Aztecs' Curse

Chapter 15

     Even Jack couldn't believe it when he said it. Yet, there he was, standing amidst a crowd of murmuring pirates, all of whom looked surprised. Even those of his own crew looked impressed and kept glancing back and forth between him and Victoria as if to wonder if it was all a ruse. Gibbs, however, looked somewhat pitying; even he knew what friendship used to exist between Jack and Cyrus.
     Though Jack wanted to believe that Cyrus would never lift a finger to any innocent souls, he was no longer so sure. The death of a loved on could do even the most damaging of things to oneself.
     "There you have it," Cyrus said, looking satisfied as much as surprised, and Jack's hands clenched furiously as his lips brushed Victoria's ear again.
     She was staring at him, and though he wanted to look away he couldn't find himself to. What if her throat were to end up cut with even the slightest flicker of his eyes?
     "That wasn't so hard now, was it?" The man spun Victoria around in his arms, making even Jack flinch, and grinned down at her, gun still aimed, hand tangled in her hair. "I bet you've been wondering such things for a while now."
     Though Jack was sure that Victoria responded, he didn't hear an answer.
     Cyrus, however, laughed and said, "I've been told worse, darling."
     "Victoria!" Elizabeth's familiar voice cried out, and Jack glanced over to see her struggling in the arms of a pirate behind the crowd.
     He glanced over at the Dauntless, which was actually a ways away by then--and sinking, put aside--and he narrowed his eyes. Was absolutely everyone on the Pearl? His eyes scoured over everyone, putting names with faces. Then, he blanched.
     William was not among them.

* * *

     Did he mean it? No matter the desperation in Elizabeth's voice as she said her name from the back of the group of pirates, and no matter how tightly Cyrus tugged on her hair or dug his gun in her side, she could not keep her eyes off of Jack, who looked rather distracted after staring hard at the sinking Dauntless. Had he, truly, meant what he said?
     Her eyes flickered to the crowd when she saw movement, and she shifted the best she could against Cyrus when she noticed the Pearl's men were putting everyone together behind ropes, cringing as her squirming sister was placed with them. When her little sister's eyes landed on her own, she mouthed, "I'm fine" and breathed a sigh of relief when Elizabeth nodded in understanding--though the both of them knew that that could change at any moment.
     Victoria's eyes, however, narrowed as they strayed over faces. Where was William?
     "Any of you so much as thinks the word 'parley'," Pintel interrupted her thoughts, and she glanced to best she could to see him aiming his own gun at those from the Dauntless, "I'll have your guts for garters!"
     Lips parting, Victoria threw a glance over at the Dauntless. Don't tell me he's-
     Her thoughts, again, were interrupted, only this time is was by an explosion on the Dauntless, which made her jump, causing Cyrus to chuckle in her ear. She watched, helplessly, as the ship blew sky high, her eyes widening. Out of the corners of her eyes, she caught movement, and saw Elizabeth's wide eyes as she lurched to a stop. Off to the side, Jack watched the ship, jumping as it let off one last loud explosion.
     "You godless pirate!" Elizabeth shrieked, and Victoria glanced over to see her leaping at Barbossa and hitting him the best she could before he had her arms in his grasp.
     "Welcome back, miss," he said to her, eyes cruel. "You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now you return the favor." Before even Victoria could fully process his words, he threw her sister into a crowd of his men as she shrieked.
     "Don't touch her!" Victoria shouted as they all grabbed at her sister, her eyes growing wide with fear. Cyrus's hold on her tightened, making her cry out in pain as her scalp was yanked at.
     Barbossa's fingers snagged Victoria's chin, suddenly in front of her, as he said, "Don't worry, lass. Your own time is meant specifically for Cyrus--and Cyrus only."
     Just before Victoria could even try to respond, and just as Jack lunged for Barbossa only to be held back by a couple of the pirates, Will's voice could be heard shouting. "Barbossa!"
     Everyone stopped precisely what they were doing, Victoria's thoughts lost to her once again, and they all glanced over to where his voice had originated from, upon the railing of the ship, where he kept a hold of netted rope to keep balance. Victoria, suddenly relieved, grinned. Though, she kept in mind that there was really no advantage for any of them upon this. At least, however, he was alive, and not rotting beneath the waters with the remainder of the Dauntless.
William jumped down, lifting the pistol in his hand and taking aim. "She goes free." He nodded his head towards Victoria. "As does she."
