Chapter Twenty-Five

The Sea of Starlit Souls

The velvet black sky above her seemed to hold more stars than Miranda had ever seen in her life. She gazed numbly up at their sparkling beauty as she lied motionless on her back in the small boat.

The final words she'd spoken to Barbossa still pierced her heart and caused a familiar cold tightening of her mind. She let it take her and closed her eyes, but the stars above burned through her lids. She felt the small bottle in her hand and sat up suddenly. The boat swayed with her movement and caused small ripples across the vast, smooth sea.

Each star was reflected perfectly on the glasslike surface, and the water seemed to glow from so much light. Miranda dipped her hand in the water and although she felt heat from the star's reflection, it didn't strike her as unusual.

She didn't know how she'd gotten here, and she didn't know how much time had passed. It seemed very likely she was dreaming.

You are, love.

Miranda turned to look for the source of the voice. Barbossa sat facing her at the prow of the boat. He was smiling.

Or somethin' sim'lar to it. His voice seemed to come more from inside her own head than from the movement of his lips. You're almost there.

"I don't know what to do," Miranda admitted helplessly, looking at the bottle Tia had given her. "I have to find your soul and Tia said I would know it when I found it, but I don't know how to begin."

Sea of Starlit Souls, he reminded her. Per'aps it be easier than you think, Miss Farthin'.

"But I can't reach the stars." It sounded absurd as she said it. Barbossa gave a laugh, and pulled her close.

Don't start with what you can't reach, he murmured, twining his fingers through her hair. He pointed on finger over the edge of the boat. Start with what you can reach.

Miranda leaned over the boat to look down into the water again. The closest thing she could reach was the water, and she stretched her hand over to brush the surface with her fingertips. She felt the boat tilt with her shift in weight, but couldn't react fast enough. The small boat capsized swiftly, and Miranda fell headfirst into the water. She opened her eyes as she tumbled beneath the surface and nearly choked.

The sea did not reflect the small points of light in the sky above, but hosted them. The sea was dotted with brilliant burning orbs of white gold light at varying depths beneath the surface. They were not in fixed place and danced about in the water playfully as Miranda swam for the surface. She swung her arm over the now upside down boat and hauled herself onto the keel with difficulty.

Gasping for breath, she looked back at the water at the glowing orbs still swirling lazily from her wake. Miranda laid her cheek on the wet wood of the boat and dreamily watched the movement. After a moment or two she rolled onto her back and looked up at the bejeweled sky. The stars danced fluidly above as the velvet sky reflected their path in the ocean below. The concept was enough to make Miranda slightly dizzy but still enchanted.

Start with what you can reach.

Barbossa was now gone, but his words echoed in her mind. Listlessly, she rolled her arm from resting on her stomach to brushing the water with her fingertips. The glowing stars bobbed peacefully below the surface, and one drifted toward her. She curled it into her hand and brought it to her face.

It was the size of her palm and warmth radiated from it. It was almost blindingly bright and when she closed her eyes and turned away, she could still see it burning like fire on her eyelids. Miranda slowly uncurled her fingers and let it slip back into the water with a soft shh.

The Sea of Starlit Souls. Barbossa's was here, somewhere. Miranda propped herself up on her elbows as she remained precariously on the keel of the upside-down boat, and looked wearily around at the sparkling waters. There were so many.

Slowly, she slipped from the keel and back into the water. First things first: right the boat. She treaded water as she heaved the side of the boat over her head, but the weight of the boat pushed her beneath the surface. Miranda felt the wamth of one of the small spheres swirl around her neck. It brushed against her chest and its heat seared her vision with golden light.

Let them read your heart.

The voice wasn't Barbossa's. And while it wasn't hers either, it had whispered to her from somewhere within her own mind. Miranda felt a sudden, almost desperate tugging in the water, as if she were caught in a strong current. She quickly righted the boat and clambered in. Even though she wasn't in the water anymore, she still felt the current pulling her from within her chest. The sparkling orbs seemed to part a way beneath the boat, and slowly she dipped her oar into the water and began paddling.

Miranda paddled for hours, and the current slowly grew stronger. The glowing spheres continued to part before her and swirl about in her wake, dissolving the path through the waters she'd already passed. Her eyes grew heavy and her arms weary, but she kept going. Several times she felt her head drop forward, but she jerked it back.

As the submerged orbs continued to part for her ahead, she saw one in the distance unmoving from her path. As she drew nearer, it remained solidly in her path, and the spheres beyond it swayed only with the ocean waves. Miranda slipped her hand into the water and curved her fingers around it. She brought it from the water and held it in both hands. The pulling subsided, and Miranda felt her breath leave her as she stared into the small, bright ball of light.

"It's you." Her voice was thinner than a whisper, and the orb grew brighter as she spoke. She gently placed it in the bottle Tia had given her. Something in her reminded her of Tia's last words to her before she set off.

"Da Sea o' Starlit Sou'els," the witch had said, "is no' a place for those who only dream. You must have a sound an' strong mind to go to da ends o' da eart'."

