27

Ainsley was surrounded by the roar of wind and rain. She was lashed at from all sides, soaking wet in seconds, and she couldn't even speak through the wind that tore at her hair and clothes. She couldn't see anything until lightning flashed, lighting the masts that towered above them and the waves that crashed against the hull, throwing glittering spray against the deck.

But Gael's hand never left hers, and the urge to crumple to the deck in a trembling pile was fading. Ainsley swallowed, squinting into the darkness.

She didn't hear Gael's gasp, but she felt the pirate stiffen, fingers curling tighter around Ainsley's hand. Ainsley sucked in a sharp breath of air.

Wreathed by the rain, a snout had appeared.

It snaked out of the low-hanging clouds that surrounded the Finch, followed by the rest of the head and then a long, serpentine neck. When lightning flashed again, it glinted against huge eyes, spikes as tall as the Finch's masts, and huge wings silhouetted in the clouds above. Ainsley's heart raced so fast she thought it would burst out of her chest. The behemoth loomed over them, head tilted to one side and large enough to smash the ship to splinters.

Ainsley took a step forward. Gael stayed close to her side, holding her steady against the swaying deck. Thunder rolled again, but this time, Ainsley barely heard it over the roaring in her ears. She reached out with a hand that shook violently and rested it against rain-slick scales.

Everything seemed frozen in time for a moment, and Ainsley's couldn't hear anything beyond the thudding heartbeat of the dragon she touched.

She pulled her hand away and the head reared back, plunging back up into the storm. Its wings swept out, brushing against the foam-tipped waves, and with a terrifying display of power, it lunged back up into the sky.

The awe at touching such a beast never truly faded.

Ainsley looked at Gael, who still held her hand tightly between them. The pirate's hair blew wildly about her face, and when lightning lit up the undersides of the storm clouds again, it glinted off of the rainwater streaming over her face.

Gael tipped her head back toward the hatch, and Ainsley nodded. No words were needed. The two of them tumbled back into the depths of the ship, dripping water all over the floor and breathing hard. Ainsley trembled from head to toe.

"Are you alright?" Gael asked, holding her arm.

There was a clap of thunder that sent a nervous shiver through Ainsley's spine, but she couldn't help the smile on her face.

"That was incredible."

Gael laughed, and Ainsley found herself laughing too, shoulders shaking as she fell back into Gael's arms once more. They were both soaked through, but neither seemed to care, rocking with the sway of the boat beneath them.

"Are you absolutely sure you wouldn't like to spend the night with someone?" Gael asked at last, separating from Ainsley.

Ainsley swallowed.

With Gael, she was fine. Better than fine. She could forget about her fear. But she didn't want to go back to that dark hold by herself and wait for the storm to end.

"I... would appreciate that, actually, Gael."

Hand in hand, the two proceeded back to the captain's quarters, where Gael shut the door firmly, then went to the bed in the corner and pulled off a heavy blanket. She wrapped it around Ainsley's shoulders and their hands met for a moment when the princess took the corners of the blanket and held them close to herself.

"That may have been reckless. You'll catch a cold."

"I suppose you'll just have to keep me warm," Ainsley blurted, the words slipping out before she could stop them. Gael froze, and there was a long silence. Ainsley's heart plummeted. Gael didn't feel the same way. Of course not. She shouldn't have expected anything else. She licked her lips but forced herself to forge on. There was no use hiding it now.

"Gael, I like you a lot. I think... I think I may have fallen for you very hard, and of course it's alright if you don't feel the same way at all, but you need to know that i think you're extraordinary."

The words came out rushed and clumsy, but she didn't mind, and didn't feel the need to tear her gaze from Gael's dark brown eyes once. The rocking of the boat seemed barely there now, and all Ainsley could see was Gael's features lit in soft light. How was she only noticing now the way Gael's wet, dark lashes framed her brown eyes?

"Ainsley, I..." Gael's word's wavered on her lips, and Ainsley looked down, resigned to disappointment.

Gael's hand touched her chin so lightly Ainsley was sure she had imagined it. But no, Gael was lifting her face gently, until their eyes met with some force that both electrified and melted Ainsley at once.

Their lips met a moment later.

