1
Alexandria Woods was a pirate on land.
Sitting in the far back corner of the crowded tavern, hidden by the shadows, she reached for her tankard of rum, watching the people coming in and out of this run-down establishment in this wretched part of the world.
Aboard the Polaris, she’d found a place where she belonged. The wild call of the sea resonated with her soul. She enjoyed the feel of the ship underneath her feet, swaying and rolling. Dancing among the whipping waves. She welcomed the challenges of an outlaw’s life with a relish. The thrill of battle, the constant risk of being caught , the expectations and hope intertwining with the opportunity to acquire wealth beyond her wildest dreams.
Alexandria Woods was a pirate to the end, a woman of the sea.
So what was she doing on land, a criminal with a bounty on her head, voluntarily away from her ship? She downed the remainder of her grog and replaced the tankard back on the table. Through the smoky haze filling the tavern, she caught the attention of the barmaid serving the neighbouring table and held up two fingers. She winked at her, smiling brightly and hurried away to fetch her order. Leaning back in her seat, she fiddled with the ring she wore on the ring finger of her left hand. It was a worthless trinket; fool’s gold and cut glass. Nothing of value, not even the slightest. The only memento from the girl she’d discovered in the hold.
Who had continued to haunt her.
She didn’t even know her name, but she’d earned her admiration. Even with her gun pressed to her head, she’d been defiant. Alexandria had thought that after years at sea, she’d seen all the shades of blue that exist in this world. Yet she’d never once felt the very real risk of drowning in them as she did gazing into the girl’s blazing blue eyes. They were so very bright, that even in the darkness of the hold where they met, it still seared through her existence. Her golden hair had spilled over her shoulders, enticing. And she wasn’t any immune to her enchantment, despite the many nights she’d spent with countless women.
God damn it, but she dreamed of holding her in her arms.
And no other women seemed to be able to extinguish the torch she carried for the golden-haired angel. It was as if her soul had decided that it had met its twin flame. That no one can even come close.
The girl must’ve been a witch. A siren. Capable of casting a spell more powerful than anything. It was the only explanation. Why else could she not forget her?
(The niggling little voice in her head kept telling her that this was not a spell she should want lifted. She ignored it anyway.)
The buxom barmaid returned with her order, setting two tankards on the table. She offered her a lopsided smirk, flipping a coin her way. The woman leaned deliberately close to her, smiling invitingly. “After we close, I can offer more zan tankards to a handsome lady like yourzelf.”
Alexandria grinned. “Lovely as the offer is, I’m afraid I’ll be otherwise occupied tonight.”
She cocked her head thoughtfully. “You look familiar ma chérie.”
“That would be a curious thing, wouldn’t it? Seeing that I’m a stranger to these parts.”
“Still..zere’s something about you..” She shook her head, likely dismissing the thought. She flirtatiously tucked a stray lock of hair behind Alexandria’s ear. “Never mind zen. If you’ll change your mind later…” The invitation hung unspoken as she sashayed away from her table. Alexandria’s smirk grew wider. Not likely.
“Is one of that for me,Heda?”
She had been so absorbed watching the wench, she’d missed the arrival of Echo, a fellow pirate with the talent in finding information. Or as they said on the Polaris, echoing the useful titbits back to them. Hence her name.
Wrapping her hand around a tankard, she slid it across the scarred wooden table to her companion.
“Have at it. And mind how you address me.”
“Yes,He–ah. Woods.” She nodded obediently, dropping into the seat beside Alexandria.
She had known Echo for the latter’s entire life. They had trained together, although since Alexandria was older she had boarded the Polaris earlier than her. She trusted her absolutely, the way she did with the entire crew of the Polaris. And since her talent was particularly useful for her current mission, she’d brought Echo together with her on this crazy journey she had on land.
..
Alexandria was watching the burning ship through the spyglass, a bitter satisfaction in her chest at seeing the destruction she’d wrought. While the Polaris attacked ships of all nations, they were in the habit of always burning British ships. Where they were concerned, she held a particular dislike.
As was usual, Anya stood beside her, frowning when she saw the longboats moving beyond the sinking ship and blonde hair blowing in the wind. Anya had been her mentor since she was seven, training her and preparing her for a life aboard a pirate ship. She was loyal to a fault, and was an extremely strict teacher. Most of her lessons were hard learned, but learned nonetheless.
“Looks like there was a wench aboard,Heda,” Anya broke the silence. “How’d we missed her?”
Alexandria shrugged nonchalantly. “She must’ve been hiding, then.”
“We tore the ship apart, from stern to stern,Heda. Someone had to have seen her. I’ll bet she was in the hold.” She lifted an eyebrow expectantly at Alexandria. She wasn’t a woman easily cowed, but in front of the woman who’d raised her for more than half her life, she easily caved in.
