Chapter 3

I walk out onto the main deck. As soon as I walk out of there I realize all of these boys staring at me. They were the boys of the Screaming Dagger. You would think they had never seen someone like me by the way they look at me.

"You're not cursed..." someone says to me.

He is the only one who approaches but the rest of them seem surprised to see me walking free on the ship. I turn to the side and see a boy. He has to be about 14 or 15. He was just a fucking kid. He had really tan skin and dark hair. He had big eyes and I see he has a little dagger hanging from his backpocket.

"Skyrat get out of here..." a voice states.

It's Ashton. I see him approaching me. As he approaches the younger boy takes off quickly, running along the plywood so so quickly that he vanishes like a ghost. I've never seen someone so quick and light on his feet. It's been a while since I can smell the fresh air. In the distance I can see Nassau. We aren't at port yet but we are close to the city. My home is so close that it feels like I can reach out and grab it. I can jump into the water and swim to it.

If I knew how to swim...

I am so close and yet so far.

"They are all staring at me," I realize.

"Excuse them," Ashton states, "We heard word that you were free to walk around the ship now but no one really expected you to come up here after what happened with the twins earlier. They are all going to stare for quite some time. You'll get used to it. It's been quite a while since we've had a new boy."

The stares send shivers up my spine. All the boys on this place were just looking. They were just staring at me.

"I'm not here to stay," I warn Ashton.

"Of course not," Ashton laughs, grabbing me, "C`mon let me show you the ship."

Ashton walks me up across the main deck. We start at the back of the ship where I notice the bigger boys are. They look quite dangerous and I can see the twins are among them. Ashton doesn't take me that way but he lets me know that is where the rudder is. The ship was steered by the rudder, a large wooden paddle at the stern. We stay away from the stern though.

He points out parts of the ship and explains what they are used for. This is my first time aboard a ship, but my grandmother would sometimes teach me about them when I was younger. He points out the main sail, the topsail and the foresails. He points at the tall ladder that leads up to a lookout area he calls the crow's nest, where there is a boy about the age of 17 who is sitting there eating something.

We walk towards the front of the ship where he points out the bowsprit.

"I guess our captive isn't much a captive anymore," I hear a voice state.

I see the familiar face of the really tall handsome boy that winked at me earlier in the day. He flashes me a bright smile as he approaches biting his lip still clearly attempting to flirt.

Ashton sighs a little bit, "LaFayette this is...O'Malley."

O'Malley smiles at me, "I'm in charge of the stores if you need anything like food, water, beer, gunpowder, cannonballs, spare sails, dick, ropes..."

"Wait. Did you just say dick?" I ask.

O'Malley bites his lip, "9 inches..."

Ashon pushes him hard against his chest, "He's not fucking interested O'Malley."

"Relax Ashton, no one's going to steal your boyfriend," another voice states.

I turn and see a really dark boy standing there. He's African and not mulatto like me. He has a deep African accent too. His skin is beautiful. It's this milky shade of chocolate. He's possibly the darkest person I've ever seen in my life but it looks so good on him. When he talks I can only see how his white teeth contrast with the dark skin. He has his head wrapped up in a turban. I also notice how he seems armed to the teeth with guns.

"I'll steal him if he doesn't be careful," O'Malley responds.

I watch as O'Malley walks up behind me, brushing me in a way to let me know he wasn't joking about the size of his cock. I can literally feel the imprint on my trousers and I jump almost immediately when it brushes up against me.

"He's not my boyfriend," Ashton states.

I notice Ashton gets red. It's his nerves, no doubt. I can tell how beat his face looks. His skin is so fair that he couldn't hide it even if he wanted to.

"That's not your boyfriend Ashton? Then why were you telling us how much you want to fuck him," I hear a younger voice state.

It's the youngest one that is called Skyrat. I see him perched up on keg. He has a parrot with him now. The parrot immediately repeats what Skyrat says.

"You want to fuck him. You want to fuck him," the parrot repeats.

