Treasure Tides

Chapter TEN Joanna strolled along the battery feeling embarrassed and somewhat unstable. She closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air.

Why would all those memories have to come rushing back today, of all days? When Landon tossed her on the bed, she was suddenly back “there” in her mind. She lived it all again, the feelings of being trapped in hopelessness, pain, and humiliation.

She had suddenly transitioned from a confident Witch tussling with a sexy Werewolf to a whack job in the blink of an eye. Landon had descended on her, and in that instant she heard the cell door slam shut in her mind. She actually felt the metal bands around her wrists and ankles. The bands with razor-sharp edges were designed to deter prisoners from trying to slip free. Some of the prisoners who were disobedient, or tried to escape, had been fitted with collars. They should have known…there was no escape from hell!

The jailers used dark magic to draw power from the Witches they had chained to the dungeon walls. The Witches were physically and emotionally drained to the point of exhaustion, and in some cases death. Late at night guards were allowed to help themselves to a captive or two. They would take the Witches into their private chambers, and what happened there was even worse. Joanna shuddered.

“Mommy, look! A pirate ship, like in my bath,” a young voice chirped nearby. Joanna turned to look at the young child pointing toward Charleston harbor. “Pirates have treasure!” she announced dramatically. “Do these pirates have treasure, mommy?”

Joanna felt a sharp stab of pain at her temple. She automatically reached for the sunglasses perched on top of her head.

“That’s the funny thing about pirates, Madeline…you never know,” her mother laughed. She looked into the harbor where the little girl was pointing and praised, “You have such a wonderful imagination. Pirates! Who would have thought?”

Sliding the sunglasses in place, Joanna closed her eyes briefly in an effort to minimize the nausea brought on by her sudden pain.

“Mommy! It’s not in my mag-i-naion,” the little girl said with a frown and stomp of her small foot.

“Well, in that case, we better get to the ice cream shop before the pirates steal all of the ice cream,” her mother suggested trying to distract her daughter.

The little girl looked out into the harbor one more time and shrugged. “Ok. Can I have the bubble-gum kind? And a waffle cone?” she negotiated.

The mother laughed hugging her daughter tightly. “Sure, if I can have a bite.”

“Mommy, you don’t like bubble-gum! It makes your tongue blue,” the little girl said, wiggling away from her mother with a giggle. She latched onto her mother’s hand and began tugging. “Come on, Mommy, those bad pirates don’t get my ice cream,” she declared as she began skipping down the sidewalk holding tightly to her Mother’s hand.

Joanna couldn’t take her eyes off the pair. Her heart felt as if it was being slowly ripped out of her chest. Her own daughter would be about that age. Joanna imagined her with the same dark hair and dancing eyes. Tears of sorrow welled behind her sunglasses.

After hours of labor in a dank, dark place, they had taken her baby girl away. Weak from blood loss and hunger, Joanna had barely survived the birth of her precious baby girl. The midwife had sneaked the baby into Joanna’s arms for a brief moment before the guards came to take her beautiful baby away.

In that moment, Joanna had lost the will to live. She had considered using the last of her strength in order to stop her heart from beating. But then, her precious baby girl began to cry. As the guards took her away, Joanna suddenly found a reason to live. She vowed to search to the ends of the earth looking for her daughter.

That day, she began planning her escape. She feigned a lingering illness as a result of the birth. In reality, she was secretly gaining strength.

The midwife watched Joanna closely each day, searching for any sign of improvement. The Master was waiting for her return to the dungeon. The moment she was strong enough, Joanna would be sent back into hell where she would be drained of her magic each day and would live in fear of nightfall.

Joanna listened closely to the whispered conversations between the servants and midwives. Screams of pain and the sound of babies crying indicated that Joanna was in maternity ward of sorts. She only heard the crying for a few moments, before they were quickly taken away by the guards. Some of the Witches, like the one who briefly occupied the bed next to Joanna, did not survive… nor did her child.

She secretly grew stronger, while continuing to feign weakness. She had listened intently to the servants and midwives in an effort to find out exactly where the guards took the newborns when they stole them from their mothers’.

Joanna had successfully bridged a fragile mental link with her daughter. She had been fearful of making the link too strong as she couldn’t risk discovery. The link would help Joanna locate her daughter when it came time to leave.

She woke abruptly to a blinding flash of pain searing through her head and into her heart. The pain was so intense that she had become violently ill. Joanna screamed and retched over and over again, and then she had slipped into unconsciousness.

Joanna knew the moment she had awakened that something was terribly wrong. She frantically tried to link with her daughter, but she could not. Soon she learned why….

The guards who brought the next Witch into the sick bay told the midwives the tragic news. A virus had spread through the nursery and “took all the babies.” They went on to say that the nursery had been moved to complex B.

Her baby was dead! Joanna screamed inside, biting her lips until she tasted blood. She mustn’t show emotion or react to the devastating news. What kind of virus would kill all the babies in one night?

Joanna was more determined than ever to escape. She vowed to make each and every one of them pay for killing her baby. She escaped that very night and kept her vow of revenge… with one exception. Joanna dreamed of the day their paths would cross, and then he too would get what he deserved.

#

Joanna determinedly pushed her grief away and turned once again to gaze into the harbor. She reminded herself that, like the tides, life constantly changed and moved. She had no choice but to move forward rather than dwell on the past. She spied Fort Sumter standing proudly in the distance. This great fortress was one of the strongest in the United States, possibly even the world. The Fort must have been a hotbed of activity during the war. Joanna could imagine the sounds of cannons and guns firing as soldiers worked diligently to defend their stations.





Joanna knew when she moved on she would leave a piece of her heart in this historic city. The past seemed so close here; she felt it wrapping around her in such a way that it almost seemed within reach.

However, long before the war, Charleston was somewhat of a pirates’ heaven. Shop and tavern owners loved the constant supply of goods the pirates supplied. Merchants especially looked forward to the coins and jewels spent in their shops and bars. It was a match made in heaven; that is until the pirates held Charleston under siege. Several wealthy families were held hostage and threatened with death if the pirates’ demands were not met. In all fairness, Joanna did have to acknowledge that the demand was for medical supplies to treat injured crew members. When the medicine was handed over to Blackbeard, he freed the wealthy hostages.

It must have been exciting to see Charles Towne Harbor, as it was known then… filled with cargo ships as well as pirate ships. Wives of ship owners and crew members paced back and forth on platforms or walkways that had been built on the roof tops of their homes. The ‘widow’s walks’ provided a bird’s eye view for the women as they tried to catch a glimpse of the ship that would bring their husbands home to them. Many women spent countless hours walking and praying for their husband’s ship to return safely while they also prayed they would not be left a widow.

Joanna didn’t see herself as the pacing sort; she would have most likely been out on one of those ships seeing some action first hand. It would be fun to travel back in time, but only for a short visit. Modern conveniences were not something Joanna would be willing to give up.

Turning to watch as one of the tourist filled horse-drawn carriages passed by; she decided it was time to move on.

Joanna pasted a determined smile on her face and began moving toward the retail district. She couldn’t resist glancing at the harbor over her shoulder one last time.

