Chapter 12

Five nights had passed since the girls had been taken on as semi-willing guests of the Jewel of Hades.

During that time, Maia, Cordayne, and Zephora had asked to transfer from the cannons to the ropes. They had planned a trade after the first day of work with Stella, Connie, and Umakoti. Stella had no quarrels learning how to fire a cannon and Connie had offered herself and Umakoti to take their places. Despite them not being too close as friends, it was clear that Uma truly had twisted her ankle badly on that first day, and was too stubborn to come forward. Connie felt that if she took on the task of moving stations for Umakoti that she'd comply, and she did without a word.

The difficulty came when they asked Cordelia, who immediately declined. They won out because Jonas had convinced her otherwise. He seemed to want every girl to play to their strengths. Maia was sure she had even overheard Jonas remind her, "It is a competition."

Maia had taken to rope climbing fairly easily, alongside Cordayne. She couldn't stand the sound of cannon fire in her ears and her hands were used to working quickly and precisely. She felt even more confident once she'd found her father's belt in Cordelia's personal belongings, remembering how hard her parents worked and how to persevere. It was difficult at first with the heavy metal weighing her down, but she'd rather struggle with climbing than leave it out of her reach.

Four days later, the swap was obviously the right choice, as she climbed up the ropes to her station, and flew back down to hear orders. Every woman had become well practiced, as was expected when they worked from sunup to sundown learning their job.

It was interesting to notice how they had even come to compete in proficiency with Robin and Florence. To pass the time some days they would hold races. Nobody had beaten the duo yet, but Maia was sure that she and Cordayne were close.

A race had just concluded, and Maia was catching her breath. Her wild curly hair was pinned back, keeping it out of her eyes. Florence, also heaving, sat next to her. "Good job, you all are learning quite fast." Her Italian inflection was evident at the end of each word.

Maia smiled widely. "Thanks! You and Robin are good examples to learn from."
"Thank you." Florence's forehead glistened with moisture, and the light sea breeze pushed the loose strands of hair off of her neck.

Maia gazed around at the group of women above deck. Each one had adopted their own style from Cordelia's extensive closet of wordly clothes. Even though each girl was unique and from different backgrounds they all laid about the deck, breathing heavily and wide grins as they recovered from the friendly competition.

There were points in the week where Maia truly missed her parents, but she found herself forgetting her losses more and more frequently throughout the day. She envisioned spending a few years aboard the Jewel. It was easy work, and nobody treated her like she was less than they were. If she could pull her weight than she'd be welcome. It seemed that when there wasn't anyone to fight against, being a pirate was relatively relaxed. She moved her gaze to the helm, where even Jonas and Cordelia were enjoying the refreshing breeze that passed by.

Jonas sat on the floor behind the helm's railing. His legs were dangling over the side, in between the bars. He read a book with a purple cover and looked deep in thought, but still content. Cordelia's arms were crossed and it seemed like at one point she was keeping an eye on the girls, but now her floppy hat fell over her eyes. Her head flopped lazily onto Jonas's shoulder. Jonas didn't flinch away or even look at her. The action was too familiar.

Maia sat there with Florence and tried to dissect the two of them. Images of their first night aboard flashed through their mind and the boom of the gunshot Cordelia had fired straight into Jonas's chest echoed in her ears.
No. Real gunshots?

It was so faint, unlike the cannons firing throughout the day. Maia thought maybe she had misheard something, mistaking the normal noises of the ship for gunshots.

Until she heard them again. It was so starkly unique against the calm sea. One by one, each member aboard the ship directed their attention to the bow- the front of the ship. Off in the distance four ships approached. Robin was the first to move, excitedly running up the Jacob's ladder to aid Mouse. Cordelia was gently shaken awake by Jonas, who left his book on the floor when he investigated the sound.
The four ships approached slowly. After a moment, the French flag could be seen overhead on the ships, bearing a golden crest in the white space in the middle.

"Stand down," Jonas ordered. "St. Martin is under my protection. They were just announcing their approach."

There was tension in the air as they approached, but Jonas seemed calm enough to keep everyone under control.

Florence leaned forward against the railing, eyes fixed on the approaching ships. Her eyebrows furrowed and her breath quickened. She seemed like she was trying to concentrate, but Maia couldn't figure out what was so compelling about the ships. Florence was approached by Joyce, oddly enough. Maia stood off to the side, too far to overhear their hushed and discreet conversation, but Joyce seemed to be trying to convince Florence of something, desperately.

Maia had almost gotten too distracted by the whispering girls, because when she looked back out to sea, the four ships had diverged. Two to each side of the Jewel of Hades. They were minuscule in comparison to their ship, but something still didn't feel right in her stomach. Something was off.

