Having been docked in London for a week Captain Crumb walked into the Steel Coffee House to find Augusto sitting at a table in back looking over some papers. “Augie, haven’t seen you in a while how have you been?” Augusto looked up and smiled “Captain Crumb, come have a seat.” Flagging down a young man he held up two fingers “Two coffee’s please.” The young man rushed behind the counter and returned with a tray and two coffees. Augusto sat down his papers and sat back in his chair. “Just heard from Lil Bit.” Crumbs attention was peaked “How’s my girl?” Augusto laughed “Your girl huh?” Crumb shrugged “You know what I mean Augie, how’s she doing?” Augusto sighed “Not well it seems Phoenix is headed to the America’s at the end of the year, making another map it seems.” Crumb frowned “Zeta’s headed to the America’s?” Augusto shook his head “No he doesn’t plan on taking her.” Crumb frowned “Doubt Zeta likes that.” Augusto sighed “She says they have been trying to have a baby with no luck and the word around the island is she’s barren. She’s not so sure but Phoenix seems to thinks so, she says she’s as alone there as she was here.” Crumb frowned “What about Phoenix?” Augusto shrugged “Say’s he spends most his time with his cousin and his family and she’s not welcome, I guess his cousins not the best of influences on him.” Crumb crossed his arms “I don’t like that one bit, Hell Augie Phoenix will be gone for a long time, too long to be leaving Zeta alone with that jerk Phineas.” Augusto nodded in agreement “I agree but what can we do?” Crumb frowned “Why doesn’t he just take her along?” Augusto shrugged “Zeta said he didn’t want her on a ship full of men and him too busy to watch her, doesn’t trust her anymore I guess.” Crumb growled, “It’s not as if she was trying to make me fall in love with her, hell Augie I did that all on my own there was no stopping it.” Augie smiled “How is Shannon by the way?” Crumb shrugged “I just received word from my brother that she’s been ill for a few weeks, her and Ash both. The healer says it should pass but I’m worried so I’m headed back there tomorrow, canceled a few shipments. My brother said not to worry but Shannon is never sick and they have her and Ash in a cottage away from everyone just in case. I’m sure it will be fine she’s tough they probably had to tie her down just to keep her in bed.” Augusto laughed “Sounds like Zeta.” Crumb frowned again “I’ll be at the Crumb plantation for around three or four months maybe more if I can get Shannon with child again. I figure I’ll take a break I’m handing over the Wind Serpent to Declan to Captain in my stead.” Augusto smiled “Good for you bout time you took a break.” Crumb nodded “Do me a favor can you keep me informed on Zeta, I don’t trust that Phineas I hate to think of Zeta having to be so close to that wife-beating monster.” Augusto nodded “I’ll make sure to do that, give your wife and son my best and I hope you enjoy your time off.” Crumb stood and shook his hand “Bye Augie take care.” Zeta and Phoenix had always had a spirited sex life, but after reaching the Virgin Islands and buying the plantation it grew even more zealous for a while at least, then it seemed to wither by the day. Zeta knew Phoenix wanted to start a family and she too had begun to crave motherhood. Zudora walked around fat with child and it had started to make Zeta feel like she must be doing something wrong. Phoenix spoke of becoming a father often and all Zeta could do was be encouraging and hope for the best. Yet as the months past it seemed as if a dark cloud had started to come over the plantation. Phoenix began to work more staying out later, seeing Zeta less and less and their once loving relationship seemed to lose all its fire. When they did make love it seemed as if it was only in the hopes of a child and even then it seemed farfetched. Phoenix spent most of his time with Phineas and his family leaving Zeta alone at the plantation. On the few occasions’ Zeta arrived unannounced to see what they were doing she felt unwanted and shunned like the witch she was not so long ago in England, at least then she had her Warlock at her side. Zudora’s sister Kami seemed to be spending a lot more time with them as well in fact everywhere Phoenix was she seemed to be like his shadow of sorts a little girl with a crush, unthreatening, naïve, simple annoying at best. The end of the year would be coming to a close and Phoenix would be heading to the America’s and leaving her behind feeling unloved, without hope or even a child in her womb to look forward too. The worst part was she was beginning to think Phoenix was looking forward to getting away from her. He seemed anxious to go and all she wanted was for him to hold her again like he used to, want her with the same passion he once had not so long ago. Her greatest fear was he would sail away and not return leaving her there with his monster of a cousin to constantly berate her and a plantation to run all on her own. And if he was so anxious to go why would he be anxious to return, and would he be as faithful to her as Ryan is to Shannon. She had to doubt his resolve