A cold, curling fear had traced Miranda's thoughts at these words, but she had said nothing, and Tia continued.

"You got a strong mind, my child? I see doubt on your face."

"No," Miranda had said hurriedly, "just overwhelmed."

"Tis no joke, child." Tia had looked down sternly at her, her eyes furrowed. "Those dat go to da sea at the ends of the earth, somedin happens to dem, and dey never be da same. To bring back a sou'el requires all your strength; 'tisn't a simple task."

"I'll be fine."

Miranda tilted her head back and gazed at the sky. What exactly did it mean to have a strong, sound mind? There had been many times she had forgotten when and where she was, but that didn't mean anything except that she had been grieving the loss of Barbossa.

Did it? The cold voice hissed in her ear, and Miranda almost dropped the small bottle into her lap in surprise.

"Who's there?" In the glittering dark her voice seemed pathetic and small.

No one you'd listen to. The voice echoed in her head, and Miranda swung around, but saw nothing but shimmering water. Her eyes passed over her reflection in the water and she stopped breathing.

Her eyes were shadowed pits and her face was wan and stretched too tightly over her skull. Her hair hung in wet, tangled ropes. Miranda raised her hand to her face and felt her cheek. Her skin felt warm and full, not at all like this skeletal, chapped face she saw below her. Her hair felt dry.

Finally. Her reflection looked sadly up at her as it spoke. Perhaps now you see . . .

"See what?" Miranda demanded, unnerved by the independent movement of her reflection. It synchronized to her for a moment, then sighed.

You're mad.

"Don't be absurd," Miranda argued, watching her mirrored reflection only echo her words. She paused, and waved her right arm. The reflection followed obediently.

"What are you?" She demanded, leaning closer. Her movement was only imitated. Miranda leaned back and looked back up at the sky. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply the salty air. It calmed her like no other remedy could, and she took several more deep breaths.

The boat rocked violently to one side. Miranda clutched either side to steady herself and it, but the boat kept rolling from side to side. She glanced hurriedly over the side to see if there was something below her causing the movement, but there was nothing but the brightly burning stars below. She felt odd spasms in her arms, almost as she were the one rocking the boat.

Impossible.

Is it? How else could your body defy your thoughts unless your mind were split?

"Stop it!" Miranda cried. It was the last thing she said before the boat rolled sideways and capsized. She sucked in a quick breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

But the water never hit her. She opened her eyes. The boat was still right-side up, the small jar remained safely in her lap, but she was completely soaked with seawater. Miranda dipped her oar in the water and immediately noticed a change. The orbs remained fixed in their places, but shimmered now as if merely reflections of the stars above. She cupped her hands in the water to scoop one up, but sifted only water through her hands as she tried to lift one to her face.

Her mind reeled, she felt oddly dizzy. She swirled the water with her oar trying to stir the glowing spheres, but they only twinkled with the movement of the water.

Panic sunk its teeth into her mind and caused a white hot pain to flash down her spine. She dropped the oar and caught the small jar up with both hands and inspected it carefully. The burning star seemed to be unchanged within and she let herself breath again with relief.

"This is the end." Miranda gasped at the words rolling from her mouth, beyond her control.

"Stop that!" She cried, not sure she wanted to think about whom she was speaking to. Her eyes pricked with burning, fearful tears. She pulled at her hair and clutched the small bottle with her hand. Both hands felt heavy and stiff. The tears slid down her cheeks as she felt helpless and broken and torn from her own mind.

The water began to swirl about the small boat, and she looked up, distracted. The water churned and curled about to form a whirlpool that dipped in the center. A dark head rose from the deep and the churning and swirling stopped. Miranda found herself looking at Tia as she treaded water, smiling sadly up at her.

"I'm so sorry, child." Her voice was low, as if she were speaking in the back of her throat. She suddenly sat, dry, in the boat across from Miranda.

"What's happening to me?" It was a question she didn't expect an answer to, but it was all she could think of to say.

"I warned you. Strong mind. Sound mind. You weren't strong enough ta return to this world wit'out facin' consequences. Why didn' you tell me?"

"What consequences?" Miranda's mind was spinning in her skull and it was all she could do to speak.

"You found him sou'el, child, but you aren't strong enough ta bear an extra sou'el. So now you must choose. Him sou'el or your ow'en mind. Only one can survive."

Miranda closed her eyes as she tried to breath slowly. It was too difficult, and she looked up at Tia.

"Have you ever loved?" Miranda asked, her voice thin but resolved.

Tia gave her a small smile, nodding. "Aye, my child."

Miranda shuddered back a sob as she looked down at the small bottle beaming brightly in her palm. Her eyes burned but there were no tears left, only hot, stinging pain. The choice was an obvious one; the alternative too unbearable to live with.

"You know magic?"

Tia nodded once. Miranda drew in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. The words were almost too painful to allow her mouth to form them.

"Make him forget me."