The island of Barcola was primarily Nivalese. The inhabitants had managed to repel a mainland occupation a half-century prior by pulling the majority of their people into the mountains and fighting a brutal guerrilla war against the colonizing forces. In the narrow mountain passes, the mainlanders’ usual tactics of shielded firing lines and phalanx-style close combat were completely useless. The colonists tried to starve out the natives, but the lush tropical mountain provided everything the canny islanders needed to live. The fight was long and bloody. The Colonists brought in the Magistrate after the natives began resorting to burning ships and warehouses. The Magistrate’s forces were better trained and outfitted, but dedicated themselves to protecting the ports only. To their credit, they opted not to get involved in the conflict in the mountains. That meant the wealthier colonists had to foot the bill for mercenary forces. It was expensive. The Mainlanders did successfully settle the coasts of the island, but they never prospered. The natives made life so hard for the mainland settlers and so dangerous for trade ships that Barcola was simply bypassed as a trade port by most major shipping companies. The risks were just too great.

So economics did what guerilla warfare could not. The fight dwindled to occasional skirmishes. The settler population thinned. The Magistrate eventually withdrew its forces and left. When that happened, the more stubborn mainland settlers found that the natives were a fairly accepting and forgiving people. The two cultures eventually overlapped and blended as the islanders came down out of the mountains for the first time in two generations. Bad blood still existed, and the islander culture was irrevocably changed, but in the wake of the conflict the island prospered. Now, it was known as one of the richer trade ports for two hundred leagues. Their primary exports were sugar, molasses and rum, but they were also becoming well known for their colorful fabrics and dyes. When the mainlanders came, they brought weaving technology with them, which the natives embraced. With their bright colors and soft textures, Barcola textiles were becoming very popular.

Will and Lace didn’t get to experience any of it. Instead, they got a lesson on the history of the island from Jack. The three of them were in the galley again, washing dishes while the rest of the crew was on shore leave. Eventually Jack ran out of Barcola trivia. Through the small port window, they could hear hear the intricate, upbeat sounds of music. Kettle drums and intricate rhythms and the occasional whoop of some kind of flute kept them company as they scrubbed pots. It sounded like some kind of festival was happening nearby, which just salted the wound.

“Three days,” Will sighed. “Think the Captain planned this?”

“Of course,” Lace snorted. “Vex wants to make sure a punishment gets its point across. She’s never cruel, but she sure knows how to make you remember not to fuck up later.”

“I didn’t even think about how long it would take to get here, and how that would overlap with our extra duties,” Will shook his head. There was a part of him that was impressed with the Captain’s deviousness.  

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson then?” Jack asked Will archly.

“Definitely. Next time I want to set you up, I’ll be more subtle about it,” Will smiled sweetly.

“Good. So much time away from me clearly made you sloppy,” Jack said, snapping his back with the towel she was using to dry pans.

Will’s head snapped around as the wet towel stung his back. He gave her an unamused look. “I’m going to let you have that one, because you’re right. I am sloppier now. So are you.”

Jack arched an eyebrow. “Oh really? How so?”

“You believed me when I said I was going to let you have that one,” Will smiled. Jack’s expression had just enough time to switch to worry when Will snapped his hands out of the sink and sent a full stewpot full of sudsy water right at her.

It was sweltering again. The island port was even hotter than the open sea had been, and they were working much earlier now in hopes of finishing the job soon enough that they could get off the ship for a while. All three of them were soaked to the skin. Will had already taken his shirt off and hung it near the door. Lace was wearing her usual strip of cloth around her chest. Today it was green. Jack was having less trouble today. The previous day’s clothing experiment hadn’t gone nearly as well. Jack only had sturdy trousers and durable long sleeve shirts. After day one of having to twist and tie her shirt she’d decided she needed something better. Yesterday she’d tried a cook’s apron. It might have worked for someone build like Lace, but Jack had spent a lot of time trying to keep her breasts from coming out the sides. It became a running source of amusement for Lace and Will. Tonight, she’d opted for a halter made out of a sail patch. It was essentially a square of cloth folded over into a triangle and then tied around her ribs. Then she’d offset the two ends of the square that made up the triangle’s top point and tied them around her neck. It was functional and comfortable. It was also suddenly soaked mostly transparent.

Jack’s shocked, dripping expression sent Lace and Will both into peals of laughter. Jack slowly wiped the water off of her face with her now completely sopping towel and wrung it out onto the floor. “I will pay you back for that,” she said flatly. She began to blot herself slightly drier.

“Good. Both of us have clearly lost our edge,” Will smired.

“You two are crazy,” Lace snickered.

Jack looked down at herself, noticing exactly how little her sailcloth halter left to the imagination now. She side-eyed Will and turned around to continue drying herself. “Well played, Sterling.”

“You pull that stunt on me, I’ll skin you,” Lace said to Will. She sounded amused, but it was hard to tell how much she was joking. Will flicked her with sudsy water and grinned, then went back to washing. Lace glared, but it was clear she was trying not to laugh.

“This is bloody useless,” Jack muttered. A sopping towel hit Will in the back of the head. Heis face wrinkled in disgust and he pulled the cloth over his shoulder as it began to slide down his back.

