Chapter Seven

Lotte danced among the other pirates as the music blasted. She was once again very drunk. But it didn't take away from her beauty. Everet leaned up against the ship's railing, very pleased with himself. It mesmerized him to see Lotte so carefree. As she twirled he walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her to a gentle stop. Lotte smiled as she turned to look at him, their faces lit up by the torches. 

"It's late," Everet whispered into Lotte's ear. "You should come to bed." 

Lotte let out a playful groan, "But I'm having so much fun."

"You're drunk," Everet reminded her. "And you need sleep." 

"I will sleep," Lotte smiled, "later."

Everet opened his mouth but was cut off by one of the other pirates, "let her stay up if she wants to, lad. She ain't no harm?"

Everet rolled his eyes before kissing his girlfriend goodnight, "Don't drink anymore."

Lotte agreed even though she knew she was going to drink much more once Everet had left. Lotte kissed him back and watched as Everet walked inside. 

It must have been only an hour or two after midnight when the Pirates had gone to bed. Lotte had offered to clean up and stuck to her promise. But picking bottles off of a table wasn't hard. Lotte herself could barely stay awake. But she didn't want to go to bed as drunk as she was. Lotte didn't want to spend her morning throwing up like she did yesterday. She knew she wasn't allowed to leave the ship without the presence of someone else. However, Lotte was not going to sober up by standing in the smell of alcohol. She was only going to be gone a few minutes anyway. Before anyone could notice. And it wasn't like she couldn't walk. 

Lotte re-lit one of the blown-out lanterns and grabbed it. She walked lightly making sure the ship didn't creek too loudly. With her sword still strapped to her dress Lotte climbed into the escape boat strapped to the side of the ship. The boat landed in the water with a big splash, nearly drowning out her lantern. Lotte had never rowed a boat before, she couldn't imagine it to be too difficult. For someone sober. The boat felt like it was rocking even when it wasn't. The rows constantly kept slipping from her grip. By the time Lotte reached shore, she was exhausted. She got out of the boat, still standing in knee-high water before she dragged the boat on top of the sand. Lotte half fell and half collapsed onto the soft sand. Her heart thudded as she stared up at the stars. A cool breeze blew off the ocean waves. In a great way, Lotte felt like she was the only person on this whole island. However, that fantasy was rudely disrupted when she heard a twig snap behind her. Lotte quickly stood up and put her hand on her sword, ready if she needed it. Standing about fifteen feet behind her was the same blond boy she saw in the woods. Beside him was a younger boy. He looked stunned, "wow."

"Let me approach her alone," Fitz whispered to Trigger so that Lotte couldn't hear. "She has some idea of who I am, she has no idea who you are." 

Fitz was also taken aback by how gorgeous Lotte looked. A part of him wanted to crumble to his knees. But he needed to stay focused. He might only have one shot at this. 

As Fitz took a step forward Lotte drew out her sword further, "What do you want? And who's he?"

Trigger held back a chuckle.

"I just want to talk."

"Talk about what?" Lotte said, refusing to let down her guard.

"Everet is lying to you, he's–"

Lotte cut him off with a smug laugh, " I know. I'm not an idiot. But I have no reason to trust you either." 

"What is he lying to you about?" Fitz asked, taking another step forward.

Lotte withdrew her sword fully, "I don't know. I just know that he is."

It wasn't what Fitz wanted to hear, but it was something. "I don't want to fight you."

"Then go home," Lotte said, she walked slowly towards him until they were only a foot apart. Dragging her sword in the sand. 

Fitz felt his heart rate pick up. She was so close to him, close enough to touch her. Her eyes looked at him with desperation. As much as it killed him to admit it, Lotte made a beautiful pirate. 

"You're in my dreams," Lotte said, "why?"

"What do you dream about?"

Lotte didn't want to answer that. Over the past couple of days, her dreams had been… weird. And Fitz had been the center of all of them. Ignoring the question Lotte looked behind Fitz to the younger boy. Her eyes examined him for any weapons. From what Lotte could tell he didn't have any.

Lotte looked back at Fitz. She stared into his eyes for a couple of seconds before she punched him in the face. Fitz groaned as he stumbled backwards. The younger boy charged at Lotte but Fitz put his hand up to stop him. As Fitz clutched his nose Lotte took a few steps back, lifting her sword.

It surprised her a bit when Fitz didn't attack her immediately. Instead, he wiped the blood off of his face and looked back up at her. His calmness was unnerving. Lotte would have almost preferred if he ran at her. She stood there waiting for Fitz to come at her, but he didn't.

"Pathetic," she spat at him. 

With a swing of her sword, Lotte stepped forward and swung it at him. She heard the sound of the blade clodding with Fitz's skin. Lotte looked up to see a gash over his right eyebrow. The blood was quickly heading toward Fitz's eye but he didn't seem to care.

"You were always good with swords."

Lotte raised an eyebrow as Fitz drew his weapon. She smirked at him as she took her stance, "Don't be weak."

Fitz again waited for Lotte to attack first. With every move she made he adjusted to block it. If necessary he would eventually wait until she tired herself out. 

This plan was working out ok until Lotte took one of her legs and swept Fitz out from underneath him. He hit the ground with a thud and dropped his sword. He desperately tried to regain his breath. But by the time he had gotten the dust and blood out of his eyes, Lotte already had her sword to the tip of his throat. 

"Are you going to kill me?" Fitz asked. 

"I plan on it." 

"If you kill me, you'll never find out the truth. You'll be stuck living a life of lies forever. What about your family?"

Lotte pushed the sword deeper into his neck.

"I have no family!" She shouted. "They're dead!"

"Is that what Black Jack told you?" Fitz asked. "He's a man of lies Lotte! Once he gets what he wants with you, he'll kill you. And he won't give a damn about it."

Lotte lifted her sword as she prepared to penetrate it into his chest, "maybe I and he have something in common then."

Lotte's fingers tightened around the handle as her arm fell downwards. The tip of the sword reached Fitz's chest when Lotte felt something tighten around her neck. It was pulling her backwards across the sand as it choked her. Lotte fell backwards desperately trying to pull away the arm around her neck. Her head rested on the knees of the younger boy as she choked. 

"Fitz," she choked as he stood up. "Please. Stop him."

Fitz refused to look at her. He knew if he saw Lotte suffering he would call Trigger off. And he didn't have the heart to do it himself. 

"Fitz, please."

Lotte's vision began going gray. Her nails dug into her attacker's arm as her legs kicked.

"Hurry up!" Fitz barked at Trigger. His hands had curled up into fists his self-control quickly fading. 

"I'm going as fast as I can," Trigger grunted. "It takes time."

Fitz knew that. But the longer he had to listen to Lotte choking and pleading the more it tore his heart. Lotte looked up at the boy who was choking her, who was also refusing to look at her. Lotte didn't want to die. Especially not like this. Very quickly Lotte felt her body giving out. Her legs stopped kicking and her hands dropped to her side. She knew she wasn't going to win. 

Fitz finally broke and looked at Lotte at the moment that would break him most. Once Lotte's arms dropped tears began to fill her eyes. He could see them so clearly as they fell down the side of her head. Lotte let out any remaining air she had in her body as she looked up at the stars. The stars she had spent so many nights looking at.

 It needed to be the last thing she was ever going to see.