The Blackheart Curse

Part VI

"Well, I didn't exactly tell him to watch you..." Winston says. I have the three of them- Fox, Winston, and Charlie- seated at the table.

"I keep telling you I volunteered." Charlie scoffs as he looks between Fox and Winston.

"Shut up, Royal." I snap.

Fox sighs. "Listen... Jack... it's bad enough that you're bottling. Now you're starting to drink. Win and I can't be here all the time to make sure you're being safe. We have our own chores to attend to."

"So you let a royal take that job." I fold my arms. "You let a royal, from the same line that killed my family in cold blood, babysit me?" Charlie makes a face as if it's news to him that his family killed mine.

Winston gives an exhausted sigh. "Jack..." he rubs his tired face, "please just give it a chance... please? We're all just trying to keep you safe."

Fox's eyes have a mask I can see straight through. A pleading look hides. An exhausted, begging look, asking me to go with it. I sink down in the wooden chair with a sigh of defeat. "Fine. One chance. That's it." I glance at Charlie, who seems to have something on his mind.

Winston extends his hand. "Shake on it." I reach across the table and clasp my hand with his, my glare never leaving his face. "Good girl." He nods. "Now, Fox and I have chores to attend to." He stands up and puts his hat back on his head.

"Pirate..." Charming looks at me after they leave.

"What now?" I ask as I open one of the bottles of fresh water from the cabinet.

He purses his lips. "What did you mean when you said the thing about my family killing yours?"

"What do you mean 'what do you mean'?" I crease my eyebrows. "Like you don't know." I scoff at his clearly fake ignorance.

He sighs. "I swear I'm not poking fun... I'm genuinely asking. I don't know anything about that, honest to God."

I sit down and chuckle. "The alcohol must still be running through me because I'm actually about to tell you." I rub my face, disbelief at myself runs through me. "When I was... maybe five or six... I was playing pirates outside with my older brother." I let out a dry laugh. "Oh man, I wanted to be a pirate so bad. Anyways, we heard a loud bang that shook the whole island. My brother knew what it was, I didn't. He grabbed me and ran me inside our little hut to my mother." My eyes get dark as I recall the next events. "My father and brother did their best to keep them at bay-the royals-but they were too strong. I don't know if I was just scared or it's because I was so little, but I don't remember much after that. Just my mother's face. The gun that was held to her." It takes everything that's left in me to keep the tears in, but it feels so good to tell someone. "I don't even remember the shot, really. Just seeing her body falling to the ground. My brother jumped in to help save her, but nothing could be done. One of the royals shot him three times. Leg, chest, then head. He was dead by the second shot, you could just tell. The third time was just for fun."

"Oh, Jocelynn." Charlie shakes his head empathetically. His gentle facial expressions send a feeling of uneasiness through me.

"Only time I'd ever seen my father cry, I'd reckon." I take a drink of my water.

"I know we're not completely friends, but I hope you can accept my sympathy..." he sighs. "I can understand now why you hate me so much."

"I swore that day that I'd end your family's lineage." I look at him through my eyebrows and unruly mess of hair.

"Oh..." Charlie's voice goes quiet. "Have you... have you changed your mind?" He swallows hard.

I shrug. "Don't know yet." I take another drink.