Tell me who you are
I am spellbound
You cannot have this control of me
Everywhere I go
I am spellbound
I will break the spell you put on me

~Spellbound; Lacuna Coil

A Pirate Calling

Chapter Twelve: Spellbound

Fay woke to a throbbing headache. She touched her temple and felt the sticky trail of blood covering her forehead. A spiking pain in her right ankle woke her further. She groaned, the sound muffled by the plush carpet under her cheek. Fay attempted to push herself up. A sharp pain in her right shoulder made her arms shake. She looked up to find she was at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't know, wasn't sure, how she had gotten there.

"Are you finally awake?"

Fay's head shot up at the voice. Her eyes widened as she took in the woman standing a few feet in front of her.

"Good," she said with a malicious smile. "Now we can finish this."

Lira had changed. She was no longer the sweet girl that Fay had known from childhood. Her face was a mask of hate; a mask of vengeance. She stood before her now as a woman that Fay no longer knew. "Lira?" she whispered, the pain in her ankle spiking slightly. "What-?"

Lira gave a harsh laugh. "In this form, child," she replied, her voice layered in a thick accent. "You have no idea 'oo I really am."

Fay stared up at her, pain and sadness contorting her face. She did not understand. She did not know what was going on. "Why are you doing this?"

"It ends 'ere girl," Lira replied. "I am tired of dealing wit' yor family. It ends wit' you."

Fay watched in fear as Lira lifted her right arm, pointing unwaveringly at her. A crackle of lightning sparked around her fingertip, traveling around her arm quickly. The spark flew from her finger, crossing the room towards Fay. Fay closed her eyes, waiting for the sharp pain to pierce her body. Instead a hard form slammed into her, sending her rolling across the hard-wood floor.

A scream of rage forced Fay to open her eyes. Jack lay atop her, holding her down, protecting her. He flew to his feet, placing himself between her and Lira, his left hand hovered at his side, his fist clenching and unclenching as if ready to grip a weapon that wasn't there.

A sudden smile lit Lira's face; a smile of familiarity. "Jack Sparrow," she said, her voice a lazy drawl.

Fay's eyes shot up to Jack, confusion lighting her face. "What?"

Jack ignored her, his jaw clenching. "Calypso," he responded, spitting out the word.

"It 'as been a long time, Jack," she answered, walking slowly towards him, her hips swaying.

"Not long enough," she stepped closer again, almost too close for Jack's liking. "Back off." He warned.

"Or what? You do not 'ave the strengt' to stop me," she replied, taunting him. "It took nine of you before. 'Ow could only one of you stop me now?"

The whispers started as she was staring up at Jacob's-Jack's? - back. The pain in her ankle pulsed when she tried to move. The world around her started to darken as the whispering grew louder. Fay clenched her teeth and shut her eyes tight. It was then, when the scene in front of her was blocked out, that she began to understand the words. Words begging her to let them out.

"Fayth."

"She is under my protection."

Calypso gave a cruel smile. "It does not matter 'oo is protectin' 'er. I will get 'er."

Jack's eyes flicked around the room, looking for something, anything, that he could use as a weapon. Nothing caught his eye but an old sword . . . that was now held in Fay's hand.

She was standing slightly behind him, her feet set apart in a perfect fighting stance. Fay's face was slightly blank. All except for the not quite concealed rage in her blue eyes. Wait. Blue eyes?

"Fay?"

Her eyes flicked to his. "Sparra'." Her voice slightly guttural.

Jack flinched. The way she spoke his name was almost familiar . . .

He heard the hiss of rage from in front of him. Jack turned to see Calypso's face contorted in fury. He could feel the electricity start to form again. Before anyone could move, Fay launched herself at Calypso. The goddess didn't even have time to move. The sword pierced her chest before Jack could even blink.

It wasn't enough to kill her. Never enough . . .

Calypso's scream of rage exploded from her chest. Seconds later a burst of wind tore through the house and she was gone. A loud thunderclap sounded from the sky. Lightning flashed outside the window.

"Fay?" he called again.

Fay turned to him again, a look of contempt crossing her face. "Did you ever learn to fly?" she sneered.

Realization dawned on him.

"What the hell was that?"

Jack turned to the now open doorway. Angie stood there, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "What the hell?"

He didn't even get a chance to answer. Out of the corner of his eye Jack noticed Fay's face go slack and fall forward. On reflexes built from years on a ship he pivoted around and caught her before she fell.

"What the hell?" Angie repeated.

"Not now," he snapped. He knelt down, cradling Fay to him. "Close the door and lock it."

