The night was everything an evening on ship should be. Clear skies, calm seas, land distant flecks on the horizon close enough that they could faintly hear the cries of seabirds. The sunset had been long and gorgeous, full of oranges and pinks that gave way to darker reds and purples before disappearing into dusk. The western horizon was a glowing purple haze that slowly faded revealing more and more stars above.

The Nivalese had a strong musical tradition full of drums and guitars, and many of the new crew were amusing themselves with ribald songs and energetic tunes. A few of the older crew joined the impromptu band with Imperial instruments like harmonicas and violins. The ship felt alive with the music and dancing. She knew how to quickly integrate large numbers of new crew. Mostly it was about alcohol, and friendly contests. With the threat of pirates about, she’d denied the night’s ration of rum, but there was surprisingly little grumbling from the crew. After All Souls Night, most of them were going to need a few days before they wanted to even think about alcohol again. Instead, they were promised games. As soon as the anchor was down and the evening meal was served, she’d announced the terms of the contest. It would be riggers versus swabs, in a Shuffleboard match on the deck. They pulled up the ladder ropes, chalked out a board, and Mister North brought the ship’s playset up from below. Every sailor would get one toss of the disk, and they’d talley up the points at the end. Lace and Reeve were the respective team captains, and Mister North wasn’t playing but was still in the thick of the action taking bets. Even Colin Strong was up on deck, sitting off to the side with a thick knot of cloth around his neck to remind him not to move his head much. He had a slate and chalk in his hands, ready to mark off points as Mister North called them out. 

With the gentle rolling of the ocean spoiling many shots and moving pieces around long after they’d settled, the game was hilariously skill-less. Captain Vex sat on the steps to the aftcastle with her first mate, swirling water in her canteen and vaguely wishing it was rum. She was abstaining also. She wasn’t the sort to put a limit on her crew and not follow it herself. She watched her crew roaring with laughter after someone’s terrible shot suddenly entered the target circle with the help of an errant wave. 

At the prow, Will, Bella, Jack, Friday, and a rather large mirror sat watching the game from the other side. Will lifted his hat, giving the captain a small salute from other side of the ship. She raised her canteen to him.

“How come she doesn’t join us?” Bella asked.

“On any other night, she might. Tonight, she’s still establishing the ship’s pecking order. Part of that is building up her own mystique as Captain,” Will explained. 

“So she just sits there by herself, watching?” Bella clearly didn’t understand. 

“Ship’s Captains all have a story to maintain. When the tides turn and luck seems down, a good legend can give a crew something to believe. That matters,” Will said. He wasn’t sure if he was explaining it well, but Bella seemed to accept it. 

“So she’s creating an illusion,” Bella nodded. “That I understand.”

“Is it an illusion if it’s true?” Janie asked from the mirror. “From what I can tell, Captain Vex really is everything that she pretends to be.”

“You might be buying the illusion,” Jack smirked. “She’s good, but I don’t really see the point of all the pageantry.”

“She is definitely putting on a show. She has been all day. Janie has a point though,” Will said. “Captain Vex is what many captains pretend to be, but she knows that even though she has enough skill that she doesn’t have to pretend, the illusion is still important.”

“Why?” Jack asked skeptically. “Skill should stand on its own merit.”

“Because of the crew,” Will gestured to the rowdy crowd.

Janie nodded, understanding. “It doesn’t matter what Captain Vex’s skills are if the crew doesn’t know about them or doesn’t believe them.”

“Or just doesn’t respect her,” Will added. “There’s nothing more dependent on teamwork and strong leadership than a sailing ship. All her skill is useless without a crew that trusts her when things get bad. The older crew who have been with her a while have learned that she backs up the mystique. Their trust shows in their work and their morale. For the new crew, the illusion is a shortcut to that trust.” 

“Smart,” Bella smiled. 

“In the end, we are who we pretend to be,” Friday added. Will nodded in agreement. He didn’t notice Jack and Janie, who both looked uncomfortable as they thought about Friday’s statement.

“That’s profound,” Bella smiled.

“And a bit ominous,” Jack said. “Is it a quote?”

“My people have strong beliefs in the power of masks,” Friday said. “From what you say, the Captain’s mask is her own face. I would wager it was not always so, but she worked to become the mask she wore.”

“I would not bet against that wager,” Janie said. She was wearing her veil and heavy black eyeliner, but she’d forgone the lipstick and the rest of the makeup. A shawl was wrapped around her shoulders to protect her modesty, but many of the sailors’ eyes were still drawn to the enigmatic beauty who’s image moved inside the large mirror next to their Ship’s Witch. So far, no one had asked about it, but the curiosity was clear.

“That is why we must all be careful deciding which masks we wear,” Friday continued. “If we wear them long enough, we will become them.” 

Will’s eyes were drawn to the fearsome silhouette of Reeve. The big Akula roared with encouragement and laughter, revealing a manic, sharp-toothed grin as he raised his arms in success and clapped one of his swabs on the back after a particularly lucky shot. Will decided not to think about it too hard.

A sailor with a fiddle came closer to the group and played a little more jauntily, beckoning the ladies to come join the dancing. There were other women on the crew, but like most vessels the men vastly outnumbered the women. 

“Brave soul, asking a witch to dance,” Jack chuckled. 

“Shush,” Bella said, with a small glare. “I don’t get asked to dance very often. It’s sweet,” she got up and let the fiddle player lead her away. She looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Jack before skipping happily into the crowd. Jack smiled as she watched the witch’s hips swish away.

“She wants you to join her,” Will said. 

“I’m sober,” Jack snorted. 

“All those years of dancing lessons, gone to waste,” Will sighed with overblown lamentation. 

“I never wanted to learn dancing anyway. I wanted to learn fencing,” Jack said. 

“Like all well behaved young noble women,” Will grinned. 

Jack waved dismissively in the direction of the dancing crew. “It’s not remotely the same kind of dancing anyway. Look at them,” Bella was spinning, skipping from one foot to the other rhythmically as she turned and stepped. She held, her multicolored skirts in one hand and swished and spun. Her breasts bounced and swayed beneath her blouse drawing many an eye. She was clearly enjoying the attention. With a wink and a smile she stole a tamborine from a musician and joined the music while she danced. 

