Chapter 19
Nell watched with unease as Jonas loudly announced his demands. "-start by transporting as much treasure and goods as you can get to the docks by the time my ship arrives in port, complete amnesty between the port of St. Martin and the Jewel of Hades, and you will also return the French Royal Navy to Europe. You have no need for them here. In return, St. Martin will receive complete protection from the Jewel of Hades, you will not be targeted for any pirate attacks so long as you fly our flag of protection on every mast of every ship you command. These are the terms to get back into our good graces, I would encourage your cooperation." The governor nodded nervously, the barrel of the pistol only a few inches from his head. The two half-naked suitors had dropped to their knees with Maia and Robin each holding a gun to them. Robin's face was stone cold, while Maia glanced around like she was trying to play along with the Captain.
Nell's own apprehension welled up inside, but she kept it down. The crowd ebbed toward her, Cordayne, Caroline, Zephora, and the four other pirates, but after the initial commotion, most of the guests stayed low to the ground and kept quiet and complacent. Nell looked over at Cordayne, who wasn't even paying attention to the crowd like she should have been, and instead was staring up at the stage with her eyebrows furrowed. Internally, Nell shrugged. The crowd was at bay so it wasn't like she was doing anything wrong, though Nell wished that Cardayne would get her head in the fight. It was understandable because a select few of the girls on the ship had expressed much interest in the Captain, including Nell herself. Of course, it was from afar because of Cordelia, but it was nice to daydream. Even Nell could see that this was a horrible time for the imaginings of an admirer. She gave Cordayne the slightest nudge, and Cordayne ever so slightly shook her head and straightened up. She held her pistol tighter and focused intently on the crowd who was eyeing the blockade of girls, looking for weaknesses.
There was some shuffling as Lara, Stella, Brett, and Charlie allowed the main exit's door to open. Holding their guns steadily to the large group of guards who were standing outside. The guards must have gathered during the commotion, but were unable to get in. With the doors open, they all began to rush inside to protect their governor and his guests but were faced with not only eight guns aimed at them, but the image of Jonas on stage holding the exposed governor at gunpoint. They stopped their advance, their hands resting on their weapons. Clearly the captain was in front, his uniform adorned with medals and his epaulets were twice the size of the normal soldier. The captain took the scope of the situation, and you could almost hear the gears turning in his head. The unspoken threat hung in the air: If you start a gunfight, the governor and many of his noble and prestigious guests will die. They made no sudden moves.
"Captain Dion, I want you and your men to gather up the items in the storehouse vault. Take them to the docks, at once." The words coming out of the governor's mouth were meant to be sure and strong, but they were shaky and lacked conviction. Cordelia began making a long stride down the stairs of the stage and through the crowd, which parted in fear. She approached the captain, slowed to give him a deep scowl, and then walked past him. She stepped over the threshold into the garden, still in view of the party. She reached between her breasts where a smaller, strangely shaped pistol was concealed. She aimed it into the night sky and fired it. Nell realized it wasn't a pistol but a flare gun, and she had just signaled the ship.
"You don't have long, Captain. I'd get a move on," she said as she walked past him again, looking at him with a glint in her eye.
A beat passed, and the captain pointed his finger past the doors, ordering his men in French, which luckily Nell understood from her strict and rigorous upbringing. "You heard the orders, go to the storehouse. Get anything you can grab from the storehouse to the docks. Rapidement! Avant de tourner au vinaigre!" The men turned on their heel, running around the side of the mansion to where the storehouse undoubtedly was. The captain turned slightly to look Jonas in the eye, his face turned into a sharp frown, before following his men in a light jog. Lara's group closed the heavy door behind them.
The ballroom sat in stifling silence, waiting for Jonas to make another move. The only occasional sound was a sniffle from a crying woman or two. Nell straightened her back out of habit when she was nervous. All she wanted to know was what was going through Jonas's head right now, and how he was planning to escape. Zephora nervously messed with the frills of her red dress, before she saw Nell staring and stopped. The pirate standing behind Zephora took a step back as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. Nell assumed he was probably attempting to look over her shoulder into her cleavage. God damn pirates, even in life or death they still acted like dogs.
Minutes passed in unbearable silence. Finally, there was a tepid knock on the garden doors. Lara nudged Brett, who opened the door a crack, her gun peering through before she did. She shut it again. The entire room looked at the group guarding the door, and Brett spoke up loud enough for Jonas and Cordelia to hear on the other end of the room. "They say the Jewel has docked, Captain. The items are awaiting your approval to board the ship." Jonas glanced at Cordelia, both of them nodded almost imperceptibly before he gripped the governor tightly by the arm and pressed the barrel on his temple.
He began walking down the steps toward the doors. He was followed closely by Maia with her hostage and Robin with hers. Robin roughed up her hostage as she made him stand up, looking odd as a short boyish girl abused a tall sculpted French man. The three nude hostages were trailed by Cordelia, who waved at the girls on the exits. Victoria and Celandine, who were at the base of the stage followed closely on Cordelia's right and left, aiming their guns awkwardly at the crowd, almost nervous to see if anyone was going to stop them.
