Disclaimer: I hold no claim to anything in this story, except perhaps the plot, Jasmine, and her sisters.
Author Note: Almost five thousand words this chapter is, longer by double than the other two. That should please you all…Also, there's a wee bit of fluff a ways down, though it might be considered more harassment than fluff…Any who, review responses at the bottom of the page.
The Siren of Jezebel Isle
Chapter Three
Soon the ship's mild movements came to a complete stop and Mr. Gibbs entered the decent sized cabin. He motioned for me to follow him and I quietly got to my feet and soon stood on the deck, looking out at a bustling town of surprising size. I lifted my eyes from the hustle on the dock before me, questions written clearly on my face. He shook his head slightly and stepped away from me.
I got the distinct impression that my mere presence unnerved him and merely griped the wooden railing tighter. Never before had I encountered such emotion from another creature, hatred perhaps, but such fear never. Unconsciously my shoulders hunched inwards slightly as I began to make myself appear smaller, but when a hand lightly touched the small of my back, I abruptly drew straight. My eyes flicked momentarily from the pier to the muck encrusted pirate beside me and jerked my head in the direction I believed Mr. Gibbs had fled.
"Why is he and, I presume, the rest of the crew afraid of me?"
One of his brows lifted slightly before he shrugged, palm sliding off of me. "When ye sang las' night, ye gave them a fright."
"And that gives them the right to treat me like this? That is not exactly fair."
"Ye may not 'ave noticed, but life isn't exactly fair lass, especially not the life of a pirate."
"I did not make them pirates. For all I know, they entered this way of life by their own free will. Unless, you would keep them here against their wishes? I have not been held on your ship long, but you have yet to strike me as one of those kinds of men." The venom with which I spat those last words brought back memories of a time before much of the world had been discovered.
A silent shudder gripped me as I shied away from such images and I exhaled softly, trying to forget. The beginnings of words began in his throat when he saw me shiver and I held up a hand to stop him.
"I have no wish to speak of what haunts me." I said simply.
"Lass…"
"I have a name you realize."
"Aye, I do. Tha' doesn't mean I 'ave to call ye it."
"Oh, I forgot, pirates have no manners. Well then, Sir Pirate, go right on ahead and continue calling me lass. I wouldn't be one to try and teach an old dog new, difficult tricks." The words were laced with cruel cynicism and my eyes grew hard, glinting like shards of a shattered amethyst crystal as I watched him.
The pleasantly worried expression his features had acquired rapidly dried up and became replaced with a coldness as he suddenly gripped my wrist far harder than I thought a slender man such as he could muster.
"Twould be best for ye, Jasmine, if ye didn't mock me. I may be a pirate, but I can be far worse than the stories ye mighta heard."
"I am not afraid of you."
"I never said tha'. Ye should be, though."
"And why is that, Pirate? As far as I know, there is little to none that you can do to harm me."
He brought his face in close to mine, not difficult for one nearly a whole head taller than my meager height, close enough so I could see the rich splinters of gold that shone through the natural deep earthy tone of his eyes, gentle rays of light from the Gods piercing the heavy darkness of the Underworld, bringing a lost soul to right. My breath caught in my throat as I felt myself sucked into those dark pools, my mouth parting slightly as my own vision narrowed until only those luminous orbs encompassed all that I could see. I began to bring a hand up to cup his cheek gently, but the upward motion of my limb ceased suddenly when my brain processed his words.
"There are many things I could do to ye. Taking ye down and ravishing that delightful body of yers, with or without yer consent, and then lettin' my crew take turns with ye…" In the blink of an eye, his lips became quite firmly connected to mine.
I instinctively opened my mouth to protest, but he took that as an invitation to deepen his invasion. To my surprise, however, he did not attempt to choke me with his tongue as I recalled several of the adolescent boys I had allowed to kiss me had done before the Gods cursed me. It was actually rather pleasant, especially when his arms slipped about my waist and he pulled me closer against him.
Instinctively, I wrapped one of my own limbs about his neck and let my body relax a fraction more against him, delighting in the sensation of his muscular form against my own slimmer, softer one. As my eyes began to slip close and I began to actually enjoy the kiss, I realized why exactly this display had started.
My palm connectedly solidly with the side of his face, dark fire burning in my eyes as I ripped my mouth away from his. "You are a foul, uncouth, despicable beast. Unhand me this instant or I swear, I will scream and alert those law enforcing men watching this ship with such an interest."