Jack watched Bella with a pained look on her face. She took a drink. “I wouldn’t even know where to start. This is hardly waltz music.”

“Teach you, I,” Friday said slyly. 

Jack shook her head, clearly uncomfortable with the thought. Janie laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Miss Hunter, I never would have expected you to be afraid of dancing.”

Will’s brows rose and his mouth formed into a silent O, enjoying Janie’s polite but impressive barb. Friday looked like she was carefully avoiding having an expression, and Janie smiled slyly. Jack was too busy looking offended toward Janie to notice Will’s amused look. “I just don’t like dancing!” she huffed.

“It’s not about the dancing, Jack,” Will chuckled.

Jack turned around and gave him a confrontational look. “Oh really? Do tell.”

Will gestured toward Bella. “It’s about her.”

Jack stared at him for a while, then her eyes narrowed. “Well played, Sterling.” She stood up and pulled Friday off the bench. The doctor laughed and followed Jack into the throng of dancers. 

Janie gave Will a wink. “Nicely done.”

Will tipped his hat to her. “Likewise.”

“How are things going with her?” Janie asked. 

“Up and down. It’s been really good for the most part, but there’s this undercurrent to everything,” WIll said. 

“I’ve noticed she seems tense tonight. She’s trying to pretend she isn’t, but she’s uncomfortable being around all of us. Especially you and Bella I think,” Janie said, sounding a bit sad and worried. 

“I agree. Most of what she’s said tonight has come out a little…” Will trailed of, struggling to find the right word.

“Testy?” Janie suggested.

“That works,” Will agreed. “I think we are both trying not to address the real issues, and just enjoy each other’s company again,” Will said. 

“There’s a lot in that undercurrent. Don’t let it go for too long,” Janie cautioned. 

“Have any advice?” he asked. 

“Go dance with her,” Janie smiled. 

Will blanched a bit. “Jack and I feel the same way about dancing.”

“And yet, she’s out there doing it and you’re here with me.” Janie’s arched eyebrow was full of challenge. 

“What is it with all the dirty fighting lately?” Will asked rhetorically. “Fine. if I have to dance, so do you.”

“I’m in a mirror, Will,” Janie said. There was an edge of panic to the way she said it. Anyone else might have missed it, but Will knew Janie better than nearly anyone. 

“When was the last time you went dancing?” Will asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. 

Janie said nothing, then sighed, knowing she was defeated. “Never.”

“Never. Not once, ever?” Will prodded with a smile on his face. 

“No. I’ve never been dancing. I’ve never been asked to dance. I’ve never danced,” Janie admitted. 

“Well, I think it’s time.” He stood up, and held out his hand toward the mirror. “Miss Castilian, will you dance with me?”

She reached toward the mirror and tapped it. Will could faintly hear her fingernail on the glass. “Taking your hand is going to be difficult.”

“Will you dance with me?” Will repeated. 

“You’re really going to pick up the mirror and dance around with it, aren’t you?” she asked rhetorically. She already knew the answer.

“Will you dance with me?” Will asked again.

Janie’s face broke into a smile. “Yes.”

_________________

Is Will dancing with your mirror?” Danica asked from the aftcastle stairs. 

“Tha’ madman.” Captain Vex laughed into her cup. “It innae mine anymore. I gave it tae Bella. She says who owns it is important for witch stuff.”

“Weird,” was all the commentary Danica had. The Captain nodded.

They watched as the shuffleboard match on the midship continued. The riggers seemed to be in the best position, but with Shuffleboard things could turn in an instant. Behind the game toward the prow the musicians and dancers moved in a haphazard mob. In the center was Will, who was holding the Captain’s mirror and bobbing to the music.

“Any discipline problems yet?” the Captain asked.

“None. Mister Reeve has a good handle on them already,” Danica said. 

“Your husband’s going tae run out of people for punishment duties with Reeve as Bosun,” Captain Vex smirked into her cup. 

Will had turned the mirror around and was holding it and moving it in awkward rhythm as Bella danced with Janie.

“This is going in the log,” Danica said.

“I forgot ye were keeping that,” Belita laughed, almost choking on a swallow off her canteen. 

“Someone has to keep track of all the weird shit that happens on your ship,” Danica shrugged. “Dancing with an enchanted mirror is definitely worth an entry.”

“What was the last entry?” Belita asked. 

“Mister Quinn,” Danica shrugged. 

“Well that’s boring. He’s just an Asura,” Belita scoffed. 

“Just an Asura,” Danica said with a disbelieving shake of her head. “Famous, enigmatic, inhuman warriors famed for their bizarre mannerisms and dedication to powerful people. No one knows where the hell they come from, or what they really want, but every once in a while they do things like single-handedly kill small armies. And we have one on our ship, right now, acting as a butler to a glorified field guide.” 

“I suppose he doesn’t seem that strange t’ me anymore. Aye, at first I was impressed, but now he’s just a slightly greener member of th’ crew,” Belita shrugged. “He’s pretty helpful, even though he dinnae need tae be.”

“Where’s he sleep?” Danica asked.

“In Miss Hunter’s room,” Belita shrugged.

“You sure? Where’s his stuff?” Danica pushed.

“In Hunter’s room?” Belita repeated, looking confused.

“Nope. I was the one who helped him get stowed. He doesn’t have anything. I saw Miss Hunter open her footlocker and get settled in. Quinn doesn’t have anything. He wears the same clothes every day, and as near as I can tell he doesn’t have a single possession besides what he wears.” Danica said. Belita was about to say something but Danica kept going. “I’ve gone to her cabin to find her a few times. When she’s in the room, Quinn usually answers the door. When she’s not in the room, no one answers. I find her elsewhere later. Sometimes Quinn isn’t with her.”

“So?” Belita asked, wondering where this was going.

“If he’s not with her, and he’s not in their room, where is he?” Danica asked. 

