Chapter Nineteen:

"Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to the grave."

The voice sounded like it was clogged with some kind of plug, but when I saw a better look at him, I realized why. He had teeth missing, and seemed to slur his words. I could smell whiskey pouring from his body, and I had to keep a gag to myself. I reached down grabbing a dagger from Sebastian's table, and stood behind him as he held up a sword. "No one wants to play," His voice was rough, and I could feel how tense his body was.

"Ah, why not? I believe someone really would like to." He held his sword out, catching the edge of my dress. "Or someone would like her to." He grew a wicked grin across his face.

Lucas held his sword and pointed it toward the man, "Who sent you?"

"Is that really, where we should be heading?" The man brought the sword around to Lucas' throat.

"What do you want?" Sebastian hissed moving closer to the man, and I felt a gap between us. I shuffled forward, trying to stay quiet as the tension rose.

"Why would you assume I want anything?" He grew a crooked smile again and looked at me, "But her life sounds like something intersting?"

"Not even an idea." Sebastian struck his sword against his, and looked at him dead in the eye, "Money? You have it. Trades? We have can work it out. Camille? Not going to happen. Who sent you?"

"A dear friend, of Miss Camille, you know, a sweet reminder to her." He smiled at me, and I felt my hand shaking. Above us I heard screams, and whimpering, "Don't worry, you will be able to return home, just some not all in one piece..." He laughed, and I felt my back get chills.

"Calston paid you, what can I pay for you to leave Miss. Braxton alone?" Lucas rose his voice, and the man turned around cutting his face as he did it.

"Did I ask you to speak?"

"STOP!" I screamed, looking as the blood trickled down Lucas' face, and Sebastian jumped, realizing what I had done. Sebastian lunged at the man, as he raised his sword toward me.

"Camille go!" I ran past them as he caught my skirts ripping it down the side. I found the narrow pathway that led from the cabins toward a small shipping hold. It was big enough for me to stand in but not wide enough to let me pass easily. I found my way into a small room shutting the door behind me. I had the knife held tight in my hand, and I finally felt it. Blood trickling down my leg from an open wounded that had caught up to me, and began to stung. I flinched, but soon heard footsteps leading their way toward me. I swallowed hard, and held the knife at my side so no one could see it if they opened the door. I waited, holding my breathe. And I moved my body, and the floor creaked and the feet stopped, and I could hear the heavy breathing. And the smell of whiskey was overwhelming. I held my breathe and wrinkled my nose hoping it wouldn't give away my spot, but I was to late. He opened the door, "Hello pretty thing!" He laughed, and grabbed my waist.

"Leave me alone." I hissed in his face, gripping the knife tighter.

"Why would I do that? I get to have all the fun I want as a remindered to you, of what Calston has planned. He grabbed the tear in my dress ripping it open, exposing my legs. I felt my hand going numb from how tightly I held the dagger, and I felt the urge in my stomach to be sick. "So now where to begin." He whispered in my ear, and began to kiss my neck and touch my leg. I felt the urge to be sick, even more as the whiskey stench rolled across my chest. I could hear footsteps coming to my resuce, but they would be here to late. I grabbed the back of his jacket, and he grinned thinking I was allowing him, to continue. I grabbed tighter, bring my knee into his gut, and he reached around slapping me. "You little whore." He cursed coming after me, I grabbed the dagger and stabbed it into his heart, pulling it out and doing it with all my might, he flung himself onto the floor, screaming. Sebastian threw the door opened and saw the blood that was now pouring from his open wound, and looked at me. Covered in blood, shaking, and exposed.

His eyes filled with rage, and he looked at the man who was still possible of living, and then back at me. "Please close your eyes, Camille, or look away." I nodded, turning my head slightly. But I could see what he was doing out of the corner of my eye. He pulled the man's head up, whispered something, and slit his throat. I flinched, but remained calm. Sebastian took my hand, knowing very well I was already bloody, and led me over his body into the hall. "Are you okay?" I couldn't even speak, the words were left in the room, with the man, the man I started to kill.

He looked into my eyes, and pulled me through the hallway, "I will have one of the crew clean up everything. We are close to shore, and we will pull in, gather more guards, send letters, and clean as much as we can." He was mummbling to himself, not to me. I just nodded, but as we came into around the corner, I let out a scream. Lucas lay on the ground, with his back proped up against the wall, with blood pouring out. "Camille... shhh. He will be okay, I have taken care of the wounds, they are not going to kill him." I was shaking, uncontrollably now, and I realized what my own cuts were doing, and so did Sebastian, as he wrapped his arm around me, and everything went cold.

I woke up, laying in my own bed, it must have been the only room without blood damage, or the easiest to get me. I looked down, realizing the only thing covering me was a shirt, that must have belonged to one of them, but my leg had been wrapped up, and was no longer bleeding. I sat my body up on my elbows and looked around. Sebastian laid with his back against the wall, sleeping. I reached for a sheet, and found none. "They're being cleaned." He was awake. I looked at him, and felt embarrassed. "Don't get that way, I saw everything, so did Lucas and your doctor, we had to you were in shock by the time we arrived to shore."

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days, you lost a lot of blood, so did Lucas, and a few of the crewmen, but all are fine. They fought well, and were very protective. The ship is being cleaned, our new trade partners are very generous, since it turns out the men who were sent to our ship, are from their country." He laughed, and stood up, I could see his arm was bandaged now. "I am fine." He saw my eyes and smiled, walking toward me, "Oh, and for you." He opened the door grabbing a larger trunk an dragged it thorugh the door.

"What's that?" I leaned up a little further.

"A whole new outfit, from our new traders." He smiled, and shut the door behind him. I opened the trunk, and was astonished. The dress was gorgeous, it was light tan, with small crystal emblems throughout. I touched the dress pulling it out, underneath was a whole new set of corset, slip, and petticoat. I dressed myself, feeling the small tinges going through my leg as I moved around and boucned my body from side to side. I finished getting dress, and walked into the main area. Lucas sat signing paperwork, and Sebastian was talking to the captain.

"I am glad to see you better." Lucas smiled and went back to paperwork.

Sebastian offered me a tray with food on it, but never said anything else. I took the food, eating it quicker then I ever had. And still felt hungry, but I choose to exit to the cabin. I walked out, and what I saw was unbelievable. It was gorgeous, golden sands, and open water. Sebastian stood behind me, "Where are we?" My hair was blowing in the wind, and I felt it tickle my neck.

"Marocco." Sebastian smiled, "Seems your father created quite a name for himself here, and for the trading company."

"Really?"

"Yes, Miss. Camille, and I do believe I have some things that belong to you." I turned, to meet the eyes of a man who was not much older than Aiden or Sebastian, and the most gorgeous tan with dark brown eyes. "And I believe it will help you, your father believed it would."