He slept and dreamed. Jackie tossed and turned in dreams, restless sleep and old memories. Her daughter...she was safe and slept in the next room. She was a girl he was proud of. The dark hair…she Thank heavens Faith had taken the girl in. It even looked like a curse that had befallen them. Brothers and Widowers... It was as if someone were playing with Time... Hecate's Key...
Katie was dead. Rick had married Cassie. Adam had also for a time mourned the loss of his young girlfriend and found solace in Carol's love. No child of that generation had grown up under the care of their birth mother. All dead... The vile betrayal of an insane. Philip couldn't change the past and blamed everyone for his own mistakes. Cassie... she was terrified of the man's presence...
"Free".
The Order of Light sought out the prisoners who had escaped, imposing terror and cruelty.
Richard had given up waiting for reinforcements from Black Gaia. The woman's scream of fear rippled through the meadow, making her muscles go rigid. Faith was there somewhere. And Cassie. Divide and conquer... Of course, I knew Rick would go after his wife... But he... Damn it. He needed to rescue Faith before looking for her sister.
James and Ian hadn't said anything, just pulled out their pistols, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Faith was chained and trapped in one of those huts and the camp was suddenly in complete chaos. The men who attacked didn't even look human and he was trying hard to ignore that. The Order...
They were invoking the spirit of the old captain of the Duke's Revenge. That, that alone would be bad enough- How do you fight something that couldn't be killed? – but ICHICHOS, ah, that was worse, much worse. He feared the worst; during the last hours when he was forced to wait, dark scenes haunted him. He hated having to wait. The woman was not dead. The tribute would be delivered during the witch's ritual. Jackie would just know if she was dead. The sensation was that a huge hole was piercing her chest. It was a race against time.
ICHICHOS were not creatures that could be controlled. Even the Order should know that. Adam and Michael struggled to evacuate the city.
Slithering through the darkness, Jackie strode forward with determination. He was going to put a stop to it. Drive Faith away and get her to safety. At that moment he raged helplessly, not being able to free the wolf within and assume the shapeshift, not so far from the centre of the magic he had created them. They weren't in Garrone. It was a curse to discover that I was part of it all. The transformation had been so sudden...
He opened the door in surprise at the absence of guards. The girl was tied up next to the fire. Anger ignited him. His handsome face showed bruises, abrasions, and scratches that marred his arms. A deep cut was bleeding into his hand. But that look...
-Don't come any closer! – she screamed
Her gaze was vacant and distant. Her terrified eyes saw much more than the interior of that cabin. To summon the spirit of that captain, Faith had glimpsed the Duke's Revenge. It certainly wasn't anyone's dream vision. Legends told that over the years, Jackwill Turner had turned the ship into hell itself to punish the damned.
He cursed putting the gun away. He had no fear at all considering that situation. It was a curse. Faith was drugged.
- Let's go dear. He spoke slowly and approached with his hands flat in the air.
She never seemed to recognize him. She was scared and in shock. What had they done to her?
-Leave me alone. -Faith screamed again.
The woman would end up attracting the attention of unwanted visitors. And that was going to become another problem. Giving up on diplomacy, Jackie had chosen to ignore her futile protests. The relief of finding her alive and safe flowed like water from a dam.
She eyed him suspiciously as they struggled to free her from her shackles. The sight of her wrists grazed in an attempt to free herself made him sigh. It was clear she was never going to be a tolerant prisoner, it just wasn't her nature.
-Faith...
-No! She struggled to get away from the male hands.
Jackie mumbled endless curses as he had to use force to contain her. Unable to get away, the young woman had just shrugged. He watched in amazement. Faith was crying and the ragged sobs tore at him. She never cried and that left him not knowing what to do.
-Faith, look at me. - He stopped so as not to scare her even more. Her arms were around her tightly. She is safe now.
The words were whispered with forced calm. He didn't have time for that. He needed to get her out of there fast. If the ICHICHOS...
The amethyst eyes widened in astonishment were too big on the agonized expression face. Jackie had decided to forget all the reasons that were supposed to keep him away from this woman. He was a wolf and she was a sorceress. This was never going to work. Only she was there, in his arms, alive and the embodiment of all his deepest desires. It was enough. The world was summed up at that moment. After months apart... she is a distant city...
-No...
- Honey, it's me. Look at me. Nobody will hurt you.
His hands cupped her face with infinite care against hers. He could feel her shivering in the low temperature. They intended to kill the woman like that before the damned ritual. Curse. Had they drugged his wife? damn it!