Olimpia, ever the rule-follower, led her group away from the servants' entrance while Nell opted to start walking. She didn't consider herself a leader, but she didn't want the group to fall behind because nobody would step up to follow.
Nell weaved her way through the crowd of cowering people on the floor, her pirate guard resting his hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't walk too fast and leave the rest of them. She caught up to the posse of pirates and ladies, the lot of them looking like a formidable gang of well-dressed outlaws. They approached the doors, the crowd behind them getting more vocal and anxious as some exits were now free and open. There was some slight panic in the room as you could hear people pushing to sneak out through the other doors. Cordelia and Jonas seemed calm and collected, not even sparing a glance backward, so Nell tried to do the same. Others, like Zylphia and Caroline, watched the crowd with fear in their eyes, but luckily they kept pace.
Just as the crowd's agitation was becoming worrisome, they all exited the doors. In the near distance, the Jewel of Hades loomed at the docks. It towered over the other ships and had a reddish glow in its portholes that made it look like it burned the fires of hell within.
The docks looked like they were at a standoff. As Jonas and his crew approached, Nell could see the royal guard on the island side, straining to not attack, and the pirates on the seaside of the dock, looking disorganized and bloodthirsty. Jonas and his party-goers approached the captain with the governor in tow. He stopped and glanced over at the pile of boxes, luggage chests, and loose luxury items that were laid out on the dock for the pirates. Jonas cocked his head to the side, appraising the number of items. "It will do for now," he said simply. He stood still, not moving a muscle while he held the gun to the governor. Pirates around him immediately went into automatic action and began forming an assembly line bringing the boxes and chests and valuables to the ship's gangway. Nell was huddled among the girls. They weren't scared anymore-they'd been with pirates for long enough, but they were on edge. It felt like all these people needed was a spark to explode outward in a bloody battle. Needless to say, not every girl felt comfortable with that prospect, and it felt like Nell was holding her breath to avoid being the spark.
When everything was stowed, right down to the last loose pearl, the pirate crew had emerged to watch their captain and wait for orders. He approached the rival French captain, nearing close enough that Nell was sure they could smell each other's breath. The night air pulled Nell's hair away from her neck, the sea breeze was far too familiar and soft for the situation. Jonas shoved the governor forward, his motion smooth and graceful but the governor tripped anyway. The French captain said nothing, but his scowl deepened. Two seamen took the governor and cloaked him in a blanket, pulling him aside as fast as they could. During the exchange, Jonas took two steps back. His mouth was turned slightly upward like everything was going to plan. It enraged the French captain to allow a pirate to go free, and that was undoubtedly why Jonas found it amusing. Maia and Robin released their hostages at the same time. Both men scrambled to their allies, babbling like babies. Robin scoffed, rolled her eyes and spun the chamber of her pistol with her thumb. The action seemed old and instinctual like it was a habit picked up some time ago.
Jonas turned on his heel and approached his crew. He took Cordelia under his arm by the shoulder when he was close enough. She returned the motion with her arm around his waist, both of them looking malicious and very pleased with themselves. Jonas leaned down and whispered something to her, which made her laugh and take a glance back at the Captain.
The pair approached the troop of girls, and waved them along, walking before Jonas and Cordelia towards the ship.
A deep threatening chuckle traveled on the wind, sending a shiver down Jonas's spine. Only one person in the world could put Jonas on edge with just a laugh, and that meant trouble. Daemon.
"Am I supposed to believe this load of cow shit?" Florence crossed her arms.
Daemon's twisted smile put her on edge. "I will have plenty of time to prove my claims later." He put the key to the jail cell in his jacket pocket. Inside, Joyce and Adrian were passed out, filthy and injured. Adrian's side was bandaged crudely. Daemons thought about just healing the boy's wounds but it did not benefit him either way, so he left it. "My dear," Daemon cooed, "I have already promised you that you will have the entirety of the seven seas at your command, but first we need to get you to a ship."
Finding Florence dying in the hall of the mansion was the best thing that could've happened for Daemon. He couldn't make a deal unless somebody was on death's doorstep, a doorstep he frequented often. She was just the kind of person to wreak some havoc on Jonas's little Selection. How ignorant did the boy have to be to think he wasn't keen on his plans?
"The quickest way to do that is to head to the docks. You pick out the prettiest one and I'll take care of the rest. Sounds like a plan, doesn't it darling?"
Florence narrowed her eyes at Daemon, still not quite trusting him, but necessity won out. "Fine," she lifted her gun at his chin, unsure if he could actually die if he was who he said he was, "but don't call me darling," she growled.
Daemon, unfazed, mockingly put his hands in the air in surrender. "Deal."
The two of them made sure the cell door was locked tight- they would return later for the hostages, and embarked out to the town.
Florence's mild headache made her eyes sting and she blinked to clear her head. "Effect of the transition," Daemon explained, noting her quirk. "It'll pass eventually. You're just recovering, is all."