“You volunteered for this,” Will shrugged.

“I volunteered to wash dishes, not be soaked to the skin and exposed to any observer who happens to walk in,” Jack said tersely.

“You want me to get you another sail patch” Lace asked. “I have a few of these that would probably fit you too.” She gestured to her own chest.

“No, it’s fine. We’re the only ones on the ship, it’s nothing Will hasn’t seen before, and I’m not concerned with your eyes wandering,” Jack shrugged.

“After your fight against the apron yesterday, there wasn’t much left to the imagination,” Lace smirked.

“Why have I been relegated to comedically exposing myself? How did you two escape this fate?” Jack asked, rolling her eyes.

“We’re both wearing less than you are?” Lace shrugged.

“Oh yes, that’s clearly the problem. I’m wearing too many clothes,” Jack deadpanned.

“I’m just sayin’, dousing us with water wouldn’t change much,” Lace gestured between herself and Will. “Hell, we were already pretty well soaked.”

“Will doesn’t have to worry about modesty,” Jack snorted. “And it seems you don’t either.”

“The hotter it is, the more uncomfortable modesty gets,” Lace shrugged.

“Ah. Your exhibitionism is merely pragmatic. I understand,” Jack said dryly.

“I don’t get a kick out of people watching me. I just don’t care. Let ‘em look. I dress for comfort, and to make climbing around all day easier. When it gets colder I’ll add more layers,” Lace worked as she talked, rinsing a large pot and handing it back to Jack.

“If it gets hotter will you wear even less?” Jack asked.

Lace grinned. “Maybe. You think I should?”

Will was idly looking out the porthole towards the sunset as the women bantered. The last sliver of the sun had just dipped below the horizon. The whole western sky was painted in deep oranges and reds. Now was the best time of day to look for silhouettes. It had become one of his shipboard habits. He spied a few boats and distant islands. Some seabirds. Then he blinked and squinted. “What the hell?”

He wrung his hands out and dried them as best he could on the wet towel. Then he left the galley without a word.

Lace and Jack looked at each other in surprise and confusion. “He’s a strange sort of fellow, ain’t he?” Lace asked.

“Sometimes,” Jack said looking at the doorway. She knew Will well enough to know he wasn’t upset and that they weren’t in danger.

“Think we should follow him? I’m kinda curious,” Lace asked.

“No, he’ll call or come down here if he needs us,” Jack shook her head. “He wouldn’t tell us what’s going on until he had a full idea himself anyway.”

“Not often you see a guy bolt from the room while ladies are talking about how little clothing to wear,” Lace scoffed.

“If the sounds from the Captain’s cabin last night are any indication, I don’t think Will is terribly sexually frustrated right now,” Jack shrugged, taking over Will’s spot and starting to wash again. She pulled a pot out of the water and propped it up on the ledge next to the sink.

“Here, let me show you how to do this right,” Lace said. “Keep it in the water until it’s clean. Go by feel. You don’t need to see the grit to scrub it. Then just pass it to me to rinse, I’ll give it back if you missed a spot.”

Jack put her pot back in the water. “Every once in a while I’m struck with how profound the gaps in my practical knowledge are.”

“I guess you never had to wash dishes?” Lace asked.

“Never. Not until I was an adult. I washed my first pot in a stream on my first expedition,” Jack said with a self-effacing shrug. “I find it embarrassing. Most of the time, I don’t even realize I don’t know something until I come face to face with it.”

“Isn’t that the case with everything people don’t know?” Lace asked.

“Well yes, but the things I don’t know seem to be things that everyone else does. The mundane things,” Jack explained.

“Like what?” Lace asked.

“Cooking. I’m terrible at it. I’m slowly learning, but the learning curve is… distasteful,” Jack shook her head.

“How’s a high-born lady become an explorer anyway?” Lace asked.

“My grandfather was an explorer. His discoveries earned him his lands and title. My father followed in his footsteps. As a child I wanted to go with him. I wouldn’t take no for an answer, so he gave me a list of things I needed to know and be able to do before I could come. He expected that I would give up or lose interest, or that I’d be unable to master his list before adulthood,” Jack said, talking idly while she washed. “I finished the list by the time I was eleven. He tried to come up with more reasons to keep me from going with him, but I… well I rather blackmailed him into keeping his word. After that I went with him everywhere until he retired. It’s my whole life now.”

“Doesn’t sound like a bad life,” Lace said thoughtfully.

“For the most part, it’s wonderful,” Jack agreed.

“So what’s all the angst and worry about? And all this curse stuff?” Lace pushed.

Jack sighed. “Things took a bad turn a few years go and I haven’t figured out how to set them right again. The last few days have been good. A step in the right direction. I still don’t know what to do though,” Jack shrugged.

“What’s your gut say?” Lace asked.

“What do you mean?” Jack’s brows furrowed.

“Cut out all the overthinking. Ignore the doubt and the worry. What do your instincts say?” Lace pushed.

“That’s the problem.” Jack sounded tired. “I’m torn. My instincts are pulling me in different directions.”

“Fight or run,” Lace said, sounding like she understood.

“Yes, precisely. But either choice means I might lose something very important to me,” Jack said “At least here, in the middle with no choice made, I might not have what I want but I can still see the important things and know they are safe.”