Angie nodded absently and turned to close the door. "Who are you?"

Jack's head snapped up to look at the doorway. A small Middle Eastern woman stood in the doorway dressed in a simple blouse and suit pants. A suitcase was at her feet, a tall umbrella in her right hand. She was staring past Angie to Jack with her dark eyes.

"I saw that you would need me," she stated simply, a thick accent gracing her words.

Jack laughed slightly. "Of course you did Fatima."

Fatima slid past a still confused Angie.

"She is in danger Jack," she said, stopping just in front of Jack.

"I noticed."

Fatima's face scrunched up. "It will not get much better."

Jack grunted as he got to his feet, holding Fay in his arms. "You know I'm not one to have anyone else control what happens to me but me," he looked up again and met Angie's eyes. "Lock the door."

Angie had been following the conversation silently, getting more confused as it went on. She nodded to Jack and locked the door. He moved fluidly despite the woman in his arms and climbed the stairs behind them.

"You know I have never been wrong Jack."

"How long until everyone else gets here?"

Fatima sighed. "A day at most. No one is very happy that you will not discuss anything with them," she paused. "And that you spoke to Captain Turner before them."

"He had information I needed," Jack replied as he paused outside of Fay's closed door. Fatima opened it silently. "Besides, he's always good in a fight should we need him. What with not being able to die and all."

Fatima sighed in frustration. "But he can die, Jack."

"Only if you can find his heart."

"Believe what you wish, but you should have confided in the Brethren as well."

Jack placed Fay on her bed, smiling as he caught sight of the rumpled dress piled on the edge of it. He smoothed back a stray strand of hair and caressed the amulet at her throat. So that's what set her off.

"Why is she here Jack?" Fatima asked.

"She lives here," he answered absently.

Fatima rolled her eyes. "I mean Calypso and you know it."

"You've already seen that."

"No. I have seen that this girl is in danger, but not why Calypso would want her dead."

Before Jack could reply, Angie interrupted. "Okay. Enough. Either you two start explaining to me exactly what is going on or I'm going to call the cops."

"And tell them what exactly?" Jack asked, turning to her. "That you saw your sister stab a woman through the heart and then watched as said woman turned into water? Who would believe you?"

"Actually-" Fatima broke in, her gaze slightly fogged. "We should tell her Jack. It will not do us any harm."

Jack sighed. "That woman down there is not who you think she is. If you ever see her again you find me or Fatima or one of the other eight people who will be joining us."

"Why? What's so dangerous about her?"

Jack's eyebrows rose. "Did you not see what went on down there?" he asked. "Your sister was attacked by a woman who turned into water."

Angie averted her gaze. "I saw Fay attack her friend. And yes, I saw her melt or whatever but I still don't understand."

Fatima touched Jack's shoulder. "Start from the beginning Jack."

"Oh sure," Jack replied, a one sided grin crossing his face. "Make me show my age."

Fatima smiled in return.

Jack turned back to Angie, a serious look crossing his face once again. "You may want to sit down for this. It's a lot to take in but I'll try to make it as brief as possible," at Angie's nod, he continued. "A long time ago, a group of pirates formed the first Brethren Court. Their goal was to make the seas their own, to tame them as it were.

"To do this they had to bind the heathen goddess of the sea, Calypso, into human form. They turned to a man that she had slighted; a man that had loved her with everything he had. He gave them the way to bind her in return for never allowing her to go free.

"Hundreds of years later the fourth Brethren Court joined together to fight against the East India Trading Company."

Angie held up her hand. "Wait. Weren't the East India Trading Company the good guys?"

Jack's eyes darkened slightly. He rubbed his right forearm absently. "Depends on who you ask," he replied. "For pirates and anyone associated with them, no. They were ruthless; hunting every pirate down and killing them without mercy. The war escalated when the company was able to force Davy Jones into working for them."

"Davy Jones," Angie repeated.

"Yes."

"As in Davy Jones' Locker?"

Jack blinked. "Yes," he said slowly.

Angie shook her head. "Now I think you're just making shit up."

"It is a very real place. Dreadful, I might add, but that's beside the point. The fourth court convened to declare war as I said. But of course, pirates are a cowardly lot," he paused. "But I digress. Calypso was released from her human bonds, grew pissed and tried to kill us all. After a lengthy battle we were able to destroy the company as well as Jones."

"Us?" Angie repeated. "We? You speak like you were there."

Jack looked up at her, every hint of humor gone. "I was."

"The King and his men stole the queen from her bed. And bound her in her bones. The seas be ours and by the powers. Where we will . . . we'll roam. . ."

