Chapter 3 #2
Jack’s arm flew out, and he pressed me into the curve of the cave just behind a small wall of rocks.
We crouched down low, waiting for what came next.
Jack tilted his body to the side and let me peek around him.
There, at the very back of the cave, sat Canary.
He was an older, scraggly-looking pirate with a white beard that hung off his chin in thick curls.
His shirt should’ve been white linen, but it was stained a dingy brown.
His trousers were threadbare and cut off at his knees.
A red rag was wrapped around his head, hiding his early baldness, and though I was sure Canary was closer to his later thirties, deep sun-worn wrinkles gave his skin a leathery look.
“Wh-why would I lie to you?”
“Cause you’re a scurvy dog who lies with pigs.” Captain Barr glared at him across the small fire they had flickering between them.
Canary groaned. “The rum got me, it did.”
“Sure it did.” Barr pursed his lips and narrowed those grave, black eyes at him.
Captain Barr was one of the more ruthless pirate captains who roamed the seas.
He never left a survivor, never took captives, and always kept his profits.
His stolen wealth showed in his expensive clothing.
Where Canary wore threadbare clothing, Captain Barr wore an expensive black coat with silver threading, and his shirt was white and clean and tucked into his black britches.
He was slightly older than me, with a thick dark beard that matched his black eyes.
“Should’ve told someone else,” Canary muttered in a surly tone.
Barr leapt to his feet and drew his sword. He tucked it under Canary’s chin. “And who else would you be tellin’?”
Canary held his hands up. “No one, Captain.”
“Best keep it that way or I’ll be eatin’ your liver for supper.” Barr tipped his sword up and some of Canary’s blood ran down the blade.
I curled my hand around the hilt of my own sword, ready to draw it and run into this confrontation.
Jack narrowed his eyes at my hand and shook his head. He lowered his lips close to my ears. “He won’t kill Canary. He knows too much about ways to get gold.”
I relaxed my grip and Canary whimpered. “I won’t tell no one. You’ve got me word, Captain.”
“Aye then.” Barr dropped his sword and shoved it back into the leather strap at his hip. “You keep your mouth shut or I’ll have the tongue out of it.”
“Ye-yes, Captain.” Canary nodded.
Captain Barr pulled a small pouch of coins from his pocket and tossed it over the fire at Canary. “For your silence and your information.”
“Nice of ye, Captain.” He gave him a phony solute. “Real nice of ye.”
Captain Barr walked toward the small path on the other side of the cave.
Water flowed between us, and the darkness kept our cover.
We sat there like that for longer than we needed to, but we had to be sure that Barr was gone.
I slowly rose to my feet at the same time as Jack.
He gave me a wicked smirk before he drew his sword and we crept into the small area.
Canary sat there with the pouch of coins sitting in his palm.
A wide grin pulled at his cheeks, but when he caught sight of us, it dropped instantly.
He leapt to his feet, and I moved to one side of the fire while Jack moved to the other.
There was only one way out, and it was through the fire he’d lit.
The light glinted off Jack’s sword and bathed him in warm light and shadows.
“What say you, Canary? Will you sing for us?”
Canary curled his fingers around the pouch of coin and shoved his hand behind his back. “I’ve nothing to say to you.”
I moved in closer. “Not even me?”
“The deathless one?” He shook his head. “Not a peep.”
“That’s no way to treat a friend.” I drew a dagger from my hip and held it up. “Aren’t we friends?”
Canary shook his head. “Can’t say that we are.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate.” I sprang at him and kicked at the side of his knee. His legs buckled and he dropped to his knees. Jack was on his other side with a thick hand on his shoulder in an instant, holding him in place.
I squatted down in front of him. “Now, isn’t this better?”
He swallowed.
“Tell me what you told Captain Barr.” I met his eye. “He was too pleased when he left.”
“Captain Barr paid me for my silence.” He held his chin up. “I’ll not say a word.”
I rose to my feet. “Very well. Jack, bring him along.”
“Aye, Captain.” Jack wrapped his hand in Canary’s shirt and yanked him to stand between us.
“Wh-where are you takin’ me?” Canary’s eyes went wide as he looked from me to Jack and back again.
“You’re coming with us on the Harpy. We set sail at dawn.” I smirked at him. “You’ll navigate. If you won’t tell us where you sent Captain Barr, then you’ll show us.”
“I’m not getting on that cursed ship of yours.” He planted his feet.
Jack shoved him forward. “Sure you are, Canary. Plenty of room on board.”
He shook his head. “Oh no. I’m not fixing to die at sea. It’s the land for me.”
“Then I guess you’ll be telling us what you told Captain Barr.” I chuckled. “Or you can bunk below deck with the crew.”
Jack gave him a hard shake. “I’ve got a hammock with your name on it.”
I turned and started walking toward the little shelf of rocks leading back out of the cave. Jack shoved Canary behind me to follow us out.
Canary whimpered. “Alright, alright . . . I’ll talk.”
I spun around and gave him my best smile. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
He narrowed his eyes at me and ground his teeth together. “There’s a ship.”
“What ship?”
When he hesitated, Jack grabbed his shirt even tighter and shoved him back toward the entrance. “He doesn’t remember, Captain. This is a waste of our time. Ship’s waiting.”
“All right, all right. There’s a ship passing through the Silent Straight heading to the islands to the south. It’s said to be weighed down with the dowry of the Spanish princess.”
My brow furrowed. “Why would they go through the Silent Straight? Not many a sailor has survived the Silent Straight.”
“They know pirates dare not sail there.” He chuckled. “Little do they know there’s plenty of pirates on this island who’d sail that straight for an ounce of the gold on that ship.”
“How much gold?” If I was going to risk my crew going through the Silent Straight, then it’d better be a damn big treasure.
His eyes darted and he lowered his voice. “Barrels full, some stones too—rubies, emeralds, sapphires.”
“How’d they come by such a generous dowry?” Jack shook him once more. “Seems a bit far-fetched to me.”
Canary threw his arms up. “Stop jerkin’ me about.
I’ll tell ye. They took it from the people of the sands across the seas.
We all knew they’d have to take it if they wanted their little princess to marry that prince in the south.
They’ve their own wealth, and they don’t make alliances unless it can be matched. ”
“Oh how I love robbing the thieves.” I chuckled, and Jack shoved Canary back toward his place by the fire.
“But to go through the Silent Straight?” He pursed his lips. “Risky.”
“Not with me on board.” I chuckled.
Jack nodded. “You have a point.”
I turned back to Canary. “What is the name of this ship? And when will it hit the Silent Straight?”
“It goes by the Sun Glory, and four . . . maybe five days.” He shrugged. “Hard to say.”
I glanced up at Jack, and he gave him that devilish smirk. “Best be going then.”
“I think we need a blessing first.”
Jack flinched. “No.”
I began to tiptoe my way toward the cave entrance. “I think it’s necessary.”
“I’m not going with you.” He groaned. “One blessing is enough for me.”
Jack had gone to the sea-witch for a blessing and came back cursed.
No one knew what he’d done to deserve such a curse, but ever since then he’d been jinxed.
Even I’d seen some things happen to Jack that I could hardly believe.
I chuckled. “You have a crew to make ready. I will get the blessing. You will ready the crew.”
We were nearly out of the cave now, and he gave a heavy sigh. “Than—LOOK OUT!”
I barely had time to turn when a sword swung straight for my neck.