Even though Jonas had stated his trust of the ships, Cordelia's hand flew to her hip and rested on her pistol. She pulled her straw hat off her head and adjusted the gauzy material of her shirt. Her eyes were locked on the ships as they surrounded the Jewel, but she did not go against Jonas's word.

The tension hung in the sea air. Every person above deck just maintained eye contact with the ships as they slowly circled. Nobody moved, nobody spoke.

"Damn." The word bounced around on the wind. Jonas's mouth was pressed into a hard line as he gazed up into the sails. He view was blinded by the sun, but Maia swore she saw a silhouette of a very tall thin man. The figure seemed to be lounging on one of the masts, which confused her. There weren't any pirates aboard the main deck this morning, as they'd been given some time off while the girls trained.

Cordelia didn't seem as confused. One look up at the mysterious figure and she was on the move. "To your stations!" she screamed just before the silence was ripped apart with a cannon shot. The Jewel shuddered, but didn't even sway from the single cannonball. Suddenly more shots filled the air as all four ships had opened fire.

The girls on deck screamed, and fear filled their eyes.

"That wasn't a suggestion!" Cordelia shouted as she made her way to the main deck and forcefully hoisted girls to their feet. "Let the sails down! We're under attack!"

It had taken some time to get used to the routine of firing a cannon, but when it was all she and the five other women had done for the past few days, it was childsplay.

Well, maybe not for children.

Stella loved the rush of power that came with firing a cannon. Once she was good at it, it gave her something to do with her idle hands. She claimed it was for the practice, but really? It was fun. The whole 'pirate' thing was growing on her. Stella still loved being an apothecary, and it was still something for her to look forward to in the colonies, but maybe spending a few months aboard a pirate ship wasn't the worst thing to do.

The girls had taken a well deserved break. They spent all morning perfecting their speed, and were now being taught how to play a new card game. This one she truly didn't know.

The rules were a bit confusing, and the game allowed for six players, but six more people stood around as they played, watching the game unfold.

"You'll want to play that 9 first before you put down the ace. It'll empty out your hand faster."

"Oh! Okay, I think I'm starting to get it," Brett said, her Irish accent noticeably thicker with excitement. Stella wasn't the only one who'd begun to like her stay aboard the ship, it seemed. The men who worked down here were far less concerned with the wills of the captain and Cordelia. They were more relaxed, and tended to drink most of the day away.

Footsteps on the wood approached, and twelve heads shot to see who was coming up the stairs, but once they saw Emanuel's head, they went back to playing.

"Manny!" One of the men called over. "You want next game?"

Emanuel rolled his eyes as he approached the group. "You better not let la Loca catch you." He looked at the cards while he spoke. His Spanish accent was thick, and he held his head up with pride. "Besides, these ladies aren't going to learn anything from you. I don't think anyone here has padded my pockets with more winnings than you, Pablo."

"Cállate la boca," the man, Pablo, muttered under his breath but there was a clear smile on his face. Emmanuel was a tall man, with a few extra inches around his waist, but his presence was commanding nonetheless. It hadn't taken long to figure out that he was in charge of the lower decks, under Cordelia's watch. Stella pondered, would that make him the 2nd mate?

Manny was just in the middle of teaching Lara a strategy. He had taken an immediate liking to her, especially once he found out she spoke Spanish. She was often very clear in her disinterest, once even threatening him with a knife, but it did nothing to keep him at bay. Her competitive nature had gotten the better of her, and she allowed him to whisper in her ear, telling her some secrets of the game. "¡Oh, perro asqueroso!" she laughed, before placing a 2 in Pablo's discard pile, effectively ending the round.

There were chuckles and groans alike as Lara claimed the small pot. She slipped Manny a couple coins, which he quickly pocketed. The bets were being redistributed as another game formed, but without warning an earsplitting crack rocked the ship and debris flew around the room.

Stella screamed, falling next to Brett and the two women crawled away together, trying to get to safety. There were shouts as the men scattered. Without hesitation, they ran to their stations. Some immediately began prepping cannons, while others ran down the length of the ship, making sure every station had it's needed ammunition. The six women seemed to just be in the way as time seemed to slow. Manny had taken charge and spat out insults woven in with his orders.

Charlie was the first to stand. She claimed the first available cannon station and began immediately loading it up. Lara was soon to follow, determination painted on her face. The four remaining, Stella, Brett, Connie, and Umakoti all were hesitant, weighing their options.

