Destiny Rewritten

Chapter 165

Compared to their journey to St. Lucia, the trip to Grace Island was smooth and steady, though Laurel was keeping an eye on Blackbeard, since she could tell he was eyeing her to try and steal the eye from her, even though they'd made a deal, not that she expected him to truly honor it. It's why she'd refused to let him touch the jewel until he'd given her what he promised.

"And here we are. Grace Island." Blackbeard said as they docked on the shore.

"If you're waiting for the jewel, I told you I'd give it to you once I have that emerald necklace." Laurel said.

"I still don't understand why you'd want that trinket anyways." Blackbeard said.

"What do you mean?" Mari asked.

"That necklace is cursed." Blackbeard said.

"What do you mean it's cursed?" Mari asked, though she had an idea.

"I saw it's dastardly work with me own eyes." Blackbeard said.

"What are you talking about?" Laurel asked.

"I gifted it to me love and queen, the most devious, and dastardly woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, apart from you two, I mean. But as soon as Anne put it on, something dark and unholy overtook her." Blackbeard said.

"Totems draw on the life force of their bearer. So, if Anne was as wicked as you suggest, the totem would've only amplified her worst impulses." Mari said.

"It turned her into a monster." Blackbeard insisted.

"How did you live to tell the tale?" Nate asked.

" Well, I I did the only decent thing any man would do. I put a musket ball in her head and buried her along with the treasure, but that cursed necklace, it won't let her rest in peace." Blackbeard said.

"You killed the woman you claimed to love." Ray asked.

"Trust me, that was the best thing Blackbeard could've done. The woman he loved died the moment he placed that necklace on her. Once we get that necklace off her, she'll be able to rest peacefully." Mari said.

When they arrived at the place Blackbeard buried the treasure and the moment they arrived, they heard vines hiss and suddenly, the dirt shifted as a zombie looking woman covered in vines shot out of the ground.

"Oh, hello, Annie!" Blackbeard said as the zombie hissed at him.

" Good to see you're, uh You're looking so beautiful." Blackbeard said cautiously.

"Let me handle this." Mari said as she took cautious steps towards Anne.

"Are you mad?" Blackbeard demanded.

"Let her handle this." Laurel said.

"Are you sure?" Blackbeard asked.

"The whole reason I had her join my crew is because of her knowledge of the occult. She knows what she's doing. Now stand back." Laurel assured Blackbeard, who nodded.

"I know how it feels to wear one of those totems. It can be a burden even to someone who was born to wield it. No one knows that better than me. But please, let me help to free you from this burden." Mari said as both her's and Anne's totems glowed for a moment before Anne collapsed and the vines and surrounding her faded.

"What just happened?" Blackbeard asked as Mari took the necklace off Anne's body.

"We got our treasure." Mari said.

"Now I believe it is time for you to give me mine." Blackbeard said.

"A deal is a deal." Laurel agreed as she reached into her coat pocket and handed Blackbeard the eye of the sea.

"Now, I'm sorry to say this, but you'll have to find your own way back to the mainland." Blackbeard said, expecting to have them retaliate for that.

"Fine by me. Working with you has served its purpose and we have our own ride, you didn't think this was my entire crew did you?" Laurel asked and Blackbeard wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Fare thee well." Blackbeard said, but before he could leave, Laurel put her sword at his throat.

"And make sure you tell them that the Dread Pirate Queen spared your worthless life and got you a treasure no one else could." Laurel said and Blackbeard quickly nodded before running off.

"Coward. Very disillusioning." Nate said as he watched the supposedly feared pirate run away.

"Who cares. We've got the earth totem. That's 5 down. One to go." Laurel said as she looked at the totem in Mari's hand.

"Let's call our ride and get into some real clothes." Mari said and the others nodded.