#

Joanna stopped midcourse, ripped the sunglasses from her eyes, and ran to lean as far over the seawall bordering the battery as possible. She blinked…and then looked again.

“Holy--” she didn’t finish her outburst. She had already received strange looks when she had sprinted to the wall like a crazed woman. The little girl was right about the ship. “Oh, Baby, that ship wasn’t in your ‘mag-i-naion’ after all,” Joanna mumbled.

Queen Anne’s Revenge once again graced Charleston Harbor just as it had in 1718. As if seeing a ghost ship was not freaky enough, the flag was downright disturbing-- a skeleton spearing a heart-- while toasting the devil. Joanna felt shivers dance down her spine.

She spun toward the gardens behind her, looking in the direction the mother-daughter duo had taken. She searched frantically for the child who apparently could also see the ship. Of course, the little girl and her mother were long gone.

Ok! Retail therapy would have to wait! Joanna had a ship to explore. Forcing herself to stop and think for a minute, she decided that disappearing with so many people milling about was not an option. It was the sort of thing that would definitely cause a stir. Quickly crossing the street, she ducked into a heavily shaded corner of the gardens.

For the briefest of moments, Joanna considered calling Sean, but then she dismissed it as unnecessary. He would report to Royce, and she didn’t want to deal with all of that right now. Royce would throw a fit if he knew what she was about to do, but this was too good to resist. Besides, it would be a quick in and out. There was no way to guess how long the ship would be here, and Blackbeard was rumored to be quite the ladies’ man.

#

“Don’t think I will forget that ye hornswaggled me, ye doublecrossing scalawag,” the gentleman pirate, Bonnet Stede, groused. Yet, he lifted his glass of grog in salute of his old frienemy Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard.

The last time their paths crossed, the scoundrel Blackbeard had left Stede high-and-dry. Literally, he had left Stede’s ship the Revenge marooned on a sandbar. Now that he thought about it, Blackbeard’s actions had ultimately led to Stede’s current state of ghostliness.

“Aye, sorry about that, me harty. As they say now a days, business is business, savvy? ‘Twas more ‘n a century ago,” Blackbeard said stroking own ghostly beard.

“‘Tis a shame ye didn’t get a chance ta enjoy th’ booty before ole

Alexander turned his soldier boys on ye,” Stede remarked mirthfully. “Aye, the bilge sucking landlubber,” Blackbeard agreed. “Alas, the

Scurvy Dogs weren’t as smart as they thought! Me loot is safe and

sound,” he bragged.

A century ago, Blackbeard had tricked Stede into sailing to North

Carolina to receive a pardon. Stede did indeed receive his pardon, but he

returned to Charleston only to find the Revenge, his ship, marooned on a

sandbar. Twenty-five of his crew members were stuck on the sandbar

along with the ship. After Blackbeard had not-so-accidentally trapped

the Revenge, he pillaged the ship. He stowed the spoils of his deed on his

own ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Bonnet was livid and vowed to get revenge. Unfortunately, he was

captured, tried, and eventually hanged before he could find Blackbeard

to square things up.

Blackbeard met an even more gruesome end. Virginia Governor

Alexander Spotswood ordered First Lieutenant Robert Maynard to find

and kill Blackbeard. The Lieutenant did just that. After locating and

capturing Blackbeard, the Lieutenant severed Blackbeard’s head. He

actually hung the severed head from the sloop’s bowsprit to prove that

Blackbeard was indeed gone forever. Or so they had assumed… Straightening in his chair, Stede corrected Blackbeard’s claim, “Ye

mean ‘ta say our treasure be safe and sound?”

“Aye, ‘tis what I said. Me treasure be safe and sound,” Blackbeard

reiterated.

“Blow me down! Where be the loot ye Old Salt?” Stede inquired

gleefully.

“Dead men tell no tales, savvy? ‘N last I heard, we was dead, me

matey,” Blackbeard laughed heartily.

“Aye, that we are,” Stede shook his head in regret. Then he looked at

Blackbeard intently adding, “For the moment.”

The reunion was interrupted by one short knock followed by the

Quartermaster’s voice announcing, “Cap’n we got somethin’ fer ye.” Blackbeard rolled his eyes and shouted, “What do ye have fer me?” The Quartermaster chuckled deeply. “Somethin’ ye gonna lust,

Matey. Ye been waitin’ near a hundred years fer it.”

“Jolly help be hard t’ find,” Blackbeard muttered to Stede. “Bring it

in, ‘n be quick about it,” he shouted toward the door.

The mighty door opened. The Quartermaster entered Blackbeard’s

quarters dragging with him the most beautiful wench either pirate had

ever seen. She was just what the party needed.

“Avast,” Blackbeard whispered rising quickly to his feet. Stede struggled to get to his feet as well. He was still getting his

sea-legs, and the grog was making it more difficult than usual. Well,

that and the fact that he had been land-locked for the past hundred

years or so.

“Let go of me, you imbecile,” Joanna ordered. For a ghost, he had

a pretty firm grasp.

Joanna jerked her arm away from the pirate who had captured her

the minute she had materialized on the ship. The plan had been to

sneak on board, investigate, and be gone before anyone knew she had

been there. Shit, this wasn’t going at all the way she envisioned it. Blackbeard extended his hand toward Joanna and commanded,

“Come, me bonny lass; I wish to see ye more closely.”

“Well you can wish in one hand and shit in the other. I’m not

coming any closer,” Joanna assured him. She refused to budge one

inch from the space she currently occupied… in the Captain’s

stateroom…aboard a ghost ship. Holy crap, Royce was going to pitch a

colossal fit.

Stede jerked to attention, and Blackbeard laughed loudly. “We will

see, wench, when I am more than I am now. We’ll just see how far

you want to stay away from me. I’ve been told that I’m very talented

with the lasses,” he bragged.

Stede looked at Blackbeard in surprise. With the exception of the

word ‘wench,’ there wasn’t one trace of pirate in his speech. Stede

narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why have we been speaking in

pirate jargon, Matey?” He moved toward Blackbeard running his

fingers over the black handled dagger sheathed at his side. “I did

not realize you were such a student of the English language these

days.”

“Just keep’n you on your toes, Matey. I can’t reveal all of my

secrets, now can I?” Blackbeard said blandly. He chose not to

acknowledge the none-too-subtle combative gesture made by Stede. Seriously! Was she listening to this insane conversation, between

two dead pirates? What was Stede going to do? Kill Blackbeard?

News flash-- someone had already been there-- done that. Stede made his way toward Joanna. “May I introduce myself,

Lass?” he asked, in a gentlemanly manner. He then paused to wait for

her response. At her nod he continued, “My name is Stede Bonnet. I

am also known as the gentleman pirate,” he emphasized the word

gentleman. “At your service, my lady,” Bonnet declared as he bowed

low at the waist.

“Oh, for Neptune’s sake, Stede…. Stop fawning all over her. The

lass is smart enough to know which of us in this room is privy to the

location of Blackbeard’s hidden treasure… and who in this room is not,”

Blackbeard boasted gleefully. He strode pompously forward inserting

his body between Stede and Joanna.

Stede shrugged in temporary defeat and moved to retrieve his glass of

grog. He drained it in one large gulp.