Despite the terrified shake of Connie's head, Stella stood as well, and Brett joined her. Umakoti stood as well, but not to join the fray. She pulled Connie to her feet and the two of them fled, running down the stairs.

Stella felt a small pull in her stomach, to follow them to safety, but Brett seemed to be her voice of reason. They found their positions and began loading their own cannons.

Looking down the row, as cannons shot back after every fire, Stella felt a surge of confidence. A small smile spread across her face, as she felt the power pulsing through her with each fire. The ache of her muscles disappeared and all that was left was adrenaline, pushing her to go faster. Once she'd found her rhythm, she even tuned out the shouting and the cracking and splintering of the wood siding. A hole was ripped through the wall, only a few feet from where she stood, but somehow she felt no fear. Only anger bubbling up in her veins. How dare you attack the Jewel of Hades? The little voice in her mind was filled with pride. You insult us, by thinking you have a chance! Where had these feelings come from? Stella couldn't be bothered to try and figure it out. She had a job to do, and she was damn good at it.

It had been ages since someone had attacked them. Jonas even felt a pang of excitement.

Just like the good ol' days.

There was a sense of pride that came over him, watching Cordelia fall into her role. Even in her lounge-wear, she was powerful and fierce.

The fear on the girl's faces, however, snapped him back to reality. He had to take care of that. He assess the situation. Cordelia had it covered, so Jonas quickly ran into his quarters. In addition to throwing on his belt over his waist, which contained his pistol holster and his sword, he searched frantically through his shelves and his numerous chests.

He hadn't needed to use it in ages. His men were used to battle, time worn and weary. They were no longer scared of cannonfire or even death. The women, though, had never been in a fight like this.

Jonas needed something to persuade them, something Daemon had gifted him years before the Caribbean knew Jonas as the 'Pirate King'.

"There you are," Jonas said to himself, as he pulled a pistol out of his collection. It was silver, with pearl inladen to the grip. He ran to the door, and as soon as he opened it, he fired into the open air.

There was no ammunition, at least not physical ammo. The shot caught the attention of Cordelia alone. The girls were too distracted by the cannonfire. It had started coming from both sides as his men below deck got to work.

There was a disposition change in the air. Cordelia, fully aware of what Jonas had done, began barking more orders. The girls split off into even groups as they frantically climbed the Jacob's ladders. Jonas turned to the helm, casually waving away the cockswain. He manned the wheel in battles.

The gun's effects were already evident, as the women had no inhibitions about swinging from rope to rope. Daemon had referred to it as the 'Allure of Battle'. The effect was similar to drinking several pints of ale and then getting into a fight. It flooded the senses with adrenaline and false-confidence. Cordelia had described the effect to Jonas in her early days aboard the ship, though she couldn't feel any difference now. The effects were always notably less with every use, strongest on newcomers or those with weak stomachs.

In no time, the sails were down, pulling the Jewel of Hades ahead, out of the range of fire for these two ships. Jonas spun the wheel, turning the ship around.

Once through the center of the grouping of ships, the Jewel opened fire once again, decimating the four ships. Each boom of the cannons leaving the ship echoed over the water. The sound of cracking wood as the enemy ships had holes torn through them was addictive, and Jonas was half tempted to continue the assault, but he had other plans for them. Enough damage had been done to slow them down, proven by the splintering of several minor masts falling into the water below on the enemy ships.

"Helmsman!" Jonas shouted, giving him the wheel. Jonas's boots thudded on the wood as he approached the bow. Cordelia waited for him there, fire in her eyes. Her face beamed as it always did when they reached a turning point in battle. Even moreso when they'd reached a victory. A white flag rose to the top of all four ships, and Jonas grinned. "Cease fire," he called to no one in particular. Nell jumped from her resting place to run towards the stairs to inform the cannon crew below deck.

"Round them up," he ordered to Cordelia. She brushed past him as she went to do her duty and capture the commanding officers of each of the ships. Jonas was forgiving for only one reason. The port of Saint Martin had an agreement with the Jewel of Hades, and Jonas was hell-bent on finding out why it had been broken.

He took one last glance up at the mast. Daemon was gone, and Jonas let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he'd been holding on to.

I have a good excuse, I swear I do!

So not only did I start school back up a couple weeks ago, but I got a super bad respiratory infection, which I still kinda have. But my energy is back, so I'm so sorry for the late update!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It took me a minute to get back in my writing groove, so I'm sorry if any wording seems... off. I promise once I get back into the normal routine of regular updates it'll sound better.

Or maybe I'm just super self-conscious of my own writing? Whatever! Don't forget to review, fave, and follow. Your reviews keep me going, even when I don't feel too good. Until next time!