In The Arms Of My Pirate

Octavia's Betrayal

Octavia opened her mouth to scream, but a hand closed over her mouth. The dark figure's other hand wrapped behind her head to hold her in place as she struggled to free herself.

"Quiet!" a voice hissed in her ear.

She blinked in the darkness of the hallway. The figure pushed her backward into the room. His hand fell from her lips.

"Charles," she gasped, "what are you doing here?"

"Throwing a ball," he grunted, looking around the room. "I'm helping you escape."

She wrapped her arms around his waist. Tears of relief and gratitude blurred her vision. She longed for more, but there wasn't time for that. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door.

"Can't go that way," he said. "Too many men."

"What are we going to do?" she asked, voice rising in panic.

Charles looked around, eyes hardening when they finally stopped on the large window of the captain's quarters. He lifted the chair from beside the table and smashed it against the glass.

The glass shattered, and the wood splintered.

Octavia winced at the harsh sound.

Charles used the leg of the chair to knock the remaining shards of glass out and reached for her hand. "Come on."

"Jump?" she gasped, looking at the dark water below. "From here?"

Footsteps pounded in the hallway on the other side of the  cabin door.

"Unless you'd rather stay for dessert," Charles said.

He grabbed her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Together, they dove out the window.

Octavia pinned her eyes shut tightly as they splashed headfirst into the water. The cold shocked her, freezing the breath in her lungs. They broke apart.

She kicked hard to the surface and gasped for air. Water streamed down her face, dripping into her mouth.

"Charles!" she hissed, looking around.

Charles surfaced beside her, showering her with droplets of saltwater.

Together, they looked up at the window. The door inside the cabin slammed open, reverberating against the wood of the ship.

Lafitte shouted in anger.

Charles held a finger to his lips and pulled Octavia closer to the ship. Together, they treaded water softly, tucked safely in the alcove beneath the window.

Lafitte's shadow appeared outlined on the water as he leaned through the hole they'd made.

"She's gone!" he shouted, slamming a fist against the window frame. "Send out a search party. She can't have gotten far."

Charles' fingers tightened around hers, comforting and warm.

Footsteps pounded against the deck above them. The rigging jiggled and slapped against each other as the crew prepared the rowboat to lower into the water.

Lafitte's shadow disappeared from the window.

Charles gestured with his head and together they kicked out towards the stretch of land to the south of Theodosia's island.

Octavia's boots weighed heavily full of water as she struggled to kick. Her muscles grew weaker as she fought against the tide that slowly sucked her back out to sea.

She lagged behind her rescuer, salt stinging her eyes.

"Charles," she coughed, spitting out water.

He turned and looped an arm under her shoulders.