Rayne Ch. 06

Rayne retuned Gabriella to her home, reluctant to leave her, but knowing he had much to think about. His own affairs needed settling, and there was the crew to think about as well. They were not accustomed to being long in port and there were decision to be made. Then there was Navia, who he knew would be waiting for his return, as always. And yet, he could not see himself leaving Gabriella here alone and unprotected. Yet, there was very little chance of Torquemada presenting himself here, or was there. It suddenly dawned on Rayne that he still had no idea what Gabriella had been doing down at that warehouse at such a late hour. He seemed to lose all train of thought when she was near.

The hour was indeed late and all of his musings would accomplish nothing, so he picked up his glass of cognac, amber liquid that reflected the fire dancing in the grate, and headed upstairs to bed. He knew sleep was a long ways away, and most likely fleeting, but he sprawled across the bed anyway. Sleep did indeed eventually come, just before the dawns lights streaked across the heavens, but with it came dark and sinister dreams.

Rayne sensed danger, it lurked and permeated the room. He saw evil eyes, that glowed red and the snarls even shook his strong heart. He heard shrieks of pain and terror and saw a small urchin dressed in rags with tears streaming down her dirty cheeks. He tried to see what it was the small child focused on to cause such distress, but couldn't see. Suddenly the small bedraggled child turned and ran as if the hounds of hell chased her. She ran down the crowded street, dodging men in uniform and for one so slight in stature, she seemed indeed strong, for she managed to elude the men and disappear as if she had never been there. Rayne awoke a sheen of sweat on his body, soaking the sheets he lay on and there was an uneasiness upon him that he just couldn't seem to shake. A bath and breakfast would return him to normal, or so he thought. But as the morning wore on, the unease only increased, and when he could stand it no longer with an oath, he left the house and took a his horse to Gabriella's house.

Maria answered his urgent knock, and with one look at Rayne, she made the sign of the cross, and swore, "Dios mio" under her breath as she let him in. She turned to fetch Gabriella, but Rayne forestalled her, it was she he had come to see first. He told her of the dreams, and the old lady's breath caught in her throat, he had seen the very scene the day Torquemada murdered Gabriella's parent s in his dreams. If there had been any doubts that he was the raven from her visions, there were none now. She wanted to tell him that all would be well, but she was not so sure that would be true. She had no advice to give him except that good could and would over come evil, but, that did not mean they had nothing to fear, for she knew that until Torquemada was dead...they all had something to fear.

With no more answers forthcoming from Maria, he asked to see Gabriella and Maria ascended the stairs to fetch her. Rayne paced the parlor, for what it seemed an eternity, and a slight movement caught his eye and he turned to see a very pale Maria standing as if a statue in the open doorway. Gabriella was not with him and one look at the old woman made a chill run down his spine.

"Where is Gabriella? Is she coming?" he asked.

"No, she is gone" the old woman managed to get out.

"Gone? Gone where?" Rayne demanded.

Maria only held out a piece of paper to Rayne, which he quickly read thru.

"Dearest Maria,

I got a dispatch late last night that Torquemada is close, closing in on us. I knew it could not be long before his henchmen learned where we were. It is my fear for you safety, yours and Raynes more than my own that that has brought me to the decision to leave here. Please keep him safe for me and if and when I return, we will no longer have anything to fear, or flee from. I know that your visions foretold that Rayne was the one that would protect me, but I love him far too much to put him in harms way. So, I have gone and when I am ready, I will arrange for Torquemada to find me, and then, and only then will I face my nemesis and be done with this game once and for all. If I do not return, please know that I did what I deemed best for all concerned and know in your heart that I loved you like the mother I lost. Tell Rayne that my heart did and does belong to him for all eternity. My only regret was that our time together was far too short lived.

Always,

G"

Raynes face was drained of color and his hands shook, his heart ached for the woman that was so fearless and naive to think she alone could defeat Torquemada. He had thousands of men at his command, while she only had her crew. For there was no longer any doubt whatsoever that Gabriella was indeed La Gata. The realization hit him like a punch to his stomach and he wondered how he had not known that immediately after meeting her. There had been those enormous emerald eyes that when focused on you felt as if she could see into your very soul. Then there was the attraction between them, it was electric, instantaneous and undeniable. How could he have been so stupid not to have recognized all of these things in the beginning? He looked at Maria and knew he must questions her, that he must know all that she knew before taking off in search of Gabriella.

"Maria, I saw Gabriella coming from a warehouse several nights ago, do you know what she was doing there?

"Si, she went there to meet some men who have helped her, they have kept her apprised of Torquemada's whereabouts and saved our lives multiple times. "

"Do you have any idea where she is headed to and where her ship is anchored?" he asked tersely.

"Si, I know where the ship is, it is anchored off a small waterway several miles down river from the docks, and well concealed. I can show you. But I have no idea where she is headed, but perhaps a vision will come to me to help us."