He let go of me so quickly it was as if I burnt him, pushing me away so there were several feet in between our bodies. I crossed my arms beneath my chest, uncaring to the scowl wrinkling my features. The temptation to bring my fingers up to touch my lips nearly over powered me, as did the peculiar tingling that had begun in my extremities. I swallowed heavily, trying to tell myself that what I felt was indeed anger at his actions.
"Tha' wouldn' be a good idea. But it doesn't matter. Follow me, it's time fer us to leave tha Pearl and see me friends."
"I have no desire to see your 'friends'. There is no way I am getting off this little boat of yours. I am returning to the cabin you deemed mine and I am not going to leave until we are sailing away. And only then so I can leap into the ocean and get away from you and your crew." I began to turn to stride below deck, but the firm grip he suddenly had around my waist stopped me.
The moment he touched me, sparks seemed to alight and I fought back the need to throw myself on him. I had only felt these sensations once before and the situation that resulted from acting upon them was disastrous to say the least. There was more than one reason my sisters and I broke that king, we were not as heartless as the legend made us out to be. He was a very bad man and if one had gone back in time, asking the women of our age about him you would be given the same answer. Females in general were ecstatic that he was gone, regardless of what the myth about our origin says.
"I dun think so. Yer coming with me, whether ye like it or not."
I really had no say in the matter, to be perfectly honest.
The armed men standing on the jetty paid us little head once the pirate palmed them what appeared to be several copper coins and continued to jerk me away from the ship that had served as both jail and asylum. He easily parted the crowds that were a constant along the waterfront and ignored the calls of money hungry merchants as they offered their wares. As we slowly made our way upwards, there was a particular street that caught his attention and he wavered briefly, staring longingly at the houses with painted red doors.
He took a half step down the alley when he suddenly jerked away, taking me with him, and walking briskly towards a sprawling that was far larger than any I remembered seeing before the Gods cast me and my sisters out of civilization. I must have made a noise of surprise because a short chuckle reached my ears, quickly followed by his lilting speech.
"Surprised, are ye? The Turner residence is rather large."
I momentarily forgot that I was deeply angered with him and spoke. "Large? Excuse me, but it is massive. It is bigger than the king's palace."
He drew short at the wrought iron gates and threw a glance at me. "I won' even ask ye about tha'. Ye're a mystery tha' I am gonna solve with tha help of me friends."
He led me to the gilded front doors and knocked sharply upon their surface. They swung open moments later and a stuffy looking man looked down upon us, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"Neither Lord nor Lady Turner are available to be seen by…"
The pirate merely shoved him out of the way and strode into the residence, not seeing my shock at the utter lack of hospitality the man offered to us, the guests. Back home any host or hostess would rather be banished from their lands and have the very Gods turn their backs on them rather than not show hospitality to a guest, friend or stranger alike. The pirate let go of me and opened his arms in a gesture of warmth to the young women descending the elaborate staircase, forgetting about my presence.
"Elizabeth, here I'd thought ye'd forgotten all about yer good friend Captain Jack Sparrow!"
Her sweet chime of laughter carried easily to me, nothing seeming forced or strained about the noise. "I do believe it would be impossible to ever forget you, Jack. What are you doing in Port Royal? Just because Commodore Norrington has been stationed elsewhere does not mean you are free to roam here."
His face took on a crestfallen look. "Ye mean ye don't want me? Ye've broken me heart."
She merely laughed and embraced him, pulling back and smiling. "Will is going to be very pleased you are here. He has missed you." One of her hands drifted to her surprisingly large belly and it took me a few moments to realize she was with child and not grossly overweight.
"Ah, the eunuch…Where is yer husband? S'not right for him ta leave ye by yerself when yer so close."
I suddenly felt extremely out of place and was on the verge of edging towards the closed doors when a small, curly haired boy suddenly burst from an adjoining room. Instead of going to the impregnated women as was expected, for she was clearly his mother, he bounded straight for me, curiosity alight in his naive hazel eyes. On instinct I knelt before him, a smile I had not shown in years, not since I had last encountered something as innocent as a child, lightening my face.
"Hello." I spoke to him. "What's your name?"
"Gabriel." He could not have been older than five.
"It's very nice to meet you Gabriel, my name is Jasmine."
Without another word, he launched himself at me, little arms wrapping around my neck as he resting his head against my collar. Slowly I rose to my feet, cradling him against my torso as my body remembered the forgotten ability to hold a child without fear of dropping it. I looked up to see the woman and the pirate watching me with surprised gazes. A slight tinge of pink stained my cheeks as I looked at them, trying to ignore the surprise and innate fear on the pretty woman's, Elizabeth I remembered the pirate calling her, face. I swallowed thickly and whispered quickly to the child.
