The Witch's Pirate! (Book 1)
Chapter 23: Promise

Crystal

I walked on the baseline of the beach, barefooted, as the moonlight, already showered down on us. The sky cleared up, and the ocean calmed down. I stopped and stared at the ocean, rubbing my arms. I wiggled my toes in the sand and sighed.

I wonder how Belle and Captain Bayou met? I wonder why the king gave him these powers? Why did I have that strange dream? So many questions, and no answer.

I looked down at my hands.

If I’m a witch, I can do things, right? Oh God, please help me, I have no idea what I”m doing or what’s going on.

“Don’t think too much, it might hurt you.” I heard behind me, causing me to jump in fright. I turned to see Captain Bayou, looking at the ocean, his hand behind his back and clothes still drenched.

“Oi, don’t scare me,” I breathed out, placing my hand on my chest, trying to calm down my heart.

“Sorry love. So, what are you wanting to speak of?” he asked me. I bit my lower lip and rubbed my hands again, feeling nervous.

“I was thinking,” I paused, trying to figure out the right words.

“About?” he asked.

“Everything, from what I told you last week, and I mean it. I will trust my life to you. I really want to become your friend, and I want to help you break this curse since I have no other choice. They’re two rules I want you and I to follow.” I told him.

“Want me to play by the rules? Interesting, those are?” he nows look amused.

“One, don’t ever betray me and I will never betray you, let’s trust each other.”

“I told you before love, I can betray you, is part of my curse,” he told me. I sighed.

“I won’t believe in that, like I told you before when we crossed that bridge, then we do something, and two...” I lowered my head, covering my face, my heart thumping hard.

“Two, besides our trust, I want you to teach me how to become a pirate, but...” I lifted my gaze up and looked straight into his eyes.

“I won’t kill anyone, and I want you to not kill anyone anymore, can you promise me that?” I said in a dead serious tone.

Captain Bayou stretched out his arm towards me and spread his fingers.

“I will try hard to not kill anyone, and try harder not to betray you. So this will be half a promise, since the key word is try. And love, you couldn’t ask a better teacher to teach you,” he winked at me.

I felt my cheeks flare up, and I stretched my arm and took a hold of his big hand. Shaking it firmly.

“I promise not to betray you and I promise to become your friend,” I told him.

“Good love, now that I have a best friend, I think right now is a good start to teach you how to really fight.”

His sudden words caused me to look straight at him.

“What? Now?”

“Aye, what better place, we are stuck in this place for a few days, and might as well. There’s a place we need to go, we need to start looking for a man,” he told me. I blinked, noticing that he didn’t let go of my hand, and for some reason I didn’t want him to. His hand felt warm against mine.

“Who?”

“An old seer, Belle told me he would know where the map is. Remember love, we don’t have much time. Three months will roll by fast. Look, we are almost in our third week.”

“Third week? I thought I was out oh, it makes sense, I’m still out of it.” I told him. Captain Bayou nodded and finally took notice that he was still holding my hand.

“Love, what is your favorite book?” he asked out of nowhere. I blinked, surprised, letting go of his hand, I lowered my head.

“Why do you want to know that?” I heard a clink, and when I lifted my gaze, he has his sword pointed at me.

“Just want to know a little more about my wife, is that so wrong for her husband to ask? Plus, aren’t we friends?” he teased. I covered my face in embarrassment, from his words.

“Stop saying that. My favorite book? It has to be Little Red Riding Hood."

He lowered his sword and came up to me and he leans forward, surrounding me. I went still at his sudden move

What is he doing?

“Really? I thought it would be Cinderella or some historical reference.” he whispered when I felt something around my neck. I glanced up with wide eyes, and he moved my hair gently to my right shoulder and clicked something. He moved out of the way.

“I hate Cinderella, there’s no such thing as prince charming, and what the?” I looked down to see a small chain, with a silver small pearl ring on it. My eyes widened when I looked up at him.

“What is this?” I asked surprised.

“Well, in little red riding hood, a huntsman saved her. Oh, it’s an old ring I stole long ago, you keep it. See I have my own,” he opened his jacket half way to show me his own necklace, with a ring, a silver ring. My heart thumped hard.

“That’s why I like it, no prince and no falling in love. Why are you giving this to me?” I asked him. He shrugged, looking up at the night sky. Not noticing that his cheeks were turning a slight pink.

“So both you and the story are familiar. Don’t think because I gave you that, means that I love you or anything, is because since you are now my wife, my witch, I thought is the least I can do. You know, what a normal couple does. Even though we don’t love each other and is my fault that I brought you to my hell. I wanted to do something normal for you. Don’t worry when everything is over, you can return it to me,” he told me. I looked down at the small silver ring, rubbing my thumb against it, feeling the rough edges. I felt a strange emotion fill my heart.

“I never got a gift from a boy before, not from what I remember,”

“Love, I ain’t no boy, I, can assure you that,” he told me. I lifted my gaze to see him look at me with a strange gaze that caused my heart to thump harder. His eyes had a strange twinkle in them, but it wasn’t lustful or anything, I couldn’t pinpoint it because it was the first time I had seen it.

Oh God, what in the world?

My cheeks started to really burn and my hands started to sweat. He looked handsome, but not handsome as to say I was going to melt, but handsome as to say that he looked, I didn’t even know the words for it, but all I could tell you was that my heart wouldn’t stop beating hard.

“Love? Are you okay?” he waved his hand in front of me. I shook my head and looked down.

“Yeah,” My voice cracked. He moved and swung his sword.

“I’m going to show you two ways. One with your newly found powers and another without them. You never can rely on your powers unless is utterly urgent in a fight,” he told me, pointing the sword at me.