“As I was saying before I was interrupted,” Blackbeard said casting a

narrow look in Stede’s direction, “when I am again a flesh and blood

man, I would suspect you will not be so stand-offish toward me, Lass. I

promise you I know how to please a fire-filled woman such as yourself,”

he said raking his eyes boldly from the top of her head to the painted tips

of her toes.

Joanna took a step back retreating from his invasion of her space. Blackbeard puffed his chest out, the ruffles down the front of his

shirt adding to his impressive albeit ghostly image. “I happen to be very

rich,” he declared, “as well as heavily endowed.” He grinned while

waggling his eyebrows up and down.

At that, Stede barked with laughter, slammed his glass back on the

table, and crowded Blackbeard out of the way. “I too am very rich.

Additionally, I’m much more refined than this scalawag. As to the rest, I

will let you draw your own conclusions, my lady.” As he finished, he

strategically tucked his thumbs into the waistband of his velvet britches,

bringing attention to the bulge in his trousers.

The Quartermaster was long gone, having fled shortly after shoving

Joanna into the stateroom. Joanna rubbed her head as it was beginning

to pound incessantly.

Really? Not one-- but two horny pirate ghosts! Joanna stifled a chuckle by

turning it into a groan. God, Royce would never let her hear the end of this. That

is, after he got over being pissed that she had boarded a ghost ship alone in the first

place.

“Please. Sit down my lady,” Stede insisted as he grasped her elbow to

guide her to a large table dominating the room. “May I get you some

sort of refreshment, something to eat or drink?”

“Um-- I’ll stand. Thank you. I’m not hungry, but I could use a drink,”

Joanna said, casting a wary glance toward the assortment of bottles and

glasses lining the table.

Blackbeard scrambled to direct Joanna’s attention back toward him.

“Allow me to pour for you,” he proposed grandly, already splashing grog

into a mug for her. He winked broadly as he wrapped her fingers around

the mug full of dark liquid.

Joanna eyed both pirates suspiciously. They each grabbed a mug

and poured themselves a drink from the same bottle. Stede and

Blackbeard crashed their mugs mightily together in a silent salute, took a

deep swallow, and then held their mugs high in her direction. Ok, maybe it was safe to drink? Trying not to think about how many

hundred years the refreshment had been on board this ship, she lifted

her mug to salute them with a gentler bump. “To new friends,” Joanna

toasted before drawing in a healthy mouthful of the liquid. Oh, God! Room temperature grog flowed over her taste buds.

Joanna felt tears sting her eyes and try as she might; she just could not

bring herself to swallow. Reflex and self-preservation overtook good

manners…Joanna could not help herself; she spit the disgusting muck

back into the mug.

“What-the hell-- is that foul tasting mess?” she asked scrubbing her

tongue on her hand. She desperately searched the room for something

to clean her mouth with. They evidently didn’t stock bar napkins on pirate

ships.

“You idiot,” Stede said reprimanding Blackbeard. “She is obviously

too delicate for the potency of grog,” he observed, snatching the mug

of regurgitated liquid from Joanna.

“Please accept my apologies, beauty,” Stede beseeched. Nodding

toward Blackbeard, he observed, “He obviously left his brain in the

grave. Not,” he continued in a loud whisper, “that he was all that

smart to begin with.”

“Grog?” Joanna croaked, “What the hell is grog… and is it fatal?” “No, my lady, ‘tis nothing harmful. Just a refreshing bit of fire.” “You’ve obviously never heard of a skip-and-go-naked or sex-on-thebeach,” Joanna complained, shivering a little. Talk about an after-taste. Both men began to chuckle, eyeing her with great interest. She was

going to be a fine shipmate for one of them. She was beautiful and full

of enthusiasm.

“We will, no doubt, have to duel for her,” Blackbeard announced to

Stede wearing a bemused expression. “Pistols at dawn?” he suggested. Ok, enough is-- too much! Joanna decided it was time to get some

answers. She took a moment to pull herself together by finger

combing her hair and smoothing her shorts. She was desperately

wishing for a mirror, her favorite tube of lipstick, oh… and a breath

mint.

Joanna took a deep breath as she prepared to dive into the Where’s

and What For’s. Both pirates’ eyes immediately dropped to her breasts

and intently watched as they expanded with her indrawn breath. WTF? She felt a static-electric sizzling feeling engulf her and fought to control the surge of anger. These two idiots would not understand a sparking

Witch.

“Excuse me, boys,” Joanna gritted between clinched teeth. Bending

her knees to put her face in their line of vision, she pointed out, “My

eyes are up here.”

Blackbeard sighed. “Ah, but you have such lovely--”

“Stop right there!” Joanna interrupted. She spied a coverlet draped

over the foot of the bed. She snatched up the piece of cloth and

wrapped it securely around her shoulders.

Distractions concealed, she began, “If you would have a seat,

gentlemen,” she said gesturing toward two of the uncomfortable looking

chairs surrounding the massive table. “I have some questions. I would

appreciate honesty from you both,” she insisted as she aimed an I-meanbusiness look toward both men.

“Now, as I started to say--” Joanna began, only to be interrupted as a

knock sounded on the door to the stateroom. This knock sounded more

frantic in nature than the previous one had, the one announcing Joanna’s

arrival.

“Oh, for the love of--” Blackbeard rolled his eyes and bellowed.

“What is it now?”

“Cap’n, the Ranger be fast approachin’ ‘n she be sailin’ th’ Jolly Rodger

from ‘er mast.”

“Vane,” Blackbeard said gravely.

“Aye, and Calico Jack,” Stede added.

“My lady,” Blackbeard said with a sigh, “we must continue this

conversation at a later date. It seems I have company, and I must warn

you that these scurvy bilge rats know no honor. They’ll not think twice

before making you walk the plank. Fear not, we will stow you away.

You are a fine treasure, and this room was built for hiding valuables,” he

confided mysteriously.

“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself,” Joanna assured him. She

hid a smile imaging their surprise at her particular skill-set.

“Cap’n she’s droppn’ anchor,” the Quartermaster reported urgently

through the door.

“We will be on deck shortly to meet Calico Jack and Vane. And,

William…” Blackbeard paused.

“Aye? Cap’n?” Quartermaster William Howard responded. “Anyone mentions the lass, loses their tongue,” Blackbeard promised

darkly. “Savvy?”

“Savvy, Cap’n. I’ll be spreadn’ the word.”

As the Quartermaster hurried away, Blackbeard crossed the room to

open an armoire positioned on the far wall. He pushed aside a wide

array of ornate coats and lavish poet shirts, the real pirate variety with

ruffles galore. He felt around until he found the release trigger he was

looking for. With a click, the false back opened and… surprise of

surprises… an entire room was hidden behind the armoire.

Stede escorted her across the room and kissed her cheek before

bundling her quickly into the secret room. As he pushed her through the

opening, he whispered “Be very quiet no matter what you hear. You will

be safe in there.”

“Really,” Joanna protested, “this is not necessary. I--”

“Be silent, Lass,” Blackbeard added his warning. “We will protect

you. Worry you not.” He strode past her to light a candle sitting on a

mammoth desk littered with various maps and trinkets.

