.:.morning glory.:.
by: Cecile Li
-Chapter Five: Who'd Poison A Glory?-
Jack knocked softly on Evie's door. "We've arrived at Port-au-Prince." Hearing no response, he knocked again. "Evie?" Finally, he opened the door.
Evie sat beside her window, holding a mirror, none too carefully. Candles were lit all over her room, perfuming the air with the scent of rosemary and fire.
She was staring out at the dark ocean, the black waves. The antique mirror hung loosely from her hand, finally dropping.
Jack stepped into her room. He walked up to her, picking up the mirror.
No one would call this a plain mirror, that was for sure. It was made of pure gold, yet was as light as a sparrow's feather. Intricate flowers weaved through the entire mirror's length. A solitary flower lay at the very top of the delicate mirror, surrounded by tangles of ivy. Jack recognized the Glory family's official seal, a morning glory.
Shocked, Jack, too, nearly dropped the precious mirror. "Evie? Er…Arionna?" Jack asked her weakly, feeling a twinge of worry stir inside of him, seeing her pale face.
"Sometimes," Arionna said distantly, almost dreamlike, "I wonder, I wonder what I will see when I look into the mirror."
Well. Arionna definitely was not behaving like herself. "Arionna, are ye okay?" Jack asked nervously.
Arionna paid no attention. Instead, she took the mirror from Jack and raised it to her face. "What do you see, Jack?"
Jack smiled his famous devilish smile. Opening his mouth to respond, he picked up her wrist, attempting to figure out her pulse.
She was ice-cold. Gasping, he felt her forehead. It too, was icy. "Arionna," He demanded, fearful, "Look at me."
Arionna reluctantly tore her eyes away from the mirror. She blinked a great deal. Her eyes were glassy and lifeless. Her pupils had shrunk to a small dot. Suddenly, her eyes closed and she collapsed into Jack's arms.
Now Jack was deeply afraid. Arionna had to be sick, but why was her forehead not burning? If she wasn't sick, she had to be poisoned. Arionna's a Glory, who'd poison a Glory? Jack thought quickly, Barbossa! But isn't he dead?
"Will!" Jack shouted, a new sense of terror washing over him, "Will!"
Will stumbled sleepily into the room. "Huh? What are you doing in--" His eyes focused on Arionna's slumped body. "Evie!" He started toward her.
"No." Jack said sharply, carrying Arionna to the bed, "Get a doctor. A good one. Arionna's been poisoned."
Will nodded hastily and sped out the room, not noticing at all that Jack had called Evie Arionna.
Will wrung his hands worriedly. None of the doctors were willing to help. All of them, when they heard Will say a woman had been poisoned, agreed to help and gathered his materials quickly. Then, when they learned she was on a pirate ship, they suddenly refused.
Who would possibly help? Will thought swiftly, before remembering Evie's story about her stay in Port-au-Prince, Edward Contez!
"Excuse me, sir?" Will asked a well-groomed young man politely, "Do you know where Edward Contez lives?"The mad nodded and pointed up at a magnificent mansion on the large hill before them. Will was reduced to speechlessness.
"Yep," The young man replied grimly, "That's the general reaction. Rich, isn't he?"
Will nodded, mouth gaping slightly. "Very."
The mansion was huge and glittering, at least 2 times larger than Governor Swann's manor. Even from this far, Will could see beautiful branches of ivy on the timeless mansion. There were so many plants and flowers around the mansion, Will thought Edward must have imported a park here. Overall, it was alluring. Very alluring.
"What do you want with Edward Contez anyway?" The man asked curiously, the perfect picture of a gentleman, "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Robert Scarlet."
Will finally managed to tear his eyes from the gleaming mansion. "Will Turner. I need a doctor."
"There are many fine physicians in Port-au-Prince. Why Edward's?"
"No doctor will help a pirate." Will responded, panting as he started climbing the hill.
"And Edward will? He cares for no one." Robert followed him, obviously haven climbed the hill many times.
"He'll help Evie." Will explained, getting rather exasperated by Robert's many questions.
Robert stopped, his expression closed. "Evie's dead. She drowned a year ago when she and Edward were out at sea. " He replied coolly, his voice suddenly bitter.
"Say," Will asked inquiringly, peering closely at Robert, "What is your relationship with Evie anyway?"
"Edward was my best friend. Evie…She was like the little sister I had lost. Edward killed her. She didn't want to marry him. She was being forced."
Will rolled his eyes edgily. Could you believe these people? "She's not dead, but she will be if we don't get a doctor." He responded curtly, starting to move again.
Robert stood, firmly planted. "She's alive? Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes! She won't be alive very much longer if we don't get her a doctor!" Will yelled back; quite sure he didn't like this strange melodramatic Robert Scarlet.
"What are we waiting for then?" Robert said suddenly, sprinting toward the mansion, outrunning Will.
"Hey!" Will shouted indignantly, running after him, "Wait for me!"