“The privy? Who knows? Maybe he just doesn’t answer the door if she innae in the room,” the Captain shrugged. 

“I checked with Doctor Kalfou earlier today, just to make sure there weren’t any problems. I specifically asked if she was still alright sharing a berth with Quinn. She said she hadn’t seen him.”

Belita’s brows furrowed. “How could she miss him? He innae easy to overlook. I saw him earlier today. He came to get a meal for Miss Hunter.”

“I’ve seen him too. You’re missing what I’m saying. According to the Doctor, Quinn hasn’t been in their room since she arrived. She said the only time she has seen him in her cabin is when she first came aboard. Quinn and Miss Hunter showed up while the Doctor was unpacking. Since then, he hasn’t been there once.”

“So where’s he been?” Captain Vex asked.

“Exactly,” Danica said pointedly, tapping her nose for emphasis. 

“Huh,” Captain Vex said, her mind wandering for a bit. “Aye, that’s strange.” 

“Sure is. I think your threshold for noticing when things are strange has gotten pretty skewed,” Danica smirked. 

The Captain shrugged. She couldn’t deny the accusation. “S’pose that’s what I have ye for.” 

“Oh, yeah that’s the reason,” Danica scoffed. 

“It’s just another part o’ your eye for detail. I think ye missed your calling as one of those private investigators from the stories,” Captain Vex smiled.

“Obviously I need a funny hat and a pipe,” Danica laughed. “I’ll pull them out whenever I’m trying to figure out the next crackpot thing to happen on your ship.”

“Remember that time when Sandman put all th’ swabs tae sleep when we went around the Horn?” Captain Vex mused. 

“Yeah, I remember. I hate being up in the rigging, but you made me climb up there because all the men had to be on deck, shuffling around, sleepwalking through their duties so they didn’t jump overboard,” Danica rolled her eyes. “That log entry has an awful lot of curse words in it.”

“I was right there in the ropes next to ye,” Belita shrugged. 

“Stupid sirens,” Danica grumbled. “Stupid witch doctors and their stupid sleep curses.”

“Sure was fun afterward though,” Belita grinned. 

Danica gave her a conspiratorial grin. “That part is in a different log.”

______________________

Caine stuck his head into Bella’s former alcove looking confused. He was about to ask why there was Nivalese music coming from the mirror for the second night in a row, but he stopped.

Janie was dancing, smiling, clapping and laughing in front of the mirror. From where he stood he didn’t have a great angle on the mirror, but he could see it well enough to recognize Bella’s swirling, multicolored skirts. The witch was tilting and bobbing strangely in the frame. It occurred to him that someone must be moving the mirror around on the other side. 

He chuckled to himself. It was nice to see her happy. After their last interaction, he wasn’t sure how things would go with her. She wasn’t in an easy situation, and it was likely to get harder. On top of everything else, there were rumors beginning to spread that he hadn’t told her about yet. She had enough on her mind. He also wasn’t sure what to do about them, or where they’d end up going, so he was trying to wait things out. Rumors were fickle things and might just fade out if they weren’t given any support. The ongoing strange sounds coming from the “Witch’s Alcove” didn’t help though. 

He watched Janie dance for a few more moments. She mostly just swayed in time to the music and clapped along happily. He ducked back out of the curtains and back into the Lounge, nearly running into Chance. The skinny man looked pensive and stressed, which was normal for him, but Caine didn’t like it aimed his way. “I sent the musicians on a break. They can’t play over that racket,” Chance said. 

“Think of it as free entertainment. The crowd seems to like it,” Caine shrugged. 

“This is the second night in a row, Caine. Is this likely to keep happening?” Chance asked. 

“I don’t think so,” Caine said. “I’ll see what I can do about it later. For now, let it be. It isn’t hurting anyone to have the music coming from Bella’s room instead of the stage.”

“Except the musicians who I still have to pay even though they’re just sitting at the bar now,” Chance said, exasperated.

“Move a few tables in the game room. Have them set up in there,” Caine shrugged. 

Chance’s brows rose. “Good idea.”

“You could have come up with that yourself. What’s really on your mind?” Caine asked.

Chance hemmed and hawed for a moment. He was used to Caine knowing things so in the end he just sighed. “I’m not running a boarding house. I told you we could give Miss Castilian a place to stay if she was working, but she’s clearly not ready to be one of the working girls. She’s going to have to do something else.”

“I’ll talk to her about it,” Caine said. 

Chance nodded. “After all the problems lately, I want to hire some extra security. I’m thinking two more for each shift.”

“Good idea,” Caine nodded. “Just let me know when you want to interview people.”

Chance gave him another nod, then bustled off to deal with other things. Caine wandered back to his seat at the bar. Ruby was working the bar and she filled his tankard as soon as he set it down. 

“Do you ever drink water?” she asked with a smirk. “Hell, do you ever eat?”

“Beer has everything I need. It’s liquid bread,” Caine said dryly. 

“Your liver is going to commit suicide. You’re going to turn funny colors, and die,” the pretty bartender said cheerily. 

“I’m not that lucky,” Caine said. He took a long drink. 

____________________

Bella hadn’t had such fun in years. Normally, she could never relax in a crowd, and even among her own people it was rare for a witch to be asked to dance. She hadn’t really had the chance to dance like this since she was a teenager. Jack had been right about asking witches to dance. It didn’t happen often. Between that and her fear of crowds, Bella hadn’t done anything like this in years. She loved dancing, and the attention. She was used to catching eyes wherever she went, and she liked it, but she also had to be constantly on her guard. It was almost impossible for her to enjoy the side of her that got a thrill out of public exhibitionism in a way that felt safe. Tonight, she was loving everything. She whirled and moved from partner to partner enjoying the freedom and the attention, casting smiles, winks, trailing touches, flirtatious hip-bumps and sexy shimmies and spins that did delightful things to her curves. She normally wouldn’t have agreed to dance, but with Will and Jack nearby, and the fact that she knew Captain Vex had specifically vetted her crew to be accepting of her, she decided to let her guard down. 

