Tia Dalma flew around the corner. "Enough!" she cried, pulling the two quarreling girls off of each other.
"¡Púdrete en el infierno!" cried Angelica.
"Vous êtes un salaud!" replied Rose.
"STOP!" shouted Tia, rendering the furious girls silent. Tia had wedged herself between them, all three struggling to catch their breath through the scuffle.
"You. There!" Tia said to Angelica, pointing to a chair on the east side of the room. To Rose, she ordered, "You! There!" pointing to a chair on the west side.
Both girls begrudgingly did as they were told, each rubbing various body parts that had been slammed, hit or scratched. Tia took her seat behind her table between them, folding her hands and sitting erect like a judge presiding over a court. The guilty parties only glared at each other from their respective sides of the room.
The silence was thick between them, and hate radiated from their eyes. When Angelica donned a smug smile, Rose cried out, "She stole my money! The money I had spent years saving! She stole—"
"Silence!" Tia shouted over her, and Rose obeyed ruefully. She then continued, more quietly, "Tell me why you is he–ere."
Both girls exchanged an uncertain glance with Tia, confused as to who she was speaking to, but Tia was looking between both of them. Angelica answered first. "I am supposedly, 'The Chosen One.'"
"And I'm your prisoner," Rose chimed in bitterly.
"No and no!" Tia said sternly. "Ye each be 'ere fer yer own means! It is yer destiny!"
Angelica scoffed. "Destiny! Like some false prophet isolated in a swamp could possibly predict my destiny." She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "Tell me then," she spat, "What else does my destiny entail, if you can see so much of it?"
Tia placed both of her hands flat on the table and looked at Angelica gravely. "Ye will find 'im."
Angelica furrowed her brow. "Who? Jack?"
"And he you search fer."
Rose watched Angelica quickly lose her skepticism and grow fascinated with Tia Dalma's words. "By what means will I find him?"
"I cannot say," she replied.
Angelica snorted. "Just as I suspected..." she grumbled.
"Take heed," Tia warned. "Him will blind you. He you hate will give ye sight."
Angelica's jaw hardened. "This is just an elaborate tale to get Jack to—"
"No tale. Teach approaches."
Rose watched as Angelica's face lost all color. "How...?" was all she managed to squeak out before she darted up the stairs back into their shared room. Rose's gaze followed her until she heard the door slam above where they sat.
"Teach?" she asked. "As in, Edward Teach? Blackbeard?"
Tia nodded solemnly. "'er fadder."
"Her father?! Blackbeard is Angelica's father?"
"'Er mudder died, leavin' da girl in a convent, but she left 'er wid tales of he who loved 'er."
"But Angelica never told anyone," Rose finished. "Blackbeard is hated...they could use it against her if they knew. Does Jack know?"
Tia shook her head. "Nobody."
Rose narrowed her eyes. "You really are a mystic, aren't you?"
Tia grinned devilishly, leaning closer to Rose. "I see yer future too. Do ya wanna know?"
Rose considered this. Knowing would give her power over the extent of her future, but then again, couldn't ignorance also be bliss? Perhaps knowing too much could set her mind at great unease. But she was faced with an opportunity, be it hopeful or harmful. Rose was desperately searching for her place in the world, and be it a positive or negative outcome, at least she could look forward to something.
"Yes," answered Rose bravely. "I do wish to know."
Tia nodded slowly, then began. "Ye too will find him ye search fer."
"Jack?"
"No. He who ye lost."
Though Rose's mind reeled wondering who she could possibly be referring to, Tia proceeded. "Ye will 'ave much heartbreak, but also great joy. Love be present."
"Love?" Rose asked. "Do you know...who?"
Tia's eyes glimmered. "'im who too 'as much heartbreak. Ye will marry a dead man, Rose."
A dead man? What does she mean?
Before she had a chance to question this, Tia gravely gave this prophecy: "'Dere be a touch of destiny aboud you, Rose Hexfury. Ye will gain more power dan any man can ever dream of possessin'. If ye be willin', dis power will be yers. Da seas be bowin' to yer every whim, and men will fear you. Ye will not be ready to take dis power, but you must. Protect him heart, protect da seas forever."
Rose must have turned just a white as Angelica did, for Tia's speech softened upon seeing her pupil's overwhelmed expression. "Yer destiny is bright, Rose," she murmured. "Follow me word, and you will find joy."
Rose's mind was racing. In a matter of seconds, she was told that she would marry a dead man, possess more power than anyone could ever dream, and that she had a great responsibility to protect something for eternity. This made her feel both terrified and excited. The thought of possessing great power when she often felt so small and insignificant seemed a blessing to her, but then again, what did she mean by "marrying a dead man?" Did she mean that her love was doomed to perish?
"I know it be a lot to swallow," Tia said, "But believe me. Yer here fer a purpose."
"But I don't understand. You told Jack that I wasn't 'the right one,' while Angelica was. What of that?"
Tia grinned. "Destinies change wid da tide. Ya changed yers when ya wanted to learn my lessons like Angelica."
"Can I also change my destiny so that the tides will turn and I can once again join Jack aboard the Pearl?"
The priestess's eyes shone with sadness as she gravely said, "Nay, n' ya will not go aboard fer many, many years."
Rose awoke with hard thud on the cold, wooden floor. Angelica had once again flipped her hammock.
"Tia needs you," she said in her thick Spanish accent. "Something about those blasted leaves again."
Rose groaned, pushing herself up and reaching around to gauge her surroundings, since it was not yet dawn and her night blindness was still in full effect. "Thank you ever so much for waking me in your gentle way," she said sarcastically.
"Never you mind it!" Angelica replied, feigning sweetness as she tossed herself back on her bed and instantly fell back asleep.
If Rose could see, she swore she would have plotted some sort of revenge on her roommate, but Tia awaited below to give an important lesson for some inexplicable reason at this ungodly hour.
She felt around for her trunk, pulling the lever and releasing the lock. The lid swung upwards as Rose reached for her dressing gown and belt. First, she felt a garment, and she smiled despite it being the incorrect dress. The light green gown from Tortuga. It hadn't fit her in years. Rose then came upon the dress she had been searching for; A bright red, lacy and wild gown inspired by her gypsy ancestry that Rose had made herself upon outgrowing the green one.
Rose put in on and adjusted the belt over her shoulder. She then began to braid her hair, which had grown to a considerable length.
Hard to believe that Rose had been under Tia's guidance for nearly a decade. She was twenty-four, and the tides still hadn't turned according to Tia. Rose had no idea when she would ever see her brother again.
She lingered on the promise that soon she would possess unbelievable power. Though she still remained uncertain about her future, the promise of ultimate joy created much excitement and a small flicker of hope that burned deep inside her.
"Rose!" Tia cried from below.
"Coming!" Rose called, stirring from her daydream and reaching ahead of her to make her way by touch down the stairs.