It was all so painful, so angry. She could feel the hurt and despair wash over her like a thousand crashing waves. Every feeling, every raw emotion, punched through her. Fay could barely breathe as each tortuous scream of anguish tore through the air around her. Fay crumpled under the weight of the foreign emotions.

"With the keys to the cage, and the devil to pay. We lay to Fiddler's Green!"

Fay's head snapped up as the soft voice echoed in her ears. The first thing she noticed, the first thing her eyes found, was a face from her nightmares. She screamed as it came towards her, limping on one side, its arms swinging around as if its body weighed too much.

"Fayth."

Fay shot up in her bed, the scream erupting from her lungs. She was sweating, she could feel it. Every part of her body felt numb; cold.

A pair of soft hands on her shoulders tried to calm her. "Calm, Fayth," an accented voice told her.

Fay blinked quickly, trying to clear the unwanted, the strange, tears from her eyes. She glanced up from under the tangled mess of her hair. A small Middle Eastern woman sat beside her on the bed, her hands still on Fay's shoulders, a kind look in her dark eyes.

"Who are you?" she slurred.

"My name is Fatima Yalda," the older woman replied. "I am a . . . friend of Jack's."

"Jack?" A pair of Tylenol was held out to her. Fay stared at them, confused, until the pounding headache tore through her mind. She took them thankfully, questioningly, and then accepted the glass of water she was handed.

"Yes. Jack," Fatima paused. "Oh. You must know him as Jacob."

"Where is he?"

"Downstairs with your sister. They are cleaning up before your parents get home."

Fay's eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?"

Fatima blinked in surprise. "Do you not remember?"

"I-" Fay stopped and inhaled sharply. "I don't- I remember Lira standing over me. And then Jacob-Jack, whatever his name is- blocking me. I remember the sword . . . Oh God."

Fatima touched Fay's shoulder again. "It is all right. Your friend is . . . alive," she paused. "Do you really not remember what occurred?"

Fay shook her head again and instantly regretted it. She rubbed her forehead quietly. "I just remember feeling angry. It was so intense. I've never been that angry at anyone before. And then there was," Fay paused, her face scrunching up. "Annoyance. But everything was in a fog. I don't know faces. Or reasons."

Fatima watched her for a moment. "Do not worry Fayth. It will come in time."

He could feel her watching him. He caught her a couple times as well. They were quick little glances; brief flicks of her eyes as they cleaned. When she finally paused in sweeping to just stare, he sighed.

"What?'

Angie jumped. "Nothing."

Jack shrugged and went back to righting furniture again. When he saw her staring at him from the corner of his eyes again he turned to her.

"What?" he asked, exasperated.

"It's just-" she paused, running her fingers through her hair nervously. "You don't look four hundred."

Jack stared at her for a moment, his hands resting on an armchair, and then burst out laughing. "I would hope not. I'm only three hundred and some change."

"You still don't look it," Angie replied. "And I'm still not sure I believe you."

Jack shrugged again. "Doesn't matter if you do or not. You're not the one that needs to."

"And who is?"

He didn't answer but Angie saw his eyes flick up to the ceiling. Fay. Somehow it always led back to Fay.

Fay stirred as she felt the edge of her bed sink. She opened her eyes a crack. Jack sat above her, a thin smile on his face.

"Hello love."

She looked away after a moment, staring at the wall across from her bed. "What do you want?"

Rough fingers smoothed errant strands of her hair. A calloused thumb rubbed small circles on her cheek. Fay fought the urge to pull away; it felt good no matter how she tried to tell herself it didn't. "Just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Well, as you can see I am, so you can go away now."

Jack sighed. "Perhaps we should talk."

Fay shot up, instantly regretting it when her bruised shoulder contested the move. "You're damn right we should. Maybe we should start with who you really are."

Jack stared at her, his eyes slightly narrowed. Finally he answered. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

AN: There you have it. Finally some of the truth is coming out. And the introduction of one of the Lords. Her profile follows after this note. Hope you all enjoyed!

Fatima Yalda

Pirate Lord of the Black Sea (Morocco-Turkey)45 years old

Fatima is the only daughter and sole heir of Karim Yalda, the President of Yalda Industries in Morocco. Her mother died when she was very young and was raised by her father as well as various nannies. None of the nannies ever stayed very long, always citing that she was a very weird. When she was in her early teens she found she was able to see events that had yet to happen. However, she found she was not able to see things that had to deal with herself.

Fatima became the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea when she was thirty years old. Her piece of eight is a miniature handmade doll that belonged to a childhood friend that died when they were young.