She’d been mostly spending her time in the Captain’s cabin. She hadn’t socialized with the crew much, so she wasn’t sure what to expect, and neither were they. It was one thing to know there was a witch aboard who was working with the Captain. It was entirely another to be dancing with her. 

She could not have planned a better first impression. The crew of the Kestrel were consummate sailors, confident, brash, unbridled in their approach to life. They were used to attraction and sexual thrills being short lived affairs without any real promise or deep meaning. They felt that way about most things in life. Moments were just moments, meant to be enjoyed but dismissed when they were gone. It was a trait that came with the life they lived. They were folk who braved the elements and faced the possibility of death on the seas with dismissive bravery. They’d all signed on for what they knew was going to be a very dangerous mission. They were gamblers, throwing their lives in as the ante, hoping to win big. People like that didn’t tend to get hung up on things like prejudices, superstitions, or jealousy.

They were exactly the right kind of people for Bella to find a sense of community with. She whirled from partner to partner, her skirts swirling and her tamborine slapping her lush body to the beat. She was light on her feet, full of energy and unabashed sexuality. The Nivalese sailors immediately reacted, turning the dance into something akin to the festival the night before. The Mainlander sailors might have been taken aback, but the Nivalese rhythms and enthusiastic grins drew them in. Even without a rum ration to lower their inhibitions further, the music and the energy in the air made them all quick to enjoy the unbridled sexuality their new ship’s witch was adding to the festivities. Doctor Friday quickly took Bella’s lead. The striking Nivalese woman was completely used to such displays, and was obviously enjoying the turn things had taken. Even some of the more conservative Akula sailors joined the dance after a bit. There were only a handful of women aboard, so they were in high demand. For the most part, the women were only made up of Bella, Friday, and a half-dozen of Lace’s rigging crew. Many men simply formed a circle, watching and clapping to the beat. A few danced with each other. Some tried to get Jack to join them, but she stayed in the circle watching Bella, waiting her turn with the sultry witch. 

Will spent most of his time dancing with Janie in the mirror, but after a while he’d turned the mirror around and somewhat awkwardly acted as a cavorting eisel, holding up the mirror from behind so that Janie could dance with the other members of the crew. Then one of the crewmen took the mirror so Will could dance without holding it. Soon after, the big mirror was being passed around the circle as the sailors each took their turn. They had no idea who Janie was, but she was mysterious and gorgeous, so they didn’t much care. Most of them simply assumed she was some kind of mystic spirit bound to the mirror in service to their witch. It was a strange thing, but they’d already accepted a witch aboard so strangeness was expected. 

Bella’s looks and infectious grin made accepting things fairly easy. She earned herself more than a few admirers while the music played, but they were all reasonably respectful. Bella was clever enough to whirl away to a new partner the moment someone started getting too familiar with their words or hands. Fortunately, those moments were few. With anyone else, they could have sparked jealousy or frustration, but one of the benefits of being a known witch was that people tended to behave very respectfully. No one wanted to risk a witch’s ire.

There was a moment tension when Bella whirled from her previous partner and found herself unexpectedly in Jack’s arms. She started to tug jack into the circle, then paused as she realized who she was dancing with. The tension only lasted a moment, but both their hearts seemed to clutch in their chests. Jack started to step back, but the gorgeous N’madi witch gave Jack a sensuous but shy smile and a small curtsey, then fiercely pulled Jack into the middle of the circle, spinning and skipping together. Jack was surprisingly adept, despite her earlier protests. She’d had years of dance training, quick to adapt, and was light on her feet so she found the freeform Nivalese rhythm easy enough to move to. 

Jack felt like the world got smaller. She forgot the music and the crowd and just moved, watching Bella’s joy at finally being able to let her guard down. Jack knew how rare it was for her, and even though her chest was a knot of tangled feelings she was absolutely determined not to screw this up for Bella. 

They didn’t talk, but their eyes said volumes to each other. Jack’s apprehension and care was clear on her face, and Bella was encouraging but guarded. The crowd loved watching the two women dance together. There was quite a lot of applause and jeering, but it was good natured so neither Jack or Bella cared. They shared a momentary exasperated look as one of the sailors encouraged them to kiss. Another sailor next to the bold man elbowed him in the arm. Bella leaned in and gave Jack a light, momentary kiss on the lips, then spun away to a new partner, leaving Jack alone, wide eyed and dazed. The crowd roared and clapped. Jack blushed bright red and stood there dazed. Will rescued her. He took her hand and pulled her into a fast waltz. Jack had the good sense to let him lead, moving naturally while her mind reeled. After a few moments she looked up at him, the expression on her face a tangle of confusion and elation. Then she realized how they were dancing.

“This isn’t waltz music, Will,” Jack called over the music. Still, she kept pace with him and allowed herself to be turned under his arm. 

“It’s the only dance step I know,” Will grinned.

“Because I taught you,” Jack laughed. 

Will shrugged. “You looked a little lost when Bella left. I wanted to check on you.”

Jack’s impulse was to roll her eyes and tell him she didn’t need taking care of. She held that reaction down. She didn’t need it. That was true. She liked that he was trying to look out for her though. She gave him an appreciative smile. “Thanks. I think I’m about done with dancing though.”

“Me too. Come on,” Will said. They reached the edge of the circle, and slipped into it. Then through it, and were out of the chaotic tangle of musicians, onlookers and dancers. 

They both laughed and took a few breaths to calm their pulses. They both started talking at the same time, stopped, waited for each other, then laughed again. “You first,” Will said. 

“Bella kissed me,” she said, looking happy, but worried and confused. 

“I saw that,” Will grinned. “You didn’t even trip over your own feet.”

She swatted him in the arm, then sighed. “I can’t get a read on her.”

“Her kissing you isn’t a pretty clear sign?” Will asked. 

“This morning she told me she was still mad at me, but every time we talk, she’s supportive and helpful, but guarded,” Jack explained. 

“Supportive, helpful, and guarded is most of Bella’s personality,” Will chuckled. “Just have to add mischief and innuendo to round out the total package.”