“Come on, love, concentrate and make a sword appear in your hands. Do it like last time,” he instructed me. I nodded, tugging the ring under my shirt, and clearing my throat.

“How?”

“Use your emotions in your heart and not your head. Powers are always tied to our emotions.” He explained. I nodded at him, closing my eyes, I squinted and groaned, but nothing appears.

“Don’t worry love, I have all the time of the world. Well, in theory though.” He encourages.

He walked behind me, and grasped my hand, lowering his head and whispering into my ear.

“Use your heart love, I know is hard to understand it at first. Just think of the people you want to protect, think of the first time you summoned the pistol, what did you feel? Who do you want to protect?”

His voice was deep and his cold fingers brushed with my skin while his other hand wrapped around my waist.

I closed my eyes.

I wanted to protect Max, Belle, Captain Bayou, and save Belle sister, but right now I can’t concentrate, he’s too close.

“I can’t concentrate,” I told him.

“You can do it.”

And then my eyes widened in surprise, when Captain Bayou twirled me around, and swung his sword straight at me. Without thinking, a sword appeared in my hand, and I blocked his attack.

“That’s what I’m talking about love, now attack me, don’t hold back,” he smirked. I was shaking, looking straight at him.

“You want me to attack you?”

“Aye love, I want to test how strong you are,” he told me. I lowered the sword and sighed.

“This will be the non-magical part. Remember, never rely on your powers, and later I will teach you the fun parts of using your powers.” He swings his sword again, and I block him off.

“Wait, I’m not ready.”

“When you are in battle, you have to be on guard all the time, you think the others will give you time or care if you are not ready or not?” he asked.

“No, my brother told me the same thing.”

“Then wise brother you have, come on, love, attack me,” he did a spin and attack, causing me to jump back and fall on the ground, wrapping my hand above my head. He stopped and looked down at me.

“I will attack you, see me as your enemy, you did well last time, you surprised me, what is stopping you now?” he asked.

“You aren’t the bad guy, and my brother wasn’t this harsh.” I told him.

“Aye love, I’m not your brother, I’m your guardian, but I’m still a pirate, think of that, now attack!” he demand as he swung his sword again, I moved rapidly and blocked.

“Stop blocking me and hit me,” He growled, getting into this a little too much. I moved back, and swung my sword once again, this time I went straightforward, and he blocked me with a spin of his sword.

“Not good enough.” He pushed me back.

“I am gentlemen, but now in my eyes you are my enemy, even if you’re a woman and my wife.” He attacked again, I blocked him off, thinking rapidly.

He’s my pretend enemy. I moved rapid and swung again, this time we started to really fight, I already felt my sweat running down my face, my chest heaving. Captain Bayou as well. Our swords collided, and we moved rapidly. I even had to spin my body to dodge a strike from him.

“A little better, but use more force and hit me.” he told me. I spun, pointing the tip straight at his chest, almost scratching him, he jumped backward and smirked.

“Good love,” then he took a hold of my arm and pined me against his chest, his sword on my neck. Breathing hard, he ran his hand up to my neck, causing my breath to catch. He made his fingers brush against my neck. I was ticklish, but right now I am so surprised in the situation, that I hadn’t even taken notice.

“But not good enough. This is where I kill you.” He lowered his head and chuckled.

“Okay, now you have two ways to escape, one with your powers, teleport yourself out the enemy arms, or two the human way, step on his foot very hard and push him away, got that?”

“Stomp in his foot? What if that doesn’t work?” I was breathing hard, Captain Bayou raised his hand.

“For a woman, just grab his arm and bite him hard, or head-butt him, but since you’re short, hit him in his family jewels. You reach there better.” He started to laugh as my cheeks flared up and I shrugged him off.

“Do you want me to practice on you? I wouldn’t mind, after all, I need to learn,” I offered, raising my leg up.

“Oi, you don’t need to practice that part with me, I still need to have kids, but I can make you do other things and It wouldn’t hurt at all, I can guarantee you that.” He smirked. I blinked, not understanding it.

“I’d rather hurt you,” I told him. He came closer to me and placed his hand, my forehead, stopping me in my tracks. I huff, looking up at him in annoyance.

“Ouch, you’re mean to your husband, and here I want to pleasure my wife.” he whispered, I move away from him and felt myself grow warm at his words.

Shouldn’t effect me when he says that, why does it though?

“Stop talking rubbish.” I mumble. He chuckled, then drew out his sword once again.

“Let’s continue, because I doubt we can get another chance on this.”

I sighed and nodded, taking out my sword, I pointed next to his sword. He swung his arm and I did the same, for the remainder of the night, we practiced our sword fighting.

“You sure?” Captain Bayou asked, surprised, the next day. After we finished our sword fight, we went back to the ship, and helped around to get us back on the road.

Now we were heading to the unknown place. We stood in Capt. Bayou cabin, looking over the normal map he has on top of his desk.

“Aye me is Captain, I have been on this island before. When we checked the map earlier today, my heart stopped.” Belle explained, Max glanced at her arching a brow.

“When? What is the name of this island?” Belle turned to face him.

“This is the Shadow Island.”

“Shadow Island?” I asked her. She shivered, shaking her head.

“I hate this place, but someone should know Joe’s whereabouts, but one warning.” she sighed, looking at us.

“What is it love?” Captain Bayou asked. She took a breath and looked up at the ceiling.

“This island isn’t your normal island. This is worse than the Under Hunters. This place isn’t called Shadow Island for no reason.”

“Exactly what do you mean by that?” Max asked in a very tight tone. I gulped heavily, moving closer to Captain Bayou.

“There’s a Shadow that takes human souls.......”