SWNOVELS Chapter Fourteen: Marley
The smell of the ocean caused her eyes to close as she tried to clear her mind. Her feet hanging over the edge of the ship as she sat up front, Marley didn’t want to look at anyone or even hear them. She just wanted to be left alone, in her thoughts and in the way the water moved with the motion of the ship.
A week had passed, she had only a handful of words shared with Sawyer but she refused to say anymore then that. She was hurt, her heart ached the closer they had gotten to her island and knowing that he would be leaving once he took her home hurt even more.
Marley hated the mate bond, she hated how she could feel the invisible pull that drew her towards him. She hated how she was lied to her entire life and she hates being a mixed breed demon. It took awhile to wrap around her mind, being a cross demon and fae was the last thing on her list of what she could have been yet she was those very things. She had to question if she was her parents daughter and wondered where her real parents were if that was the case.
And Mackenzie, Mack was the one with the demon blood. Did she know? Has she ever known what she was? And if she did, why would she keep it quiet? Marley knew her family were judgemental and ridiculed everything they did, especially to Mack so deep down she knew why Mack kept it quiet if she knew but Marley wished she had known this the whole time.
Marley signed, leaning forward to stare straight down into the water. She wondered what would happen if she just jumped. Straight down into that deep dark pit and never resurface again but something kept holding her back and that was the dark red eyes of her annoying mate that kept his distance but still stared holes in the back of her head.
“How is my girl going?” Abby asked, sitting down next to her as removed some blonde hair from her grey eyes. “Although, that is a stupid question, you are depressed and so is mister dragon man over there but it is fine. We are all fine, everything will work out.”
“Optimistic of you.” Marley muttered.
“Of course!” Abby beamed, showing her pearly whites. “I might not know who my mate is, heck I sometimes wonder if I even have one but I know he is out there. I had to ask myself if I would ever accept him, I have some… problems that need to be fixed and having a mate will cause friction to that so I do understand why he is sending you back to your family but I also know that no matter what you try to do, you will always need your mate by your side. I am hoping he realises that before it is too late.”
Marley sat in silence for a minute before she bit her lip. “He told me that his mission is just like the tales of the crystal heart. But I can’t seem to wrap my head around one detail about that story.”
“Well, it is a complicated prophecy. Man meets a girl while trying to save his kind. Man falls in love with the girl while they travel together and the girl dies saving his life while they get the heart.”
Marley nodded. “Yes, I know all of that but… how does she die?”
Abby paused, piercing her lips in thought. “I… I don’t know. That was never explained.”
“Exactly!” Marley nodded. “If this mission he is on is exactly like the prophecy then how do I die? And how does this,” She waved her arms around in exhaustion. “Come into it. There is nothing about the man dropping his mate off and saying ‘see ya!’ to her.”
Abby’s face was in a distant look of confliction as she looked away from Marley and out to sea. “Prophecies aren’t set in stone. They are always changed no matter what but you do have a point. Some things do come true and some things are added for no reason and this was never a part of it.”
“Captain, we are here.”
“Thank you, I will be right there.”
Marley jumped from the sound of Abby’s crew mate as she thanked him and stood to take her place as the captain. Marley felt herself sigh again as the island came into view. Getting bigger and bigger as she recognised the villagers.
The same dock that she grew up around and the same children she last saw when she left this place behind. She felt nostalgic, vomit wanting to come up as she touched her stomach and stood.
Her first mistake was accidentally making eye contact with Sawyer, the same blank expression was on his face as she rolled her eyes and waited for the ship to be fully docked before leaving. Saying goodbye to Abby was the hardest part as the girl started crying but Marley knew to be strong, this was her fate, this was going to happen no matter what and she had no say in it.
Her heart ached even more as she left the docks and walked the path that led to her farm. The same bridge that she had to cross was still in the same place as she remembered and all of the houses were all the same. Being back felt like she hadn’t left at all.
Her bow and arrow felt heavy on her back as she came closer and closer to her house. She could see the smoke from the chimney from where she was as she wondered if her entire family were all there.
Eating, laughing, enjoying their lives while she was out in the middle of nowhere and then killed by a group of Fae who wanted her blood for something that she still has no idea about and then getting saved by a half demon half vampire chick.
But that soon changed when she heard the familiar gasp of the one person who understands her.