“You aren’t really talking about things, are you. You’re talking about people,” Lace felt like she was starting to see a bit more into who Jack was.

Jack nodded. “How do you choose when either choice will probably mean losing someone you love forever?”

“Seems like everyone you care about most is right here on this ship,” Lace shrugged. “That’s better than most sailors get.”

Jack sighed. “That’s what I’ve been telling myself. It hasn’t been that bad. Bella and Will both… well they listened. I think it’s been so long that they just wanted any kind of explanation, even if it wasn’t a complete one. I don’t think that will tide them over forever. Especially Will. When it comes to needing to understand things, he’s as bad as I am.” She was scrubbing a pot like it had wronged her.

“Some things you just can’t expect to understand. No use in trying,” Lace shrugged. “Some things it’s perfectly fine not to know.”

“I don’t know if I agree with that,” Lace said. “I’m not sure Will would either.”

“Sure you do,” Lace shrugged. “What’s it like to be a cannibal? What’s murder feel like? What’s keelhauling feel like? How’s bilge water taste?”

“That’s a bit different.” Jack shook her head. “I think I understand those things well enough that I have no desire to know the firsthand details.”

“Right. You answer isn’t worth what you’d have to do to get it. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze,” Lace smiled. “You just need to get Will and Bella to think of… whatever all this melodramatic bullshit is about… in the same way.”

Jack stopped her angry, frustrated scrubbing. Lace kept working, letting Jack think. “Thank you.”

Lace chuckled to herself and rolled her eyes as Jack’s booted footsteps left the galley. “Mainlanders,” she sighed.

_______________________

“I can’t believe you had the mirror hauled all the way down here!” Bella half-shouted over the noise.

“Look around!” Captain Vex said with sweep of her arm that only sloshed her cup a little.

They were in the corner section of an outdoor seating area at a dockside tavern. A parade of dancers and musicians painted to look like very colorful, festive skeletons made their way by. The street was wide, the seaward half made of wood and the landward side made of cobblestones. Lanterns hung from curved metal poles and hundreds of candles sat along the stones. They could see dozens of small makeshift altars, rings, effigies, and talismans. It was impossible to walk ten feet without running into a mystic huckster hawking their tiny miracles. Hedge witches, herbalists, medicine men, amature alchemists, fortune tellers, mediums, and spirit guides were out in force, every one of them promising magic for a small fee.

“If there ever was a place an’ time that ye’d be safe, it’s ‘ere and now,” Belita grinned. She had her boots up on the railing and a tin cup of rum in her hand. Her other arm was wrapped protectively around the dark-haired witch’s shoulders, much to the consternation of the red and white monkey that was forced to sit in Bella’s lap while her shoulders were occupied.

“I have to admit, I’m a bit uncomfortable as well,” Janie said from the other side of the mirror. It was propped up against the corner’s other railing, where the alleyway was rather than the main street.

“It was your idea!” Belita laughed.

“I was being rhetorical, I had no idea you’d take me seriously,” Janie sighed. She was dressed in her disguise as Sister Evangelina again, sitting quite close to the mirror on her side. The mirror was large enough that it was almost as though she was there with them. As close as she was, Janie had a much wider view of the surroundings on the other side. The mirror really did seem like a window, and she had to admit the parade and the music was quite fun.

“Are ye part of my crew or not?” Captain Vex shrugged, half-joking. “I can take ye back to the ship if ye don’t want tae do this.”

Janie sighed and shook her head. “Can I at least wrap up? It’s one thing to be on display in a brothel, it’s another to be on display in a street on an island I’ve never been to.”

“Pretty sure I’ve seen a dozen lasses with their tits out dancin’ past,” Belita grinned.

Bella snickered. “Of course you can wrap up, Janie. Our captain’s just a lecherous sailor.”

Captain Vex pulled Bella in closer and winked at Janie in the mirror. Janie’s brows shot up as she watched Belita slid her hand down Bella’s blouse and grope her breast.  “Yar,” Belita grinned, sounding as much like a stereotypical pirate as she could manage.

Bella took a surprised breath as the Captain’s fingers brushed back and forth across her nipple. She swatted the hand like it was an annoying insect and let out an exasperated breath. “Not in public,” she said, not really sounding as firm as she was trying to. Belita took her hand out of Bella’s blouse, but left her hand resting gently on the witch’s breast. Bella gestured in ambiguous defeat and gave Janie a long-suffering look. Janie tried not to laugh. “Are you planning on holding the interviews while you molest me?” Bella asked. “Would that be a good first impression for new crew?”

“Considering it,” Belita said, still smiling.

A lanky, middle aged man with dark skin and a bright white grin leaned up against the railing, “You ladies look like you could use some company,” he said in a practiced, charming baritone. His eyes flicked between the witch and the captain, then down to where the captain’s hand was resting. His grin got a little wider.

Belita set her cup down on the table, drew a pistol and set it down next to the cup. The man’s expression lost all it’s mirth and he left without a word. The three women were silent for a moment, then erupted in laughter.

“Alright, ye made your point,” Belita said, moving her hand back to Bella’s shoulder.