Florence didn't reply but was silently thankful that the headache would eventually fade. Her memory was spotty. She didn't even remember shooting Adrian. Maybe luck was on her side because it made subduing Joyce easier to take as a hostage.
Daemon led Florence to an old church. He helped her climb up the bell tower. "What are we doing?" Florence asked.
"You really don't get this whole 'trust' thing do you?"
Florence scoffed and glanced out at the colony in her wake. Daemon pointed to the docks, where the unmistakable silhouette of the Jewel of Hades was pulling into port. "Jonesy, Jonesy… ever the busy little pirate king," Daemon said to himself gleefully. "Well, do you see any ship you're interested in?"
Florence scanned the silhouettes on the docks. It was hard to make a decision that late at night, but she pointed at a large finely crafted French Royal Navy ship.
"Good choice," said Daemon. He helped her back down from the bell tower and the two of them navigated the narrow streets towards the docks. As they neared, Florence instinctually slowed her pace, trying to keep within the shadows while Daemon seemed to not care at all about sneaking around. They came within view of the main dock and watched as Jonas held a half-nude fat man hostage. The Jewel of Hades' crew was loading cargo onto the ship, and when they'd finished Jonas returned his hostage to the guards, followed by two more hostages running from the crew.
Daemon smiled gleefully. "I smell some chaos cooking." He advanced, uncaring about hiding from view.
"Wait!" Florence whisper-shouted. She didn't want to move from the shadows but knew that she was meant to follow. Daemon, without looking back at Florence, lazily waved a hand beckoning her to follow. A low-pitched chuckle emerged from his throat.
When he did turn back around to meet Florence's gaze, his face had become sunken and gray. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed. "Lemme show you some of my tricks," he said, his voice raspy and low.
Florence's blood ran cold with fear, the type of fear that any mortal would have after seeing this side of Daemon, but she still followed.
She caught up with Daemon. Ahead, Jonas was retreating to his ship with his dear Cordelia under his arm. Behind his back, the French guard lifted two fingers into the air, and then three. Silently, three gunmen took aim with their bayonets, all seemingly aimed at Jonas. Daemon sucked in a deep breath, and as he slowly let it out, the muzzle flashes from three guns went off. Florence furrowed her brow as the muzzle flashes took longer than physically possible. All bodies on the dock slowed until they were frozen by the time Daemon's breath was empty.
Florence's jaw dropped. Her eyes dried from lack of blinking and she forced herself to take a breath. This was impossible. Her headache felt like it was piercing through her temples, and her heart felt like it would leap right out of her chest because it was beating that hard.
"Oh," Daemon turned around to see Florence having a panic attack, "Well, do you believe my cow shit now?"
A small nod was the only way Florence responded. Daemon hooked his arm through hers and led her forward in between the two crews.
"Florence, you are probably the luckiest person to ever have died," Daemon remarked, and Florence's attention flew to him.
"To have died?"
"You didn't realize? You died back there. It's a messy process, but it the way things work. Luckily for you, I was there. I like to follow Jonas on his little soirees and I could feel your fear. It feels like rain, fear does, if you were wondering." He glanced at Florence's blank stare and shook his head, "Actually nevermind. Anyway, I came and found you, bleeding out. Cracked your head on the floor pretty hard. I almost didn't get to you in time, but I'm quick like that."
Daemon was strolling through the frozen bodies of the women like he was walking through a park. "Long story short, you took a deal with me on death's door. I saved your life and in exchange, you have to help me out when I need it. Not now, don't worry. I'll make sure you have everything you need to succeed."
Florence bit back her natural urge to be defiant, and asked, "Like Captain Jonas?"
Daemon shot a glance down at her, trying not to reveal his irritation. "Yes," he replied. "I made a deal with Jonas long ago, and now look at him. He's the captain of the strongest pirate crew in the Carribean."
Daemon sounded like a salesman, despite the fact that he'd already made the deal with her. "So what do you say?" he asked.
"Yes," Florence said without hesitation.
"Fantastic," he said, his grin widening and curling. He began leading her towards the large ship. "Now, let's get out of here before things get messy."
He took a few steps with her in arm, before he stopped. "Oh! I almost forgot." He spun her around quickly. He stepped behind the bullets. The trajectory was obvious. One bullet heading straight at Jonas's chest, one at Cordelia's legs, and the last at her head. Daemon took the bullet meant for Cordelia's head and moved it three inches to the left. He made a quiet clicking noise with his tongue. "That's better." He spun her again and led her towards the ship she picked out for herself. Florence couldn't help but look back at the frozen scene they left behind. "Wouldn't want that happening yet, now would we?" Daemon muttered to himself, before inhaling and exhaling, releasing the spell.
This chapter is dedicated to Milly! Happy birthday!
I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter. I don't know if you can tell, but there's going to be a battle in the next chapter, so buckle up!
I hope all my American buds out there have a happy thanksgiving. I usually get pretty bored around the holidays so maybe I'll write more than normal? I'm not making promises because I know myself. I'll say I have time and then watch YouTube instead.
Regardless, thanks for reading! Please review. It feeds my ego.