"Gabriel, why don't you go to your mother?" He made a noise of protestation, but did as he was bid when his feet touched the ground.
My arms quickly wrapped around my abdomen as she gently touched the boy's head, as if checking him for an injury I placed upon his person. I did not speak and merely took several steps backwards in the direction I hoped the doors leading to the outside world were in.
"Who is she, Jack? The last time you brought one of your 'lady' friends with you here, Will and I both asked you to come alone in the future. I don't want Gabriel coming in contact with those kind of women."
It was as if a bucket of icy water had doused me and I realized what the woman was talking about. She thought I was one of the those women that lived along the alley littered with establishments with red doors, it had not been difficult for me to gather the sort of female that would live down such a street. My hands clenched on either side of my body as I bit my tongue, attempting to keep the burning onrush of fierce words from coming. I would not pollute little Gabriel's ears with such talk, no child deserved to have the particular innocence lost, if what I had to say became audible.
"She isn' one of those girls. She's diff'rent."
"That is exactly what you said about the last woman you brought here, the last one you were ever supposed to take with you."
"I'm being serious. She's diff'rent."
Elizabeth let out a sigh before making an imperious gesture with her fingers. A serving woman appeared quickly and she spoke in an exasperated manner. "Please take Mister Sparrow's 'friend' to one of the guest rooms. Make sure there is a hot bath there and bring her what ever she asks for." She threw me a momentary glance, taking in the blood that encrusted much of my hair, that splattered across my face and down the expanse of bosom that the dress revealed. "Also, take one of the dresses from your wardrobe and give it to her. The one she is wearing is not fit for any female."
The serving woman nodded and quickly began to walk away, expecting me to follow. The pirate cleared his throat and motioned for me to go after her and I merely stared at him, before bowing my head and trudged after the slightly frazzled looking female. Just as the door leading to another part of the house close behind me, I just heard Elizabeth speak.
"Really Jack, another whore? Where do you find them all? Especially that one, she looks like she murdered her last client…"
I closed my eyes for a moment as a wave of despair rolled up inside of me. All I wanted was to return to my island home and have my sisters waiting for me there. To most people it would not be enough, but for me it was where I belonged. My place was not among such extravagant luxury, but the strong ocean breeze and in the silky warmth of the salty waters of the sea. I was a siren, the very last of my kind and it was not intended for me to be shut up inside a house or ship. One way or another, I would go home.
After the serving maiden had left me in peace, a faintly steaming bath awaited me. It had been countless years since I had last actually submerged myself in scented water and soaped myself up. There had been no need of it since I found myself on Jezebel Isle, for I did not find myself ever growing dirty as life on land tended to make one. There was no need for sweet smelling oils and perfumes, for the natural scent of the flowers I wreathed myself in were all the fragrance I needed. Nevertheless, the entirely feminine joy of making oneself smell good and clean away grime, to make one feel beautiful, over took me and I slipped into the heated water.
There is little I can say about the bath, except that by the time I felt myself clean enough to emerge from it, the once clear liquid was a murky crimson, heavy with the filth that had clung to me. A stretch of warm drying cloth lay near the tub and I rapidly toweled the remaining fluid that streaking my body away, setting the dampened cloth back where I had found it. It was then I turned and found myself greeted by my own image in a mirror.
A gasp of surprise escaped me as I brought my fingers up to touch my own cheeks. The looking glasses I had used as an adolescent before being cast out had been polished metal and nothing like what was before me now. I could see every bit of myself and was pleased to see that not a single physical flaw could be found. There had been a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of my nose and shoulders before the Gods gave my sister's and I a certain immortality, but they had utterly disappeared and I had been left with perfectly clear, porcelain pale flesh.
My eyes widened as I took in the swells of my breasts and curves of my hips, for they no longer resembled that of a teenage girl. My body had matured considerably until it would be quite impossible for any to mistake me for a boy. My sisters and I had always been on the slender side, with just enough to be considered a woman, but never as much as was considered the ideal by the standards we had grown up by.
When and how this delightful transformation had occurred, I cannot say, but it was more than welcomed. I found it hard to believe that I would not have noticed my form blossoming as it had, but I suspected it had happened so slowly that I would have been extremely difficult to have seen it. A pang scoured my heart as I wondered if Rose and Hyacinthe had undergone the same changes that I had and wished that I was not alone.
