It had been over a week since Rose had felt Anna make contact with the water, and she was beginning to panic. She was grateful that James had the foresight to give her an update on their location, and she could sense that they had at least made it a day's travel past St. Martin when they had communicated this. But to not give her any updates since? Something must have gone wrong.

"Rose," Elizabeth's voice, cut through her troubled thoughts. "I think that basin is clean."

Rose looked down at where she had been vigorously scrubbing a water basin, which now glistened with a metallic sheen due to her absentmindedness. Exasperated, she set it aside and ran her fingers through her hair.

Elizabeth put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Trust James," she repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. "They're coming." She added, "It's good that it has taken them this long anyway. The sickness just barely subsided."

It was true. Though over two dozen lives had been lost to the plague, all symptoms of the islanders seemed to have improved dramatically with the aid of a tea Rose had concocted of yarrow and thyme, along with aloe for the sores. Rose had been able to send off any hospitalized patients back to their homes and had been making routine checks daily to confirm that progress was being made, but it seemed as though the worst had passed. Even Elizabeth was noticeably better, though still physically weak from the stress the illness had put her body through.

"Exactly!" Rose protested. "The sickness has subsided, so I am safe to rejoin them to bring them back home! If they would only give me an update to where in the blazes they are…"

"Well, where did they last communicate?" Elizabeth tried.

"The middle of the bloody sea!" she replied in exasperation.

"That's no good," Elizabeth agreed. She then took a deep breath. "Alright. Then we set off to find them."

Rose gave her an alarmed look. "No," she protested, though she was touched by Elizabeth's steadfast determination. "You're not well enough."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Well enough to stand. Well enough to use my status to commandeer a vessel that will take us East. We'll scour the seas until we find James and our children. What else is keeping us here, Rose?"

Rose grimaced. "Will's heart?"

Elizabeth had forgotten this, but was undeterred. "Then we take that too. It wouldn't take much. We could be off within the hour."

Rose embraced her friend. "I so appreciate your fearlessness," she said, "But I'm afraid I don't have that kind of time." Breaking out of the embrace, she still held Elizabeth by the shoulders as she said, "What if it's already too late for them? We need an immediate fix. And if I have the power to transform, I have to use it."

Suddenly, this gave her an idea. Her face fell as she rushed to her many shelves of books and began to rifle through them.

"I know that look," Elizabeth grinned, leaning up against a nearby wall. "She's got something."

Finally, Rose found it—a found captain's log from years back reporting of a captured mystic hailing from the Middle East. She ran her finger along the pages, flipping frantically until she found it. "…captured and held in the innermost dungeon of the St. Martin prison."

"St. Martin!" Rose exclaimed, discarding the book. "There's another mystic. She might be able to tell me where they've gone!"

Elizabeth's eyes gleamed. "Then you need to go."

Rose shook her head, "But what of you?"

Elizabeth winked. "I have everything under control. Go! Find Anna and our boys."

Rose embraced Elizabeth once more, then backed up into her storeroom wall and was gone.


Father had been right—in the light of a new day, the wind picked up dramatically. However, this also was in part due to an incoming storm blowing in from the south. It was Syrena who had alerted me of the dark, looming clouds that had originally seemed like a far-off threat, but now was encroaching at an alarming rate. Regardless, I stayed steadfast to the rudder, steering after Syrena and Phillip's heading.

Father was still out, his body making up for years of lost sleep. When he finally did awaken, he sat straight up, annoyed that I hadn't stirred him. To this, I teased, "Thought you were going to sleep the day away, ya bilge rat."

He said in a warning tone, "Easy…" Then, noticing the brewing storm and increasingly choppy waters, he said simply, "That isn't good."

"No, I'm afraid not," I said with a grimace.

Taking a look about us, I could see him mentally calculating our location. "We're not far now." Then, grabbing a line to change the shape of our mainsail, he said, "If we adjust accordingly, we just might beat this storm."

"Aye, Captain!" I replied in a chipper fashion. "My, storms seem to follow you wherever you go, don't they?"

He pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow, "Or maybe you shouldn't have named this boat the Dauntless!"

"Fine then!" I shouted back over the wind. "I hereby rename the Dauntless…the Intrepid!"

"How original," Father smirked. "No, no, once you've named it it cannot be undone. Therefore, the Dauntless persists. Let's just see if she can redeem herself this time around."


Rose blinked and found herself in the cold, dank prison on St. Martin. She could only envision the interior from the brief time she had spent here in search of the Map No Man Can Read from years past, but had not a clue as to where the dungeons would be, given that this mystic, Shansa was her name, was still being kept here.

So, she dipped and dashed, making her way along corridors that unfolded like a maze. Finally, she found two flights of stairs that took her to a cobbled stone hallway lit with torches. Following the path, she quickly dove out of sight upon finding an armed guard protecting a solid wood door with a large bolt keeping it secured. Ah! she thought. Found her! To her left was a large opening in the wall that led straight to the St. Martin ship yard, and she was in just close enough range that she could procure a bit of seawater and send it straight at the guard's head, knocking him unconscious. Racing to the door, she used her transformative powers to walk straight through it, revealing a musky, candlelight room with a bubbling cauldron right at its center. The place very much reminded her of Tia Dalma's shanty, so she knew at once she had come to the right place.