Jack chose to ignore the joke and stay focused on her thoughts. “She’s trying to help me figure all this out, but she’s definitely not letting me know what she really thinks or wants. Then she kissed me just now. I’m just… I don’t know what it means.”

“Don’t ask me,” Will shrugged. It was a lie. He knew exactly what was going on in Bella’s head and what her goals were, but he felt like it wasn’t his place to tell Jack. 

“Big help you are,” Jack sighed. They found a bench at the prow and sat down. “What were you going to say?”

Will gestured to the mirror that was bobbing and turning in the arms of a brawny sailor. “Janie thinks you and I need to talk.” 

“We have been talking.” Jack gave him an incredulous look.

“Talk more. Talk better. There’s a lot we haven’t really gone into,” Will said. 

Jack looked worried. “I know. Are you saying you want to talk now?”

“No. Things feel nice right now. I think the conversation is going to be hard, and I don’t want to ruin something good. Besides, I don’t think I should leave Janie out here by herself,” Will said. 

“She’s in a mirror, I think she will be fine,” Jack said with a sardonic eyebrow. 

“She’s never been dancing before,” Will said. 

“I think she still hasn’t,” Jack smirked. “Clapping on the other side of a window someone else is dragging around is hardly dancing.”

“True. It’s a milestone for her though, and I don’t want to disappear in the middle of it,” Will said. 

“Good,” Jack nodded. “If it were me in her place, I’d be pissed if you vanished in the middle of my first almost-dance. I’ll have to thank her for letting me get out of our pending conversation.”

“You don’t want to talk?” Will asked. 

Jack sighed. “I do. I’m just nervous.”

“Me too,” Will agreed.

“Tomorrow?” Jack asked.

“I was thinking later tonight, when the festivities wind down,” he suggested.

“Even better,” Jack said. She never was one for waiting. Even though she was nervous about the conversation, she still wanted to hurry up and get it over with. 

“It might get ugly,” Will said. “Things have been mostly good between us the last few days, but the truth is I’m ignoring a lot of things that make me pretty mad when I think about them. There might be some long overdue yelling.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Jack said. “Do I get to yell at you too?” 

“If you need to,” Will shrugged. “Not sure what I did though.”

“I’m sure I’ll come up with something,” Jack said with a conspiratorial grin. 

“Great,” Will rolled his eyes. “Looking forward to it.”

“Can we still just have fun tonight? I don’t want to think about this stuff right now,” Jack asked. 

“Sure,” Will agreed. He put his arm around her shoulders and they lost time watching the dance and the shuffleboard game for a bit. 

When the music changed, Jack nudged him with her shoulder. “Go dance with your mirror girl.”

Will gave Jack a final squeeze around the shoulders and got up. “Come with me.”

Jack’s face twisted up in aprehension, but she got up and the two of them rejoined the circle of revelers. 

The music had gotten slower. Bella was dancing with a sailor and talking to him. Doctor Kalfou was in the arms of another. Janie was in the outer circle, her mirror leaning against a sailor so she could watch. Will wove through the dancers and hefted the mirror. Janie looked surprised. “You disappeared,” she said with playful accusation in her voice. 

“Had to talk to Jack for a bit,” he explained. 

“Oh, good. How’d it go?” Janie asked. 

“Well, I think. I took your advice,” Will said.

“Oh, you’re actually going to talk?” Janie asked, smiling excitedly. 

“Later. Tonight, I just want to have a good time,” he said. He carried her mirror into the middle of the circle and started waltzing to the slower music. He could hardly see anything around him. The bottom edge of the mirror was sitting against his belt, his arms holding the sides of it. Everything in front of him was blocked, so he stayed right in the middle and slowly rotated in a circle, hoping that the other dancers gave him wide berth. 

“This is a little silly,” Janie said. She had her hands on her side of the mirror and was swaying back and forth to the music. 

“Yeah,” Will grinned. “Fun though.”

“It really is. Thank you,” Janie smiled. 

“We’ll do this for real someday,” Will said, adjusting after being bumped by another dancer. 

“I’d like that,” Janie said a bit shyly. 

“Did you have fun dancing with everyone?” he asked. 

“I did! I feel like I mostly just watched and let whoever had the mirror do the moving for me, but it was fun to see everyone having fun. The sailors seem nice. Most of them didn’t actually talk to me, but a few did. They asked why I was stuck in the mirror,” Janie giggled. 

“What did you tell them?” Will asked. 

“I told them I’m trapped by evil pirates, and Bella’s magic mirror is the only way I can see out into the world,” Janie shrugged. “A few of them want to rescue me.”

“You work fast,” Will smirked. 

“What?” Janie asked.

“Convincing men to risk their lives for your favor,” ‘Will explained. 

“Funny,” Janie said dryly. 

“You’re a succubus luring men into wicked fates,” Will snarked. 

Janie’s face blanched. “Please don’t say that, Will.” 

Will slowed his dancing and looked worried and apologetic. “I was only joking.”

“I know. It’s alright. Lets just keep dancing,” Janie said with a small smile. 

“If something is wrong, you can tell me,” Will said. 

“I told you earlier, you aren’t the one I’m going to be venting to until I’m off this island. I’m fine. Something happened earlier, and your joke… nevermind. It really isn’t important,” Janie said, really hoping Will would let the subject drop. 

He did. They danced in silence for a few minutes until Bella cut in.

“Help me turn the mirror around,” she said without preamble. 

Together the somewhat awkwardly turned the big mirror so that Will was holding it from behind. He had his face turned and the frame leaned back to balance on his head. It wasn’t comfortable and he could see even less in this position, but once the weight of the mirror was settled it wasn’t too bad. His wounded hand was protesting slightly, but he ignored it. He felt Bella’s hands gently grab his and start guiding him in a slow circle. It was sort of like dancing with Bella, letting Bella lead, but with the awkward mirror frame between them.

“Having fun, luv?” Bella asked. 

“I am. It’s been nice to see more of the ship, and Barcola last night. Your mirror is the only thing keeping me from going stir crazy,” Janie said. 

