Pirate's Luck

Betrayal: A siren's song

"There has been some talk." The Quartermaster, Quinn Keep, said pulling the rope tight around the Captain and First Mate. Quinn was excellent at tying knots. Captain Jackeline and First Mate Jo would never be able to free themselves from the ship's mast on their own. 

"What kind of talk?" Jack asked. 

"They say you only took this mission because you have a crush," Quinn admitted. 

"A crush? On the countess?" Jack asked. 

"Well, she is your type," Jo said next to the captain. 

"I guess she was cute." Jack winked. "She had the softest most dainty hands." 

"And that is what the women fear. They say you didn't think this mission through and nobody has forgotten about what happened the last time a pretty girl caught your eye." 

Jack sighed. She would never live the incident down. 

Quinn continued, "They don't think the reward is worth the risk. They don't understand why we should care about some spoiled Duchess's lost booty." She finished as she began to wrap the second rope around the women. 

"Countess Dobrev," Jack began correcting Quinn's mistake in calling her a Duchess, though really Jack wasn't too sure what the difference was, "she could be any one of us. Her fiancé jilted her at the alter then stole her dowry? What kind of man does that?" 

"A scumbag." Jo supplied. 

"Exactly a scumbag, and who better than to teach him a lesson than a ship full of women." 

"Everything you say is true," Quinn said pulling the rope tightly into the second knot. "I wouldn't mind teaching that scumbag a lesson, but..." 

"You think it's too dangerous and not enough reward." Jack sighed. 

"Isn't that what I told you a few minutes ago?" Quinn smiled. 

"It is true, I have ulterior motives for taking this job." Jack finally admitted. "But it has nothing to do with Countess Dobrev's soft hands or the way she fills out a dress." 

"The collection that was stolen from the countess contains an artifact that I intend to make mine," Jack said. 

"You mean ours." Jo and Quinn said in unison. 

Jack smiled, "What I intend to make available for all of us." 

"What is it?" Quinn asked. 

"Jewels, silks, rubies?" Jo guessed. 

"It's the book of Truth," Jack said. 

"So now we're back to that rubbish," Quinn said pulling the rope tightly. Several months ago, they picked up a lass, who was studying archeology. They helped the girl find a mythical artifact, one that the girl was supposed to share with them. Except the archeologist used Jackeline's feelings against her and escaped with the treasure. 

Jack promised revenge. She discovered that the archeologist's artifact was one of three and Jack vowed that she would have them all. In between their odd jobs and looting, Jack used her time to search for the book of truth and the amulet of wisdom. The third artifact, the cup of knowledge, was with the archeologist and Jack was saving that one for last. 

"This isn't just revenge, with that book, nobody would ever be able to lie to us again." Jack defended. 

"And how well did that work out for the Countess?" Quinn asked. 

Jack bit her bottom lip. Quinn did have a point. 

"Maybe just reconsider going through Siren's Bay," Quinn suggested. 

"Most of the women are unaffected by the sirens." Jack reminded her. 

Jack and Jo were the two most vulnerable to the Siren's song. There were a handful of women on the ship that had varying degrees of attraction to the sirens, but Quinn locked them into a room in the hull. They would have a slight curiosity about the song but nothing that would make them try to break out of the room. 

Jack and Jo, on the other hand, could not spend the boat ride inside the hull with the other girls, for they would fight too hard to get out of the room and they would lead the other girls to jump from the boat to their deaths. Instead, they had Quinn tie them to the mast. No matter how much they fought they would be unable to break the restraints and before long they would be away from the siren's song. 

"We won't be able to intercept the other ship if we go around Siren's Bay." Jack reminded Quinn. "Remember they had a lengthy head start." 

"I suppose you're right," Quinn said stepping away from her work. "If you are adamant about this, I think we're ready to sail into Siren's Bay." 

"Well then, full steam ahead," Jack said. 

"Aye captain." Quinn proclaimed before giving orders to steer the ship into the bay. Until Quinn untied them, the crew was not to listen to Jack's orders. For once they reached the singing waters she would go mad. 

It didn't take long for Jack to hear the captivating song, the melody was familiar, yet like nothing she ever heard before. Every thought left Jack's mind except for one: She had to get to the music. Jack and Jo clawed at the ropes trying to escape as the melody grew stronger and stronger. Surely, they would go mad if they didn't find the one singing the song. It was true love. Jack pleaded with the crew to untie her, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. They were cruel to keep her from her true love. Just as Jack thought she would rather die than be away from the song, it began to ebb. The further the boat traveled the fainter the song became, and reason began to return. 

Jack sighed in relief, the song was just a faint melody and once again they made it safely out of the bay of Sirens. Or so they thought. The most beautiful creature that Jack had ever seen jumped out of the water and used her golden wings to land on the ship. 

"You won't escape my wrath again." The siren said looking into Jack's face.