Death's Reason

Chapter 30

Riding on the water was what finally did it. Sailing the sea broke the last wall.

What was written about her wasn't fully true. The stories told of her "death", her return, how she ruled the seas, but they never told of her love nor her curse.

Jacquotte. No last name. Feared pirate and beautiful maiden. She was sixteen when men and gods continued to harass her, tried to gain her body for their own. It was at that point that she faked her death and pretended to be a boy.

From the explosion she created, burn marks would forever encompass her back and her hair was singed off. She found herself alone on an island, marooned, given enough time to wrap her chest and even her hair and perfect what would be her only chance at survival.

Red hair. Too bright. She kept it shaved off or wrapped up.

It was wrapped up just like her chest when she saw the ship coming too close to her safe place. She hadn't been there for long, hadn't been "dead" long enough for everyone to know, but she hadn't expected it to be that long before someone showed up. To see an island was to see food. To see an untouched island was to see territory.

Jacquotte wore the clothes from one of her crewmates she had killed and kept everything wrapped, and approached the ship that day. Her savior was a man that called himself Erro, a man who offered her a place on his ship.

She saw him first on the beach, the scent of the sea as strong as ever, his eyes the same color as it. His hair blew in the wind and his smile was too kind, and she fell in love with a man she'd never be with.

But she promised herself to him anyway. Because she was Jacquotte, born and raised on the water, true to herself and herself only. And she knew the love and accepted it, but never let anyone else know.

For the first week with Erro, the gods left her alone. But only for the first week.

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"Nico, how long does it actually take until we get to the House of Hades?" Jason asked from his position at the head of the table. "We make it on time, right?"

Nico looked up from his fish- yes, fish- and let the question load for a second too long. It was easy getting used to Alasdair, or at least easier. But this...his body felt wrong. People's perceptions of him felt wrong.

(sometimes he didn't use he to define himself, even in this body, and he wasn't sure what to do about that)

"Yeah, we make it in time. But it's not easy."

"Possible is all I'm asking for." Jason looked to Leo. "How long until we hit Italy?"

Leo looked up from his enchiladas and the salsa he was covering them in. "According to Festus, in an hour."

Nico stood up. "Well, I'm going to go rest before my shift later tonight. Haz, you should, too."

Hazel took another bite of her gumbo before nodding. "I'll see you later, Neeks."

Neeks. He liked that a lot better than Nico.

(maybe because it didn't have that masculine o at the end)

"See you later, Hazel."

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A week and a day after Erro saved her, Jacquotte found herself staring at a god again. She wasn't sure which one it was, they always liked to disguise themselves, but his intentions were enough to get her backing away.