since he seemed all but fine without her now and they weren’t yet apart. It was past midnight and Zeta was already in bed when she heard Phoenix come into the room. She waited until he took off his boots and got undressed before she said anything. “Where have you been?” Phoenix seemed rigid as he laid down and adjusted his pillow “Where else Zeta I was with Phineas.” Zeta turned onto her side to face him “This is the fifth time this week I’ve eaten alone. You don’t even invite me to go to their house with you anymore, not that you ever did really. It’s been going on like this for months.” Phoenix sighed “Well you know how Phineas feels about you.” Zeta sat up “So you pick him over me, you would rather be with him and Zudora and Kami than with your own wife?” Phoenix sighed “I didn’t say that.” Zeta limply fell back down onto the bed and turned away trying to hide her tears “Five out of seven days a week says you do, do you even love me anymore Phoenix?” Phoenix paused as if thinking it over. Zeta turned at looked at him “You have to think about it?” Phoenix sighed “No I don’t have to think about it, Phineas says if you really loved me you would have given me a child by now.” Zeta wanted to scream “My love for you has nothing to do with the fact that I haven’t been able to give you a child. Maybe if you loved me more you would be able to give me a child, have you ever considered that Phoenix?” Phoenix turned over “It doesn’t work like that.” Zeta punched the bed “The hell it doesn’t, and how in the hell can I give you a child if you never touch me. Who are you anyway, you’re not the man I fell in love with and married, you’re becoming that monster of a cousin of yours? What next are you going to beat me like he does Zudora maybe that will help me to get pregnant?” Zeta had been lying naked in bed, standing she walked to the window and looked out before finding her robe and putting it on. “By the way, I can’t believe you're leaving me behind while you sail to the America’s. I doubt you will even miss me, maybe once you would have but not anymore. I’m only a burden to you, a barren wife you’re stuck with, you look at Zudora with more affection than you look at me, maybe she can give the child you crave so much. I doubt Phineas would mind sharing he thinks of her as only a breeding mule anyway or maybe he already is and that’s why I’m not welcome in their home, you wouldn’t want me to get in the way, at the rate she goes she should be pregnant before you sail.” Phoenix sat up and roared “Enough Zeta, stop this nonsense.” Zeta turned and glared at him “Nonsense, you think I jest, the entire island thinks I’m barren Phoenix, my husband would rather spend his time with his cousin and another woman than his own wife. I eat alone, I sleep alone, you can’t even look at me and now you’re leaving me to go on a voyage across the world and won’t even miss me. I’m unwanted and unloved and not even the servants speak to me, they like everyone else think I’m a witch, a mystic with dark powers. Phoenix do you wish you had never married me, was Collette right, would she have been a better mother and wife?” Phoenix shook his head “Colette’s an idiot.” Zeta shrugged “Do you love me or has that faded?” Phoenix rubbed his hands over his face “I do love you Zeta it’s just things are so different now, life is different now.” Zeta couldn’t help but cry “If not me then whom?” Phoenix frowned “What do you mean?” Zeta sighed “If you’re not warming my bed than whose bed have you been warming?” Phoenix shook his head “No ones.” Zeta looked back out the window “You know me better than that Phoenix, you’re lying to me who?” Phoenix sighed “Kami, Zudora’s sister.” Zeta felt sick “Kami she’s a child. How long now?” Phoenix shrugged “Three months maybe, she’s seventeen Zeta.” Zeta knee’s felt weak as she leaned into the window seal “She acts like a naive little girl is that what you want? Is she going to the America’s with you?” Phoenix nodded “Yes.” Zeta wiped away her tears “Is she pregnant, is that why you want to be with her?” Phoenix shook his head “No she’s not pregnant but if she’s anything like Zudora she will be soon enough.” Zeta went to her knees on the ground feeling as if she might vomit. “You were going to let me stay here and wait for you, you knew all this time I was unhappy and you were just going to let me suffer while you sailed around the world impregnating a little brat of a girl behind my back and then what come home and say hello wife by the way, meet my lover and our children.” Phoenix didn’t say anything, Zeta tried to regain herself as she stood up tall “You need to leave; you need to sleep somewhere else.” Moving to the closet, she began to get dressed. “Where are you going?” Zeta frowned “I’m going to confront Kami and Zudora and Phineas.” Phoenix put his hand out to stop her “No you’re not, it’s late you’re going to bed.” Zeta ripped her arm away from his grasp then whistled for Apollo and Artemis “Try and stop me.” Both dogs came running and stood at her side “They must think me an idiot, you must all get a laugh out of this, all of these nights leaving me here alone while