PART II

The sun shone through the tiny window and sent lines of heat on Kat's face. She scrunched her nose and let out a low groan, trying to prolong her sleep for as long as possible.

She felt complete, safe, and happy. She never wanted to wake up from this dream.

The reality of the new day didn't let her hold on to her denial. With another groan, she opened one eye. After days of storms, the sky was finally clear and the waves did nothing more than gently rock the ship.

As the seconds ticked by, her senses started returning to her and she realized the comfort she was feeling came from Cage. She lay with her cheek on his back, their legs tangled together, and it was the warmth of his bare skin that made her feel as if she were still inside the most beautiful dream.

But it was real.

Last night had been real. Every tender moment, every whisper, every promise, it had all been real. She and Cage had finally stopped dancing around each other and now she felt... Free. As if every insecurity in her life had disappeared and she now had his level of confidence, his strength.

His magic.

She raised her hand and glanced at her fingers. They looked normal, much like they always had, but there was something different about her body. The foreign energy she'd felt once she and Cage had become one was still there, humming through her veins, as if he'd given her his magic.

And her heart. Her heart felt as if it had doubled in size, filled with so much love, it was impossible to comprehend how she wasn't bursting with it.

She lifted her head and watched him. He slept on his front, his arms holding her tiny pillow under his head. The pose emphasized his strong arms and shoulders. The memory of how those arms had handled her last night made her shudder. How he'd touched her, where he'd kissed her, how he'd given her a way out until the last moment, and yet she'd refused to take it.

The bliss inside her was slightly tainted by a sense of foreboding. Intoxicated as she'd been by him, she'd pushed and pushed until she got her way. Now, in the light of day and without the alcohol clouding her judgement, a tiny bit of fear nestled into her chest. They weren't married. This was a decision she couldn't take back. As much as she'd always hated the social norms, they were still instilled in her and now she'd broken them so completely.

To the civilized world, she was now a harlot. A mistress. An easy woman.

But the more she looked at Cage, the more the distressing thoughts faded. It didn't matter because he made her happy. Because last night had been the most intense and exhilarating experience of her entire existence. Whatever happened next, she wouldn't regret it. And they were, after all, engaged. What did it matter that they became intimate before the wedding? He would still be the only man in her life. And oh, how lucky she was to be the one.

She leaned over him, wanting to kiss his skin, but changed her mind. He'd had a very rough day and he needed to rest. But it was so hard not to touch him...

"Your hair is tickling me," he mumbled into his pillow.

She let out a laugh as he turned over, grasping her shoulders to bring her on top of him. His gaze was still hazy with sleep, and his hair tousled, but the smile on his face could melt the thickest ice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you."

"Liar, yes you did. You are merciless. I barely caught a wink of sleep last night."

"That most certainly is not my fault."

"Yes it is, you were rather loud."

Heat rose to Kat's cheeks, but she could tell he wasn't holding that against her. "I got the feeling that you liked that."

He pulled her closer so that he could whisper in her ear. "Oh, I did. And I'm looking forward to a lot more of it, to be honest."

His words sent a shiver down her spine that she couldn't hide. Her reaction seemed to please him because his grin broadened.

"You'll have to face the consequences, sweetheart."

"Do you think that scares me?" She took advantage of her superior position to plant a kiss on his lips.

His arms slid down her back and tightened around her waist as he kissed her back. She could feel the longing in it, the desire that matched hers. Even it it was daytime, they were still alone and conveniently naked. It couldn't hurt to give it one more go.

Someone knocked loudly on the door. The broke apart and she stared towards the entrance, her heart beating erratically.

"Kat?" Leila called. "Are you awake?"

"Shit," she breathed, rolling off Cage and taking the sheet with her.

He just chucked and she headed towards the door, draping the sheet around her to make it look like some sort of night garment. Then, she opened the door the tiniest bit, just enough to see Leila and keep the room concealed.

"Good morning," she said, faking a groggy voice. "Up already?"

Leila glanced at her, her pale eyes filled with worry. "It's nearly noon. Jazz said I should let you rest, but everyone else is already awake and I was worried you might be feeling ill because of the..." She paused, biting on her lower lip.

Kat just stared, wondering why she would be ill. It felt impossible when her entire body was humming with energy. Then, more of last night returned to her and she realized what Leila meant.

"Oh, you mean the rum?"

The girl nodded, her eyes moving past Kat's shoulder. She repositioned herself to make sure she couldn't see anything.