#

Joanna was still sputtering as Blackbeard swept past her on his way out of the secret room. The panel closed quickly, effectively putting an end to her protests. Glancing curiously around the room, she spied several hanging chandeliers loaded with candles. With a wave of her hand the candles danced to life completely illuminating her safe room.

Joanna was surprised to find a lavish hide-away complete with velvet covered armchairs and silk wall covering. The smell of tobacco lingered in the air. Looking more closely, she noted the cleverly placed vents which allowed fresh air to continually flow into the chamber.

Blackbeard’s journal graced the center of the desk. The open journal looked as if he had started the log for the day. Joanna ran her hands lightly over the journal to see if she could pick up anything out of the ordinary. She found nothing particularly threatening in nature and began flipping through the pages. She read about one voyage after another. Queen Anne’s Revenge had certainly been busy in the year 1717.

Blackbeard’s notes cataloged his life. Joanna smiled at some of the entries depicting adventures from the time he had been a young man. He actually had been quite popular with the “lasses” judging from his notes detailing the virtues of each and every one of his dozen wives.

One entry, dated within the past month, was particularly interesting; “There will be a grand gathering of pirates on Pinckney where we shall finally close Davy Jones locker for all time. Calico Jack has also heard rumors of the coin’s reappearance. He cannot be trusted! He shall not get his hands on such a weapon again.”

Joanna’s heart began to race as she flipped rapidly through the next few pages. A more recent entry read, “The coin has been retrieved from beneath the sea once again. I shall settle the score with Vane for the part he played in deceiving me. He and Calico Jack must not be allowed to reclaim the coin. With it, they would have the power to-- alas, I dare not even put the possibility of such atrocity to paper.”

The power to what? Joanna wracked her brain as she read and reread the passages. She suddenly gasped. Blackbeard has the coin? Was it possible that the coin referenced in Blackbeard’s journal was the same coin ART had been commissioned to recover? Even more concerning after reading Blackbeard’s writing was the fact that she suddenly remembered…Vane and Calico Jack were boarding the ship.

There it was again! The inexplainable pull grabbing at her subconscious. Joanna shook it off, determined to stay focused on the tangible…well, somewhat tangible anyway. She moved quickly to place Blackbeard’s journal in the exact spot where she had found it, remembering to turn it to the proper page. There was no reason for Blackbeard to know that she had been snooping.

Suddenly the ship pitched starboard; almost simultaneously, she heard shouts and pistol fire. As she stood quickly, one of the large rubies littering the desk rolled onto the floor. Joanna crawled under the desk to retrieve the ruby just as the ship rolled once again with even more force. Crack! She banged into the underside of the desk with the back of her head.

“ Mother-” Joanna cried out, instinctively pacing her hand over the injury to check for blood.

“That freaking hurt,” she exclaimed, relieved to find a small gash rather than the expected gaping hole in her head. Wishing for an icepack, she backed out from under the desk planning to see for herself what the hell was happening above deck. It sounded like a war was going on up there.

As Joanna backed up the last few inches, she glanced at the offending timber to see if she had left any blood on it. Immediately, she noticed that one of the wooden panels had become displaced when she hit her head.

“That’s great, Jo, destroy a piece of history,” she muttered. Reaching out to pull the panel back in place, she could not believe her bad luck, when it completely came off in her hands. “Oh for crying out loud,” she lamented. That was when she noticed a small velvet-wrapped bundle stashed behind the obviously removable panel.

Her breath seemed to be caught in her throat as she slowly reached for the prize. Joanna didn’t take time to unwrap it but quickly stuffed it in the pocket of her shirt and replaced the false panel on the desk. Joanna’s hands began to shake. This was the coin! She just knew it.

She hurried over to stand directly underneath one of the chandeliers thankful that she had lit them all earlier. Barely daring to breathe, she untied the silk cord securing the swatch of velvet.

As the contents of the pouch was unveiled, Joanna reached out to touch the diamonds surrounding an ancient ankh symbol of inlaid rubies. The cross consisted of a loop for the top extension and a shorter crossbar. This was the symbol of life used in ancient Egypt.

“No!” Joanna heard and barely stopped her fingers from making contact with the coin. “Hide the coin. Danger.” She turned abruptly to see who had spoken to her, but she was alone in the chamber. She carefully turned the coin over, making sure not to touch it directly. On the reverse side was a black spider fashioned from black onyx and surrounded by rubies. She quickly wrapped the coin in its velvet shroud, and then tucked it securely in her bra.

She slipped the cell phone out of her back pocket and dropped a text to Sean. Chas Harb. Don’t tell R. B home soon. Jackpot! Joanna hit send taking comfort in the fact that if something went wrong they would at least know where to start looking for her.

She extinguished the candles preparing to transport herself back home. She did not want to be responsible for a fire aboard the ship. Could ghost ships catch fire? As she snuffed out the last candle a loud crash emanated from the other side of the secret door. She tiptoed across the room to press her ear against the panel. Blackbeard and Stede did not seem to like Vane and Calico Jack. From what Joanna had read in the journal, they were indeed “without honor” as Blackbeard had advised.

History had not been one of Joanna’s strongest subjects. Although she remembered that Calico Jack had designed the famous Jolly Rodger flag with a skull and crossed swords, she struggled to recall even one fact about a pirate named Vane. Another crash sounded. This one was followed by an angry booming voice. “Give me the coin, and maybe I will raise you along with the rest… but if you continue to run this blockade, you will find yourself in Davy Jones locker for eternity. Savvy?”

Joanna rubbed her temples and furtively wished she had been more attentive during history classes. Who is this Vane? Swords clashed and voices raised as the struggle carried on in Blackbeard’s quarters.

With a sigh, Joanna pushed away from the panel. Looks like it’s time for an intervention of the magical variety. She heard a soft click as the panel swung open. She hadn’t been locked in after all. She slid out of the secret room into the armoire.

Seriously, does one pirate need this many clothes? Pushing her way through yards and yards of ruffles and billowing shirts, she decided pirates were a vane lot.

Boom! Joanna stopped short of swinging the armoire doors open. Was that pistol fire?

She burst out of the armoire, stopping abruptly. Unfortunately, she came face to face with an angry pirate waiving a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. He was not handsome, nor did he ooze charisma like her two hosts. This pirate looked downright mean even with a head full of curls hanging past his shoulders.

“What have we here?” he drawled in a creepy voice.

Blackbeard and Stede both lunged in Joanna’s direction, only to be stopped by another large, rather ugly thug in pirate garb.

“Uh-- Uh-- don’t get too close mates. We will need to keep a sharp eye on this lass,” he taunted.

“Leave her alone, Vane. She isn’t involved in this,” Stede commanded.

“Not involved?” Vane repeated incredulously. His eyes fairly bugged out while his pistol still targeted her heart.

Arrogant A*shole! Joanna had just about had all the fun she could possibly have here. She stiffened her spine and began to work a spell sure to put the skank pirate and his buddy down.

Suddenly, a pistol pressed up against her temple.

“Best cease, Lass,” Curly locks suggested. “I may look less than substantial, but this can still drop ye where ye stand,” he gritted in her ear.