Ashton is so red at that moment that I swear he turns into a tomato. Within a matter of seconds Ashton reaches for Skyrat but the young kid slides out of his hand before Ashton can hold on at all. The kid continues to somersault away from Ashton as his parrot flaps it's wings dramatically causing some sort of distraction. The fact that Ashton can't wrestle the little boy into submission causes O'Malley to start laughing immediately. Ashton gets pissed at O'Malley and hits him so hard that the tall man lumbers over again.

I have to admit the whole scene is kind of hilarious.

"Ignore my crewmates," the dark skin one states reaching over and kisses my hand, "They just don't know how to behave. I am Black Jack. Not to be confused with Tall Jack, Nosy Jack and Jack the Cook."

Black Jack let's his lips press up against my hand for quite some time. The kiss is deep, sensual. I have to admit I'm surprised by just how smooth he is. He lifts his eyes up and stares at me afterward as well. He does it so smoothly that Ashton returns almost immediately and gives him the stare of death.

It's at that time that I wonder if Ashton is actually...jealous.

"Unfortunately these are the only friends I have on this shitty ship," Ashton lets me know, "Everyone else acts kind of..."

"Like you're a curse?" I finish.

Black Jack, O'Malley and Skyrat all seem to get quiet at that moment. Just the mention of the curse definitely seems to change up the mood from being a silly one to a very serious one. Everyone seems sober as the sun beats down on us. It's clear that I have hit a note that no one seems to really want to discuss.

"The Captain told you about the curse, huh?" Ashton asks.

I look at the boys. They all seem sad. They all seem fucking ridiculous.

"You guys honestly believe in that shit?" I ask.

"It's real," Skyrat states.

His parrot mimics him a few times. Everyone else is quiet as though they don't hear my question. I can't take it. I understand everyone was young but I couldn't believe they were all so ridiculously stupid. Ashton's friends seem like a bunch of comedians but for some reason I had just assumed Ashton was a big smarter than the rest of them.

"You do realize that your Captain is a fucking pervert feeding you guys lies because he doesn't want any of his handsome boys to get smart and leave his ass right?"

It was common sense at that point.

"You don't get it," Ashton explains to me, "Just drop it."

I roll my eyes, "No I'm not dropping it. This is stupid."

"That's what Todd Spankers said. That's what Billy the Goat, Tom Thomas and Little Ray said too. You know what they all had in common?" Black Jack asks me, "They all stayed away from the ship for too long and they all died."

I sigh.

"How do you know they died? You seen their bodies?"

"People in town talk," O'Malley jumps in to defend the rest of his crew.

"Have you seen their dead bodies?" I ask.

They all look at each other. They all look dumb.

"No..." Skyrat admits.

"Exactly."

"We don't need bodies. The people talk," O' Malley argues, "They know. Everyone knows we're cursed."

"The Captain is a lot of things..." Black Jack states, "But he's not a liar."

Skyrat is nodding at that moment as the others speak. He might as well be the parrot who is perched up on his shoulder right now, because he is mimicking everything the others are saying. I just want to grab these boys and shake them.

I can't talk to these boys. They may be nice, sweet, sexy, charming and funny but they are all gullible as hell. I look over at Ashton. He's been quiet most of this time.

"That guy says he's going to take you to hell and sacrifice you," I tell Ashton, "He told me himself. You are the source of his imagination. You don't know what he's capable of. You need to get as far away from this fucking madman as possible."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ashton states.

"Ashton---"

I must have hit a nerve because Ashton starts to walk away from us at that point. I'm not sure why he is so stuck on staying on this ship and listening to crazy ass Captain Holystone. I turn to the other boys who are all listening to me.

It's Black Jack who crosses his arms. He's not nearly as charming as he was the first time we spoke.

"You don't believe us then you stay on this ship after the full moon. Then you try to leave and let us know how that goes for you."

"I'm getting off this ship tomorrow. I'm doing an errand for your Captain and he's going to let me go."

I was going to get as far away from this stupid curse bullshit as possible.

"I thought so," Black Jack tells me.

"I thought so," Skyrat's parrot repeats.