"I am a bit rattled, but otherwise fine. I'll get dressed and be right up."

Leila finally smiled. "I'm so glad to hear you're fine. I'll see you on deck." And she finally turned around and walked away.

Kat closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath. That had been so close. She really didn't want to have to talk to Leila about this.

To her dismay, Cage had already pulled his trousers back on and was equipping his belt and sheaths. His swords rested next to the bed, still drenched in the sea monster's black blood.

"No," she moaned. "Why?"

"Leila's right, sweetheart, it's late and we do need to make our appearance." He grabbed his shirt off the floor, but before putting it on, he walked to her and planted a kiss on her lips.

She immediately circled her arms around his neck, kissing him back and letting the sheet drop away from her body.

"You're such a minx," he muttered as he pulled away. "Don't you worry. You can expect me back here tonight."

His words allowed her to let him go and brought a grin to her face. At least she had something to look forward to. Cage gave her one more squeeze and lingering kiss before making his way out of the room.

Kat stood next to the door, enjoying the afterglow of his farewell. A warm shiver seemed to fill her body and a grin spread across her face. Even if he'd left, his effect was still there, nestled in her heart. She still felt incredible, and the promise that he'd be back that night filled her with exhilaration. He was amazing. No wonder women fought over him, gave up their virtue for him. If she'd known it would be like this, that she'd feel so complete and fulfilled...

A part of her mind went on a tangent, questioning these obviously true affirmations, but she could ignore it with ease. Nothing could go wrong when she felt like she was flying.

With a laugh she threw her hands into the air and started spinning in place. She didn't think she'd been happier in her life.

Her body hummed with energy. It flowed through her like a raging river of warmth and comfort. She was strong, she was powerful, she would take on the world.

In her mad, spinning dance, flames crackled between her fingers.

Cage reached the deck, trying to rein in his feelings and the magic boiling underneath his skin. Something was definitely not right. Or maybe it was much too right and that's why it was throwing him off.

Without paying much attention to his surroundings, he headed for the right edge of the ship and curled his fingers around the railing, forcing his gaze to slide across the water.

The sea was calm now, sparkling under the sun, the reflective diamonds blinding. Not blinding enough to remove the image of Kat from his mind.

The way she'd looked when she'd been lost in the throes of passion was hard to forget. It made his blood boil and sent the magic rampaging through his body. He should have foreseen this. Magic amplified magic.

He shouldn't have taken her virtue. As drunk and as desperate for her as he'd been, he should've still tried harder.

The energy soaring through him was something he'd never experienced before. Kat was something he'd never had before, something so pure and innocent. In all his conquests, nothing had even come close. What irked him was that he couldn't tell if it was because he was in love for the first time in his life or because of the damn magic.

Regardless of the reason, his skin craved hers, his body wanted nothing else but to be joined with hers again. His mind on the other hand was trying to catch up with what had happened. Desire aside, he'd been a complete idiot.

"Hey there." Jinx joined him, a wide grin on her face.

Cage threw her a sideways glance, fighting the urge to tell her to leave him be for another few moments. "You look better."

"You look astonishing, and that's saying something."

He turned to her, frowning. "Excuse me?"

"What happened? There's something different about you."

"Is there?" Paranoia caught hold of him. Could the magic be showing? It was burning him, begging to be left out.

Jinx narrowed her eyes as if trying to see past his physical presence and gaze inside. "I can't really tell, but there is something."

"I'm jittery," he finally conceded, turning back to the sea. There were storm clouds visible in the distance in the direction they were heading.

"I don't believe it's because of the rum."

His lips twitched in a smile. "No. Alcohol doesn't faze me." Except it had.

"I don't believe it fazes any respectable sailor." Jinx leaned her hands on the railing, too. They shook the slightest bit.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better. There are certain means to replenish magical energy." She winked and grinned at him.

Was that what happened? The reason he felt as if magic was drowning him? He tried to push it out as a protective shield around their ship, but it didn't want to. It wanted to surge, to target something and destroy it.

"Who fixed the ship?"

"Trix and Jazz. Fortunately, they had to do it before. Or should I say unfortunately?" Her voice became pensive.

"Many run-ins with sea monsters?"

"Sea monsters, pirates, inhospitable soldiers, you name it."

Fascinated by the idea, Cage turned towards the mast, for the first time focusing on the ship. The planks on the deck which had squeezed together and splintered were now back in their place, the deck pristine, as if nothing had happened. The mast itself was no longer bent and barely hanging on, but straight and proud. There seemed to be small parts of it missing, but nothing too serious. The veils were still on the floor in a rather unruly pile.