     Barbossa, though he had obviously been just as surprised as the rest of them, didn't look impressed, and he strode away from Victoria and towards Will. "What's in yer head, boy?"
     He didn't even blink, pistol still aimed, voice lowered now, gaze dark. "They go free."
     The captain stopped right in front of his poised gun. "You've only got one shot, and we can't die."
     "Don't do anything stupid," Victoria heard Jack whisper as Will's eyes flickered over to him.
     Suddenly, he was back on the railing, the gun in his hand aimed at himself now. "You can't. I can."
     Victoria's eyes widened, and she struggled. Unfortunately for her, Cyrus hadn't gotten as distracted, his hold on her still firm, and she found herself stumbling back against his chest.
     "Like that," Jack murmured.
     Barbossa glanced from Jack to Will with narrowed eyes before saying, "Who are you?"
     "No one," Jack said before calling out louder, "He's no one." Before the pirates around him could regain their grips on him, he slipped through their fingers and raced up to Barbossa, waving his hands insistently. "A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew, twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though." He seemed to hesitate before adding, "Eunuch."
     Victoria's eyes narrowed before she raised her brows.
     "My name is Will Turner!" William called out, drawing everyone's attention again. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins."
     "He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill," the one-eyed pirate cried out, "come back to haunt us!"
     "On my word," Will continued, "do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones's locker!"
     "Name your terms, Mr. Turner," Barbossa responded, surprising Victoria. She even felt Cyrus shift nervously behind her.
     "Elizabeth goes free!" he called out. "And her sister, Victoria, as well."
     "Yes, we know that one," the captain said, annoyance etched in his voice. "Anything else?"
     Will suddenly looked uncomfortable and nervous before looking confident. "And the crew. The crew are not to be harmed."
     Barbossa stepped towards him, and Victoria found herself squirming again. Though, he stopped. "Agreed."
     Though Will looked relieved, Victoria felt far from it, and she heard Cyrus hiss out, "Barbossa."
     "We make way for the same island we left Sparrow on," the captain responded, and what other pirates overheard him suddenly made way to manning the ship. He stepped up to Victoria and Cyrus, though continuously eyed Will as if waiting for him to jump ship. "You have no reason to, but trust me, Cyrus."
     Though he fell quiet, Victoria was sure that Cyrus was nowhere near trusting the man. And, though she wanted to do differently, she went silent as well, simply suspicious with what the Pearl's captain had in store for them all.* * *     Cyrus was furious as much as disappointed. Though only the darkest corners of his mind taunted him to do the unthinkable to Victoria, he knew he would do no more than simply keep her prisoner amid his company. There were so many things about her that reminded him of....
     His thoughts were led astray as the very island that they had all left Sparrow to rot on finally came into view, and his eyes flickered over to Victoria, who stood against the railing only a few feet from himself. She eyed him wearily before she glanced over at the island, and he shifted before shoving himself away from where he stood and striding up to Barbossa, who stood silently among his noisy men.
     "You sure as hell better know what you're doing," he growled to the man, earning an amused smile he wished he could wipe off without risk of being treated as the others would be.
     "We'll come back for the girl," Barbossa responded without once looking his way, his eyes on Victoria at that moment before they shifted to the island again. "I never agreed to leave her be after setting her...free." His eyes flickered to Cyrus, finally, a smug light in his eyes.
     Cyrus, satisfied with his answer, found himself grinning before striding away. And, as the other pirates jeered, he saw William struggling among them. Clearly, this was not what Will had in mind.
     Elizabeth was already on the plank, Victoria in the hands of the other pirates by that time, which somewhat infuriated Cyrus. He didn't like anyone else touching her, apparently. It surprised even him.
     "Barbossa, you lying bastard!" William shouted, and Cyrus turned to see that the cloth around his mouth had slipped to his neck, the man struggling in the hands of a few others. "You swore they'd go free!"
     "Don't dare impugn me honor, boy!" Barbossa snapped back at him. "I agreed they'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where." As he and everyone else laughed, the cloth was placed back over Will's mouth, and he called out, "Victoria, me lady!" When she glanced his way, he said, "We will come back for you." As they all laughed again, Cyrus couldn't tell if it was pleasure or distaste he felt when he spotted the look of terror in her eyes.* * *     Victoria found herself unable to focus much, not only terrified of the idea of what could happen to her sister while they were out on the wretched island Jack had been stranded on, but what she possibly had to look forward to when the men of the Black Pearl--Cyrus, specifically--retrieved her again, whenever that would be. She didn't even question it when her sister peeled off the dark red dress she was wearing and tossed it at Barbossa. She finally came to as a pirate stomped on the plank her sister stood upon, causing Elizabeth to fall into the waters below, and she cried out despite such a safe landing.