She dug the ring out of her pocket. “She paid me well to let her go.”
Anya took the ring from her outstretched palm, studied it, and tossed it back to her. “It’s nothing but glass,Heda. Bit of a fakery. But I know you knew that. Why would you still take it?”
She smirked in lieu of an answer. Though it did not deter her Fos in the slightest, who let out a heavy sigh. “Really,Lexa?”
Anya’s usage of her nickname only made her smirk wider. She waved the older woman off. “All in good time,Onya. All in good time.”
..
It was around six months ago, when Lincoln returned from his off duty, bringing news about a pirate hunter who had been spreading reward notice for Alexandria all along the coast. Six weeks ago, she and Echo have arrived in French Louisiana. The ship that had brought them was in port for repairs. It would be a few more weeks before she was ready to head back into open waters. She didn’t mind waiting. It’d be easier to keep under the detection by working on an honest ship.
Before Echo could grab her tankard, Alexandria hold on to it. “Did you do as I asked?”
“Sha,He–,”she began to answer, Alexandria’s withering look stopping her in her track. She coughed, chastised. “I mean, yes, Woods.” She took out a notepad from her shirt’s pocket. “It’s as you suspected. The pirate hunter is on our scent. The Lady Vengeance made port late this afternoon.”
Alexandria was already well aware of that.
Echo flipped through the pages of her note “They say that the captain is a woman on a mission. A lady on her path to get her vengeance.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Not believing the rumour mill, Woods? I mean, it’s not as if women pirates are as much a myth as people believe they are.” She chuckled. ”Isn’t that so?”
Alexandria twirled her dagger slowly, contemplating the situation at hand. “Not privateers. No royal governor would issue a letter of marque to a woman. He’d be laughed out of office.”
“What if one did?”
“Well then he’s an idiot.”
“That goes without saying, you know.”
“I do.”
“You reckon she’s lying about the marque?”
Alexandria smirked at the question. “Women are the sliest creature in Creation after all, Miss Echo.”
“Aye,” Echo grinned. “You would know that better than anyone, wouldn’t you, Woods?” She took a long swig of her grog. “Our cunning forgiven, still. Where else would they get their kisses, after all? ”
Alexandria smiled absently, Echo’s words recalling the last time she ever took part in any kissing, and the memories made her lick her lips reflexively. As if to find any leftover taste of the blonde on them after all the time that had passed. “So The Lady Vengeance may or may not be captained by a woman,ey?”
Echo pulled out a piece of paper from her notebook, unfolding it smoothly on the table. “Any which way the truth is, she’s passing these around. She’s definitely after you, that much is certain.”
She did know. It was the reason she was here instead of being with her family on the Polaris, after all. Alexandria took the paper, studying her likeness. It was accurate; even the streak of her face paint exactly as she would have applied it. The details of the painting made her smile.
Someone knew her very, very well. Remembered her with a borderline obsessiveness. And wanted her badly enough to go to the expense of printing up reward notice.
Refolding the wanted poster, she tucked it neatly in her inner jacket pocket. It wouldn’t do for someone to pick it up, notice her, and decide that the hundred pound reward was worth the effort of trying to catch her. That would definitely throw a wrench in her plans, and if there’s something Alexandria hated more than anything, it was when things didn’t go according to her calculations.
“A lot of people would be tempted to turn you in for the reward,” Echo quipped, clearly understanding what’s going on in her mind.
Alexandria flashed a smile at her, baring all her teeth. “Are you tempted, Echo?”
Echo looked up at her demurely through her eyelashes. “What answer are you hoping to hear from me, Woods?” She playfully clinked her tankard against Alexandria’s, downing the contents.
She leaned back in her seat. Echo was right. Many a man would be tempted. The barmaid’s statement from earlier played in her memory, about her looking familiar. Had she seen one of the wanted posters? How many others might have?
Seemed like depending on the identity of her illustrious hunter, this could well make or break her plans.
Echo tapped out a rhythm on the table. “I found us a captain who’s willing to take on a couple of experienced sea rovers like us.”
Alexandria peered at her from over her tankard. “An honest ship would take on crew members without papers and recommendations? Or a meeting first? ”
“Well, it was quite on the grey side of legal.. You interested, Woods?” She leaned in and whispered. “The captain’s not asking any question.”
“I thought I’ve made it clear to you that we’re taking cover in honest ships.” Alexandria glared at her.
“It is.” Pause. “Barely, though.”
Alexandria heaved a sigh. She’d trusted her crewmates with her life, however. And despite itself, in this situation it wasn’t any different.
“When does he leave?”
“First light. With the morning tide.”
“Very well then. “she acquiesced, lifting her grog for a toast.
Echo clanked her tankard gamely. “To things as they are meant to be.”