“Can you tell Tonya I want to do another lesson tomorrow?” Bella said. Will could practically hear the witch winking.

“Oh my,” Janie giggled. “What will she be learning?”

“How to make a Rocky,” Bella grinned. 

“Can I…” Janie trailed off.

“Watch? Of course,” Bella said happily. “I’m thinking noonish?”

Will kept turning, content to be a prop for their dance as they talked.

____________________

Will and Bella carefully hung the mirror back on the wall. 

It was mostly Will, holding the big mirror from the sides and letting it lean against his head while he shuffled back and forth to Bella’s directions. She was standing off to the side helping him get the brackets on the back of the frame lined up with the nails in the wall.

“This is a wonderful view,” Janie snickered. From her side, she could see Will’s cheek pressed awkwardly against the glass. It looked like he was pressed against a window.

“Funny,” Will said as he felt for the weight of the mirror to be caught by the nails.

Captain Vex was kicking off her boots and hanging her hat and coat. “What happens if the mirror breaks?”

“Nothing,” Bella said. Will settled the mirror and slowly let go. Bella tilted it so it was straighter and wedged the two nails at the bottom to hold it in place. “The enchantment is in the frame. Even if the mirror gets cracked, it will work. Pieces removed from the frame go back to being normal mirrors.”

“So if it broke, we could replace the glass and it would still work?” Janie asked.

“Yes,” Bella said. “If the frame itself gets broken, the enchantment will end. It’s basically acting as a containment circle for the magic, like the ones I draw on people.”

“So, if the frame cracks it would be like a circle being broken,” Janie nodded in understanding. “What about on my side?”

“It’s all the same. I enchanted it from this side, but when I connected them they became one object, metaphysically speaking. Think of them like… I don’t know, two sides of a coin, or two ends of a rope.”

Captain Vex unbuttoned her shirt, casually peeled it off and tossed it onto her large footlocker. The golden rings on her full, high breasts glinted in the light of the lanterns mounted to the wall next to the mirror. Will gave the Captain a look of happy appraisal. She returned his look hungrily.

“The mirror’s back in place and the lanterns on this side are lit, you can blow out your candles,” Bella said to Janie. 

“Oh good, they were getting pretty low,” Janie said. 

“There’s more in the cupboard below the shelves,” Bella said. Janie disappeared from the mirror. 

“Oh Cabin Girl,” Captain Vex said playfully. Bella turned, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the topless blond. “My pants aren’t gonna to remove themselves,” the Captain smirked.

“I better slip out before things get so far along that I don’t want to leave,” Will said.

Captain Vex hefted her breasts invitingly. “What, these dinnae have ye there already?”

“Oh, they do. I’m guessing it’s only going to get harder from here,” Will said collecting his hat. 

“Oh yes, you’d better leave before it gets… harder,” Bella snickered. 

“Ye better be back soon,” Belita said. “I need ye and your ‘harder’ before the night’s over, Mister Sterling.”

“Captain’s orders,” Bella grinned. The way she unbuttoned Belita’s breeches was deliberate provocative.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Will said.  

“Good luck,” Janie said from the mirror. “Try to keep your goals in mind.”

“Eyes on the horizon,” Will nodded. “Thanks.” He slipped out the door and onto the quiet deck.

“Where’s he headed?” Bella asked.

“To talk to Jack,” Janie said, sounding a little worried. 

Bella’s expression mirrored Janie’s concerned tone. The Captain shrugged. “Good. The sooner that little drama sorts itself out, the better.”

_____________________________

Jack answered the door and gave Will a small smile. Behind her, Doctor Kalfou was sitting on her small bed wearing only a sleep shirt, in the middle of a yawn. Her long dark legs reached out and her ankles crossed as she stretched. When Will gave her a small wave, she smiled at him and put a pillow in her lap to protect her modesty. Will could see the white serpentine tattoos that wounds down her thighs and calves. They ended with the two snake’s tails on top of her feet. 

“Let’s take a walk,” Jack said. She stepped out into the hall and pulled the door shut. 

“You sure you want to do this now?” Will asked. “It could wait until tomorrow.”

“Now is fine. Waiting won’t make it easier,” Jack said. They went up the stairs onto the deck and climbed the aftcastle stairs. 

“Which one of us should start?” Will asked.

“You,” Jack said firmly. 

Will took a deep breath and sat down on the bench at the back of the aftcastle. “I’ve been thinking about this, trying to figure out what to say but all my threads of thought come back to the fact that I just can’t trust you, Jack.” 

Jack closed her eyes and nodded. 

“That distrust is poison,” Will continued. “It keeps me from being able to really relax around you, and it makes it impossible for us to be partners. I really don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go on the expedition with you, but I promised Bella I would. So I have to figure out a way to work with you in spite of the fact that I’m worried you’re going to get me killed.”

“I would never…” Jack began, but trailed off.

“You already tried, Jack,” Will said, his tone was mostly neutral, but he was clearly holding back a lot of anger and bitterness. 

“No, I never tried to get you killed. That wasn’t what happened,” Jack protested. 

“You might not have meant it that way, but at the time, and for years after, that’s what it felt like. You never even tried to explain it,” Will said. His anger was starting to bubble up, and finally he wasn’t feeling the need to hold it back. 

“I tried!” Jack protested. “You didn’t want to listen.”

“Your excuses didn’t make any sense, and when I asked you to explain further you refused. You treated it like I was the one being unreasonable. You even called me an idiot for wanting to know,” Will said bitterly. “You made it seem like you’d done me a favor, and that I was overreacting and being ungrateful.”

“I thought I did!’ Jack protsted. 

“Really? You thought leaving me for dead, cursed in the middle of nowhere was a favor?” Will asked incredulously.

“No. Not that part. Well, the curse part yes. I…” she was flustered and having trouble collecting her thoughts. 

“The curse was the favor?” Will said, his voice full of disbelief. 

“Yes!” Jack said fiercely. 