~

It's the next morning and usually Ashton brings me up some biscuits and salted meats to the hold but this time he doesn't. I wonder if he is still upset about me bringing up the curse situation. Another boy comes though who introduces himself as Billy Big Balls who swears up and down that I'm the most beautiful person he's ever met on any island before. He attempts to flirt with me over and over when I refuse his advances he concedes and decides to finally deliver the message that the captain wants to send me on his errand.

I arrive at Captain's Holystone's Great Chamber and when I open the door I immediately hear moaning.

"It tastes so good..."

That's when I see the Captain on his knees. I notice what he's doing as soon as I step into the room. He's pleasing his lover...the Sea Wolf. Bello is hard and has his massive cock shoved deep into the Captain's mouth. I watch from a distance as the Captain begins to gag on Bello's dick.

Bello is looking down with this half uninterested look as he gets his cock sucked. The Captain uses both hands to fasten them around Bello's dick. I watch from the threshold how he worships Bello's muscles sliding his hands up and down Bello's rock hard body as though he is some sort of holy idol that will grant the Captain some wish or something.

"Cum in my mouth..."the Captain demands of Bello.

Bello is silent. He isn't the one moaning. It's the Captain who is actually moaning. The Captain is choking on Bello's cock hardly able to keep it down. Every few minutes he stops sucking Bello's thick, overbearing dick and looks up with this love in his eyes.

I am sick a little bit wondering how it is the older Captain was able to maintain the affection of a specimen such as Bello. It seems like that affection is only coming one way though. Bello might as well be asleep on his feet at as he stares down.

Then his green eyes look up at me.

The Captain is too busy gagging on Bello's dick to notice Bello's eyes gazing up on me. The Captain is struggling to please the Sea Wolf, working his hands together in a cupping action as he slides it up and down Bello's dick.

"Deeper," Bello finally breaks his silence.

Bello sees me. The Captain doesn't. My eyes connect with Bello as he's getting his dick sucked. His eyes squint at me. I stare back. I want to leave. I want to walk away but I'm mesmerized. It's the only way I can describe it. I can't fucking move. It's almost as though Bello is that witch from the Captain's stories and he is putting some sort of curse on me or something.

"You like it?" the Captain wonders.

"Deeper...yes, just like that. Just like that," Bello states.

Bello seems to be getting more and more into it. His eyes plant on my eyes though. For a moment I swear there is this connection but I wonder if it is just my fucking imagination. Bello is staring...AT ME while the Captain sucks his dick and for some reason he seems to be enjoying it more.

I watch as he seems to start to reach his climax. His muscles tighten and strain. I can see the harsh veins in his neck and his biceps protrude. I watch as he thrusts his slim, small hips forward deep into the Captain's throat. The Captain begins to choke but Bello keeps thrusting until the Captain gets used to it. Then Bello unleashes.

I can only imagine how much semen is sprayed into the Captain's mouth because I believe at first he's attempting to swallow it but he doesn't succeed. The semen overcomes him until the Captain releases it from his mouth, letting it slide all over the sides of his face.

All of a sudden I realize how exposed I am and how much I am interrupting. I head out back to the threshold quickly and pretend as though I'm just coming in.

This time I knock.

"One minute!" The Captain demands.

He demands this in his deep, dark tone as though he wasn't on his knees just a second ago guzzling his lover's cum.

It takes him a few minutes but manages to finally compose himself enough to come to the door.

"LaFayette," the Captain states, "You're early."

I look over at Bello. He has his trousers on now near the bed. They are barely on though. They hang loosely from his torso. He's drinking wine, yet again. This time he doesn't stare at me or even acknowledge the fact that I walked into the Captain's quarters. He just pays attention his wine with his emerald eyes staring deep into the goblet.

"I don't mean to disturb," I state.

I look over at Bello again. He still isn't acknowledging me. He still isn't looking my way.

"It's fine," Holystone states, ""Our spies say that Jacob Baptiste has rented out the entire Red Harbor Inn. I was just briefing Bello on the mission."

"Bello?" I ask.

"Yes. He'll be the one escorting you into Nassau. He'll be the one stealing the other half of the witche's map from Jacob Baptiste."

Shit. I would have preferred anyone else. ANYONE else but him.

Not HIM.

