Pirate; The Seavey Pendant

21. A Final Battle

Note: I am finally back after the busiest school year of my life.  I'm so sorry, and know that the next (and the last) chapter isn't far off! 

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Cinnia's mind and body were frozen with the shock of seeing her father.  This was not the way she had imagined it happening.  Their eye contact seemed to last a lifetime, and was only broken when Derane shook her violently.   "I know ye two have some family issues to go over, but yer pathetic little problems will have to wait until our issues are settled." Derane sneered.  A murmur of surprise passed along the Marauder's crew as realization dawned on them: Cinnia was the daughter of Seavey.

Seavey tore his gaze from Cinnia and turned them, now containing a spark of red-hot hatred, to Derane.  His back straightened and before he spoke, he spat into the icy waters beneath.  ''Ye must be out of yer mind, Derane, to think ye could take me out.  And, never have I had the . . . misfortune to deal with such a disgraceful man as yerself.  To think ye would kidnap my daughter.'' His voice was venomous, and his tone had gone from raspy to powerful.

Derane smirked, ''I never kidnapped her, she sauntered onto this boat herself, claiming her rights to piracy in such a pompous manner that only ye could have otherwise managed.''

Seveay's gaze flickered from Derane to Cinnia, she believed she saw a hint of disbelief and pride in them.  "I see.  And what could a young lady have done that was so threatening to a . . . erm . . . man, of yer wit and power?  Do I terrify ye to such an extent that ye feel unsafe if ye don't lock in my daughter?''

Derane's face reddened, ''She murdered Gambara.''

Seavey scoffed and began to pace alongside the ship's ledge.  He shook his head in humorous disbelief before observing Derane's crew.  He stopped before them and observed them all closely, "How could you possibly believe Cinnia would kill Gambara?"

Before any of the crew members could reply, Derane spoke up again, "She was sent on a mission in Raelith, and shortly after she came back, Gambara was found dead by the means of a poison that just happens to be commonly found in Raelith."

"She was sent on a mission, you say?  One ordered by Gambara?  Was this mission important?" Seavey asked nonchalantly.  When Derane didn't answer, Seavey continued, "So, my daughter would be trusted with such an important mission, and she decides to murder him as thanks?  That doesn't seem to make much sense.  Ye would think she would adore and respect him.  Besides, what could she possibly gain from his murder?" He asked.

Derane glared at Seavey with a deep hatred, "Perhaps she believed removing him as Captain would guarantee that Kieran would succeed him, who she then could exert even more control over."

"My daughter may not have been a pirate for long, but she is not stupid.  She would have known that ye would have been a likely candidate as Captain.  And don't tell me she was the only one who went to Raelith." Seavey looked at Derane's crew, "Some of ye must have gone, no?'

The crew looked around at each other, and many glanced at Drake.  Seavey caught the looks Drake got, "Ah, so there is a possibility someone else could have gotten the poison.  Someone could have even gotten the poison by the order of ye, Derane.  Perhaps ye killed Gambara."

Derane's face rivaled that of a tomato, "How dare you?!" he roared as his crew looked at him with suspicion.

"Perhaps ye realized that once Gambara was gone, ye could take his place and have ultimate control of the Night Marauder.  Then, ye could blame it on Cinnia, which would give ye the perfect reason to come and search for me, to get yer revenge," He looked at the crew once again, "Ye are all following a traitor.  There is a reason I kicked him out of my crew all those years ago.  Back then, I realized that this man was the kind of man who would not hesitate to murder his own Captain to satisfy his dangerous need for power."