“Enough, Vane, she has had a hellish day. Leave the lass alone. We’ve claimed her. She is with us and will not be harmed,” Blackbeard decreed, twisting his beard around his fingers leaving curls in the long dark strands.

When Vane and Calico Jack made eye-contact, a secret signal passed between them, and everything abruptly went black for Joanna.

#

Landon handed Royce his cell phone and turned to go back into the garage. He and Kurt were reviewing the maps and planning their strategy.

“What’s up, Sean?” Royce asked.

“Ummm-- welll--uhhh,” Sean tried to think of a way to break the news gently. Unsuccessful in his quest, he blurted,” Your father and Tammy just landed at Charleston International.” He began with the notso-good news. Then he moved on to the unquestionably worse news, “And…Joanna is missing.”

Silence greeted the latest announcement.

“Joanna is what?” Royce asked in a deceptively quiet way. He was very good at lulling a person into believing that he was calm, when in reality an explosion was moments away.

Landon stopped mid-stride, pivoting to move toward Royce. He made no attempt to mask his interest in Royce’s conversation.

“How long has she has been missing?” Royce asked again… very quietly.

“Since she left uh-- since this afternoon,” he said. “I thought it was a glitch in the GPS system. You know it failed when you were-- well…”

Three-- two-- one. Kaboom!

“Are you f*cking kidding me?” Royce raged.

Sensing that Joanna was in danger, Landon’s Wolf surged to attention. With eyes that were turning a golden-yellow. He breathed deeply.

“At what point did you think it was a good idea to keep this information from me?” Royce yelled into the phone.

Royce glanced at Landon, and summoned backup. “Kurt, we may need some help here!”

Kurt had heard Royce raise his voice and was already in motion. He saw the problem as he approached. Moving to Landon’s side, he immediately began talking him down.

“Landon, look at me buddy. We need to handle this, whatever it is, rationally.”

Suddenly, Landon’s pack filled the yard. Feeling the Wolf’s distress, his pack had responded.

“Shit,” Kurt muttered. “Landon, get a handle on this.”

A few of the younger pack members had started to shift. By sheer force of will, Landon pushed past the distress and managed to keep his Wolf at bay.

“It’s good here, guys,” Landon addressed the pack. “All cool, no worries.”

“You’re sure?” Chance, Landon’s Beta asked. Chance was second in command and had his head firmly planted on his shoulders. He was strong as well as smart and more than capable of handling the pack.

Landon nodded once.

“Ok guys, let’s head to the beach for a run,” Chance said. In less than a minute, they had all disappeared.

Royce eyed Landon. “Do you need to take a walk? I really need to know what is happening with my sister. If you can’t deal, you need to get lost.”

“Not going to happen,” Landon replied in a soft voice of his own. “Where is she?”

Royce gave Landon a long measuring look and then turned his attention back to the phone.

“Sean, I’m putting you on speaker. Kurt and Landon are with me. We’re heading downtown now. Talk to me.”

“I heard from her earlier today. She sent me a text, but I haven’t heard from her since. I’ve been trying to reach her but can’t get a response. The last GPS reading was…” Sean paused to gather his courage, “well, in the middle of Charleston Harbor.”

“Define ‘in the middle of’, Sean. I’m sick of this shit. Does she have a death-wish or what?” Royce roared.

Silence greeted him.

Landon began hyperventilating again.

Royce felt his stomach clinch and turned the speaker phone off.

“Sean, what the hell are you not telling me? And don’t give me some bullshit answer. I want the truth, and I want it now!”

Sean’s silence sent chills down Royce’s spine.

“Sean, I’m giving you an order!”

“Sorry, Boss,” Sean said regretfully.

“Sean, I can make you talk. We’re talking about my baby sister, and I will make you pray for death--”

“Leave the kid alone, Royce,” Landon interjected.

Royce swung his gaze to Landon. “You know, don’t you? What the hell happed?”

Landon just shook his head. Both worry and sadness were clearly written on his face. “I don’t know for sure. But I know this…whatever it is; it needs to come from her.”

“He’s right, Boss. You need to talk to Jo,” Sean agreed. After a long pause he continued with pain evident in his voice, “I don’t know everything, we never talk about it. She never talks about it. But--”

“It? What is it? I’m her brother, damn it. I have a right to know if she’s in danger or has been hurt in some way!” Royce felt as if he were losing his mind. What had happened while he was gone? What could possibly be so bad that she would hide it from him?

“Does Tammy know?” Royce asked in an anguished voice.

“Yes, Tammy knows… at least part of it. I’m not sure anyone knows all of it. I’ve said too much already, Royce. You need to talk to Jo,” Sean urged.

“Find Tammy. Tell her I need to talk to her,” Royce said.

“No problem,” Sean assured him. Literally, no problem! “Uh-- your Dad and Tammy will be here in less than twenty minutes.”

Royce groaned as he scrubbed his face with his hand. He looked over at his two friends; he needed to let them know that things had just gone from worse to worse-on-steroids. Landon’s expression said he already knew. Werewolves had exceptional hearing.

“Sean, send the coordinates of Joanna’s last known location,” Royce said.

“Sending it now,” Sean responded.

Royce’s phone beeped with a text message.

“Got it, let me know if you hear anything at all,” Royce instructed.

“You know it. I’ll see what I can find on this end,” Sean promised.

“Yeah. Listen…Sean,” Royce began, his voice full of weary regret. “I’m really so--”

“No need, Boss. I understand.”

“Thanks, Sean. But, there is a need. I was out of line. I know you would never betray me. I had no right to expect you to betray my sister,” Royce finished, his voice filled with anguish.

“We all go a little crazy when someone we love is hurt. I get that. Just don’t push her, Royce. She’s not as strong as she pretends to be,” Sean cautioned.

“I’ll treat her with kid gloves,” Royce promised. “at least until she’s stronger. Then I’m going to kick her ass!”

“If you wait until she’s stronger, Boss,” Sean said laughing, “she’s just as likely to kick yours.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” Royce agreed with a chuckle. He felt some of the tension drain from his body.

“We just need to find her, Sean,” Royce said.

“We will.”

“Do whatever you have to do to keep Dad and Tammy out of this. Hog-tie them if you have to,” Royce instructed Sean.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Did you say you received a text from Jo?”

Sean felt his blood pressure spike. “Yes, I did…”

Sensing there was yet another piece of this puzzle that would piss him off, he asked, “What, exactly, did it say?”

“It was-- uh, nothing concrete,” Sean answered beginning to sweat and feel somewhat nauseated.

“I’ll ask one more time, Sean. What did the text say?” Royce asked again…in that dangerous quiet tone of voice.

“She said she was in Charleston Harbor and that she would be home soon. That was a few hours ago,” Sean said as he deliberately left out the part where Joanna did not want Royce to know.

“That’s it… anything else in that message?” Royce pressured Sean sensing there was more. There was a reason he was the team leader.

“Well, only that she didn’t want me to tell you,” Sean said in a rush.

