The Queen of the Waves

34: Bloody Sheets

Bas had finished with dealing justice to the lawless pirates when Louis tapped him on the shoulder.

He only needed to say one thing to him, "Mara."

Bas swallowed hard and abruptly turned on his heels. The boards joining the two boats groaned under his weight as he frantically returned to his Mara.

He knew she would be cross with him, how could she not be, but she was safe and alive and that was all that mattered.

"Mara?" He called out as he searched through his pockets for the keys.

There was no answer, only whimpers and tears in response. He knew this would have been traumatic for her, but their cabin wasn't secure. There were multiple entrances to that corridor whereas Bayen's cabin had only one entrance, an entrance Bas didn't leave as he fought.

But now, he couldn't find the keys.

"I'll be right back Mara!" He shouted through the wood before he dashed away to look for Louis or the keys.

A sudden blood curdling, stomach clenching scream filled the Golden Promise and her sails. It was Mara.

Bas knew it was Mara. His heart dropped into the ground as he thundered back to the cabin. Maybe he had made a mistake, maybe someone had snuck into the cabin.

Without stopping to consider, he slammed his shoulder into the heavy oak wood of the door. It groaned and splintered under his force and desperation.

"Mara! Mara! Are you ok?"

By now the other crew members had returned onto the ship and were crowding around.

"Here. Let us help." Three of the strongest men on the crew offered and together they slammed the door off its hinges.

Bas stormed into the room, his eyes frantically searching the floor for the next body of a person he failed, but there was none.

"Bas." Mara's voice was weak and shaky.

His eyes flew over to the bed, where Mara was laying, drenched in sweat with blood on the sheets before her.

Convinced she was dying of a sickness, Bas felt his knees give out.

"Mara-" he opened his mouth to plead for forgiveness, to plead for an answer from the heavens.

But instead, a baby's cry cut off his words. His head whipped up from the floor and he stared at his Mara.

Now his pulse and panic had stopped racing, his eyes could finally focus on the reality of what was before him.

Laying in Mara's arms was a tiny squirming ball of potential. With shaking legs, he dragged himself to his feet and staggered over to her.

Mara's skin was pale and drenched in sweat, her lips trembled with stress and fear as she waited for his reaction.

"Mara." Bas breathed out as he knelt on the floor beside her bed.

"Bastian." She mumbled, her throat croaky from her screams.

"You have a daughter."

With weak, limp arms, Mara lifted her baby into Bas' anxiously outstretched arms.

He stared down at the tiny little girl in his arms. Her big blue eyes blinked up at him as he stared down at her.

"Hello." He mumbled out, utterly speechless, "I'm your daddy."

"Mara, how?" He glanced up at her and then felt his world crash down around him.

Her skin had become deathly pale and between her legs, the ominous pool of blood was growing.