"Hello?" Rose called. "Madam Shansa?"

"Who dares enter here?" a deep, lyrical voice replied, its owner unseen.

"My name is Rose Hexfury," she replied levelly.

Appearing from a hidden alcove emerged Shansa, a strikingly beautiful woman with red facial tattoos that encircled her entire head. On her shoulder was balanced a rat, and two others emerged seemingly from beneath her skirt. Rose raised an eyebrow at this. Did every witch have an animal gimmick? Calypso and the crabs, Shansa and her rats? If so, how did Rose miss out on this information? "And what are you to me, Rose Hexfury?" Shansa hissed.

Rose stepped closer towards her. "I know not what I am to you, but you are help to me. You are to help me find what I search for. Word has it that you can locate what is lost. I need to find my husband and daughter."

Shansa stepped further into the light, exposing her rotten teeth as she emphasized, "The price of my help is blood. What blood have you to spare?"

Rose's rage was ignited at this. "Test me and I'll make sure it's your blood I'm paying with. Help me, I haven't the time."

Shansa raised an eyebrow to this challenge, and Rose jumped when she grabbed the rat from her shoulder and swiftly tossed it into her cauldron in a single movement. The action caused a green-colored explosion to erupt from the cauldron that Shansa was drawn to, her arms waving the fumes towards her as she stared intently into the concoction.

After a moment, she finally said, "Ah indeed. The sands of time are nearly spent. Your fortune is nearly spent as well."

"Enough riddles," Rose snapped, pulling Shansa back towards her by the shoulder. "Tell me where James Norrington is. Anna Norrington. Henry Turner!"

Shansa gave a wry grin, still very much in control of the situation. "And what do I receive in exchange?"

Rose realized she didn't have a single item to exchange in return, so she looked desperately around her until a thought occurred to her. "How does freedom sound?"

Shansa only tossed back her head and laughed bitterly. "No one can ensure that much!"

"I'm not 'no one.'" Rose challenged.

Shansa then got threateningly close to Rose's face as she spat, "Empty promises I've heard before. Leave now!"

"Wait…" she protested.

"I said LEAVE!" Shansa shouted, pushing her back towards the door.

"Not until you help me!" she insisted. "I am your only hope!"

Just then Shansa took Rose's face in both of her hands as she stared intently into her eyes, reciting, "Aye. As the sand grains fall, fall, fall away…you can feel the night grow stronger, can't you? When the night falls upon you, the Captain finds his treasure only for the treasure to lose her Captain. The shadows will dissipate, a castaway rises from the sea, and the sparrow flies once more. And in that time, will you be able to find your beloved stars? For shine once more they shall, but as the light fades, will you be able to see them to find your way home? As the light fades…what will be left of you?"

Rose was temporarily stunned by her prophetic words, but shook herself from them just in time, raising her arms as she shouted, "ENOUGH!" A tremor seemingly went through the Earth as Rose's hands flexed, churning the ocean water outside the prison cell.

Shansa looked genuinely bewildered by this development. "Who are you?" she asked breathily.

Rose, basking in the glow of her power, announced, "I am Calypso, goddess of the sea! Tell me where MY FAMILY IS."

At this challenge by a rival witch, Shansa squared off against Rose. "Or what?" she retorted.

Rose glanced at a nearby semi-circle, barred window that led straight to the ocean outside. Moving her hands toward this window, she said intensely, "I know rats can swim…but they can also drown." With this, Rose used all of her force to send as much seawater as she could summon through this single point of entry. The force blew through the bars and began filling the room with water. Save Rose, of course, who had protected herself within an envelope of air. The seawater extinguished all flames and light sources within, and Shansa and her army of rats struggled to swim towards the ceiling, where the air was rapidly becoming more scarce. Desperately, Shansa gasped, "STOP!" before succumbing and flailing wildly in the water that now encompassed her cell.

In one swift motion, Rose forced all of the water back out of the window, leaving Shansa and a few rogue rats scrambling, sides heaving. She struggled to her feet, dripping wet in her equally soggy surroundings, all of her belonging scattered around her. Rose swooped towards her, taking Shansa by the shoulders as she demanded one final time, "Tell me. Where they are."

Breathless, Shansa replied, "Waste not your time searching for wayward souls. The Captain has found his pearl."

"The Black Pearl?" Rose cried.

"Go! Quickly now!" Shansa demanded, freeing herself from Rose's grip. "The sand has nearly passed!"

Rose rushed to the nearest wall to transform back to the Pearl. She was still uncertain of Shansa's meaning, but at least she had a solid heading. And if the Captain really had found his pearl… that meant Jack would be able to aid her!