“Jack!” Bella said, making a small clicking sound with her mouth. From the wooden awning above a small red and black furry face appeared hanging upside down. Bella gestured in the direction of their uninvited guest. She clicked with her mouth again. The monkey ran down the support post and along the road after the retreating man, who looked like he’d already set his sights on a new group of women.

“What was that?” Janie asked. She’d only been able to see a glimpse of the monkey through the mirror.

“Oh, I just thought that guy should buy us a drink for the trouble of interrupting us. I sent my little cutpurse after him,” Bella smiled.

Captain Vex laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. “Ye trained your monkey tae cut purses?”

“Why does everyone always seem so surprised at that?” Bella asked rhetorically.

Janie looked aghast. “All he did was come over to talk to you,” she said, trying to be admonishing.

“Uninvited. With clearly lecherous motivations,” Bella said, sounding anything but admonished.

“So you robbed him?” Janie shook her head.

“Time is valuable,” Bella shrugged. “Just because he didn’t know there was a toll doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to pay it.”

“That doesn’t seem right at all,” Janie shook her head.

“Nope, sure innae,” Captain Vex smirked. “Damn sure is funny though. The world would be a far sight different if’n every man who thought he could barge in on a group of women with a smile an’ a leer ended up havin’ tae drop some coin for th’ privilage.”

Janie couldn’t help but smile a bit at that. “I suppose that’s true.”

“Back tae business. Recruitment,” Captain Vex said, taking a drink.

“As much as I hate to say it, I think this part would be easier with a man present,” Bella sighed. “I don’t think the three of us are going to be taken seriously by prospective crewmembers.”

“Well that’s a dramatic turnaround,” Jaine said dryly.

“I’m a pragmatist,” Bella shrugged.

“Ye’re also wrong, luv.” The Captain picked up her cup again. “Anyone who dinnae take us seriously, we don’t want as crew anyways. It’s a self-correcting problem, an’ with Janie’s help we’ll know for sure.”

“What if we don’t find anyone?” Bella asked. She fed her familiar one of the sugared dates they’d bought off a street vendor on their way here. He took it greedily and ran up one of the posts that held up the railing and the awning above.

Captain Vex shrugged. “Then we’re short-handed a while longer an’ we try again at the next port.”

“Sounds like a long night,” Bella sighed.

“For Janie an’ m’self, aye. Ye can come an’ go as ye please. Ye don’t need tae be here for yer presence tae be made known. The mirror does that for ye,” Belita gestured with her cup again.

Bella hadn’t thought of that, but she found she didn’t like the idea of wandering around alone on an unfamiliar island teaming with drunk people, even if they did seem happy and accepting of the idea of witchcraft. Her paranoia was already making itself known in her head. She didn’t need to make it worse. “I’ll stay,” she said.

“Suit yerself,” Belita said. “One North or the other aught tae be along with our first round of prospects soon.”

____________________

“Will, I-” Jack found herself cut off by Will’s raised finger. He was squinting through a spyglass off in the direction of the bruised sky.

“Your eyes are better than mine,” he said after a moment. He sunk a bit lower so that the glass was at head height for Jack and then moved away from it, holding it carefully in the same place. “See that ship?”

Jack ducked under his arm and stood up until her eye was flush with the aperture. For a moment she was distracted by the fact that his arms were around her shoulders and they were close enough that she could feel the heat from his body. She abruptly decided that she did not want to think about that and focused on the task at hand. Against the horizon she could see the outline of a Caravel. It’s sails were up, and it was riding low in the water. The purples behind it were fading quickly. In another few minutes it would be invisible. “Yes, what am I looking for?”

“Rigging,” Will said.

Jack tried to focus on the ropes. At this distance they were very faint, nearly invisible. “I don’t know much about rigging, Will. What am I looking for?”

“Ladders. Like ours,” Will said.

Now that he said it, she could make them out. They looked like faint spiderwebs, black lines against purple. If he hadn’t said anything she’d have missed them. “I see them.”

“Are you sure?” Will asked. It was rare that he questioned her like that.

“Yes,” she said firmly. “I definitely see them.”

“I wanted to be sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. At this distance it’s hard to tell for sure,” Will said. He took the glass back for one last look and then collapsed it. “Too dark now for anything else, but that was the important thing. Thank you.”

“Why is it important?” Jack asked, looking up at the Kestrel’s own ladders.

“Because this kind of ship usually doesn’t have them,” Will said. “Not like ours, anyway. This is an extremely irregular rigging pattern.”

“And that ship has it too?” Jack asked. “That does seem coincidental.”

“It didn’t three days ago,” Will said. “It does now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I first saw that ship the day after we left Bastard’s Bay. I thought it was caught on a reef. Now it’s on our horizon again, and it looks like us.” Will sat down on the bench that ran along the back of the sterncastle. Jack followed and sat with him.

“I’m not sure I understand the significance,” Jack shook her head. She spent a lot of time on boats, but she wasn’t much of a sailor. The minutia was mostly lost on her.

“I don’t either,” Will shrugged. “It’s just… strange. It gives me a bad feeling.”

“Alright,” Jack said with a glance back to the sunset. “What do you want to do about it?”

“Do you know of any ghost ship legends in this area?” Will asked.