It didn't matter. This was the last time that I would have to see Bello. This was the last time that I would have to see Holystone. One last errand and I would have finally be done with this pirate life once and for all.

~

"You need to walk faster," Bello states.

Bello is quick. I keep looking back. I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I have unfinished business on that boat and I know exactly what that unfinished business is. I can't help but to keep getting distracted. My distraction seems to be annoying to the Sea Wolf who has stopped in the midde of the road from the port to growl at me.

"I was wondering if I can go back to the ship for a minute," I state.

I needed to talk to find Ashton. If only I could convince Ashton that the Captain was full of shit and that there was no curse. Maybe I could convince Ashton to leave me the Screaming Dagger once and for all while it was at port. Maybe I can convince Ashton to go into the village with me. I could tell him that he was my brother.

I could save his life.

"Your lover knew you were about to leave. If he wanted to say goodbye to you he would have done so," Bello responds acting as though he could read my mind.

"Ashton is NOT my lover."

Bello rolls his eyes, sighing a little bit, "I could care less who your lover is. They are probably a big a fool as you are."

"You don't need to insult me."

Bello grinds his teeth at me, "It's not an insult. It's a fact. You're weak. Weak as a baby's ass. The only thing I can stand less then weaklings are damsels in distress."

"I'm no damsel in distress!"

I don't know why this is getting under my skin, "Have you ever fought a man?"

"I used to sword fight."

"I'm talking real sword fight, boy, not pulling your dick outs and matching it."

"You'd know a lot about that," I state, "I saw you earlier with the Captain."

He laughs, "You saw how two REAL men make love..."

"Is that how they make love? Because you seemed bored."

He laughs at that moment. The laughter is deep and intrusive.

"Why am I having this conversation with you? Your opinion doesn't matter to me. Let's stick to the plan. You remember the plan right, weakling? You meet with Baptiste and give him the fake map. I follow him to find out where he stores it with the other half of the map. I steal it. We need to get this over with. We don't have all the time in the world."

"Why not? The curse?"

I laugh at that moment. Bello stops walking. As I laugh he grabs me by my throat. We are in the middle of the road. People stop to see how Bello assaults me but no one comes to my defense. Maybe they see the red flag hanging from his waist that signifies that he is crew member of the Screaming Dagger.

"Do I look like a joke to you, boy?" he asks me, "Do I look like one of those fools who are obsessed with you back on the ship that you can just play with?"

"I never said that."

"The next time you laugh at me I'm going to rip your throat out? I do not like you and would enjoy nothing more than to take your throat. I'm not speaking figuratively here either. I will kill you, Lafayette. Don't speak to me again. I do NOT like you. Nod if you understand."

I nod.

He throws me to the ground and I hit my head on a rock below me. I splinter my head hard on the rock. The Sea Wolf is finally amused. The rare time he smiles is when he causes me pain. I pick myself up off the ground at that moment. I look at him. The hatred in his eyes is so clear. I want to say something to him. I want to stick up for myself. I want to fight back. I want to do something. I don't do any of that though.

I keep thinking it's not worth it. I'm almost done with the Sea Wolf. I'd never have to see him again. It's not worthing getting into a fight which he would most definitely win and ending up dead on the side of the road.

I had the feeling he wouldn't hesitate to kill me.

"Follow," he states in his cold, cruel tone.

I continue to follow him up the road. The pier is crowded. It's probably like this because people are trying to find other places to stay since Jacob Baptiste has rented out the entire Red Harbor Inn. The Inn was a popular destination for most of the sailors who came through Nassau. The fact that my father had enough sway to rent out the entire place definitely made me realize just how powerful of a man he was. I had heard enough about Jacob Baptiste's power from my grandmother and uncle however.

As we head closer to the Red Harbor Inn, the Sea Wolf takes the side streets. He acts very strangely stopping ever few minutes and letting his eyes wander. It isn't until we make it to a back alley that is only a block up from the Red Harbor Inn that he stops strangely.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"We're being followed."

Just at that moment he kicks up a rock with his foot. With the precision of an assassin the rock is skipped right into his hand. He throws the rock upward along the roofs of the apartments above our heads. I hear a sharp scream at that moment and then a tumbling.