“That was not your first clue that she was in over her head?” Royce asked incredulously. “Send me the damned txt. If something happens to my baby sister because she talked you into not telling me something, you will have me to face. And if you think I can be unreasonable, wait until Tammy finds out! I will give you the pleasure of breaking the news that you lost her baby girl.”

“Sending you the text now,” Sean assured Royce. “Wait! There is something I forgot,” Sean said excitedly. “I’m not sure what it means, but look at the end of her text.”

Royce accessed his text messages, pulling up Sean’s most recent message.

Chas Harb. Don’t tell R. B home soon. Jackpot!

“What does she mean?” Royce mumbled. “Jackpot…Jackpot,” Royce repeated over and over, trying to think like Joanna, which was not easy.

“Oh…Hell,” Kurt said, as he figured out the cryptic message.

“She’s got the coin,” Landon stated, as he too figured out the riddle.

“There’s no way! She can’t touch that coin,” Royce disagreed.

“She’s got the coin,” Landon insisted.

“I have to agree with him, buddy,” Kurt added his support of Landon’s theory.

“Son of a bitch, you’re right. She’s got the damn coin,” Royce concurred.

“What are the coordinates?” Kurt asked.

“32.7733N 79.9094W,” Royce answered as he handed Landon’s phone back to him.

Kurt nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, we need a boat.”

Landon growled low in his throat, “Let me see what I can do.” Landon went to work lining up a boat.

Kurt glanced at Royce “My Glock is under the seat, but we may need more than that.”

“Drive by the Condo, we can load up there,” Royce said as he typed a new text message to Sean. Need 2go bag. B there in 5

The phone immediately beeped with Sean’s response, Ready & Waiting. Do I tell T? ETA 3 min

“Wonderful,” Royce muttered. Tammy would go ballistic if she found out they had lost Joanna. Negative, Royce responded.

Kurt whipped into the parking garage, tires squealing. Landon and Royce hit the ground running. Kurt turned the vehicle around and put his Glock on the dashboard. He watched as a black Limo pulled past the entrance to the garage on its way to the building’s main entry. The driver walked toward the rear of the vehicle, and then opened the door. Royce and Landon sprinted toward Kurt’s truck carrying black bags full of weapons, ammo, and God knew what else.

“Vic has a boat waiting for us at Maritime Marina,” Landon said as he flung the last bag into the back seat and slid in beside it.

“Let’s go get my sister,” Royce said as he jumped in and slammed the door.

Kurt threw the truck into gear and raced out of the parking garage. As they sped away, Royce saw his father stop to watch their speeding vehicle with narrowed eyes.

As Kurt moved rapidly through Charleston’s downtown streets, Royce pulled out a map of the harbor, pinpointing Joanna’s last transmission.

Royce wracked his brain to try and discern how she had been in what appeared to be the middle of Charleston Harbor? Did she rent a boat? The coordinates were literally in the middle of the harbor just off Castle Pinckney, and they were fast losing daylight.

#

Joanna moaned and rubbed the back of her head. She had evidently hit her head on that desk a little harder than she had originally thought. She felt a sticky matted glob in her hair. I don’t remember that much blood! Forcing her eyes open, she tried to focus in the darkness. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was shocked to find that she was in a cell of some kind.

Joanna struggled to breathe as bile rose in her throat. Her entire body began to shake. A full-fledged panic attack loomed just around the corner. She was in a cell. Capture. Torture. Abuse. Joanna knew she could never live through that again. She made the difficult decision in the blink of an eye. She would will herself to die this time. She only hoped her family would understand…and forgive her. Her family, she couldn’t-- she wouldn’t let them down without at least trying. Catching her breath on a sob, she tried to force herself to calm down and think clearly. She had to find a way out.

“Child, are you ok?” she felt the question whisper through her. It drifted through her, over her… like soothing hands… gentle and caring.

“Child, are you ok?” There it was again, something soothing and strangely familiar.

“Where are you? Who are you?” Joanna whispered, pulling herself out of the pit of despair and hopelessness that had threatened to consume her. She shivered and forced herself into a sitting position on the cold floor.

“Look to your left, along the back wall.” This time the voice could be heard.

Joanna turned her head slowly in the direction of the soft voice.

Three women were seated very calmly on a long wooden bench running the length of the cell. A soft light illuminated their surroundings. Apparently they were unconcerned with the chains securing their wrists to the wall behind them. Thank God she had not been chained up…yet. Shivering, Joanna pushed that thought quickly from her mind.

“Child, we have not been harmed. You will not be harmed either. My name is Grace,” the oldest of the trio assured her.

Nodding to the forty-something red-head on her left, she introduced her; “This is Lucy.”

“Hey,’ Lucy said with a smile. Nodding to her left, she continued, “and this is Joyce.”

Joyce looked like a movie star. She was stunning with dark hair and lavender eyes.

“What is your name?” Joyce asked, smiling as if she were not carrying on a conversation while locked in a dungeon.

“My name is Joanna,” she answered warily. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Unless she was mistaken, her companions were obviously Witches. They could have probed her mind to find out whatever they wanted to know while she had been unconscious.

“Oh, we try not to pry,” Lucy said batting her eyes.

Joyce looked at Lucy and rolled her eyes. Well, some of us try harder than others.”

Lucy chuckled, “Some of us don’t pretend to be a puritan.”

“Girls, that is enough,” Grace interrupted the banter. “Joanna will think she has fallen down a rabbit hole.”

“Now that you mention it….” Joanna rubbed her head again, making a face as she encountered the matted patch in her hair.

Blood! Panic began to overtake her; sucking, pulling her into the past. The room began to spin. Pain. Midwives. Soldiers. Grief. She had to get out! Escape.

“No,” Joanna said aloud. She struggled to her feet swaying as the world continued to spin.

“Joanna,” Grace said harshly. Joanna jerked to an abrupt stop as a jolt of electricity ran through her. She felt as if she had been touched with a cattle prod.

“Lucy,” Joyce scolded.

Shrugging her shoulders, Lucy said, “What? She was freaking out. I just grounded her a little.”

Grace frowned at Lucy, who seemed to shrink for a moment.

“Joanna, you are safe here. I promise. We need your help,” Grace spoke softly.

“Yes, those idiots think we can’t escape,” Lucy laughed. “As if… The truth is, we are just waiting for the--” she stopped abruptly and looked toward Grace, who shook her head, “right moment,” Lucy finished lamely.

“What? Where are we?” Joanna asked still fighting confusion.

“Ohhh, we are on Castle Pinckney,” Joyce answered with excitement. “It’s such a cool place.”

Joyce was obviously long on beauty and short on brains. “Yea…not so much,” Joanna responded drearily.

“Why did you leave earlier? We thought you received our messages. That was you out near here, right?” Lucy asked, almost accusingly.

“With all the bulging muscle surrounding her earlier today, Joanna obviously had her mind on other things, Lucy,” Joyce chimed in with a laugh.

“Wait! That was you?” Joanna asked.

“Yes, dear,” Grace answered. “I knew we were pushing too hard, but we had hoped to get a message to the sisterhood.”

“I’m so sorry. I picked up on something, but it was too faint to understand. I really tried. I just couldn’t zero in on anything specific,” Joanna said, remembering Landon and how kind he had been to her. Admittedly, it had not started out that way, she remembered with a smile.