     Before she could react more than that, she was yanked from the prying hands of the pirates who had a hold of her, and back in the arms of the man she never wanted to see again, rough fingers digging into her cheek as Cyrus's eyes appeared in front of hers.
     "I'll be seeing you again, sweetheart," he said with a wicked grin, though his eyes seemed to be hiding a look far different than that.
     Such thoughts of anything other than wickedness were put aside as invasive lips suddenly pressed against her own, the hold on her face tightening when she stiffened and tried to push herself away. Then, before she knew it, she was falling backwards through the air, Cyrus's form looming on the stable ship above, and cold salt water splashed around her as she landed.* * *     What had he hoped to gain? Apparently anger.
     Jack was already fuming when Cyrus placed a rough and unwanted kiss on Victoria, and only grew angrier when she was shoved off of the ship. He was sure she felt violated, and he knew what such a thing was like. Not only would she most likely be confused, but disgusted with herself as well. Though he only had to remind herself that she had only been kissed and nothing more, there was no telling what more there would be to come in the future. Had Cyrus, really, blocked out his heart? Was he, truly, no longer the man he was before? The respectable, adoring man who wanted nothing more than for women--or even people--in general to be appreciated and happy? Apparently losing the love of his life had only made him grow cold instead of knowledgeable or even hopeful of the future. He seemed to be far from the man that Jack remembered.
     Even then, Sparrow refused to give up hope on his former friend.
     "Damn you," Jack said as Barbossa approached him, Cyrus just beyond him. His gaze shifted. "Damn you both."
     "Oh come now, Jack," Cyrus said with a chuckle. "It was only a kiss. Are you, truly, going to be offended by something so simple?" There he was with his sadistic grin, the grin Jack didn't recognize on him whatsoever.
     "It's your turn to walk to plank, lad," Barbossa said before more could be spoken between them, and when Jack's eyes narrowed, he said, "Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape."
     Jack's eyes narrowed furthermore. They were sending him off with the girls? More specifically, they were sending him off with Victoria?
     Cyrus winked. "Maybe you and that little beauty can have a little talk about our shared kiss, aye?"
     "It's not a shared kiss," Jack growled, lips twisted, "if it is unwanted."
     "So easily offended," Cyrus said with a laugh. "How unlike you. But then, I suppose it's unlike you to contain...feelings for another, isn't it?" Before he could respond, he stepped forward, voice hushed. "Or, are you getting the term mixed around with the desire to be between those nimble legs of hers?"
     Furious, Jack lunged for him, only to be held back by several of Barbossa's men, leaving Cyrus to give him something that was between a smirk and a smile before he disappeared in the crowd. "You will not have her! Do not speak so lowly!"
     "Relax, Jack," Barbossa said, hand snapping down on his shoulder suddenly as he laughed. "You should know very well by now that Cyrus only lashes out with words now, and nothing more."
     "Yes, but he's not the man he was when I manned the ship myself," Jack barked back at him. "What the bloody hell did you do to him?"
     "I did nothing. I merely...encouraged the more ruthless side of him. We've all got it within us, Jack. Even your little lass. Speaking of which, you do wish to be with her, do you not?" His brows raised.
      Jack's own narrowed, though he quit struggling.
     "There's a good man," Barbossa said, though Jack was shoved towards the plank as he and the rest of his men drew their swords. "Now, off you go."
     Wary, Jack said, "Last time you left me a pistol with one shot." Perhaps, somehow, there would be a way off the island. Though, he very much doubted it. By now, there was no way. But, even so, he wanted a weapon--should they show up anytime soon for Victoria again. Perhaps he could do a lot more with the weapon than just kill Cyrus out of petty anger.
     "By the powers, you're right," Barbossa said, surprising him. "Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward."
     "Seeing as there's three of us," Jack said, mind reeling now, "a gentleman would give us two pistols more."
     Much to his dismay, Barbossa responded with, "It'll be one pistol as before, and you can be the gentleman and shoot lady Elizabeth and starve the death yourself. Surely, you wouldn't have the heart to kill the other girl." Not leaving any room to follow his words, he tossed Jack's belt into the water.
     Jack, not knowing what else to do, and now losing hope in his ideas, jumped into the water after his weapon.