“See, this is what I mean. I ask for answers, you say something completely ridiculous, and then when I press you you’re going to tell me you can’t tell me why,” Will said. 

“The curse didn’t come from the test in the ruins, Will. It came from me, and it isn’t a curse,” Jack said firmly. “I knew going in that I was going to have to betray you, so I wanted to give you something in return. Something good, that would maybe take some of the sting off what I did and make your life a little better.”

“How the hell did you think giving me the most dangerous luck on the planet would make my life better?” Will demanded. 

Jack exploded. “It was supposed to be good luck!” After the outburst she reined in her voice in again, looking frustrated and tense. She stood up and started pacing. “It’s supposed to be a blessing! You can’t even imagine what I gave up to give it to you. It was supposed give you everything you ever wanted. It was my apology, and I don’t know why it didn’t work.”

Will didn’t know what to say. He just shook his head in disbelief. The idea that the curse he’d been suffering with for years, the terrible luck that cost him his career and got a lot of other people killed, was somehow a blessing wasn’t something he could wrap his head around. “You always were terrible at apologies,” he muttered.

Jack winced. “Yeah.”

“So if you hadn’t… given me this, I’d just have woken up in the ruins alone but otherwise the same. This curse wasn’t from breaking the seal in the ruins?” Will asked. 

“No. It was part of the treasure we found,” Jack said quietly. “I could have kept it for myself.”

“I wish you had,” Will said flatly. 

“Me too.” Jack turned away from him and looked out into the distant black seas. “You don’t understand how frustrating this is,” she said quietly. 

“Oh, is it hard for you?” Will snapped. “Living with all this guilt and anger about how no one understands the sacrifice you made by leaving your partner to die? The eternal hardship of keeping all your reasons for hurting people a secret and wondering why no one fucking trusts you anymore? Come the fuck on,” Will was angry now. Jack’s air of angst was insufferable. “This whole situation, from the instant you made your choice to leave me in a hole, until this exact moment, is a your fault. It’s all one long chain of events caused by your bad planning, and your willingness to sacrifice other people on the altar of getting what you want!”

Will winced as soon as it was out of his mouth. That was the kind of thing he’d been wanting to say to Jack for years and never been able to. The last few days, things had seemed different and he’d wanted to let them play out, but all the resentment was still there beneath the surface and was finally coming out. He couldn’t see Jack’s face, but he could imagine it. When Jack got quiet, that was when things were going to get ugly. 

“I know,” Jack said calmly. Will’s brows rose. That wasn’t what he’d expected. “It’s all just a long string of mistakes. I spent a long time shielding myself from all the pain I’d caused by telling myself that it would be different if you and Bella knew everything, and that I deserved to be hated anyway. I made my choice and I thought that I could live with it because Bella was alive. Even if she hated me, I could be happy she wasn’t dead.”

Will wanted to make a bitter remark about Jack’s new martyr complex, but he didn’t. He let her go on.

“I was wrong. It wasn’t enough. I knew that years ago, but by then I couldn’t figure out how to come back and make things right. I still don’t. How would you apologize for this?” Jack asked. 

“I’d start by coming clean,” Will said. “No more mysteries. No more making us take it on faith that your reasons were good. No more trying to cash in on good will that burned out years ago. You have all the cards, Jack. All we ever wanted was for you to put them on the table.”

Jack slowly nodded. “I want to. I would have years ago, but… telling you puts Quinn and I in a lot of danger. Hell, it could put everyone in a lot of danger.”

“You said that before and it still doesn’t make any sense,” Will rolled his eyes. 

“I know,” Jack sighed. “Is there any way to get past this without that part?”

“I really don’t understand why I should have to,” Will said. 

“You don’t. I’m just asking,” Jack said sadly. 

“You said you know what my curse is. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Will asked sharply.

“Yes,” Jack said. 

“How!” Will demanded. 

“I can’t tell you. For the same reasons I can’t tell you why I left you in the ruins, or what the curse really is in the first place. It’s all the same thing,” Jack sounded like she was tearing herself in two. She was looking off the railing like she was contemplating tossing herself overboard. Something in her tone pulled Will back out of his anger. 

“What happens if you do? What really happens?” Will asked. 

“Everything changes between us, and not like you think. Not like they are now. We might be able to be friends again, but everything will get colored by the knowledge. It will eat you inside. Not because you’ll hate me, but because you’ll want something from me that I don’t want to give,” Jack said.

“Doesn’t sound that different from now,” Will shrugged. 

“It will be,” Jack said simply. “Once you know there will be a choice hanging over our heads, and the price will be Quinn. To give you what you want, I’d have to sacrifice him.”

“Like you sacrificed me for Bella’s sake?” Will asked.

“Exactly,” Jack nodded. 

“So what’s stopping you this time?” Will asked. 

“Not wanting to make the same mistake twice,” Jack said with a small, tired shrug. 

“You think you made a mistake? I thought you said you saved Bella’s life?” Will asked.

“I did. I… I think I would do it again,” Jack turned around. Her voice was steady, but Will could see the tears welling in her eyes. “You see why this is so hard? How do you weigh anything against the life of someone you love? All this bullshit? Years of guilt and anger and pain, it could all be gone now. It could all have been gone years ago, but the price would be sacrificing someone I love. I’ve already done that twice. I don’t want to do it again.”

“Twice?” Will asked. 

“You weren’t the only one I lost, Will,” Jack snapped. “Bella’s alive, but she hates me for what I did.”

“No she doesn’t,” Will replied quietly. 

“She does!” Jack’s eyes closed tight. “She tolerates my presence here because of you. She’s trying, I can tell, but she’s really angry and still doesn’t really want me around, just like you. She’s only putting up with me because she thinks I might be able to give her some answers.”

“You have it backwards,” Will’s voice was low, and fierce. “The only reason I’m here is because of her. When you came back into town she did her thing with her cards. She thinks you’re going to die, and that I can stop it. She’s on what she thinks might be a suicide mission because there’s a chance that it will save your life!”

Jack just stood there with her mouth open, staring at Will. She sat down on the bench behind her and took a few deep breaths. “Dammit,” she finally muttered. 

