Troubled Seas
Plans Laid
“Jack?” Katie asked tentatively, knowing he was very less than pleased with her currently.
“Sh! I’m trying to focus,” Jack hissed.
Katie frowned. This was going to be a lot harder if Jack didn’t cooperate with her. “Jack when are the others going to find us?”
“The others? Oh. I don’t know if they will. If the two men I had come with me run back and tell the ship to leave without us, we’re on our own. Or I’m on my own. Sorry love, but after the latest revelations, I’ve determined that our partnership is over. No hard feelings I hope.”
“I…uhm…understand of course,” Katie dropped her face to the ground. She nudged her boot in the red dirt below. She ground her heel in, digging deep into the earth. With her boot she created an elaborate design, a star with a deep hole in the middle.
“Lass, what are ye doing?” Jack gawked at the design.
“Jack. I need your help. Please trust me one last time. I can swear that I won’t let you down,” Katie pleaded her eyes desperate.
“What do you need my help with?” he eyed her suspiciously.
She pointed the tip of her boot at the hole in the middle. “He has an amulet that he wears around his neck on a leather band. I need you to get that amulet off him and into this hole,” she instructed.
“An amulet?”
“Yes,” Katie nodded. “He never takes it off. It’s His life source I believe. He’s already living on borrowed time. That’s why He needs your blood. His time is almost up. Without you His powers will wither away and He’ll succumb to death like the rest of us. That’s what He fears more than anything else.”
“And how do you know all this?”
Katie contemplated explaining hearing her brother’s voice, but decided against it. Jack already thought she had tried to trick him, he didn’t need to think she was crazy as well. “I just do.”
Jack frowned. She knew it was a lot to ask of him, trusting her after what had happened. After several moments of quite, Jack sighed. “How exactly should I go about relieving him of his amulet?”
Katie closed her eyes. “An opportunity will arise, and you must take it.”
Katie’s mind what awhirl, she knew that she had no choice. Maybe she had always known it would come to this, from the moment that horrible storm had ended her brother’s life. Either way, she would only have been willing to do it for Jack. All of this mess, it all centered on fear of death, but she didn’t want to think of that right now.
He sensed a change. It was barely palpable, but it was there nonetheless. The grey eyed man lingered for a moment, reaching out with his mind; he brushed gently against Katie’s thoughts. He let out a frustrated yell, she had told Jack.
No matter! He thought ruthlessly, she would be disposed of soon enough and would no longer cause him such troubles.
Jack glowered at the ground. His men should have found the village by now, if they were coming to his rescue at all. Where the hell were they?
Beside him, Katie released a trembling breath. He cringed away from her. It was all her damn fault he was in this position. And then he had to go and agree to help her with some fruitless act of stealing from an incredibly dangerous man.
The sharp crack of a tree branch reverberated against the walls of the hut. Jack’s head jerked upright. His crafty brown eyes took in every aspect of his twig confinement. His men could be two feet away and he would never see them.
Katie felt Him approaching, the ink on her wrist glowed faintly pink. He was coming. Straining to hear, Katie could just make out the distinct pattern of infiltrating footfalls. She crossed her fingers, if they could just reach Jack before He did –
“Jack?” a female voice hissed close by. Jack tensed, then exhaled nervously. Though he would never admit it, Jack was beginning to feel the noose tightening. He had escaped the clothes of death more than his fair share of times. The final sand was surely slipping from jack’s hourglass of life.
“Yes.” The word came out hoarse. A conversation of whispers ensued outside the hut, but Jack could not make out any of the words.
“Wait.” Anamaria instructed. Sweat beaded on Jack’s forehead.
The ink glowed brighter, Katie felt it begin to burn, bust she worked to distance herself from the pain. She needed to focus, she could not let him in.
Jack chanced a glance at Katie. Her beautiful face was contorted in pain. Jack’s eyes dipped down to Katie’s inflamed wrist. A grimace tugged at the corners of his mouth. What a fool he had been. Women, nothing but horrid creatures.
His heart dropped. Katie . . .
A shout pierced the silence of the hut. It was soon followed by the unmistakable sound of colliding steel. Jack’s spirits rose as simultaneously Katie’s spirits plummeted.