your fucking that brat?” Going to her desk she pulled out her dagger and stuck it in her waistband then grabbed a pistol and checked the powder before walking out followed by her dogs, Phoenix running behind. “You dare to hurt anyone Zeta and I’ll.” Zeta stopped and pointed the gun at Phoenix’s chest “You’ll what Phoenix, you scared I’ll hurt your lover, good you should because I’m mad as hell, come on boys let’s go make some noise.” Phoenix ran after her “Zeta don’t do this.” Zeta laughed “I didn’t do this you did this, I’ve been nothing but faithful to you and look what it got me.” Phoenix tried to run ahead but Zeta pushed past him “Three months and she’s still not pregnant, if I was you I’d start to doubt my fertility, maybe it’s your seed that’s not working.” Phoenix frowned “I doubt that.” Zeta laughed “I’m sure you do Phoenix.” Phoenix ran back to get dressed as Zeta raced ahead, getting to Phineas’s she didn’t knock she just walked in and headed to Kami’s room and pounded on the door waking the entire house. When Kami opened she looked scared and surprised “Zeta what’s wrong, why are you here?” Pushing passed her Zeta sneered, entering Kami’s room she shut the door and locked it behind her, Phoenix banged on the door, “Zeta Prescott don’t make me knock down this door.” Zeta turned back to the door and screamed, “It’s Zeta Steel you ass now go away, you made this mess I’m just here trying to find some answers.” Turning back she found Kami sitting on her bed looking scared, Kami looked to be around seventeen so young and pure with long blonde hair and big innocent blue eye’s now filled with tears. “Zeta” She stammered, “I mean Mrs. Prescott what are you doing here?” Zeta laughed “Are you for real or are you really this naive?” Kami hugged her arms around herself “You’re scaring me.” Zeta laughed then laughed even harder when she heard Phineas and Phoenix arguing out in the hall. “What’s that God damn wife of yours doing here at this hour?” Phoenix kicked the door with his boot “She found out about Kami.” Phineas laughed “Good now she can get the clue and go back to England.” Zudora was already crying “Is Kami alright, Zeta can be so cruel.” Zeta felt like screaming “So Kami how long have you and Phoenix been sleeping together?” Kami shrugged “I wrote to him a few times before he arrived, that is before he met you.” Zeta frowned “When did the two of you become intimate?” Kami scooted farther away “Do you mean make love?” Zeta wanted to scream “That’s what intimate means you halfwit.” Kami cowered “About five or six months after you arrived.” Zeta could feel her stomach turn, all of the moments they had shared since then had meant nothing to him, and all those long nights away he had been with her this little mouse of a girl. All those lies he had told her and she had known he was lying but not why, and she had been so worried it was because he was unhappy with her for not giving him a child so she had never looked any deeper to see the truth. “He must think me a fool.” Kami had begun to sob and Zeta wanted nothing more than to cut her eyes out. “When did he ask you to go with him to the America’s?” Kami tried to hide her excitement but failed miserably “The day he found out.” Zeta cringed at the thought then turned and opened the door to find Phoenix, Phineas and Zudora waiting, Zudora pushed passed her to check on her sister, Phineas gave her a sinister smile “Guess this means you’ll be leaving?” Phoenix didn’t say a word knowing she was barely hanging on. “No Phineas I’m not leaving.” Phineas frowned “You can’t stay here.” Zeta laughed “I own this land, isn’t that right Phoenix? In fact, Phoenix you’re no longer welcome on or near the Steel Plantation.” Phineas frowned “The Steel plantation?” Phoenix looked shocked “You can’t do that Zeta.” Zeta glared up at him “Watch me, you cheated on me within a year of our marriage, my dowry paid for this land. My land, Steel land and your no longer welcome on it. I thought you were different Phoenix, I loved you, I still do yet you get here and within a year turn into your cousin this pig of a man. I never imagined you would do this to me, I don’t even know you anymore. I’ll have your things brought to you.” Phoenix tried to stop her but Phineas stopped him “Let her go Nix you’re better off without her.” Phoenix ripped his hand away and chased after her “I didn’t mean to hurt you Zeta, I just got so worked up about having a child and we seemed to be growing apart.” Zeta wiped her eyes “It’s too late now Phoenix, go check on Kami, I hope she can give you the child you so desperately seek. It was good while it lasted right?” Phoenix returned to the room to find Kami crying and Zudora comforting her “Are you alright honey?” Kami gave a weak smile “I feel so bad to have hurt her.” Phoenix sat down next to her “So do I honey, so do I.” Zeta went home in a daze unsure what to do next, walking to the beach she stripped and went swimming trying to decide her next move, by the time she got back to the plantation the sun was coming up. Going to her desk, she wrote to her father telling him what had happened and asking him for help.