“Not off the top of my head. We’re still in Magistrate waters. They might be difficult sometimes, but they do a very good job of driving off the more exotic threats.” Jack leaned back and looked up at the sky, thinking.

“I’m usually pretty up to date on those stories, and I haven’t heard of anything new,” Will said, half to himself.

“If it was a ghost ship, it was a remarkably clean and solid looking one,” Jack said. Will nodded his agreement.

“Might not be anything, and if it is there’s nothing we can do about it right now. We’ll just keep our eye on the horizon when we set sail again,” Will said purposefully relaxing. “What did you want to talk about?”

The moment distilled itself in Jack’s mind. The way they conferred and worked together. The way he trusted her when he needed a second opinion. The way they defaulted back to a functional partnership. The moment wrapped in his arms that had felt so… easy The way they were now, next to each other, alone under the sky quietly contemplating the next challenge.

“Nothing,” she said. “It can wait.”

“I like your shirt,” Will smirked, still looking out over the water and not actually at her shirt at all.

She smiled. “I know.”

_______________________

“How are ye finding ‘em so fast?” Belita asked Danica. Her First Mate was leaning on the other side of the rail with her back to the street. They’d just sent away the latest in a string of out-of-work sailors who were very excited at the prospect of taking a berth on the Kestrel. There were five more waiting inside, but they were taking a break while Janie slipped away to talk with Caine.

“Apparently there’s a lot of sailors looking for work right now,” Danica said after a pull on her mug. “A bunch of ships that were expected in the last month haven’t showed.”

“Pirates?” Belita asked.

“If it is, they’re slick. These are busy waters,” Danica said. “From what I’ve gathered it seems more like what you’d see if there was a blockade, but there isn’t one.”

“Anything we need tae worry about?” Belita asked.

“Could be. Hard to tell. There’s a bunch of theories, but nothing that rings true. It seems to be isolated to medium sized ships.” Danica drained her mug. The table was out of her reach, so she and handed it off to Bella.

“Like the Kestrel.” Captain Vex’s eyes hardened. “Tell your husband to fill out as much of the armory as he can tonight.”

“Aye, Captain. I know that’s on his list. I’ll have him bump it up in priority. Now I’m off to the next bar to find more sailors,” Danica said with a tip of her hat. The Captain gave her a nod and then Danica was lost in the crowd.

“Ye’re a diviner, right? Any way ye c’n find out what’s going on?” Captain Vex asked Bella.

Bella put another date on the table. Jack the monkey ran down to retrieve it and ran back up to his perch again. “I’m… not that kind of diviner.” Bella said. “I’m not a clairvoyant. My magic is more about looking into possible futures, and trying to nudge things in the direction of something good,”

“Well, that’s better than nothing,” Belita said. “How do ye do it?”

“I’ve never done a reading on a ship before. I think it would work better if we did a reading on you,” Bella said.

“Ye’re talking about cards,” the Captain said, catching on. “That works.”

Bella began rooting through her large purse and came out with a velvet bag. She untied it, pulled a cloth out and spread it on the table, then took her cards out and set them on the cloth. “Shuffle them. On the cloth, please.”

Belita leaned in and gave the cards a few practiced shuffles. When she set the cards down, bella trapped her hand on top of them. “Now kiss me,” the witch said with a small smile. Belita grinned and leaned forward even more. Their lips met and Bella’s finger’s touched the Captain’s sternum.

Belita felt a tickle run through her and she pulled back, eyes wide. “What was tha’?”

“Just establishing a connection,” Bella said with a small smirk. “You’re going to draw five cards and put them on the cloth face down. Before each draw you’re going to cut the deck. After each draw you’re going to shuffle them. I’m going to help you visualize.”

“Is this going tae take long? We’re still in the middle of our interviews,” Belita asked, suddenly a bit skeptical about the complexity and time.

“Not long at all,” the witch shook her black curls. “This used to be my breadwinner. On a good night I could do five of these in an hour.”

Belita grinned. “Alright, witch. Do your worst.”

“First you need to clearly ask and visualize a question,” Bella said. “What is it you want to know.”

“What’s going on that’s making ships go missing and not reach port, and how do I avoid it?” Belita said.

Bella shook her head. “Too broad. Narrow it down.”

“What’s the best way to make it safely from here to Drifter’s Key?” Belita asked.

“Much better. Now, think of that question, and visualize the situation you are in right now. You, and your ship, here,” Bella said. “Then cut the deck and draw a card.”

Belita looked in the direction of the Kestrel and pictured her ship in her mind’s eye. She knew every inch of her, but when she imagined herself as well, it was always at the helm. She cut the deck and drew a card, setting it on the soft velvet. Then she picked the cards up and shuffled them again.

“Now picture what has led you to this point. The course you took to get here,” Bella’s guiding voice said. The Captain cut the cards, drew one, and shuffled. “Next are the hidden influenced. You’ve established the present and the past. This card is about the things you don’t know.” Belita cut, drew, and shuffled again. “The next card is about the environmental influences on the situation. This is the state of the world you are headed into, and how it might change the outcome.” Cut, draw, shuffle. “The last card is your answer. It builds on all the cards that came before it and gives you a glimpse into the future.” Belita took a deep breath and cut the deck again, setting the last card on the table.