The blanket slipped from Ainsley's fingers and off of her shoulders as she reached for Gael's arms, barely feeling it when Gael's hands found the rain-slicked sides of her face. The kiss was so soft and hesitant Ainsley feared she would open her eyes and realize she had dreamed it all.

But no, the warmth of Gael's body was real, and the way her breath touched her cheek when they pulled apart was certainly real as well.

"I think we can keep each other warm tonight," Gael said at last, sounding breathless even though their gentle kiss had only lasted a moment or two. Ainsley smiled.

"Alright."

Thunder crashed as Ainsley fell into Gael's bed, suddenly exhausted. Gael followed, carrying back the forgotten blanket. The bed shifted under her weight as she settled down next to Ainsley, who stifled a grin.

"Do we both fit?"

"Oh, we'll manage," Gael replied, moving closer and throwing the blanket over top of both of them. "As long as we stick close."

Ainsley had to laugh. The weight of Gael's arm found her, and she felt her hand press into her shoulder blade, drawing her closer. She was more than happy to oblige, resting her forehead against Gael's collar and not minding the fact that they were both still damp with rainwater.

She wasn't sure how this had even happened, but she wasn't about to question it and break the fragile magic that linked her and Gael in some inexplicable way. Some part of her mind insisted this would only cause problems, but she shut her eyes and closed off the whispers. That could be dealt with. For now, all that mattered was the warmth settling into her bones and the way Gael's form felt pressed close against hers.

"Not scared anymore?" Gael asked in a whisper. Ainsley felt the words as a vibration in her throat more than she heard them.

"Never with you," she replied, her answer leaving her as a breath of air, barely audible over the rumbling storm outside. She felt Gael's cheek against the top of her head.

"This... this is all new to me. I apologize in advance if I mess something up."

Ainsley didn't shake her head, not wanting to disturb their intimate position. "You won't do any such thing." She refrained from adding that if anyone was going to mess this up, it would be her. She was born, cursed from the moment she opened her eyes, to destroy what she touched. A dragon's nature could not be changed. How could she expect this to be any different?

—

Ainsley didn't know when she fell asleep, but when she awoke again, the world had stopped its shivering, and now hung in the delicate rocking balance she had come to know. She curled her legs up closer and shifted her arm under her head, feeling the warmth against her back move slightly as well. Memories of last night crashed back into her like the waves that had struck the Finch's hull.

The storm. The dragon.

The kiss.

There was the weight of a hand on her shoulder, snaked between her arm and ribcage. Ainsley opened her eyes.

It was still dim, but bright light shone in through the edges of the circular porthole on the wall. Wooden planks rose up in front of her. She was facing the wall.

She took the hand on her shoulder in her own, not turning over to look at the woman who stayed pressed close to her back. Gael's fingers curled around hers in response, and a smile lifted the edges of Ainsley's lips. For reasons she couldn't pin down, she found herself wanting to cry. She gripped Gael's hand tighter and finally twisted over to look at her.

Gael's eyes were as dark and deep as the depths of the ocean, and Ainsley almost wished she hadn't looked, because it suddenly felt like she was drowning in them.

Although, if this was what drowning felt like, she didn't mind it at all.

"Hi," she breathed.

Gael smiled, the expression still clouded by sleep.

"Good morning, Princess."

Ainsley sat up slowly, stretching her arms behind her until her knuckles grazed the wall. "Did we sleep in?"

"Not by much, I don't think. Everyone should just be waking."

Ainsley moved over Gael's legs, laughing as she struggled to get to the other side of the bed. Gael promptly wrapped her arms around her, stopping her from moving.

"Gael, no!" She wheezed, grinning as she tried to squirm out of her grip. "You're the pirate here, aren't you? Should we not be checking the ship for damage after that storm?"

Gael groaned, resting her head on Ainsley's shoulders.

"You're right," she agreed.

Despite that, the two stayed there for a few more moments, tangled in each other's arms. Ainsley leaned back against Gael, content to do nothing but breathe her in and revel in her presence.

Something had happened. She wasn't sure how, but right then, she could only feel thankful.

welcome to one of my favourite chapters, for obvious reasons, lol. please please please vote and leave any thoughts in the comments below ;)

as another note, current events have made it rather difficult for me to write, as well as remember to update. however, i do have a backlog of chapters, so i'm hoping to pay more attention and continue updating here until i can find the motivation to continue. thank you for your patience ^^