The constant ache that reminded me of my loss grew swollen as memories returned and I pressed a hand against my mouth to halt of pained sob. Tears would not bring them back, no matter how long I cried, they would always be just beyond my finger tips, forever to far away to touch but close enough to crave. There came a knock at the door that shook me from my melancholy daze, a voice following.
"When you are dressed, the Lord and Lady Turner will see you in their study."
"Thank you." I croaked, swallowing heavily and turning to the dress I was to put on.
Once the bodice was tied firmly a few inches beneath the point where my ribcage met below my breasts, I took a brief glance at myself in the mirror. The hue of the dress was a deep cyan, quite different than the drab navy I had seen several women wearing while the pirate had dragged me through town, but something decidedly reminiscent of the ocean that had nurtured the siren trio of Jezebel Isle for so many years.
Slanted rays of muted sunlight streamed in through a half shuttered window, catching the deep sapphire high lights in my obsidian hair that matched the hue of my borrowed gown so well. With my skin no longer stained with streaks of crimson, my pale flesh gleamed healthily and silent pleasure at the fact that no cosmetics had ever been necessary to enhance my looks filled me. I slipped my feet into the simple slippers that had been left for me and quietly left the demure room that had been given to me.
After much searching, stumbling, and finally getting directions from the first servant I could find, I managed to reach the study I had been ordered to. Instead of knocking once I got there, I leaned against the wall and rested my head against the smooth wood. A fierce pounding had begun in my temples and had begun to form a halo of squeezing, cinching pain that would soon begin to affect my vision.
I knew quite well what was happening and I desperately wished that it would cease. Apart of the curse the Gods put upon my sisters and I was that if we were apart from the beloved embrace of the ocean for more than a few days, we would slowly begin to deteriorate and eventually succumb to insanity. At one point we had believed that if we did this we would be able to pass into Hades' realm, but after nearly a fortnight of deprivation, we came to realization that insanity did not equate into death.
Our minds might go, but our bodies would toil on until the end of time, keeping our souls hostage for all eternity. Those two weeks I did not enter the salt water were as close to hell as I ever wish to get. To be so close to the substance that would make the pain go away but believing that by not going into it absolution would be granted, was enough to make one go insane.
It had been near a week since I had last swum in the ocean, the day my sisters were stolen from me, and I am quite sure I lay in deep unconsciousness by their bodies for two days at least and then another five traveling on that accursed boat. I would reunite myself with the ocean soon or the entire household giving me shelter might pay the penalty of a half-deranged siren. The conversation going on within the room beside me caught my attention soon after I came to that conclusion and I tilted my body so the words would be clearer.
"…so you are saying that you found her sleeping among corpses on a deserted island?" A masculine voice, one I had yet to year.
"Tha's about right. It didn't make no sense. She threw a fit when she woke up, very nearly threw 'erself offa the Pearl. 'ad to hit her over tha head with the butt of me pistol to sedate her."
"But that doesn't make any sense, Jack. You said those bodies were fresh, wouldn't you have seen the ship that killed them? And why wouldn't those that killed the other two spare her? Have you even gotten the whole story out of her?"
"Well, no' really, but tha strangest thing 'appened the other day. The lass began ta sing."
"Singing is hardly a strange occurrence. Perhaps all that sea water you've absorbed over the years has finally gone to your head." The unfamiliar voice again.
"Now listen 'ere, Will, I wasn't finished! Tha entire crew stopped wha' they were doin'. It was like…like a spell or summat. Twas tha strangest thing I've ever experienced. I got all sad, sorta like me own family 'ad died…"
"Really, I think you are simply making things up. No person's voice can entrance people like that. It is possible for a few moments, but to make other's feel the same as the singer? That's impossible."
I deemed it time for me to let my presence known. I drew myself up and gathered as much courage as I could about myself, refusing to let the fear I felt show through. I knocked on the door and once entrance was granted to me, I walked inside. I clasped my hands before me and slowly let my eyes drift up from the floor to the three others staring at me in something akin to bewildered amazement on the faces of the two that had seen me before and entrancement on the features of the man who I could only guess was the 'Will' that had been spoken of earlier.
No matter how desperately I wished to tell Elizabeth that it was not impossible to entrance an entire ship and bind them to your will, I kept my mouth shut and merely let them all inspect me. While such intense scrutiny was something I was wholly unaccustomed to, I knew to garner any respect from the trio before me, I could show no weakness. It was the pirate who first broke the uncomfortable silence that permeated the room.
"Why don't ye come take a seat by me now, lass?"