The person falls down and down, managing somehow to break their fall only by weakly scraping at the nearby window ledges.

"Skyrat," I realize.

Sure enough it's the youngest pirate on the Screaming Dagger. I shocked that Bello was skilled enough to notice the crafty, quick boy following us along the rooftops of Nassau. Skyrat looks up at us with a really toothy grin. He tries to scurry away but Bello is not Ashton by any means. Bello quickly picks up Skyrat before he get away by the back of his shirt. He lifts the boy almost like he is some sort of toy or something.

"You got a death wish?" Bello asks him.

"Don't hurt him," I beg.

"Ashton wanted me to follow you and make sure you were OK, Lafayette," Skyrat tells me.

Bello gives me a look that tells me he is seconds way from ripping Skyrat clean in half.

"Go back, Skyrat. Tell him I'm fine."

"He isn't going anywhere," Bello states, putting Skyrat down, "You're quick on your feet, you fucking weasel. You're a good thief. I may have use for you."

I'm surprised Bello doesn't kill Skyrat, let alone admits that he may need him. He instructs Skyrat to hide the red flag of the Screaming Dagger as we continu Skyrat's smile gets even wider. Truth is I don't want him involved in this. He's a kid. He's barely hit puberty. The last thing I wanted was for him to be stealing for a man as powerful as Jacob Baptiste. I look over at Bello. He's not going to take no for an answer though. That much is clear.

We keep walking, following him silently.

"He doesn't trust the Sea Wolf," Skyrat whispers to me.

"Who?" I ask.

"Ashton," Skyrat tells me, "If Holystone sends the Sea Wolf then it's most likely because he wants someone to die. Maybe it's Jacob Baptiste. Maybe it's everyone who is with Jacob Baptiste...including you..."

I look over at Bello. My heart beats. Skyrat's warning is definitely taken. I don't know much about Skyrat but he is a friend of Ashton and if Ashton doesn't trust Bello than maybe I had a reason not to completely trust the Sea Wolf either.

~

We approach the Red Harbor Inn and there is a host of military looking people standing outside. I knew my father was an admiral but I had no idea that he had his own personal guard following him around.

"We want an audience with Jacob Baptiste," I state.

"You think Jacob Baptiste would meet with the likes of you?" one of the military men state.

They laugh at that moment in the rudest way. I'm surprised they are so rude. I look back at Bello. He has his arms crossed and is looking at the ground. I don't know why I find it so embarrassing that this is happening near him. I shouldn't care so much about what Bello has to do or say. He was a fucking animal. I shouldn't care about him.

"I have a gift from his grandmother Josephine Baptiste," I tell them.

The men look at each other. Throwing out my grandmother's name definitely seems to get some attention from them at that moment. I wait as one of the guards disappears into the large Harbor inn. A few awkward moments later he comes out with a dumb look on his face. This time he isn't alone. There is a boy with him. He's a handsome boy. I almost know exactly who he is when I see him.

He stands as tall as Bello but not as muscular. He's slim and his hair is a light brown color. He has a full beard and squinty eyes. His face is well defined and I know immediately that he is a Baptiste. He looks like an older version of Ashton.

"My name is Jacques Baptiste, I'm the oldest son of Jacob Baptiste. You came to see my father?" the boy states in a deep voice.

I can't stop looking at him.

He was another one of my brothers.

For some reason I didn't think I'd be this emotional.

"Yes..." Bello interrupts while I stand there looking stupid.

"Follow me," Jacques Baptiste states.

We follow him in the inn. I watch Bello looking at me with sharp eyes. He is clearly annoyed. We lag behind Jacques only so he can threaten me with his sharp, deep and intense tone.

"Get it together...or else," the Sea Wolf tells me.

I nod. I'm fully scared of him. We are taken into a room. It's a large study that looks like it's reserved for the best in the Red Harbor Inn. The place has a fireplace made of granite. Servant girls come out and offer us drinks. I realize that most of these servants are slaves. For some reason this annoys me more than I thought it would. I knew Jacob Baptiste was a slave owner but actually seeing him have slaves was a whole different story.

