waist before they began to unweave the back of her dress. For a moment, Laura moved away, his gun vest with her, until she lowered it to the floor and returned to his waiting lips. Chuckling on her lips, one of his hands caressed the skin of her back and caused her to shudder while his other hand twined some of her tawny colored locks around his fingers. They were as smooth as silk as they brushed against his fingers.

Eventually, their short, quick breaths were insufficient to continue their kiss, so it was finally broken. Not from a need to stop, but a need to breathe. Removing his boots, Colton looked to watch Laura slip out of hers before she shed her dress like a snake shedding its skin, but in a fluid movement. The dress had done well to show the curvature of her torso, but did nothing to show the curves of her waist and legs. Only a hint of light passed through the curtains covering the rear windows, but enough made it through to illuminate some her peach colored skin. Shadows and light danced over her soft skin. As she watched his eyes devour her, it felt like physical touch before he smiled with mischief and lust flickering behind his eyes. Already, Laura felt a fire heating her skin, and his gaze only stoked it to greater warmth. It was spread throughout her body but burnt brightest down low. She was as much his as he was hers. Laying back onto to the bed, Laura crawled a hint before folding her legs and laying on her side. Flaunting every curve along her. It was almost too enticing for Colton, but he waited, and was patient as he shucked off his shirt before lying down next to her, melding his lips to hers again. With a hint of his abilities, dim light glowed from his fingertips as he caressed her body. The light made his hands much warmer, which stirred up the flames that lit her blood until it was thrumming in her veins. Laura felt as if she’d melt from the heat that burned within her. She was nearly whimpering for him to quench it. But instead, he knew just how well she felt her want and need. Instead, Colton kept fueling the blaze until it was hotter than a wildfire. Laura could’ve described it as hotter than hellfire. With featherlight kisses to her neck and miniscule caresses over her back, breasts, and legs, his touch crawled over her skin and tickled more than spiders scuttling over her. She shivered if he met a particularly sensitive point and let out slight moans when the warmth permeated through her skin to the sensitive flesh beneath.

A thought struck her mind for the barest flicker of an instant.

“Oh God, he really knows what to do,”

Another touch from a place he hadn’t yet reached set her mind ablaze along with her blood boiling, her heart pounding, her toes curling, and her back arching. She couldn’t control herself any longer. Laura released a long and pleasured moan that had built up inside her with every touch she felt before nearly going limp and purring.

Colton grinned like a fiend. He’d finally won. He’d finally made the fire within her blaze hotter than the sun.

His patience had finally paid off before whispering, “Now, my beauteous mermaid, the fun begins.”