Bella set the deck aside and flipped over the first card. She tried to keep her face calm, but Belita noticed the fear and worry that flickered across it. “The Tower.”

“What’s that mean?” Belita asked.

“Disaster.”

_____________________

“The Teach gang has put a bounty on you,” Caine said quietly.

Janie felt the blood drain from her face. She’d known it was a possibility, but the reality of it still came as a shock. “So soon?” It was all she could think to say.

Caine nodded and took another sip off his ever-present tankard. He was facing straight ahead across the floor of the Lounge looking at everything and nothing, the same way he always did when he was working. Janie sat next to him keeping her voice low. She hoped her veil and makeup did a good enough job of hiding her face and her expressions that onlookers wouldn’t know that she was fighting off a feeling of panic. She took a breath and steeled herself. Putting on a mask of unflappable aloofness was a skill she’d mastered long ago. She hadn’t broken when those horrible men had broken into the Lighthouse, or on the docks, and she wasn’t going to break now.  

“What should I do?” Janie asked calmly.

“For now, nothing. I have some folks working to spread word that you’ve been smuggled out. It might throw them off the scent. Just keep the disguise up. It seems to be working,” Caine replied.

“What about the… staff here? They know? Now there’s a reward. What if someone takes

it?” Janie asked.

“I don’t think that will happen. We look after each other pretty well. Anyone who doesn’t isn’t around long,” Caine said. “Still, you’re safer here than anywhere else on the island. Even if they find out you’re here, I doubt they’ll break the truce to come get you. The Old Man would have their heads.”

Janie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Alright. I suppose nothing really changes. Thank you for telling me.”

Caine didn’t answer so she picked up the drink she’d ordered and headed back across the lounge towards Bella’s alcove.

“Sister? Ah, Sister Evangelina?” she turned and saw a familiar face. Her first client. Her only client so far. Her John. She didn’t know what to say or do so she said nothing. She simply waited. An awkward silence stretched for a few moments.

“I… was hoping you would be free?” John asked. She didn’t know his name, but he was John in her head.

“I am afraid not, John,” she said, her voice cold and distant.

“Uh, my name isn’t-” She cut him off.

“I don’t care,” she said crisply. “Here, to me, you are John. If you ever earn the right to have your name fall from my lips, I will let you know.”

John blinked, then nodded. “Uh, alright. John then. When can I see you again?”

“Tomorrow. After sunset. Before midnight,” Janie said, making things up as she went, hoping the part she was playing didn’t crack. Apparently it didn’t. John smiled and nodded.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sister,” he turned to leave. Her voice stopped him.

“John,” she said crisply.

He turned around, looking surprised and confused. “Uh, yes?”

“You did not thank me, John. I’ve graced you with my time and presence, and you have not expressed any gratitude. You will learn the error of that tomorrow,” Janie said. She felt like she barely recognized her own voice. Where had that come from?

“Uh, yes sister. Thank you sister,” John said, clearly reeling, not sure of what else to say. Before he could say anything else she turned on her heel and left, her walk high and proud.

As soon as she was behind the curtain and safely in her alcove she let her breath out. Her hands were shaking. “What… was that?” she asked herself out loud. She shook her head and rushed back to the mirror, lighting the candles and letting the strange fog rush in to reveal a place that had never felt further away.

_________________

“So, the cards are sayin’ that the safest way tae get from ‘ere tae Drifter’s Key is through… disaster?” Captain Vex had one elbow leaning on the table and was looking at the cards like they were playing a trick on her. She was just drunk enough that her accent was coming in extra strong. “You sure they understood the question?”

“Did you?” Bella asked. “The cards are a reflection of the person drawing them.”

“Maybe it’ll make more sense if we do the rest,” Belita made a face and pointed to the next one. “What’s this one again?”

“The past. The events that led you to this present situation.” Bella flipped the card over. “The Jack of Coins. That card represents ambition. Desire. It isn’t necessarily bad or good. Just a description of motivation.”

“Yeah, a’right. That one makes sense,’ Belita conceded. “The next one is the stuff I dinnae know, right?”

“That’s right. Hidden influences, either unknown, secret or overlooked.” The witch flipped the card. It was the moon, but it was upside down. “Well that’s not terribly helpful.”

Belita raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Bella to explain.

“It means confusion or misinterpretation,” Bella said with an apologetic smile.

Belita laughed. “So the hidden influences are the ones I don’t understand.” She rolled her eyes. “Thanks cards. Real useful, ye are.”

Bella flipped over the next card, the two of swords, also upside down. “The environment. Hmm. This card, in this position, represents a situation or choice with no good answer. Any choice is bad, and the best you can hope for is the option that results in the least damage.”

“Well fuck,” Belita said, her mirth suddenly gone. “So the whole world really is against me.”

“Well, for now it looks that way,’ Bella said. “Keep in mind that these readings aren’t literal. They’re usually very clear in hindsight, but they are often very hard to interpret correctly. At best, they give you an idea of the kinds of things you can expect so you can be emotionally prepared for them.”

“Aye, that’s what I’m getting. Give me the last one. There has to be something good in the answer, right?”

Bella made a small shrug and flipped the last card. “Ace of swords. Clarity of action. A breakthrough.”