"How did they do this?" he couldn't help asking.

"It's Jazz's brand of genius, to be honest." Jinx said, leaning against the railing and crossing her arms over her chest. "They just magic the pieces back together, forcing the structures to regain their previous form. It's tedious work which implies magicking splinters back together. Fortunately, Jazz was up for it." And she grinned again.

The affirmation returned Cage's attention to his own predicament and the magic inside him seemed to stir. That would've been an activity to draw his mind away from what he'd done and satiate his magic.

As it was, it boiled worse than ever. His skin hurt and his vision and mind became a little hazy. It wanted to come out in some way. It was much like holding the beast back, except this time, what he was most familiar with had no intention to offer him release. His skin burned.

Wanting to distract himself, he turned back to the sea. The glittering water wasn't helping his headache at all. He glanced in the distance instead, at the grey clouds moving towards them. They were heavy, but inappropriate. A muscle in his jaw twitched and he clenched his fists. Lightning flashed for the fraction of a second. The sense of release was short-lived. It needed to be more.

His head pounded and his ears rung as the magic seemed to take over and devour him. He had to let it out somehow, he had to... As if it had a will of its own, his right arm rose to the sky. His fingers clenched together to form a fist and it felt like all the world's energy had gathered in his grasp. With a sharp pull of his elbow, the energy released.

A thick lightning bolt cut the sky and parted the sea, sending a gust of wind towards them. The moment it hit the water, his muscles finally untensed and he could breathe again. 

Jinx grabbed on to the rail, her brows bunched in a frown. For a second, she stood in silence, listening to him pant. When she turned to him, there was an unsettling focus in her eyes.

"Did you do that?" she asked, her voice low and even.

He didn't see the point of denying it, so he nodded before he let out a shaky, "Yes."

Jinx just hummed and nibbled on her lower lip for a few seconds. "Did you and Kat fuck?"

The direct question startled him almost as much as the whirlwind of magic. "Is that what you call what you and Jazz do?"

She shrugged. "Yes. Isn't that what it is?"

"I thought that particular use of word implies a lack of feelings."

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Semantics. It doesn't. Not for me anyway."

He turned towards the sea and leaned his forearms on the railing, glancing towards the distant storm clouds. "Well, it does matter for me. I would definitely not call it that unless it was meaningless."

"But you did do it."

That was no longer a question, so he had one of his own, even if he half-guessed the answer. "How could you tell?"

"It amplifies magic more than anything else. And what you did just now... That as a lot of pent up amplified magic."

He groaned. Yeah, he'd thought that much. "I guess it does, doesn't it? I've never felt so much magic coursing through me. It felt impossible to control."

"And yet you directed that lightning bolt so well," Jinx said, her tone light now. "Very impressive."

"Yeah..." He still couldn't get over the guilt though.

"Why do you sound so displeased?"

"Why do you think?" he muttered.

"Was she bad in bed?"

The question had him whipping towards her. "What? Of course not!" It was quite the opposite. So much so that he couldn't wait to do it again, principles and propriety be damned. It was too late to salvage anything anyway.

Jinx tilted her head, looking honestly confused. "Then what's the problem?"

"I took her virtue. I should have waited, exercised more self-control--" He faltered when Jinx huffed.

"Please. Aren't the two of you engaged anyway? Who cares if you did it before the wedding? You would've done it eventually."

"Not if I die before we get married."

Jinx hesitated for a few seconds, and Cage realized at that point that she was showing him a lot of consideration, weighing her words to try and help him figure this out.

"Why would you die before you got married?" she finally asked.

His eyes drifted back towards the storm clouds raging in the distance. "Because we're going to Principala. And whatever it might look like, my ultimate goal is to rescue my brother from Wolfbane. Even at the cost of my own life. Because he's the future of this kingdom. Not me, him."

"You could be the future of this kingdom as well," she said quietly.

"That chance was taken from me long ago. Seizing it now would only cause political unrest and bloodshed. Plus, I never really wanted it. By the time I found out I could have it, I was no longer interested. I preferred the life I had."

Jinx was silent for another few moments before saying, "Preferred. Past tense. What do you want now?"

She'd caught that. "I want to save Fer. And I want him on that throne."

She nodded, her gaze drifting across the sea as well. "You know," she said, after a short pause, "I think you're overthinking this thing with Kat. If you both like it, there's no issue."

"It might be if I end up dead."

