The Devil's Temptress: At World's End || Book 3

I. Barbossa

Jack, her monkey, jumped down from the rafters to his shoulder and squealed as the man raised a fresh apple to his mouth and took a large bite, the juice dripping down his chin. And then he laughed and it was exactly like she remembered it.

"No." Nicolette whispered as she took several minuscule steps back, only stopping when she felt her back softly collide with the edge of Will's shoulder. Her eyes darted back and forth between Tia and the man, only one of which took to staring back at her in return. "Hec- no..." Nic turned to Tia, jaw set in anger as she gestured towards Hector. "He is dead."

"Was..." Barbossa corrected her and Nicolette's fiery glare turned onto him. Funny, how once one had died they could miss even the worst in people. Her temper for one, once more irritating than a Navy officer and uglier than the oldest sea wench, had still been missed and he grinned smugly as she so quickly reminded him of what he had been missing.

"Oh P- Balderdash!" She cursed, his smirk pushing her over the edge. "How! And since when?" Gibbs, who had come to stand behind her, was watching the man with just as much curiosity as his hand came down to reassuringly rest on her shoulder.

"Calm, my child. ''Tis a shock to you."

"Shock?" Nicolette barked, outraged. "No, no. Shock is..shock!...This is completely different!"

"Still got that fiery temper I see." Barbossa grinned and Nic's whole being stiffened, becoming as rigid as a board.

"You!" She exclaimed as she tilted her head and her tongue played with the roof of her mouth. "You, shhh..." And then she began to back away with her hand going to her head, rubbing her temple. "This is a dream...it must be a dream."

She turned fast and walked towards the balcony she had been seeking refuge on just moments ago, returning to her spot on the rail. Hector made a move to go after her but was stopped by Tia's hand as it fell down in front of his chest.

"Leave her, she had been through too much tonight. Give her time."

----

How could any of this be? Nicolette must have been sat outside for a good hour, maybe more, and she still could not wrap her head around it all. First Jack and now...

It was too much, too much for one person to live through in one day. So when the footsteps came from behind her she sighed, knowing she wasn't ready. She would never be ready.

"Never believed in ghosts as a child." Nicolette whispered into the darkness, her focus never leaving the depths of the swamp. Anything farther away than a hundred yards or so was lost and naked to the human eye. There could have been monsters, ghouls and threatening swamp creatures beyond the edging of trees, though in that moment nothing seemed as scary as what was inside of that hut. "Always believed they were old wives tales invented to keep me out of trouble." She almost laughed, nothing boisterous just a simple cough of emotion, but it dimmed just as quick as it rose and Nicolette's mouth turned down into a sullen frown. "Until I met you..." Her head turned slightly, just enough for her to confirm it was Hector and then it turned back away as he took a step forward. "Not even Jack showed them to me and he had lived every story imaginable. You...that's all you are. A ghost."

"I'm not a ghost Nicolette." As Hector's hand touched her shoulder and she felt his fingers land on her skin one by one in a drumming motion like that he had done so many times, Nic gasped and clenched her eyes shut as she bit down on her tongue. "And this isn't a dream."

"But it must be! Can't you see!" She exclaimed and whipped around, throwing the hand off of her shoulder and finally looking at him. He looked the same, a spitting image of the figure she had last seen lying cold amongst the caves of The Isle De Muerta. That same pompous hat and classically masculine attire, he was still a rugged pirate but with much more class than those by the likes of Jack. The burgundy and black patterned waistcoat which matched her own corset and the large statement belt buckles, not one detail, not even a button, was missing. "You cannot be back." She finally followed on as her eyes fell to the floor, her voice shaking. "You just can't be."