Troubled Seas
Sorrow
The waters were deceptively calm as the Black Pearl sailed back toward Tortuga. Jack was laid up in the Captain’s Quarters, his wound having been properly bandaged and cleaned. Jack attempted to resist closing his, for when he did the horrific scene of seeing Katie throw herself off the cliff to save him, Jack, replayed over and over.
In the hours since he and the crew had escaped death on the Island of Anew, Jack had spent his time try to glean meaning from what had transpired. And he felt now, that he had a rather firm grasp on the magic that had so ruled and ruined his life of late.
It had all started with a blasphemous mark on Katie’s wrist and had ended with a blasphemous amulet. The grey eyed man had maintained his life by branding Katie to himself. She was his chain to world around him. And the supernatural powers that he possessed were created by the amulet. Katie had known these things, Jack didn’t know how she had learned them, but she had chosen to share this vital information with Jack. Chosen to share it with him because she wanted Jack to live. She was willing to sacrifice the life she had fought so hard to keep, to save his.
Jack felt his gut tighten sickeningly. He turned his head to the side and clenched his eyes shut. Katie had given Jack all the tools he needed to end the grey eyed man’s life, but also hers. And she didn’t tell him. Maybe, maybe they could have come up with a different solution, if she had only explained what she was planning to Jack.
When Katie had thrown herself off the cliff, she had severed the grey eyed man’s only remaining tie to the world. By doing so, she guaranteed Jack a chance to live, if he could manage to get the amulet. Which of course, Jack had done, and when he threw it down to the thrashing waters below, down where Katie’s body lay battered and broken, the grey eyed man’s supernatural powers had been severed as well.
Once his powers were gone, the natives turned on the man who had controlled them for so long. Katie had lost her life willingly so that Jack and so many others could keep theirs.
Unwilling to focus on things he could not change, Jack forced himself to stand, wincing only slightly at the pain in his leg. Jack grabbed the bottle of rum from his table, taking a long swig before relocating above deck.
Anamaria was more than slightly worried about her Captain. He had spent the past month in a drunken haze. This wasn’t necessarily unusual for Jack, but it was the fact that Jack had been getting in an increasingly distressing number of fights. The worst part was, once Jack had managed to rile another pirate into a fight, he didn’t defend himself, he just let himself be taken out.
Anamaria had spent almost every night nursing Jack’s wounds, both physical and emotional. Jack never spoke of what had happened on Anew once she left to get the boat, and none of the other members of the crew seemed to know either. Anamaria was willing to be whatever Jack needed her to be, but she was not sure she could handle much more of this behavior.
Presently, Jack stumbled drunkenly into her bedroom. Anamaria was at the dressing table combing out her hair. She heaved as sigh as she helped him to the bed. Jack reached out for her, dragging Anamaria on to the bed with him.
“Ana, my love,” he slurred. He threw off his hat with flourish and grinned fiendishly up at Anamaria.
“What now, Jack? No fights tonight?” She questioned coldly. Automatically, Anamaria began her nightly inquest. She pushed up Jack’s mess of hair to check of any damages. Hissing through her teeth, Anamaria pulled away from Jack and gathered up some of the bandages on her dressing table.
Dabbing away the blood that lined a deep cut just above Jack’s left eye. His right eye was still black from a punch he had taken a week ago. Jack didn’t fuss as Anamaria cleaned his injuries.
When she finished, Anamaria sat down beside Jack. He leered at her, then gathered her in his arms, pulling her back against the bed with him. He pressed kisses against every inch of exposed skin. Anamaria returned the sentiments with as much fervor as she could manage. Once passion for Jack had burned inside, but recently, their dynamics had changed.
Jack tore at Anamaria’s clothes, quickly freeing them both of any physical barriers. Anamaria twisted her hair up to, and laced her arms around Jack’s bareback. He kissed Anamaria feverishly, his lips melting away any qualms Anamria felt about the situation.
As Jack moved steadily above Anamaria, the litany on his lips was the name of another. The name of the one woman he had truly ever loved. The one woman Anamaria simply could not compete with.