"May I present my father, Jacob Baptiste..."

Just at that moment this man walks in. He is tall. He's taller than even Bello. He has to be about 6'3". He is strapping. There is another boy with him that I'm sure is another Baptiste. The three Baptiste men stand before us and they have this regency about them that I'm sure Ashton would share if he was in this room. They just have this look that says they are worth a fortune each. Skyrat seems have his eyes glued to the pouches of gold hanging from their waists. I just hoped he didn't get the bright idea to steal something from them.

"My name is Jacob Baptiste. These are my sons Jacques and Marius. I hear you have a message from my mother."

I'm surprised when Jacob Baptiste completely ignores me and instead addresses Bello. He shakes Bello's hand. Maybe it is because Bello is the most striking one among the three of us. That's the only thing I can realize. I notice the one boy though, Marius though. Both boys look like fucking royalty but Marius has his real stuck up look on his face that he's had since he entered the room. He seems thrown off first by Skyrat's bird but immediately irritated by all of us. He is the only one who seems to notice me as he walks into the room.

Marius Baptiste turns his nose up at me, "They look like they've rolled around in the sewage."

"Don't be rude Marius," Jacob Baptiste states, "These are no doubts some of my mother's slaves..."

"I'm no slave," Bello states.

His voice is deep, threatening and angry. It hits a note that I don't quite understand at that moment. My father doesn't apologize. He just stares Bello up and down. For a moment I think something bad is going to break out. Unfortunately it doesn't though.

Marius nods over at Skyrat, "The child is white."

"Does it fucking matter what race we are?" Bello asks.

"This one is rude," Marius notices.

"Savages don't know much about manners," Jacob Baptiste starts off.

Bello is about to do something. I can see him walking forward all pride and glory at that moment.

"These are my companions," I state, "I am the one who is bringing the gift from Josephine Baptiste."

For the first time Jacob Baptiste looks at me.

He doesn't respond. He just...stares...

"What is it, father?" Jacques asks.

"Stop staring at him like that," Bello commands.

Jacob Baptiste ignores Bello almost completely. He crosses the room and he looks at me. At that moment I realize that this man knew exactly who I was. This man knew exactly what I was doing and exactly where I was coming from. It's the sort of recognition only a parent can have. He has never seen me as a grown man before but he knew me.

He gets close...uncomfortably close. I am scared. I don't know how to he will react. I am so fucking nervous at that moment.

"Lafayette..."

"You know him?" Marius asks.

Bello and Skyrat seem surprised as well. I was just supposed to be an errand boy for a late rich governess to bring a note to her son. It's clear at this moment that I am more than that. I see the look in Bello's eyes.

I watch how he starts to put his hand on the gun tucked away in his belt. He seems unsure of what is happening and he has reason to be.

"Lafayette is the youngest Baptiste," my father states.

Skyrat's parrot repeats it a few times. Everyone is shocked in the room. Everyone but my father and I. I look over at Bello. He's going to act if he's not careful.

I have a choice to make at that point.

My father...or a mad man.

"Holystone sent them!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

Almost immediately my father screams for the guards and a fight breaks out as they rush through the room. Bello raises his weapon shooting the first guard that runs into the room. Three of them rush in after and Bello takes them all down until one of them manages to tackle him to the ground. I watch as my father grabs me pulling me out of the way.

Then I see the men going after Skyrat. Skyrat is quick though. He's too quick for them. He slips out of their hands and I watch him jump out of the nearest window.

They won't catch Skyrat.

Bello is another story however. Regardless of the fight Bello puts up, he is clearly both outnumbered and outgunned.

~

I stay that night at the Red Harbor Inn. I expect my father to come see me but I don't get that opportunity. I'm instead visited by Jacques.

"You're really my brother..." he states.

He looks over at me.

"I'm your father's bastard son," I explain to him, "At least that's how your brother Marius looked at me when he heard the news."

I never forget the sort of dramatics Marius put on after my father arrested Bello. I had to be placed in another room because of his wrath while Jacob and Jacques attempted in vain to calm Marius. The idea that he had a Mulatto brother was enough to drive Marius completely mad.