Us? Rayne thought, did she think he was taking her with him? She was far too old and having to worry about Gabriella was enough of a distraction without having two women to worry about. But, one look at Marias face and the stubborn jaw line and he knew that he would waste his time and his breath arguing with her about this. As if she could read his thoughts, she quickly said "I can take care of myself, and you need me, I know visions will come, they always do when Gabriella is in danger. Besides, you need me to show you where her ship was anchored, if we hurry we may catch her." But Rayne knew that was wishful thinking as the tides had long since gone out taking Gabriella with them.

Rayne assured her that he would return for her and for her to pack light, the ship had all that they would need, but it didn't have the speed nor the invisibility that the Phantom would accord him. So, his first business at hand would be to round up the crew, get the rest of the supplies on board, contact Javonnie to have him handle his estates here and dispose of the cargo he had brought in. He sure wished that he was coming with him, he had an inkling that they would be in need of his services, but it was a favor he couldn't ask. Off Rayne set to accomplish the tasks he had mentally ticked off, then he would return for Maria and they would sail with the evening tide to Tahiti where he would collect his ship of choice and then, Torquemada would be hunted down and dealt with, and God help him if he found Gabriella first. He was overcome with such a fierce protectiveness for her that rocked him to his very soul. If one hair on her lovely head was harmed the atrocities that he had heaped on the Spanish people during the Inquisition would be nothing to what Rayne would do to him.

The evening tide found The Eclipse sailing out of the harbor, Javonnie and Veronica waving until they were mere specks on the docks and Maria nervously pacing the deck of the ship. The crew had all been apprised of the situation and what they would be up against, Rayne giving them the choice of sailing with him or remaining in England. Non had taken the later choice, which did not surprise Rayne in the least for they were indeed a loyal lot. Rayne had offered Maria his cabin, but she chose instead to occupy Javonnies old cabin, insisting that she was as good a physical as he had been and that she would earn her way by administering to the crew as required. Rayne had no doubt that she was capable, however, convincing the crew she was not a witch would take some doing.

It was a moonless night and the wind was brisk, popping and filling the sails and The Eclipse was making good time. Rayne took the helm at midnight as sleep evaded him, his worry and anger at Gabriella was so great. How could she have not trusted him enough to have come to him with this instead of placing herself in harms way and most likely in grave danger? He swore, not for the first time, under his breath about the hard headedness of the woman! It was way over in the early hours just before dawn that he saw an eerie sight and for a moment he was taken aback before he realized it was Maria. She could not find sleep either it seemed. However, as she approached he saw the look of anxiousness on her face. He asked her, "a vision?"

"No, just a feeling of great unease, nothing else" she responded. So, together the two stood in worried silence watching the ship eat up the distance and yet knowing that as yet, they had no idea where Gabriella had headed. Maria knew her crew was a loyal one and would fight to the death for their capitan, but it was that what worried her. Death...it seemed to permeate the air, and deep into her very being. She knew bad things were on the horizon for both Rayne and Gabriella, but as of yet, she had no clue as to what that would be.

Finally tiring, she found her bunk and fell into a troubled sleep, as did Rayne when the helmsman took over at dawn.

The next day dawned gray and foggy, a chill permeated the air and Marie set about figuring a way to get into Raynes' cabin unbeknownst to him to put some charms to ward off the evil that she couldn't shake. As soon as she saw him climb to the upper deck she slipped into his cabin and set about the task at hand. She burned some incense and wandered around the cabin almost in a trance like state mumbling incoherently and shaking burning sage, the pungent smoke slipping into cracks and crevices. Beneath his mattress she placed a charm and performed an elaborate incantation to keep him safe. With the task accomplished she slipped unnoticed from the cabin and returned to her own. The incantations had taken their toll on the old crone and she fell exhausted into the bunk. Rayne had seen her leaving his cabin and he was curious as to what she had been about. As he entered his cabin he smelled the pungent smell of the sage and he shook his head, as if some burning leaves could ward off evil, but if it made her feel useful, there was no harm.

The days turned into weeks and no sign of Gabriella came as he made his way for home and his preferred ship. Finally at long last the ship anchored off the island of his home and smaller boats took the returning crew to the island. There was Navia, excitedly waving as they drew nearer and nearer. Then she saw Maria, and she froze as if rooted to the spot. She could feel the power of the woman and knew that the future was about to be irrevocably set in stone. She knew the day she had dreaded had arrived at last. She turned to walk away just as Rayne stepped from the boat.

Rayne watched her walk away and knew something was amiss. When he confronted her later at the house, she told him that she knew Maria was a woman of power, the mystic kind and that she knew that Maria could protect him far better than she could. He told her that Maria was just an old lady with fanciful thoughts but Navia told him he was wrong. That she could feel danger in the air, and she knew he would not be here long, that he would leave to fulfill his destiny and that when he returned she would no longer be there. She knew their time together was over, and that she wished him well. It seemed that Javonnie was right, she had hoped and even dared dream that he would be with her forever, but it was like she knew about Gabriella already, even though no mention had been made of her. Rayne had no time to reassure her, and he wasn't even sure that he could, even had he believed it himself.