I silently acquiesced to his request and arranged my skirts so that only the tips of my shoes were shown, poking out from beneath the hem. My hands easily folded in my lap as I continued to watch the other three. While nothing exactly had been done to keep me from trusting the three of them, though I heavily doubted I would ever trust the sneaky pirate, there was something that blocked off that part of me.
To be perfectly honest, I was afraid of trusting these two strangers. Perhaps it was because of the recent deaths of my sisters or my own distrustful nature, but whichever it was it would keep me from divulging all the information about myself that these people would undoubtedly wish to know. The man sitting just across from me leaned forward in his chair, a kind smile on his face.
"I'm Will Turner and this is my wife, Elizabeth. What's your name?"
"But I told ye 'er na-"
"Yes, but I am asking her Jack because you aren't exactly the most trustworthy person in the world." The man, Will, said.
Although I did not think the reiteration of my name was extremely important, for why would the pirate lie about something as mundane as that? But, an aura of warmth and compassion simply oozed from Will and I found it difficult not to return the smile that lit his features.
"Jasmine."
There were several seconds of silence, as if they were waiting for something.
"Your surname?" Elizabeth snipped, cool dislike freezing her eyes.
"I don't have one. I have never had one, there has never been a need for one."
Will's brow furrowed. "But your parents…"
"They did not have one either."
"But…"
I sighed quietly and tried to ignore that blasted pirate as he too leaned forward in his chair, suddenly much closer to me. His mere presence was enough to disturb my train of thought. I sucked in a deep breath through my mouth and forced a slight smile onto my lips, focusing my attention of the perplexed man sitting before me.
"Where I come from, there was no need for surnames because a person was known by their parents and home. A second name that would be passed on from generation to generation would be superfluous."
"But then what was this latter part of identification?" It appeared as if the conversation would be between Will and I, the other two being silent observers for the most part.
A splinter of sadness pierced my heart as I momentarily let my eyes flicker down to my clasped hands. "I am not permitted to carry that with me now. Please, let my given name suffice. I do not wish to speak of it any longer."
"So be it. May I inquire as to how exactly you found yourself on a deserted isle amongst two corpses? It seems strange, for you bear no signs of malnourishment or prolonged exposure to the sun."
"I cannot speak of this without explaining my life history, something which I will not do before two strangers, no matter how hospitable and kind they may be on first glance. I mean no disrespect to either of you, but my nature can be considered questionable at best by most of the civilized world…" I trailed off for the pounding at my temples suddenly grew stronger and my vision lurched sickeningly.
Something in my expression must have conveyed my sudden nausea, for the pirate rose to his feet and gently set his hand onto my shoulder. He briefly squeezed the muscles hidden beneath flesh and cloth, looking down at the two seemingly highborn people.
"I believe it'd be best if tha lass wen' back to 'er room. She mus' be tired."
Will immediately rose to his feet, concern etched upon his sun browned face. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize your journey had taken so much out of you. Goodnight…Jasmine." He hesitated before saying her name, aware of how improper it was to address an acquaintance by their first name.
I merely inclined my head and allowed the pirate to help me up, his hand holding my elbow firmly as he guided me from the room. Just as he was about to lead me out, I turned my head and looked right at Elizabeth, a brief flicker of contempt in my eyes.
"And by the way, contrary to popular belief, I am no whore." With that, I pulled myself out of the pirate's grip and stalked off in the direction I hoped my room was in.
Review Responses:
Bright Shadow Sorceress – You are right, I never mock people. Mhh, though you do have to go to summer school so that sucks for you.
The Flying Breadstick – I must ask, are you a garlic breadstick or a plain one? Neither am I, but it is quite amusing to watch you try. Thanks, I hope you liked this chapter, it was especially long.
Raine – Thanks, hope you liked it.
Queen of the Insects – Jack Sparrow is a sexy bisnatch who should be tied down to any bed available and shagged to the point of unconsciousness, at least, that is the way I feel. Trust me on this one, this fic is only going to get sadder as it goes on. You know me, have to make the readers sniffle before I can get to the fluffier bits. I actually have a large portion of this story planned out, surprise surprise, and it's rather angsty…
Kaladelia Undomiel – Course they're gonna meet the Turners, they would be Jack's only friends in Port Royal. Hope you like this chapter!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, next update should hopefully come soon. However, my muse has informed me that she will be taking an extended vacation as of the middle of next week, so don't expect an update after that. If you are lucky, one might come before that time…I also realize I have changed Port Royal a little bit, the extent to my tweakings will be evident in the next chapter, but feel free to ask questions if it confuses you.
Your Lord and Master;
Foamy the Squirrel