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“Does it matter?” Bellamy jeered. “Your safe for now, only because I lost some men during that little cannonball swap and needed replacements. You weren’t exactly what I was hoping for, but…” He eyed us all up and down, no doubt confused by our jeans and hoodies with zippers.
Their voices faded from focus as I looked around, taking in the sight of the ship deck and the crew hustling to and fro, working on side repairs and rigging, polishing cannons and rolling barrels into place. I remembered what Cordelia said about the trident in the triangle and held my breath. Time. Life. Space. It controlled all three within the oceans.
Time.
“Bellamy,” I interrupted, still watching the scene before me and remembering the sky above us was not the same one we’d been under an hour ago. “What year is it?”
Bellamy’s perfect lips curled into a mocking smirk. “You must’ve hit your head in the wreck, love.”
“Just tell me, please. Maybe I’m confused like you say. But just tell me the year.”
Bellamy didn’t speak, but reached into a leather pouch at his side beneath the folds of his coat and tossed a coin in my direction in one swift motion.
In an instinctive reaction, I managed to catch the coin and took one look at its rough bronzed exterior before the raised numerals caught my eye.
“1720?” I said the date printed on the coin’s rim aloud, confirming my own horrifying suspicion. “The year is 1720?”
“Something like that,” he chuckled. “But really who’s keeping track out here on these waters?” A sudden drop hit his voice, as though veiling something serious.
“This is a joke.” Noah jumped in nearly before Bellamy had finished speaking “This can’t be real. Am…am I getting punked?”
“I’m so sorry. To both of you,” I muttered, tucking away the coin in my pocket and flicking my gaze between the two of them. This was the quietest I’d ever seen McKenzie, and Noah’s eyes were smoldering with frustration and fear. “You were never supposed to have been part of this.”
“Part of what?” Noah screamed. “Time traveling?”
Without warning, a cutlass blade lowered down swiftly right between Noah and I, creating a barrier between us. I looked up at Bellamy, who was firmly grasping the hilt. “You still haven’t told me your names.”
“Katrina,” I uttered, gesturing at the other two beside me as a sick feeling rose in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve given him my real name. Would it mess with things later on in the future? I didn’t know. But it was too late by the time I’d thought otherwise. “It’s Katrina. And this is McKenzie and Noah.”
I studied Bellamy as he gave an approving nod. Did he know about Milo yet? Had his father forced him to join the crew? Or was this before their unfortunate meeting? And where was Valdez? Bellamy had never mentioned that he’d captained his own ship before.
“I’ve encountered strange things at sea, but you three are quite the odd trio. You don’t seem cut out for a life of sailing. I’d be hard pressed to find a way to make you useful aboard my ship. So, you’ll be disembarking at our next port.”
“And where is that?” McKenzie chimed, to my surprise.
“Kingston.” Bellamy nodded.
“What do you expect us to be able to do there?” I asked.
“I really haven’t given it that much thought, love. Your affairs off my ship don’t intrigue me enough to be concerned. Be grateful I didn’t leave you lost at sea.”
I sighed. I don’t know what more I even expected. It didn’t really matter where Bellamy took us. Because the problem wasn’t where. It was when. And I didn’t even know how to begin to remedy that. And Milo. Was he unable to come with us because of some obscure rule that wouldn’t allow him to go back to the time he lived? Was he left behind? Or had he been brought here, too, only to not survive the wreck?
Please, no. Not the last one.
I prayed he was safe, whatever or however that may be. I just couldn’t convince myself that he’d drowned. He had to be out there. Bellamy must’ve noticed the tension in my face as I stared at the wet woodgrain on the deck in thought.
“Relax, lass.” He patted my shoulder as he turned to walk away. “It’s only a few days voyage for the Widow. And I promise my men don’t bite.” With a cold glimmer in his eye, he looked back at me over his shoulder. “But I might if you’re not careful.”
As I stood, my nerves jumbled within me like tangled ropes, still processing the impossible reality of it all. The crew members who had been watching us resumed their duties, scurrying across, below, and above the deck. And I stared, in the same insufferable silence as McKenzie and Noah, as the Widow caught the wind and rocked forward across the water.
12
Every Man for Himself
Milo
When I opened my eyes, I was face down in the sand. My arms ached from swimming. A few coughs quickly arose as I sat up to clear the seawater from my lungs. I let out a groan as my muscles flinched with exhaustion.