Alexandria smirked. “Aye.”
There was no reason to delay, so Alexandria drained her tankard in one long, hearty swallow, Echo following closely behind. Neither of them had a need to return to the squalor where they’d been living these past few weeks. Alexandria carried everything that mattered on her. Her pistols were tucked in her belt holsters. Her dagger strapped to her opposite side of her cutlass. The only clothes she’d brought with her were those on her back. It was easy; to come and go as she pleased. The freedom her nomadic lifestyle allowed her was something she definitely enjoyed.
But sometimes she did find herself yearning for something..more. More permanent. Reliable A home she could always return to. A safe refuge of her own.
A someone to come home to.
(And if tresses of flowing blonde locks and a shades of bright blues have recently dominated her dreams whether in sleep or waking, it’s no one else’s business but her own.)
She and Echo stepped into the night. Grey mists swirled at their feet as they moved farther away from the bustling tavern, making their way through the narrow streets. The light from lanterns hung here and there created an eeriness in the fog that had rolled into the city in the night. It was nearly midnight, and the streets were fairly deserted as Echo led the way.
“This way, Woods.”
She turned into a dark passage, trapped by buildings on either side of it. The lanterns providing the light were absent here, but farther down a glow fought the mist. Alexandria frowned in unease. This was exactly the type of place she would use if she wanted to mug someone.
“Yo ho ho and a bottle —“ Echo began singing.
“Quiet!” Alexandria commanded in a harsh whisper.
“Yes, Woods.” Echo obeyed, muttering under her breath.
Alexandria crept cautiously behind Echo. She’d never been afraid of the dark; Anya had made sure that particular fear trained out early of her, citing that, “Pirates aren’t scared of a little dark. We’re supposed to be fearless.” But a little caution was always necessary, what with the kind of life she’d led so far. She had been taught to be aware of the littlest shifts in her surrounding from a very young age. Which is how she was able to detect it.
A whisper of sound.
Something that didn’t belong.
The rasp of her cutlass as she drew it from its sheath cut through the silence.
Echo stopped. ”Hey now, Woods. Why are you so jumpy?”
Alexandria’s eyes narrowed at Echo’s silhouetted figure, the light beyond her. “Something’s amiss.”
The hairs along the nape of her neck prickled and rose, the sense of something’s wrong running up her spine.
“Woods, you can’t—“
Echo let out a little scream and disappeared into the blackness. The sound of metal scraping against metal made itself known to her as a light flared to the side.
She swung around. Half a dozen men stood behind her, one of them holding a lantern aloft. He must’ve had it encased in a sort of metal container to prevent it from being seen earlier. Another sound floated from behind her shoulder, prompting her to look for the source. More light. More men.
She drew her dagger swiftly, now holding a weapon in each hand.
A man stepped forward. “Drop your weapons Woods, and no harm will come to you.”
Alexandria chuckled as though she were on the deck of a ship, facing a taunting bully. “If you want them, come and take them.”
She slashed her cutlass through the air, slicing nothing except fog. But the movement made a whistling sound that echoed between the buildings. Boldly. Daringly. A challenge for anyone to come close.
She swung around at the rush of footsteps behind her, her blade hitting another. The ringing of steel vibrating around her. She thrust with her dagger and her opponent jumped back.
She was at a disadvantage, it was pretty clear to her.
There were too many. She could see no way of escaping, but she’d be damned if she went down without a fight.
“You can’t win against us,” the man who’d spoken before said. “Surrender to the captain of The Lady Vengeance.”
Alexandria let out another snort of laugh as she spun around. “Well, wouldn’t that make your work easier? Think again, mate.”
“I’m not the captain,” he replied.
She tsked at his answer. “Too much of a coward to do his own work?”
A pain shot through Alexandria’s head, forcing her to her knees. Someone had sneaked up behind her and clobbered her skull. Her weapons were torn from her grasp, leaving her feeling vulnerable. Weak. The world spun around her as she tried to get up, but the ground was so much more inviting. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep.
A hand jerked her roughly to her feet. Her arms were wrenched behind her before she felt the bite of rope as someone bound her hands.
The clinking of coins caught her attention, and she watched, stunned, while the men who’d spoken earlier tossed a small bag into Echo’s outstretched palm.
Echo walked up to Alexandria. “Sorry Woods, just looking out for my best interests.”
She took a swing, her fist hitting Alexandria’s right eye, sending her toppling back to the ground.
“That’s enough!” A feminine voice shouted.
As awkward as it was with her hand tied behind her back, Alexandria lifted her head and watched a girl walking out of the mist.
With blonde hair flowing past her shoulders.
She stopped only a few feet from her. “So we meet again, Alexandria Woods.”
It was the girl from the hold. And from the look on her face, she had every intention of sending her to hell.