"He is just...surprised is all. My father never mentioned you," Jacques explains.

I didn't think he would. I sigh though.

"Ashton..."

"My father is aware that my brother is on Holystone's ship. He's gathering his men right now from his Imperial ship the Titaness. We will be able to wage an attack on Holystone's ship in two nights."

"Two nights?" I ask, "What if he leaves? Ashton is basically a prisoner on that ship."

"He won't leave without Bello...that has always been his weakness," Jacques explains, "We've been hunting the pirate Holystone for years. We finally got him cornered...thanks to you."

Jacques seems kind. Much kinder than the other one named Marius. Still...these people were strangers to me. Why was he in here speaking to me when my father has not seen me since announcing who I was.

"Where is Bello?"

"He's been locked up in a room here at the Inn. He's going to be interrogated to find the best way to attack Holystone's ship."

People would die. For a moment I wonder if I made a mistake by selling out Bello. If Skyrat was telling the truth then Bello might have actually killed me. I had no choice but to turn on him before he turned on me. I had seen the type of person Bello was. I shouldn't be feeling guilty about this. I should be feeling like I did the right thing.

Yet there is this odd squeeze in my chest.

"I don't know if Bello can be away from the ship for too long..." I explain, "There is a strange...belief...that Ashton and the crew of Holystone's ship has..."

"The curse?"

"You know about it?"

Jacques laughs. Finally it seems as though someone has a mind. I may have been spending too much time on that ship with those people. From the expression on the oldest Baptiste son's face I can tell that I am back in civilization.

"Those savages are superstitious," Jacques explains to me, "They kidnapped Ashton when he was young and fed them those myths. Don't worry. We'll free him soon enough and hang the pirate Holystone."

"What about Bello?"

"He'll be shot..."

Jacques has a straight face when he says it. He gives me a smile even as though this is the most normal thing in the world. There is no emotion behind his expressions.

"Can I see him?"

"Not tonight...but tomorrow after the interrogation is done you can."

~

The day passes and my father still hasn't come to see me. Jacques does come spend the day with me though. He is a talkative soul and he seems polite but at times when he talks I feel so disconnected from him. He tells me stories of mansions and queens as though it's the most normal thing in the world. I know he doesn't mean anything by it and he's just attempting to form some sort of relationship with me but it is hard to relate to him even in the slightest. At times I look at him in the light and wonder if he's actually a real person or if he has just been designed somewhere.

It isn't the worse though. My other brother Marius doesn't come to see me at all but I can hear him ranting several rooms down still saying the most racist and hurling insults my way for no particular reason except that my mother was she was she was.

I think it's the insults that makes Jacques finally break, "Maybe it's a good time to go see your the pirate."

He tells me this one night when Marius is particularly nasty. He picks me up and starts taking me towards the room that Bello is in.

"How long do I have?"

"Just a few minutes. Father doesn't want to give the pirate many comforts."

I walk into the room and realize that Bello is tied to the bed. He is just laying there. He looks up at me as I walk in.

His green eyes pierce through my soul.

"I had to..." I explain to him.

He sneers, "I know. You're not as weak as I thought you were I guess. Good move."

I walk across the room and take a seat at the foot of the bed.

"You look sick."

"The curse..."

"I know you're trying to trick me," I state.

He laughs at that moment.

"What makes you think I would give two fucks about you enough to try to trick you?" he asks me, "The curse is happening. I've been away from the ship too long. I'm disappearing. And if I'm away for long enough I'll be gone forever."

"If you want to keep up your superstitious lies I can leave."

"Lift my shirt."

"Excuse me?"

"Lift my shirt..."

I walk over to him. I've never been this close to the Sea Wolf. As I approach him I lift his shirt. That is when I see something that completely shocks me.

The Sea Wolf...his skin was almost becoming...translucent underneath his shirt. Almost...see through. This wasn't some disease.

This wasn't natural.

The Sea Wolf was disappearing.

My mouth drops at that moment, "The curse is real..."

To read the next chapter go to www.crushedcrown.com