“She was the one who convinced me to come with you, then I kinda tricked her into coming along too,” Will shrugged.

“You need to find better lovers, Will.” Jack often jumped to the end of a thought process, and then had to work her way back. Sometimes Will could reverse engineer he conclusions, but this time he was baffled. 

“What?” he asked.

“You’ve already been sacrificed by me to save her. Now she’s willing to sacrifice you to save me. It’s all just loops and patterns. This whole story. Nothing but piles of recurring themes,” Jack said flatly.

“Huh.” Will hadn’t thought of it like that. “I guess there are a lot of coincidences.”

“They aren’t coincidences, Will,” Jack said rubbing her temples. 

“You’re really going to have to start explaining things. You seem to know a lot more about what’s going on than I do,” Will said. He sat down next to her. 

“It’s your curse. It’s all part of the same pattern, and I think I’m finally starting to see it for what it is,” Jack rubbed her face. “And now you’re going to want to know more, and I can’t tell you.”

“Wonderful,” Will deadpanned.

“What do you want, Will?” Jack asked. “More than anything else?”

Will’s eyebrow raised. “To get rid of this curse,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“No, Will. That isn’t true.” Jack sounded very certain, and a bit sad. 

“How would you know?” Will scoffed. 

“Because you still have it. If you really wanted to be rid of it, it would have been gone long ago,” Jack said. 

“You think I want to live like this?” Will was getting angry again.

“I think you did, for a while. It was a perfect excuse to wallow in misery. I know how you are when you want things. If you’d wanted the curse gone you’d have sailed to the ends of the earth to find out. You didn’t. You holed up in an abandoned lighthouse. You became a bridge troll making people pay you for their passage, and you blamed it on the curse, and me.”

“Yo think I shouldn’t have? Everytime I tried to pursue what I wanted, things went horribly wrong! People were getting hurt. Accidents kept happening. Staying home was the only way to stay safe.” Will said. “You make it sound like it was my choice. Didn’t you just admit that the whole curse was your fault.”

“I did,” Jack said. “But the five years that followed, where you stopped caring about everything? That was on you, and I think it only worked as long as I wasn’t around. The moment I came back you couldn’t keep it up anymore. You couldn’t pretend not to care. You couldn’t pretend not to want anything.”

“My life doesn’t hinge on you, Jack,” Will said flatly. “I had plenty of goals while you weren't around.”

“And you accomplished all of them, and still gave up,” Jack accused. “Every decision you made pushed you further and further away from people. You did everything you could to isolate yourself. If not for Janie I think you would have thrown yourself off your lighthouse.”

“That’s a little overly dramatic, don’t you think?” Will scoffed.

“Not even a little. You tried to get yourself killed yesterday,” Jack said.

Will sighed. “I’m really never going to live that down, am I?”

“Not anytime soon,” Jack shook her head.

“What’s your point?” Will asked. 

“My point is, I don’t think you actually know what you want. I think you’re caught in a loop and you can’t decide what to do because you can’t make sense of what you’ve been through,” Jack said looking into his eyes. 

She was right, but there was more to it than she knew. His isolation had been to keep other people safe from his bad luck. He’d been trying to protect people. He knew he’d wasted years feeling sorry for himself, but ultimately all that was her fault. “Thanks for the analysis, oh great oracle. Tell me more about the answers I seek,” Will snarked bitterly. 

“Answers are exactly what you’re seeking, Will. That’s my point. You don’t have a real goal yet, because you don’t feel like you know enough to come up with one. You’re scared, and rightfully so. What you really want is information,”Jack shrugged.

“And you won’t give it to me!” Will threw his hands up in exasperation.

“Not all of it, but you aren’t stupid. Think about it. What do you know now compared to a month ago?” Jack asked. 

“A lot more, but it still doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Will admitted.

“And when did you decide you wanted answers?” Jack asked.

“When Bella came to tell me you were back,” Will said, not really sure where she was going with this.

“No, I don’t think so. I’m betting you thought about it some time before that. Something happened, and you started wondering and wanting to know. When was it?” Jack asked. 

Will’s brows furrowed. She was right. About two weeks before Bella had come, he’d had a discussion with Janie. She’d been encouraging him to get out of the house more. He’d told her he couldn’t because of the curse, and for the first time she’d asked him how the curse worked. She thought they might be able to work around it somehow. He’d been frustrated because after years he still didn’t understand it. He’d spent the whole rest of the day thinking about it, and gone to the Captain’s Daughter with Caine that night to drink himself stupid. “About two weeks before. How did you know about that?” he asked.

“See!? You finally decided you really wanted answers, and now they’ve come to you. Almost immediately. You’ve learned more about the curse, and my reasons for leaving you behind in the last week than you’ve known for five years,” Jack said, trying to get him to really listen to her. Will knew that tone. She also wasn’t taking his bait, which meant her mind was really fixated on something. 

“Yeah, because I could finally ask you. That isn’t magic. That’s just you finally being around again. Where are you going with this?” he asked. 

“Two weeks before coming back to Bastard’s bay, I was meeting with Morant for the first time. He hadn't wanted to hire me because I’m a woman, but his first choice had broken his foot that morning and Morant didn’t want to wait for the recovery. So he decided to hire me,” Jack explained. “When he told me what he wanted, I immediately thought of you. I thought it was pretty strange at the time. Now it doesn’t seem strange at all.”

“You think my curse did all that?” Will clearly didn’t believe it. “Sounds like a string of coincidences.”

“That’s what your curse is, Will! That’s all it’s ever been! It seems random at first glance, but it isn’t. It responds to you. Maybe not in the ways you expect, and maybe not in ways that are easy to see the pattern for what it is, and maybe not without a price to be paid, but when you finally decide what you want, you get it.” Jack put her hands on his knees and leaned in. “Do you get it?”

“No,” Will shook his head. 

“It means it worked, Will,” Jack looked simultaneously elated and heartbroken. “The gift I gave you back in the ruin isn’t broken. You are.”