She eyed me, then smiled coyly, brushing a few strands of dark hair behind her ear. “You’re new here, aren’t you?” she said.
I nodded.
“I suggest going to the captain’s room and asking there. He might have seen her. You never know, she could be with him.”
“Where’s the captain’s room?” I asked.
“Walk to the end of this hallway”—she gestured with her hand—“then take the first left and it’s the last cabin at the end of that corridor.”
I nodded and motioned to leave. She brushed a hand against my shoulder, her lips still curved in a smile. “And, in case you were interested,” she whispered, “my name is Lorena. My cabin isn’t far from the captain’s, just a couple of doors along to the right.”
She was attractive. But I wasn’t in the mood for playing around. I brushed her hand away and walked away.
I realized that I knew nothing about the captain at all—whether he was a werewolf, vampire, or perhaps another species entirely. I followed her directions and once I reached the end of the corridor, I paused and placed my ear to the door. I could hear a soft shuffling of papers. I rapped on the door three times and waited.
Footsteps sounded and the door swung open.
My heart skipped a beat.
In the doorway stood the man I’d met on the beach.
Matteo Borgia.
I took a step back involuntarily.
“You’re… you’re the captain of this ship?”
The man smiled.
“Yes.”
He opened the door wider and gestured for me to step inside. I found myself rooted to the spot. He held out his hand. I shook it after a pause. I looked around his cabin, nervous. The room was lined with shelves filled with books, and maps covered the wooden walls. There was a large window fixed to the side of the wall, though the blinds were drawn to keep the sun out.
He wore a freshly starched white shirt rolled up to his elbows and black shorts that stretched down below his knees. I wanted to walk right out of his cabin—hell, jump off the ship. Suddenly, being back in that town square seemed more appealing than being on the same boat as Natalie’s brother. Each time he looked my way, daggers of guilt pierced through me.
Now that I’d come face to face with him again, the resemblance really was unmistakable. I saw Natalie in his eyes, and to think he might have not found out about his own sister’s death due to being in a different realm made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Take a seat, Kiev. Make yourself comfortable. And welcome aboard. Saira did mention to me in passing that you have become the newest member of our crew. And what a surprise it was! I certainly hadn’t been expecting to see you again.”
I gulped and took a seat opposite his mahogany desk.
“Are you thirsty?” He indicated a jug of blood that was perched on a shelf. I could already smell that it was fish blood. I had been thirsty a few moments before stepping into his office. Now, all thirst had vanished.
I shook my head.
He poured a glass for himself and sat down behind his desk.
“What can I do for you?”
“I… I’m looking for Saira.”
“Why do you need her?”
“She put me up in the wrong room."
“Saira is busy now. But if you need a new room I’m sure that I can assist.”
He finished his blood, then got up and opened one of his desk drawers, pulled out a ring of keys and walked toward the door. He opened the door and courteously stepped aside, letting me step out first. I obliged and once we were walking down the corridor toward—I wasn’t even sure where—he began speaking again.
“Saira told me about the incident in the town square. Narrow escape, huh?”
My stomach formed in knots.
“Yes…”
“What got you into so much trouble?” He asked the question casually but I could detect a hint of curiosity in his voice, perhaps even mistrust.
“A man attacked me in the bar. I retaliated in self defense.”
“I see.” He nodded. “Yes. Violence against another inhabitant is the most serious form of crime on that island. It doesn’t matter how it was instigated. Some people see the rule as foolish and unfair, whereas others recognize that it’s required. You get all sorts passing through that place. They have to rule the inhabitants with an iron fist or else it would be chaos and the purpose of the island would be defeated.”
We continued walking down the corridor and once we reached the end, he opened a door and led us down to the level below. We stopped outside a door. He unlocked it and walked inside, drawing the blinds to block out the sun. It was a decent-sized cabin—larger than Mona’s—with a small shower room en suite.
I turned to Matteo and said “Thank you,” hoping that he’d now turn around and leave.
He placed some keys on the small dressing table and said, “Once again, nice to see you, Kiev. I’ll tell Saira to come down and find you once she’s finished her tasks.”
He beamed another smile at me before backing out of the room and closing the door behind him.
Chapter 18: Kiev
I lay in bed and looked up at the ceiling. I couldn’t stop thinking about Matteo. I wondered how long I might end up staying on that ship. As he was the captain—the most prominent member aboard—it wasn’t like I could easily hide from or avoid him. Being forced to face him each day, memories of that bloody night resurfacing in my mind each time our eyes met, was something I wasn’t sure I could handle.
But I had no alternative. At least for now.
Hours passed as I lost myself in thought. I lifted the blinds and realized that night had fallen. Thunder rolled overhead and rain pattered against the glass. As I got up to leave the cabin to stretch my legs, the deafening ringing of a bell echoed from outside. The boat shuddered so violently that I almost lost balance. The lantern in my cabin swung off its hook and smashed on the ground, splinters of glass sent digging into my ankles. I reached the window and looked out. The thick rain made it impossible for me to see far.
The ringing faded away into the distance and once the rocking stopped, I stepped out of my room. A dozen others had done the same, including a werewolf in the cabin next to mine.
“What was that?” I asked.
His eyes were wide with alarm.
“The Black Bell,” he whispered back.
“What?”
Ignoring my question, he dashed down the corridor. Everyone around me shared the same look of fear. I followed the direction he was heading in, toward the upper deck.