“That’s ok, Joanna. The walls are reinforced here. They were built specifically to make things difficult for us,” Grace said with sorrow.

“Why did you need to get a message to the sisterhood?” Joanna asked.

Grace let the first sign of her distress show. She wrinkled her brow and closed her eyes for a moment.

Joanna waited quietly for Grace to answer. A minute turned into two. She glanced toward Lucy who was looking at herself in a compact mirror, reapplying her lipstick. Joanna jerked her head fully toward Lucy, not quite believing what she saw. Lipstick? What the hell?

Not bothering to open her eyes, Grace said, “Lucy, put that away. We don’t want them to know our powers still work in here.”

The compact and tube of lipstick disappeared. Lucy huffed and whined, “I’m bored in this small space. I need some room,” she said as she dematerialized for a moment.

“Lucy, get back here this instant,” Joyce snapped.

“Oh, calm down,” Lucy said from the far end of the cell. “I just needed a second.”

“I know, Lucy dear, but it shouldn’t be very much longer,” Grace said as Lucy materialized on the bench with her wrists once more in encased in iron. “I will take you on a vacation…wherever you want to go…for an entire week when we finish here,” Grace promised with a gentle smile.

“OK, I’ll just sit tight. Right where I am, bored out of my mind,” Lucy said with a syrupy smile. “But you know I would do anything for you, Grace. I even used my best spell box on Royce, just like you asked me to.”

Joanna felt blue sparks shooting from her eyes as she turned her lethal gaze on Lucy.

“You did that to my brother?” Joanna stalked toward Lucy, fury wrapping around her more tightly with each step.

Grace dematerialized and reappeared directly in Joanna’s path, placing her body between Lucy and Joanna.

Grace was an ancient. Her magic was stronger than Joanna’s even though temper did lend a definite boost at the moment.

“Two years,” Joanna said to Grace through clinched teeth, “Two years we looked for him,” she continued as tears ran down her face. “I needed him. I really needed him,” she sobbed as the flood gates opened, pouring out two years of emotion.

Grace wrapped Joanna in her arms and crooned soft comforting words in her ear. Finally, Joanna raised her eyes to Grace, who conjured a tissue.

“Why, Grace? Why did you take him away?”

“He was in danger, child,” Grace said leading Joanna to sit on the long wooden bench. “We were not trying to harm him,” she explained as she too sat down. “We were trying to protect him the most expedient way we could.”

“Protect him? What were you protecting him from?” Joanna asked, scrubbing her cheeks dry on the tail of her shirt.

“Death, child,” Grace answered softly.

Joanna gasped. “Death?” she repeated.

“Yes, dear...Lucy saved him from an eternity of death-without-dying,” Grace said with a smile in Lucy’s direction, as if that explained it all.

“I don’t understand,” Joanna said as her head began to pound with a stress headache. Death without dying? What the hell did that mean? She was now more confused than ever.

Very softly Grace whispered, “The coin, child. The night-walkers were seconds away when we found him. Your brother had the coin and would not have turned it over willingly. There would have been a battle that he had no hope of winning. He was ill prepared to deal with them. They were not supposed to have been in the city.”

“You could have found some other way to help him,” Joanna insisted stubbornly.

“There were too many, dear. We would not have been successful, and the coin absolutely must not end up with those who live for the darkness,” she said in reference to Vampires.

Suddenly, Joanna remembered the little package in her bra. Slipping her hand down the front of her shirt, she held up the coin with a smile. “I almost forgot I had this.”

#

“Step lively, Matey,” chains rattled as the dungeon door opened. Blackbeard and Stede were shackled and being pushed deeper into the dungeon.

“We will find the coin and finish what we started on Ocracoke

Island…immortality. Too bad the Witch died before she could finish her job. The bitch bled out like a wild boar after ye slit its throat,” Vane groused. “When ye remember where ye stashed the loot, I’ve got four new vessels fer the incantation.”

The voices drew closer to the cell holding Joanna and her companions. Grace pointed to the floor where Joanna had been dumped when the pirates initially cast her into the dungeon. With a nod, Joanna took her place, collapsing once again against the cold dungeon floor. As she glanced toward the other ladies, she was shocked to see the rumpled mess each had become. Three previously beautiful women had transformed into hags with stringy hair, dirty clothes, and not one speck of makeup.

With a wink for Joanna, Lucy shouted, “Let us out of here. We will never help you, no matter how long you keep us locked in this cell. I’m hungry. We need food, and the water is disgusting.”

Joanna chuckled silently. As Lucy began shouting, Joyce waved her hand and the light illuminating the room extinguished. The trio of Witches had this under control, but their captors were too full of themselves to realize they were being played.

“You will have food as soon as Ned gets the porridge cooked,” Calico

Jack said.

“It won’t be long now,” Vane said as he laughingly pulled on the

chains around Blackbeard’s ghostly neck. “My friend here can’t seem to

remember where the coin is stashed. Maybe some time in the dungeon

will loosen his lips.” Both Blackbeard and Stede were forced into the

cell next to Joanna and her companions.

As Calico Jack sauntered out of the dungeon, he stopped and turned

to Stede. “Ye have ‘till high tide ta get th’ whereabouts of the stash out

of Blackbeard. We be pay’in a visit ta th’ mainland after that, Matey. We

gunna be lookin’ fer them descendants ye be so proud ‘o. I would hate

fer bad thin’s ta happen ta yer kin, n’ matter ‘ow distant.” With that

announcement made, he slammed the main door shut.

As Vane and Calico Jack walked away, one of them said, “Ye better

hope one o’ th’ bitches live ta th’ end this time.”

Soft light illuminated the cell once again.

Blackbeard stood and crossed to the bars separating him from

Joanna, “Are you ok, Lass?” he asked softly, concern shining in his eyes. Joanna shifted into a sitting position. “Yes, I think so. What did he

mean by that last comment?”

Stede joined Blackbeard at the wall of bars and asked softly, “Are ye a

Witch, Lass? Tell us honestly. We have to know how urgent it is that we

get you out of here.”

Joanna looked at Grace for direction. Grace gave a nod indicating

that Joanna could disclose their secret.

“Yes, I am a Witch. That is how I boarded your ship,” Joanna

admitted with a sigh.

“Blast,” Stede said banging his fist against the metal bars. Turning toward Blackbeard he said, “We have to get her and the others out of here before they start the ceremony. They may eventually find the coin.”

“What coin?” Joanna asked, as if she had no idea what they were talking about.

Blackbeard took a deep breath and began his story. “You see, one of the ships we uh-- acquired had a very special coin hidden in her belly.”

“Yes, but we didn’t know the power or significance of the coin then,” Stede interjected with anguish. “We would have tossed it into the depths, Lass, rather than let it come to this. I don’t want you hurt in any way.”

“I don’t understand; how can it hurt me?” Joanna asked, thinking that said coin was currently nestled right next to her heart. Thankfully, she had remembered not to touch the coin with her bare hands. Actually, she was pretty certain she had the grand trio to thank for the reminder.

