Lady of the Sea

Ch 24

Teague's words lingered in the air, carrying a weight that settled in Marina's chest. She felt a flicker of pride, standing a little taller as she returned his gaze, nodding in appreciation. Just as the moment stretched between them, a familiar presence broke through the quiet. Marina glanced over her shoulder and saw Jack approaching, his usual swagger in his step but a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Speaking of which," Teague says with a knowing look, "I'll leave you two to catch up."

With that, he walks away, giving Jack the opportunity to approach her.

"Ah, so, having a private chat with my old man, were you? What grand tales did he spin about me?" Jack says curiously.

Marina smiles, shaking her head slightly. "Oh, just talking about all the trouble you get yourself into."

Jack's eyes twinkle with mischief. "Trouble is my middle name. Or it would be if I had one."

Marina raises an eyebrow, her tone dry but affectionate. "It seems to fit you perfectly. I suppose you have a knack for making things... interesting."

Jack feigns a look of hurt. "Interesting? I was hoping for 'dashing' or 'irresistible.'"

Marina rolls her eyes, but her smile betrays her amusement. "Well, you've certainly made your mark," she says, pointing to the scar on her head.

Jack's grin fades as he takes in the sight of her scar. The reminder of her injury is a constant echo of his failure to save her and the sacrifice she made for him—twice. His face softens, a flicker of regret crossing his features.

Jack reaches to his belt and pulls out Marina's dagger, holding it out to her. "You saved me twice," he says, his voice carrying a tone of earnestness. "This is a debt I'll never be able to repay."

He extends the dagger towards her, his gaze meeting hers with a mixture of sincerity and determination.

Marina takes the dagger from Jack's hand, her fingers brushing against his. A flicker of relief passes over her face as she realizes she thought she had lost it forever. "Thank you," she says softly, her voice tinged with gratitude. "It means a lot."

Marina's gaze lingers on him for a moment before she turns her attention back to the task at hand. Determined to extract every possible detail, she immersed herself in the letters again, pouring over each word through the long, dark hours of the night. She felt as if they were missing something important. By the first light of dawn, she felt a surge of excitement. It seemed she had uncovered a crucial piece of information that could change everything.

With urgency in her step, Marina made her way to the port where preparations for the ships were underway. Spotting Teague, Barbossa, and Jack together, she approached them with the letters clutched tightly in her hand, her face alight with the thrill of discovery.

"I figured something out!" she said, her voice full of excitement.

The trio looked up from their discussion, curiosity piqued.

Marina took a deep breath, trying to explain. "It's about the elixir. The Shadow Gold is made from a mix of gold and orichalcum. One potion can extend life but not grant immortality. He'd need to keep drinking it to live longer, and if we steal what he has left, he's done for."

Teague frowned. "Okay, but what does that mean for us?"

Marina sighed, exasperated. "Orichalcum is a legendary metal, mentioned by Plato. Atlantis was said to be covered in it."

Barbossa looked confused. "So, we're hunting Atlantis now? The sunken island? How did Morgan managed to get orichalcum from there?"

"No," Marina said, frustrated. "Centuries ago, a Spanish conquistador, Alonso de Montoya, found Atlantis' ruins and plundered the orichalcum. But on his return, his ship wrecked off the coast of Madagascar. That's where my father must've found the orichalcum for his elixir."