"Men are dumb. Who's going to be able to tell? Also, if you die, doesn't she die, too?"

He'd thought of that, and it felt horrid how much the idea gave him solace. But he also knew not everything was definitive. "Cecile's qualm is with me. I do think that I'll die without her, but her? She's alive and well. I'm the one cheating death. I actually believe that if I die again, the curse will be broken."

"Curse? Now that's a very rude thing to say."

They both jumped and turned back to the ship. Cecile sat on the lowest beam of the mast, dressed in the same flowing dress the color of storm clouds. Even if there was barely any wind, her hair swirled around her face, making her look ethereal.

"You," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't look so disappointed to see me." The fairy floated down towards the deck, landing on the tip of one bare foot, like some grotesque ballerina. "My ears were turning red from all your complaining. Here you are, yet again, accusing me of cursing you."

He squinted at her. "Excuse me, but I don't know how else to take the fact that you've tied us so closely together that we can both be incapacitated if one gets hurt."

Cecile waved her hand impatiently. "Foolish humans. Does it hurt you with the same intensity?"

The question caught him off guard. "No."

"Of course not," Cecile cut in even before the simple word was out. "Is it a way for you to instantly know if she's being hurt, even if you can't see her?"

He actually hadn't thought of it that way. He pursed his lips and didn't answer because he didn't want to give the fairy the satisfaction.

Cecile didn't miss it, though, her full lips stretching into a triumphant smile. "See? Not a curse." Her gaze shifted to Jinx. "What about you? Do you think you are cursed?"

"No, High Fairy," Jinx said immediately, giving her a tiny bow of her head.

Cecile seemed pleased with her answer, because she returned her attention to Cage. "I'm actually here to congratulate you on your progress."

Her words only made him feel bitter about it. "Thank you," he said, his voice stiff. "Does this mean you can tell me more about what you want from me?"

Her stormy eyes narrowed and the smile caught a predatory edge. He felt his muscles contracting as she immobilized him, trapping in any potential word of protest. Like a feline, she strode towards him, circling him as if he were a sculpture she wanted to admire.

"Oh, no, my darling. You are not ready yet. Save your brother first, hone your magic. If you survive your encounter with Wolfbane yet again, I may deem you worthy." 

She floated a few inches above the deck, just enough to hover over him. Her gaze narrowed as she took him in and he wondered if she knew the reason for his sudden surge of power and he was about to be punished for it.

"My, my, you are delicious," she said, the glint in her eyes sending a shiver down his spine. "Unfairly so." And she planted a kiss on his lips.

He struggled against the magic's hold, but there was no breaking it. At least it also paralyzed the vomit which would've most likely gone up his throat.

"There is no reason for this," Jinx said, her tone too calm for the situation.

But it worked, it drew Cecile away from him, her malicious stare settling on Jinx. "Oh, look at you, taking his side. How sweet? How does dear Jazz feel about this?"

Jinx tenses, but she just shrugged as an answer. Cecile moved closer to her, but whatever she was searching for, she didn't find.

"Is this a true bond of friendship I sense? My, my, Cage, how you've grown. Able to be friendly with women without looking to sleep with them. How... progressive."

He still couldn't talk, so he didn't bother coming up with a comeback. So he just waited for Cecile to finish her sick game and leave them be.

"I think I like you, fire girl," Cecile said and waved her hand in Cage's direction.

At once, he could feel his lungs expanding properly and his muscles loosening. He drew a deep breath, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"You didn't even try this time," the fairy said with a shake of her rich locks. "I will not tolerate this next time." And in a twirl of her skirts, she was gone.

"Good riddance," he mumbled under his breath.

"What didn't you try?" Jinx asked with a frown.

"She keeps immobilizing me with magic and wants me to escape. But when I try, it hurts like hell, so why bother when she'll let me go eventually?"

She grinned. "Smart."

"Cage?"

He jumped at the sound of Kat's voice and turned towards the door leading down into the ship. For once, she wore a simple blue dress with a formfitting bodice. He would have admired her more if it wasn't for her weary tone and the flames flickering between her fingers.

Welcome to the aftermath of improper intimacy. We have some serious power shifts happening right now. Cage is on fire! And Kat is on fire, literally. And Cecile is satisfied. And we're getting so close to reaching the big fight! I hope you'll stick around as this part of the adventures reaches its conclusion.

All thoughts are greatly appreciated, so don't forget to vote and comment for support.

Or if you want to support me more, a bonus chapter has been posted last week so you can check that one out!