Stede and Blackbeard passed a look between them, and Blackbeard began to explain, “Hundreds of years ago Vane spied the coin lying on my desk. He somehow knew about the power the coin holds. He said it was pretty and talked me into wagering it in a card game. I still thought it was just another pretty piece of gold,” he said, hesitating for a moment.

Stede took over filling in the missing details, “You’ve heard of the great pirate gathering in 1718. Everyone assumed it was a week-long party, a celebration for pirates… everyone but Governor Spotswood. It turns out he was a collector of sorts. He knew of the coin and knew we had captured the ship that had been carrying the coin to him. He fabricated a story about how we pirates were banding together and insisted that we must be stopped.”

Blackbeard twisted his beard and reluctantly resumed his story. “Captain Maynard and his crew thought the coin was still aboard Queen Ann’s Revenge. That was the real reason they set up an ambush. It was a grand fight, but Maynard tricked my crew. Alas, that was the end for most of us.”

Blackbeard chuckled as he added, “The jackass didn’t find the coin though, and it’s well hidden. Back to Vane…a few months after he swindled me out of the coin, he arrived at a pub one night with a Witch. Vane had her family locked up. He threatened to burn them at the stake if she did not do as he demanded.”

“Oh God,” Joanna murmured as she remembered the conversation about a Witch dying.

“She was a pretty young lass,” Stede whispered in anguish.

Three Witches sat rigidly on the wooden bench, listening to the story unfold.

“Sherrie,” Joyce whispered.

“Aye, that was her name,” Blackbeard confirmed, shifting his attention to the Witches still chained to the wall behind Joanna. “Vane pushed and pushed. He planned to use the power of the coin to immortalize anyone who would swear to serve him for eternity. It was a chance to escape Davy Jones Locker. That is what the celebration was really about. The spell was working, too. Incredible energy flowed through our bodies. The winds swirled while lightning streaked across the sky--” Blackbeard stopped, shaking his head, unable to continue.

Stede picked up the story once again. “And so it began. At first, just a few drops of blood were running out of her nose and ears. Several of us tried to help her. We begged Vane to find another way, but he refused to stop the ceremony. He said he would find another Witch and then another if he had to. Vane resorted to threatening her family. He convinced the young lass that if she failed, her family would be dead by first light. At that juncture the poor lass was terribly weak from blood loss. She could stand on the altar no longer. When she fell to her knees, Vane began yelling vile things. He promised to force her younger sister to finish the spell. I could not let her die before me and do nothing… even if it meant eternity in Davy Jones Locker,” Stede finished with a shudder.

Blackbeard shook his head at the memory, “Stede drew his pistol, intending to fire on Vane and end the poor lass’s torture. Alas, Calico Jack was ready for trouble. He shot Stede, knocking the pistol out of his hand. Tragically, the lead ball from Calico’s pistol glanced off the barrel of Stede’s gun, hitting the lass directly in the chest. Stede stripped off his shirt, pressing it to her wound, trying to stem the life blood flowing from her wound. I rushed to help him apply pressure, but she had already lost too much blood. With her life seeping out on the ground, she whispered her plea to Stede and I. She beseeched us to free her family and hide them from Vane. We agreed. As soon as she secured our promise, her pale eyes sought Vane. Smiling weakly she whispered, ‘Your wish is granted, Charles Vane, just as you demanded…eternity.’ Suddenly thunder boomed with such intensity that we were forced to cover our ears. The ground began to shake, and she disappeared before our very eyes. She simply dissolved into nothing. Vane was like a man possessed, especially when he found the coin had disappeared with her.”

“We didn’t understand what she had done at the time, but all too soon, it became crystal clear,” Stede said drearily. “Teach and I kept our promise to the lass, didn’t we, Matey?”

“Aye, that we did my friend,” Blackbeard acknowledged.

“We hid her family away and left them with enough gold to live on for the next hundred years,” Stede boasted gleefully and then dropped his eyes regretfully. “But it did nothing to relieve our guilt over her death. Things declined quickly after that. Within two years we had all been captured and hanged or died in battle. ‘Eternity’ she had said. We indeed have eternity…neither alive nor dead. We sail only during the full moon.”

“How did you get the coin back?” This from Grace, who waved her iron shackles gracefully away, transforming into a regal beauty. Joanna suddenly recalled meeting the Royal Whitestone matriarch while visiting her mother during a Council Recess several years ago. As the memory surfaced, Grace turned toward her with amusement sparkling in her eyes. “My mother,” she said, “who much to my delight detests my involvement in any field work what-so-ever.”

Lucy and Joyce gave up their pretense as well. They moved to flank Grace, one at her left, one at her right. Any misconceptions Joanna might have had about the pair dissolved as she looked upon them now dressed in black tees, close-fitting pants, and combat boots. Each sported an arsenal of weapons strapped strategically to their bodies.

Joanna chuckled, realizing they were far more than just pretty faces after all.

“Girls,” Grace said turning to frown at her companions, “stand-down. These men are--”

“Bloody Pirates,” Joyce interrupted.

“No,” Joanna corrected, moving to position herself between the women and her new friends. “Gentlemen,” she corrected confidently. “They are gentlemen in the truest sense of the word.”

“I agree,” Grace proclaimed.

Blackbeard and Stede bowed their heads slightly in appreciation of Grace’s endorsement as well as in acknowledgement of her Royal blood.

Waving Lucy and Joyce away, Grace absently wiggled her fingers at the bars separating the Witches from the Stede and Blackbeard. As the bars melted away she said, “Come closer, gentlemen, we have plans to make.”

#

Becki had heard the guys leave much earlier, but she felt safe. She knew Landon had stationed guards nearby to protect them through tonight. She also knew Royce and Kurt would not let them stay if there was even a hint of danger.

“Let’s finish up your packing, girls, and then we will get down to business,” Becki proposed.

Two hours later, forty bright pink toes winked up from the floor of the kitchen as they waited for the popcorn.

Beep, beep, beep. Everyone scattered as if it were a gunshot signaling the start of a race.

“I’ll get the pillows and blankets,” Leann called running upstairs.

“I’ve got drinks,” Clarissa said filling cups with ice.

“Mandy, check under the couch,” Becki suggested as she grabbed the popcorn bowls.

Mandy yelled, “Check,” as she pulled out the four boxes of candy Becki had stashed earlier under the couch.

“Three minutes and counting ladies,” Becki called. They had been through this routine again and again always trying to beat their best time. “Leann, TV. Mandy, DVD. Clarissa, lights.”

Dropping to the floor with the last big bowl of popcorn, Becki checked the time. “Woohoo! We shaved fifteen seconds! Good job girls!”

“Yessss,” Leann cheered.

“Awesome,” Mandy added.

Clarissa laughed, giving Becki a high-five.

Snuggling in with the girls, she had to smother a laugh when Mandy commented, “He’s so hoooot!”

Clarissa wasn’t as polite. “Mandy, he’s too old for you.” Fluttering her eyes, she continued, “He’s more my age.”

They enjoyed a laugh, and then hit rewind to watch the part they had missed.

Becki released a contented sigh as she waited for her hot man to finish up for the evening. She looked forward to their hot lifetime together. Life was good. Actually, life was great.

* * * *