Janey.” Her expression softened. “This is why your father and I helped my mother with the spell she cast. Because while you are a beautiful, strong, independent woman, you don’t enjoy being alone. You really are happiest with someone around you.”
“That’s a lie. I’m not a people person.”
“This has nothing to do with being social. You are looking for a mate.”
“I don’t need a man to complete me.”
“Are you sure? I know I feel more whole with Theo than I did when I was alone. He is the thing that makes me happy.”
“Don’t I make you happy?”
She stroked my hair again. “Of course, my sweet Jane. But the love of a mate is different than a child. With children, you always know they will eventually leave to forge their own path. But a husband or wife, a best friend, a lover…they are forever.”
Forever. It sounded like a long time. “Spelling the locket means you don’t trust me to choose this supposed perfect mate for myself.”
“Is that what you think the spell does? Chooses for you?” My mother laughed, the sound similar to tinkling raindrops . “You obviously don’t understand how the charm works. Love can’t be compelled.”
“Then what are you expecting to accomplish with the locket?”
My mother’s tone was matter-of-fact. “Lead you to someone you could love, of course. But it will always be your choice.”
“So far, that locket led me to a drunken pirate and a sea monster.”
Mother tittered. “Your father doesn’t know if he should be glad or insulted that you didn’t fall for the first.”
“He looked a lot like dad, but his beard wasn’t fluffy.”
“Neither was Theo’s,” Mother said with a sigh. “I still remember the first time I saw your father. It was at an engagement party.”
“Whose?” I asked, not recalling having heard this story before.
“Mine.” Her lips curved. “Before I became a pirate’s wench, I was engaged to marry some fancy duke.”
“How?”
“Because my mother and father weren’t gentry.” She smiled. “I was a witch. It wasn’t hard to set myself up in a proper position and then find myself engaged to a nice-enough man. Handsome and rich.”
“Before you could get married, Daddy kidnapped you.”
“Actually, he kidnapped me right after the marriage but before the consummation.”
“Wait, you were married?”
“In name only.” Mom’s lips curved. “I made sure your father rescued me. From the moment I saw him at my engagement ball, oozing with danger, I knew I wanted him.”
“Then why get married to the duke at all?”
Mother rolled a shoulder coquettishly. “Can you think of anything more dashing than a rescue? I’d rendezvoused with your father a few times after that ball. Enough to know that he was the one for me. But I wouldn’t call off my engagement. Your father couldn’t stand the fact that another man was marrying me. He stole me during the reception and sailed us away on his ship.”
“And you fell in love.”
“We did.”
“And when did you and Dad get married.”
She chewed her lower lip.
“Mom?” I prodded.
“It didn’t seem important given how we felt about each other.”
I gaped at her. “I’m illegitimate.”
“Doesn’t really matter in this day and age.” She smiled hopefully.
I sighed. “I’m a freaking bastard. Just lovely.”
“Not the moral of my story.”
“What is? Because I am pretty sure it got lost in the rambling.”
“I was basically talking about how sometimes you know what you want, even if there are those who say you shouldn’t. You like that boy.”
“What boy?” I played dumb.
Mother smiled. “You like him. And that’s okay.”
“He’s not a warlock.”
“Do you care?”
“Not really.” The very thought of Oz filled my mind. Was he still in bed, waiting for me to return?
“Who cares if you’re not supposed to be together. Many would say I shouldn’t have hooked up with a pirate. I would have missed out on so much if I’d listened. So, do what feels right. What makes you happy.”
“And how am I supposed to figure out what that is?” What if it wasn’t Oz? Making the wrong choice seemed as scary as continuing the way I was.
“If you’re not sure, then find the locket,” was Mom’s advice as she stepped towards the rail and the rising wave that came to greet her.
My mother was leaving already, her skin drying out from being on deck too long. The curse didn’t let either of my parents leave the sea for extended periods.
I ran for her. One last hug. She whispered, “Follow your heart.”
My heart wanted a lion. But did Oz really want me? More and more I feared