Looking back at a still soaking wet Shansa who was looking about her in bewilderment, Rose called back, "What are you still doing here?" She then pointed to the blasted away window bars, giving her a perfect opening with which she could make her escape. "I told you I keep a promise."

Shansa looked back at her, for once dropping her mystic facade and genuinely whispering, "Thank you."

Rose nodded and moved to disappear, but Shansa cut her off one final time. "Wait! There is something else you should know…" She rushed to Rose's side, grabbing her hands in hers and saying earnestly. "I have seen your death. You've known it all along, haven't you? That the immortality wouldn't last forever? That soon even death would come for Rose Hexfury. You will die painfully, but surrounded by those you love. Your body will be ravished by one that inhabits your body, but not by their own will."

Rose's jaw just opened and closed, utterly taken aback by this prophecy. This was not news she was expecting to receive now, not in this moment of great urgency. Though she was grateful for the insight, it was something she hadn't the time to process right now, so all she could do was nod.

Shansa replied gravely, "I'm sorry." And with that, Rose was off once more.


"Anna! Captain!" Syrena called, having fallen back so that she was swimming alongside our boat. "The seas are rough. I am concerned that the winds and ocean are working against one another and we might lose one another soon."

Father and I exchanged a concerned glance. "Well, then just continue on your course," Father replied. "We will follow where we can, but if we lose you, we know how to get back ourselves. We will meet you there."

Syrena furrowed her brow. "Keep your promise!" she warned.

"Undoubtedly!" I assured her. "You have my word that you will keep counsel with my mother." With this, she gave a firm nod, then rushed to rejoin Phillip ahead.

There were a thousand concerns that Father and I had, but none of them were worth voicing aloud, as they were an inevitability at this point. Every moment the storm grew nearer, and whatever was about to come our way was going to put all of us to the test.


Rose then concentrated on the ship she hadn't been aboard in over fifteen years, heart racing in her chest as she felt her body transform and meld into the stone, then eject from the wooden walls of the Black Pearl's brig. She breathed a sigh of relief at feeling the ship in motion: That could only mean that it had been freed once and for all from its glass bottle prison. The moment was fleeting however, as suddenly she lost her balance when the entire vessel shifted. It felt as though the ship was being torn in two, its center of gravity shifting between the starboard and port sides. Bewildered, she raced up the stairs to the deck where the guns were stationed. She paused temporarily, alarmed to find that the anchor had been completely extended. Were they dragging the anchor behind them as they sailed? Something was amiss.

She then raced across the deck through the hanging hammocks and to the steps leading up to the main deck, but stopped as she began her ascent, suddenly breathless.

"What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back?" Father asked me as I refastened the main sail line, which had come loose in the wind. "It's been the longest you've been away, hasn't it?"

It was obvious that he was trying to keep my mind off the increasingly worse weather conditions, but I was happy for the distraction. "Besides rushing into Mother's embrace and praying she doesn't kill me for running away?" I considered a moment before I answered truthfully, "I think just take it all in." My gaze shifted to him as I hesitantly added, "I would quite like to show you around."

He gave a sad smile, looking down, deep in thought. "Anna, you know that won't be possible." I exhaled my disappointment, looking out to the sea as he continued his explanation. "I'm going back for Turner as soon as—"

His voice cut out mid sentence, which caused me to look up. It was then that I saw his eyes go wide as he began gasping for air.

"Father?" I asked in alarm, scooting closer by him. It looked as though he was choking, but that couldn't possibly be; he was undead. His hand flew to his stomach all of a sudden, and when he pulled it back, I saw it covered in fresh, red blood. He furrowed his brow in confusion at this sight, then shudder and turn to lean out over the side of the boat towards the ocean. His breathing was staggered and short, and my heart dropped as I saw that from his back, a gaping wound began to bleed profusely, spreading a dark red stain across his coat.


Back on the Pearl, Rose grabbed onto her chest, a strange feeling coming over her. Then, it was as though every nerve in her body was set aflame. Her hands flew to her face when her eyes began to burn.


I was frozen and stammering, unsure of what to do as my father's body shuddered and shook. My thoughts were racing a furiously, and I kept asking him what the matter was as though he could answer me. Then the thought occurred to me that this might be his captors' doing; They had discovered that he had escaped the Dutchman and were now exercising punishment on him. But not knowing who they were or what they were capable of, all I could see was how much pain my father was in.

He then started to convulse, and his eyes rolled back in his head when at last he fell unconscious. He dropped forward and fell face first into the ocean, sinking low beneath the waves.


Then, as soon as it began, the all of Rose's nerves subsided, leaving her panting and in shock in the room. She had fallen to her hands during the attack, her shoulders heaving as she struggled to regain her breath. Looking up through her bloodshot eyes, she reached a hand towards the daylight on deck, trying with every ounce of what little force remained within her to pull herself up to the next step. Soon, her vision began to blur and the light faded. She was enveloped in darkness as her mind began to sputter and grow hazy. Her head hit the stairs as her body fell limp and unmoving.