“Hmm. Well, that seems positive?” Belita asked, not really sure what to make of it all.

“I agree.”

“So, I’m headed toward disaster, and I have nothin’ tae blame but my own ambition. The things I haven’t noticed yet are confusin’ me, and I’m going tae end up having tae deal with a situation that there aren’t any good ways outta. The best way through is to make a decision in a moment of clarity and have a breakthrough. Do I have all that right?”

“That’s how I read them,” Bella agreed.

“Well, that’s helpful. Sorta,” the Captain’s brows narrowed. “Seems a little vague. Like those things could be applied tae any situation.”

“But they aren’t about any situation. They’re about this one.” Bella swept up her cards, whispered a small incantation to purge off any excess energy, and slipped them back into their bag.

“Definitely somethin’ tae think about,” Captain Vex smiled.

The mirror clouded and cleared to reveal a panicked looking Jaine.

“Bella, my John came back! I… I made an appointment with him!” She looked distraught.

Bella’s black eyebrows brows rose. Her lips opened as if she were about to speak, but she didn’t say anything at first. It took her a few moments to change focus in her head. “It doesn’t sound like you are very happy about that.”

“He came up to me and asked if he could see me again! I just… panicked and told him I’d see him tomorrow night!” Janie was so wild-eyed that they could see it through her veil.

“You have a regular,” Bella smiled. “Treat him well and he’ll send a lot of coin your way.”

“I didn’t treat him well at all! I was actually... mean. I told him that I didn’t care what his name was and that I was going to punish him for not thanking me,” Janie shook her hands to release some of the excess energy she was carrying. It didn’t help.

Bella and Belita looked at each other, trying hard not to laugh. “So you gave him more of what he got from you last time?” Bella asked.

“Yes!” Janie’s voice nearly broke.

“It sounds like that’s what he wants. Give it to him,” Bella smiled.

“I don’t know if I can?” Janie took a few quick breaths. “What if last time was a fluke? I had Tonya there to help, and I wasn’t feeling like myself, and the disguise was exciting. Now, I’ve gotten more used to it, and it feels more like me, and I’m not supposed to draw attention to myself-”

“Janie, breathe lass,” Belita interrupted. “You’re just fine. You dinnae have tae do anythin’ ye don’t want tae do.”

“You can always cancel,” Bella said. “Just tell Caine or Ruby at the bar. They’ll let your John down gently.”

Janie started breathing slower. She nodded. “Caine said there’s a price on my head now,” she said a bit more calmly.

Both the women on the other side of the mirror sat up and leaned in at that news. “And tha’ wasn’t what you wanted tae tell us first?” Belita asked.

“Why is that the part of this you’re calm about?” Bella asked right on Belita’s heels.

Janie shrank a bit, and gave a small shrug. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem as worrying as the… the thing with John.”

Bella muttered something in her native tongue. The Captain shook her head. “Janie lass, ye make no sense at all sometimes.”

“I know,” Janie said apologetically. “There’s just nothing I can really do about the bounty. It doesn’t change anything for me right now. The… the other thing. That’s different. I have to do that.”

“You don’t have to,” Bella repeated.

“I said I would. I made the appointment, I feel like I should keep it. That’s the professional thing to do.” Janie pursed her lips.

“Oh, so now ye’re a professional? That dinnae take long,” Belita snorted.

Bella gave the Captain a gentle whack on the thigh. “Be nice.”

Janie felt her cheeks redden, and again she was thankful for her makeup and veil. “I didn’t mean that kind of professional. I just meant in general.”

“Do you want to take John on as a client?” Bella asked. “You don’t have to decide now. You have until tomorrow night to think about it.”

“Can you be there? Through the mirror? Just to… to help me?” Janie asked.

“I don’t know if I want your client knowing about the mirror,” Bella said.

“He won’t. I’m going to keep him in the chair with his back to it. He won’t even know you’re there,” Janie said, her voice edging towards desperation.

“So you want me to just watch you?” Bella asked. “Why?”

“Because you give me permission. You make me feel like everything I want is alright. That I’m still good for wanting them,” Janie said. She didn’t sound desperate anymore. Instead, she sounded a bit scared.

Bella’s eyes misted. “You are a treasure, Janie Castilain. Of course I’ll help you.”

“You’ve got a line thirty deep, Captain,” Mister North said as he came through the doorway. He saw the trio of women and read the room a bit. “Am I interrupting? They can wait.”

Belita looked from North to Janie. Janie took a breath and nodded. Belita turned back to North. “We’re ready.”

North waved the first sailor in. The man who came through the doorway was the biggest Akula any of them had ever seen. He was an inch or two taller than Colin Strong and a full hand broader. He didn’t have Colin’s defined physique through. This Akula was softer looking, with a bit of paunch and the boxy physique of a circus strongman in the off season. He was shirtless, wearing loose calf-length pants, a thick belt with a shoulder strap, and sandals that strapped around his ankles. The wooden, leather wrapped handle of some kind of weapon poked up over his shoulder. His skin was dusky and dark, but he had some kind of skin condition that left large bleached blotches all over him. His face and most of his chest and stomach were pale, as was a mottled pattern down his right arm. His skin was further altered by the myriad of tattoos across his body. They seemed mostly to be layered series of triangles set in sweeping, wave like patterns that started on his bald head and ran down his shoulders, arms and torso. Against the pale blotches they were stark and bright.