“Sh! I’m trying to focus,” Jack hissed.
Katie frowned. This was going to be a lot harder if Jack didn’t cooperate with her. “Jack when are the others going to find us?”
“The others? Oh. I don’t know if they will. If the two men I had come with me run back and tell the ship to leave without us, we’re on our own. Or I’m on my own. Sorry love, but after the latest revelations, I’ve determined that our partnership is over. No hard feelings I hope.”
“I…uhm…understand of course,” Katie dropped her face to the ground. She nudged her boot in the red dirt below. She ground her heel in, digging deep into the earth. With her boot she created an elaborate design, a star with a deep hole in the middle.
“Lass, what are ye doing?” Jack gawked at the design.
“Jack. I need your help. Please trust me one last time. I can swear that I won’t let you down,” Katie pleaded her eyes desperate.
“What do you need my help with?” he eyed her suspiciously.
She pointed the tip of her boot at the hole in the middle. “He has an amulet that he wears around his neck on a leather band. I need you to get that amulet off him and into this hole,” she instructed.
“An amulet?”
“Yes,” Katie nodded. “He never takes it off. It’s His life source I believe. He’s already living on borrowed time. That’s why He needs your blood. His time is almost up. Without you His powers will wither away and He’ll succumb to death like the rest of us. That’s what He fears more than anything else.”
“And how do you know all this?”
Katie contemplated explaining hearing her brother’s voice, but decided against it. Jack already thought she had tried to trick him, he didn’t need to think she was crazy as well. “I just do.”
Jack frowned. She knew it was a lot to ask of him, trusting her after what had happened. After several moments of quite, Jack sighed. “How exactly should I go about relieving him of his amulet?”
Katie closed her eyes. “An opportunity will arise, and you must take it.”
Katie’s mind what awhirl, she knew that she had no choice. Maybe she had always known it would come to this, from the moment that horrible storm had ended her brother’s life. Either way, she would only have been willing to do it for Jack. All of this mess, it all centered on fear of death, but she didn’t want to think of that right now.
He sensed a change. It was barely palpable, but it was there nonetheless. The grey eyed man lingered for a moment, reaching out with his mind; he brushed gently against Katie’s thoughts. He let out a frustrated yell, she had told Jack.
No matter! He thought ruthlessly, she would be disposed of soon enough and would no longer cause him such troubles.
Jack glowered at the ground. His men should have found the village by now, if they were coming to his rescue at all. Where the hell were they?
Beside him, Katie released a trembling breath. He cringed away from her. It was all her damn fault he was in this position. And then he had to go and agree to help her with some fruitless act of stealing from an incredibly dangerous man.
The sharp crack of a tree branch reverberated against the walls of the hut. Jack’s head jerked upright. His crafty brown eyes took in every aspect of his twig confinement. His men could be two feet away and he would never see them.
Katie felt Him approaching, the ink on her wrist glowed faintly pink. He was coming. Straining to hear, Katie could just make out the distinct pattern of infiltrating footfalls. She crossed her fingers, if they could just reach Jack before He did –
“Jack?” a female voice hissed close by. Jack tensed, then exhaled nervously. Though he would never admit it, Jack was beginning to feel the noose tightening. He had escaped the clothes of death more than his fair share of times. The final sand was surely slipping from jack’s hourglass of life.
“Yes.” The word came out hoarse. A conversation of whispers ensued outside the hut, but Jack could not make out any of the words.
“Wait.” Anamaria instructed. Sweat beaded on Jack’s forehead.
The ink glowed brighter, Katie felt it begin to burn, bust she worked to distance herself from the pain. She needed to focus, she could not let him in.
Jack chanced a glance at Katie. Her beautiful face was contorted in pain. Jack’s eyes dipped down to Katie’s inflamed wrist. A grimace tugged at the corners of his mouth. What a fool he had been. Women, nothing but horrid creatures.
His heart dropped. Katie . . .
A shout pierced the silence of the hut. It was soon followed by the unmistakable sound of colliding steel. Jack’s spirits rose as simultaneously Katie’s spirits plummeted.
♠ ♠ ♠
I have almost finished typing out the end so, FINALLY, finally, this story shall be updated regularly!Sincerely,
Lynz