"How's Evie doing?" Elizabeth asked softly, handing Jack a cool fresh cloth.
"Thanks." Jack replied exhaustedly, replacing the soiled cloth with the new one. "She's bad, real bad. No consciousness."
Jack was still in Evie's room, acting as nursemaid to Evie. He watched her, changing the damp cloths every so often.
"She tosses and turns and acts as if she's talking! If…if she dies…it'll be all my fault. I didn't watch her carefully. I should have protected her better. It's all my fault." Jack mumbled, guilt-ridden.
"It's not your fault, Jack." Elizabeth responded soothingly, "She won't die. She's going to get well, okay?"
"It's not going to be that easy," Jack looked desperately at Evie, his kohl-black eyes full of despair. "If Barbossa poisoned her…she won't see another sunrise. That damn bastard!" Jack muttered angrily.
"Why do you care about her so much anyway? I've never seen you so…so…emotional."
Jack tried to smile. "She's Ana's daughter. Ana's only daughter."
Elizabeth raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "And who is—"
"Jack?" A shaky voice spoke up from the bed, "E-Elizabeth?"
They both spun around at the sound of Evie's voice.
"Evie!" Jack called out happily, the worry on his face lessening, "You've woken up! How do you fell?" He pulled her comforter closer to her.
Evie closed her eyes with a tired sigh. "I'm cold. I'm so cold."
Jack turned to Elizabeth. "Can--"
Elizabeth nodded. "I'll be right back." She walked out of the room, in search for more blankets.
"Arionna, luv," Jack pleaded worriedly, "You can't die. If we can't find Hector…you're our only hope left! If it's Barbossa…Barbossa will take over the pirate world!"
Arionna blinked slowly. "Yesterday night, an odd animal came into my room. It…it scratched me…. I can't stay awake very long…please…please get…" Her eyes closed before she finished her sentence, slipping into terrifying dreams.
Jack watched Arionna with tear-filled eyes, rocking slightly. Will, he prayed urgently, please find a doctor and come back.
Here goes, Will thought apprehensively, knocking on the regal door.
Here goes, Robert thought at the exact same moment, also knocking on the door.
They both sent each other an irritated glance. Finally, after some tense minutes, an even more regal-looking butler opened the door. The butler smiled a spiteful frown. "I thought the young master told you that you were not allowed on the grounds again." He greeted stiffly in an icy tone.
Will interrupted Robert's angry reply. "Tell him a Will Turner and Robert Scarlet begs his help. About an Evie Giselle. Tell him she's been poisoned."
The butler peered down at them haughtily from his long pointed nose. "I do not take orders from my inferiors." Then he shut the door in their livid and shocked faces.
"Who was that, Smithers?" Edward's low and powerful voice clipped the air from behind the elderly butler.
"Naught but inferiors, young master." sputtered Smithers, whirling around.
Edward's bottle-green eyes gazed into Smither's gray ones. "I will judge who is an inferior or not. Let me repeat myself. Who was it?" His voice was soft and dangerous.
"W-Will Turner and Robert Scarlet." Edward frowned, thinking. So it was his traitorous ex-friend. But who was the other one? Where did he hear that name from again? "I-If you please, young master, they left a message."
"Yes?" Edward inquired, looking at his butler with renewed interest.
"They spoke of a woman. Evie Giselle? They said she was poisoned."
"Evie?" Edward's eyes softened, finally looking like a 23-year-old young man instead of a hardened tycoon. "Poisoned?" He strode toward the door, not waiting for his butler to open it for him and flung it open.
Smithers sighed in relief, wiping his sweaty brow. 25 years of service and the young master still frightened him. The whole family was every bit as crazy, completely loco. Just the way Edward carried himself proclaimed himself as the master and you just a tiny dull slug.
Shaking his head, Smithers walked up the stairs, leaving the young men alone.
"Mr. Turner. Robert." Edward nodded at each in turn. "You have a proposition. About a Ms. Giselle, if I'm correct?"
"Will, please. And yes, she's been poisoned. We need a doctor but no doctor will help. We thought you would be able to…help." Will explained, smiling uneasily. Robert shifted restlessly beside him.
Edward did not return the smile. Instead, he glared frostily at each. "What exactly is your relationship with Ms. Giselle, Mr. Turner?" He asked frigidly, ignoring Will's wish to be called Will.
Will blinked. That's what I just asked Robert, he thought dryly, wondering how long this would take. "Uh…she's my crewmate on the Black Pearl."
"A pirate." Edward sniffed, disapprovingly.
"Actually a blacksmith." Will replied, a slight smile on his lips.
"I see." Edward stated quietly, his cold green eyes boring into Will's, "You wish for me to extend my influence on Port-au-Prince's best physician." Robert and Will nodded, looking at each other anxiously, all hope gone in their eyes. "Understood."
Disclaimer: This disclaimer applies to every chapter I write for this story. I own nothing in here except Evie, Robert, Edward, the Glory family, and the plot. Please don't use any without my permission.