“Katie,” Jack breathed with desire, his eyes closed as he plundered Anamaria’s body wishing it belonged to another.
In the hours since he and the crew had escaped death on the Island of Anew, Jack had spent his time try to glean meaning from what had transpired. And he felt now, that he had a rather firm grasp on the magic that had so ruled and ruined his life of late.
It had all started with a blasphemous mark on Katie’s wrist and had ended with a blasphemous amulet. The grey eyed man had maintained his life by branding Katie to himself. She was his chain to world around him. And the supernatural powers that he possessed were created by the amulet. Katie had known these things, Jack didn’t know how she had learned them, but she had chosen to share this vital information with Jack. Chosen to share it with him because she wanted Jack to live. She was willing to sacrifice the life she had fought so hard to keep, to save his.
Jack felt his gut tighten sickeningly. He turned his head to the side and clenched his eyes shut. Katie had given Jack all the tools he needed to end the grey eyed man’s life, but also hers. And she didn’t tell him. Maybe, maybe they could have come up with a different solution, if she had only explained what she was planning to Jack.
When Katie had thrown herself off the cliff, she had severed the grey eyed man’s only remaining tie to the world. By doing so, she guaranteed Jack a chance to live, if he could manage to get the amulet. Which of course, Jack had done, and when he threw it down to the thrashing waters below, down where Katie’s body lay battered and broken, the grey eyed man’s supernatural powers had been severed as well.
Once his powers were gone, the natives turned on the man who had controlled them for so long. Katie had lost her life willingly so that Jack and so many others could keep theirs.
Unwilling to focus on things he could not change, Jack forced himself to stand, wincing only slightly at the pain in his leg. Jack grabbed the bottle of rum from his table, taking a long swig before relocating above deck.
Anamaria was more than slightly worried about her Captain. He had spent the past month in a drunken haze. This wasn’t necessarily unusual for Jack, but it was the fact that Jack had been getting in an increasingly distressing number of fights. The worst part was, once Jack had managed to rile another pirate into a fight, he didn’t defend himself, he just let himself be taken out.
Anamaria had spent almost every night nursing Jack’s wounds, both physical and emotional. Jack never spoke of what had happened on Anew once she left to get the boat, and none of the other members of the crew seemed to know either. Anamaria was willing to be whatever Jack needed her to be, but she was not sure she could handle much more of this behavior.
Presently, Jack stumbled drunkenly into her bedroom. Anamaria was at the dressing table combing out her hair. She heaved as sigh as she helped him to the bed. Jack reached out for her, dragging Anamaria on to the bed with him.
“Ana, my love,” he slurred. He threw off his hat with flourish and grinned fiendishly up at Anamaria.
“What now, Jack? No fights tonight?” She questioned coldly. Automatically, Anamaria began her nightly inquest. She pushed up Jack’s mess of hair to check of any damages. Hissing through her teeth, Anamaria pulled away from Jack and gathered up some of the bandages on her dressing table.
Dabbing away the blood that lined a deep cut just above Jack’s left eye. His right eye was still black from a punch he had taken a week ago. Jack didn’t fuss as Anamaria cleaned his injuries.
When she finished, Anamaria sat down beside Jack. He leered at her, then gathered her in his arms, pulling her back against the bed with him. He pressed kisses against every inch of exposed skin. Anamaria returned the sentiments with as much fervor as she could manage. Once passion for Jack had burned inside, but recently, their dynamics had changed.
Jack tore at Anamaria’s clothes, quickly freeing them both of any physical barriers. Anamaria twisted her hair up to, and laced her arms around Jack’s bareback. He kissed Anamaria feverishly, his lips melting away any qualms Anamria felt about the situation.
As Jack moved steadily above Anamaria, the litany on his lips was the name of another. The name of the one woman he had truly ever loved. The one woman Anamaria simply could not compete with.
“Katie,” Jack breathed with desire, his eyes closed as he plundered Anamaria’s body wishing it belonged to another.