Jackie kissed her as if she doubted she was real. Her kiss was devouring, desperate. Hungry and overwhelming. That woman could make his blood warm in his veins. And to think the separation had nearly driven him crazy. He touched the scar on his forehead, not wanting to remember the past. The accident...
Faith still sobbed when she was able to breathe again between the brief kisses. He waited for what felt like an eternity. He removed the package from the inside of her coat and poured the powder onto her wrists, rubbing it carefully.
Tear powder. It hid any sorcerer. Would it work against ICHICHOS? He hoped he didn't have to find out.
Slowly she showed signs of recognition. The gleaming, astonished eyes stare at him with doubt and then growing relief.
-Jackie... - Her voice was low and suffering.
The smile that appeared on his face was genuine.
Yes, love. She is safe. I will get you out of here. I know it took me a while to arrive. I'm so sorry, you don't know how sorry I am...
And Jackie was sorry. Lost months. It could have become years. Their child had never seen the light of day...
She was panting. Her breath came in painful gasps. She vaguely felt the trembling hand that held hers, the skin throbbing and numb. The stone around her neck was a dull, lifeless crystal.
-Jackie... He... They're... - The effort to speak was sapping her strength. She froze. In the final instant when she believed it would be the end of her, she had cast her last spell. An ancient and forbidden charm. He only thought about protecting his sister. He'd saved the magic through the blood bond so Cassie could protect herself. - Are they using... Want... He wants... KASSUIM? Where is Cassie? My head... Damn headache...
Jackie shook her head. They desperately tried to regain the Duke's Vengeance domain to face the Armada. He was fed up with it all. They hadn't killed the woman, yet—he looked possessively at the torn clothes with a knot in his guts—she needed care. He had to take her away from there. He quickly glanced at his companions assessing what to do.
-Cassie.
Jackie sighed. Damn Philip. So many betrayals and traps… Keeping Faith there working as a true slave… The infamous had done no different with Cassie. He was a coward who didn't dare to fight his battles. He faced women and never men.
-Calm down. Cassie is with Rick. You probably saved that girl's life.- He lied absurdly.
This was not the time to talk about Phil's betrayals. Will was dead.
-But but...
- Did they hurt you? Did someone molest you? - he managed to ask in agony. The mere thought of the woman suffering this made him swallow hard.
Faith shuddered violently, shaking her head. That man would come back.
-N-no. - She was crying again. Her voice was very low. - W-Q-Q... - I want to go home.
Jackie nodded numbly and icy. Home? Heavens, she'd grown up most of her life aboard a ship. The last place a child should grow up. He held her against him, overcome by a sensation that wasn't just desired. At that moment she looked like any helpless and fragile young woman, in need of protection. Needing him. He also knew that he had inevitably lost the battle with his emotions. All he wanted was to have Faith in his arms and protect her.
-Love, I swear we're going home. Neither you nor I am going to worry about this damned Order anymore. I swear to you. Let's find a safe place. We are bringing the whole family together. Mike will bring Chris. Adam and Carol...Adam can be a stubborn pest. He's after Mike and Chris' son who grew up far away from us. His damn mania for capoeira games. It was the perfect place to find the kid's whereabouts.
"They had by divine intervention to be able to escape from that camp."
Jackie woke up sweaty and disoriented.
This was becoming torture. He didn't even remember the last peaceful night's sleep. He stretched slowly, scratching his stubble before leaving the bed.
It was then that he felt it. The mark etched into his forearm, once a faint smudge, stood out clearly against his pale skin.
His puzzled gaze stopped there.
It was the mark of the elders. Once indistinct and almost invisible, it was now completely clear. The last time that had happened...
He cursed a rosary. His mind conjured up images he refused to name.
They had no way of completing the ritual after all. Or did they?
He took a deep breath, hugging his wife. His hand glided through her now pale, long hair filled with curls the colour of wheat. All the betrayals of the Order…years had passed and yet Faith was the most beautiful sight in the world to him.
He worried. The arrival of her firstborn… She wanted more than anything for Morgan's house to be ready. The Corsair Bay in the capital protected them. Very soon he and Rick...
The men intended to unite and start the family business again. Ships... They were going to build an armada of ships to transport passengers safely only for the family's profits.
-He tried to kill Cassie by poisoning...
Jackie avoided swearing. The tear powder... He knew how bad it was. damn Philip Morgan.