The Scent and Sensation Affair

Ultraviolet: electrifying, mechanized and chilly - the scent of crushed blooms strewn on cold metal. Lush violet and neroli spiked hard with eucalyptus and a sliver of mint.

Ultraviolet, Part ONE

The next month was rough, Jack seeing far less of his lad than he would like. Harry's time was taken up with covering Calypso's duties and sorting out the Dutchman's situation, often leaving him exhausted. More often than not, Harry would appear in bed just in time to sleep wrapped in Jack's arms then vanish with the dawn and a morning kiss.

A week came when several days passed where Jack saw no sign of Harry, then the lad appeared on deck at midday.

Jack moved swiftly from his place at the helm and raised an eyebrow at Harry's palpable fury. Tiny sparks were jumping from tanned skin and there was a subtle charge to the heavy, salt air around the Sorcerer. More worrisome to Jack, were the deep shadows carved about his lad's eyes. Cautious but unafraid, Jack settled his calloused palms on thin shoulders and calmly met green eyes with brown. Coming back to himself, Harry focused on Jack and took several slow breaths. Gradually, the charge vanished from the air and the sparks settled to swirl under sun-warmed skin. Harry nodded gratefully and Jack just grinned, stepping back at his lad's quiet request.

Making sure he had plenty of room, Harry raised both palms and muttered a string of foreign words, ending on a hiss.

Directly before him, Tia Dalma appeared, surrounded by her characteristic scent of smoke and eucalyptus. It would seem the woman had some idea who she was dealing with, Jack thought, as she choked and dropped to her knees in front of Harry, whose frown became a scowl at the obeisance. Her voice was shaky as she whispered, though everyone heard it clearly, "Sorcerer."

Harry's expression was cold and utterly unyielding, for once clearly revealing his lack of humanity and Jack had to resist a shudder at the sight of his sweet lad with that face.

"You are no longer necessary, Vessel," the Sorcerer announced and Tia Dalma was ashes in the wind at a wave of his hand. In her place stood Calypso, eyes wide. She understood, even if their human audience didn't, exactly how much trouble she was in for a greater being like the Sea Sorcerer to destroy her human vessel.

She dropped to her knees at Harry's feet and queried, breathless, terrified and uncertain, "Sorcerer. What has happened?" The Sorcerer's lack of any expression when he spoke was more telling than any overt fury, "You dare ask me what has happened, Calypso. You dare even to speak to me after what you have done?"

Harry's words dragged like a rough tide crashing against the shore, "Your crimes before were unfortunate, but manageable. Imagine my surprise when I discover, in the course of performing your duties, exactly what you have been playing with." The Sorcerer's bright eyes shimmered and blazed, fire raining from a clear sky.

"Souls. You played with those men's souls, Calypso. Even I could not repair the damage you had wrought. I was left no recourse but to send twenty-three innocent men to the afterlife. Again, Calypso," and for the first time, there was a very human sadness about Harry's form, "I have cleaned up your mess."

Calypso held herself very still. "You know the rules as well as any of the others, set down long before your time to ensure such chaos as you have wrought would not occur. There are no more second chances."

Watching closely as he was, Jack noticed the fine tremors in Calypso's hands as she bowed her head. Her only response was soft and hoarse and heavy, "It is my nature." Jack frowned at the sorrow that framed his lad's beautiful eyes when he brought a pale hand up to cup Calypso's cheek.

"I know, child. But you know the rules and here you are my responsibility." He lifted her chin to meet her eyes, his own diamond-hard, "We do not interfere. You know the law and you know the punishment."

Harry stepped back and Calypso's head dropped like a doll cut from its strings. The Sorcerer raised his palms to the quickly clouding sky and began chanting in that language that made Jack's bones ache. Before them, a multitude of glowing, flickering amorphous figures appeared, what might have been heads tilted toward the Sorcerer and Calypso.

"This child of Gods has broken our oldest laws," Harry's voiced cracked like thunder on the air. "I call now for her to be stripped of all power and memory and left to live out her remaining years as a human. I speak as Guardian of Sea and Soul. Will you stand by my decision?"

There was a roar like massive waves overturning cities and ships and families, and Harry nodded as the figures blinked out.

With a look and a single, silent gesture, Calypso was gone.

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