The Tides of Loss and Longing (Love from the Deep #1)

Chapter 23

Drake

T he sun sank lower, casting long shadows as Sebastian rowed them to shore along the outskirts of the cove, keeping to the dim light to avoid detection. The wind had picked up, rustling the trees and sending waves crashing against the beach, masking their movements.

Drake’s eyes were locked on the two men standing just outside the cave entrance. Villiers stood rigid, his fists clenched at his sides, clearly agitated. The other man—presumably one of his crew—seemed to be trying to calm him, hands outstretched in a placating gesture. But where was Aurelia?

Drake’s chest tightened painfully. The thought that she might not be inside that cavern gnawed at him. Villiers would pay, but not until Drake knew she was safe.

Their boat hit the sand with a faint thud, the sound cutting through the wind like a warning. Villiers and his man spun toward them. The surprise on Villiers’ face quickly morphed into a cruel smirk.

“I wondered if my blade had truly done you in, Hawthorne,” he called out, his voice dripping with mockery.

Drake didn’t have the patience for this. “Where’s Aurelia?” he demanded.

“Tsk tsk, Hawthorne,” Villiers taunted, “are you really in any position to make demands?”

Drake's hand moved to his cutlass, but a sharp pain flared through his side, his wound protesting. He winced but held his ground. Sebastian stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on his arm to stall him.

“Come now, gentlemen,” Sebastian said smoothly, “Can’t we all play nice? Amaro, I’m curious—why kidnap our lovely Aurelia and drag us to this charming island?”

Villiers let out a mirthless bark of laughter. “I have my reasons.”

Drake’s patience snapped. He stepped toward the cave, but Villiers blocked his path. He had hoped to avoid a fight, knowing every second spent battling Villiers would steal precious time from reaching Aurelia. He didn’t fear losing—the outcome was inevitable. He would kill Amaro Villiers. But the man was a skilled swordsman, and their duel wouldn’t be quick.

Drake needed to see Aurelia alive and well first. Needed to hear her voice, touch her skin, and know she was unharmed. Fighting Villiers now felt like a delay he couldn’t afford, a distraction from the only thing that mattered—getting to her in time.

“I’m not letting you through,” Villiers snarled. “I have a vested interest in what happens in that cavern.”

Drake’s gaze darkened. “I’ve nothing to protect this time. Step aside, or I’ll make you.”

A sinister grin spread across Villiers’ face. He drew his sword, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Then make me.”

Behind him, Drake heard Sebastian groan in frustration, but both men drew their swords. Sebastian squared off against Villiers’ crewmate while Drake faced Villiers. Their blades met with a sharp clash, sparks flying as they pressed against each other, neither giving an inch. The pain in his side burned with every movement, but it was nothing compared to the raw desperation he felt.

Villiers swung, the tip of his blade slicing through the air in a wide arc. Drake leaped back, his boots digging into the damp sand beneath him. Seizing the moment, Villiers lunged forward, aiming for Drake’s chest. But Drake was fast—he parried the attack and spun, his cutlass slicing toward Villiers side. He barely managed to deflect Drake’s sword with a hilt of his own, the force of the blow sending him stumbling back.

The salty air hung thick between them, mingling with the sweat of exertion. Further down the beach, Sebastian dueled the other pirate. Despite Sebastian’s usual disdain for physical effort, Drake wasn’t worried. As boys, they had spent countless hours working on their swordsmanship, not knowing how reliant on it they would be in the future. Sebastian was far more capable than he usually let on.

Drake pressed his advantage, his strikes quick and brutal. Villiers gritted his teeth, blocking and countering him. With a sudden, powerful swipe, Drake knocked Villiers’ sword from his hand, sending it flying across the beach. For a moment, triumph surged through him as he turned to run toward the cavern, but Villiers was not defeated so easily. With a fierce yell, he lunged at Drake, pulling a dagger from his side to catch the hilt of Drake’s cutlass and wrench it from his grasp.

Both men were now unarmed, panting heavily as they faced each other. The cavern loomed dark and ominous behind Villiers, holding Aurelia just out of reach. Drake charged, colliding with Villiers and tackling him to the ground. The world spun as they hit the sand, the impact jarring the air from Drake’s lungs. He could taste blood on his tongue, saltwater spraying across his face. The sharp grains of sand dug into his skin as they wrestled, each trying to gain the upper hand with only brute strength and fury as their weapons. Drake’s muscles ached, his wound throbbed, and his lungs burned as he struggled to pin him down.

Then, suddenly, a piercing cry rang out over the beach, cutting through their struggle. The world went still.