“Reeve?” Captain Vex said, surprised. She stood up and shook the big man’s hand. His meaty grip completely engulfed hers. His neck was wider than her head. It seemed to start just below his ears and slope out to join his shoulders. “What the hell are ye doing here?” she asked.

The big Akula grinned. His teeth had been notched in a way that made them look pointed. “Had to spend some time as a guest of the local law. I was on a deadline so I sent my ship ahead. Now I need to catch up to it. I hear you’re headed that way.”

Bella blinked as the realization hit her. The teeth were the last piece of the puzzle. The discolored face and chest. The scale-pattern tattoos. The man looked like a land-walking shark.

“Ye’re headed to Drifter’s Key?” Belita asked, sitting back down and gesturing for Reeve to take a seat. He carefully set his bulk down on the stool, looking a bit ridiculous.

“Aye. Can you get me there?” Reeve asked.

“I dinnae have any cabins an’ I’m full up on passengers. Ye’d have to work as crew,” Captain Vex said.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Reeve smiled again, this time thankfully without the teeth. “It’ll be nice to let someone else give the orders for a change. What’s with the lady in the mirror?”

“I hired a witch. She’s helping with vetting new crew,” Belita explained. “Bella, Janie, this is Captain Reeve.”

“Just Reeve is fine. Until I get back aboard my ship, you’re the Captain,” Reeve said with a nod in Belita’s direction. “Ladies. Pleasure’s mine and all that.”

Janie gave him a small nod, retreating back into her cool, unflappable guise as Sister Evangelina. Bella wasn’t sure what to make of the giant Akula, but she cleared her throat and said. “Likewise.” She found herself feeling nervous. She’d had enough bad experiences in her life that she’d developed a list of traits to watch out for. Most N’Madi shared that. Their various observations and warnings about how to spot people who might do them harm were a cultural cornerstone. She could practically hear her mother’s words of warning in her head as the big man tried to get comfortable on his small seat.

“So what now?” Reeve asked Belita. “Do I tell North to add me and my boys do your roster?”

“Your boys?” she asked.

“Aye, there’s four of my crew with me. I can vouch for all of them,” Reeve said.

“What were you in for?” Belita asked.

“Smuggling,” Reeve shrugged. “Someone who fit my description was seen loading a boat full of molasses that hadn’t been stamped and taxed.”

“Who the hell else fits your description?” Belita snorted.

“I saw a bear once who looked kinda like me?” Reeve grinned. It was not a pleasant sight.

“Did it have mange?” Belita asked.

Reeve chuckled. “Naw, it was just ugly.”

Belita burst out laughing. “Alright, I think we’re about done here,”

Bella spoke up. “Just a few quick questions Mister Reeve?’

The big Akula glaced at Captain Vex and then shrugged. “Shoot.”

“Do you have any problems working aboard a ship with a Witch, or an Asura?” Bella asked.

Reeve raised an eyebrow. “You got an Asura too? Impressive. No, I don’t have any problems with that.”

“Do you have problems taking orders from women?” Bella asked.

“You should meet my lady. I’m used to it,” Reeve grinned. For some reason the news that Reeve had a woman in his life who gave him orders was surprising to Bella. She mentally checked herself, reminding herself that it was wrong to judge a book by it’s cover. Still, her discomfort lingered.

“What are your thoughts on crew fraternization?” Bella asked.

Reeve shrugged. “What folks get up to in their off time is their business. If it turns into a work problem, I’ll say something. Until then, I don’t care.”

Captain Vex looked at Janie. Janie nodded. The Captain reached her hand out to Reeve. “You’re hired, and your crew with you. For the duration of the trip to Drifter’s Key you’re my Bosun.”

Reeve shook her hand. “I’ll tell the Norths. It’ll be good to sail with you again, Captain.” He stood up and walked back inside. As he left, Bella’s eyes went wide at the sight of the massive hook carved out of bone that hung on a baldric across his broad back. It had shark’s teeth set into it’s edge. She leaned forward for a better look, but he Reeve was out of sight before she could see more.

“That was the most terrifying man I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said quietly. “Are you sure about this?”

“Reeve’s scary looking, but he’s one of the best sailors I’ve ever seen. He’s a legend among the Akula. We’ll be glad to have him aboard,” Captain Vex said.

“Janie?” Belita asked, not convinced.

“He was straightforward and honest about everything he said. I didn’t notice anything that might have been false about his words or his body language,” Janie said. “He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s a smuggler.”

“He knows I don’t care. Most sea captain’s have done some smuggling in their time. I know I have,” Belita shook her head.

“You’re the captain,” Bella said.

“Aye, so trust me,” Belita said a bit pointedly. “I’ve sailed with him before. He’s a professional. If we’re going into rough waters, he’s exactly who we want with us.”

“Unless he is the rough waters.” Bella’s face wrinkled up in distaste.

“You’re being paranoid,” Belita fired back. “Janie said he’s fine, right?”

“I said he was honest.” Janie clarified. “I’m usually a pretty good judge of character, but a lot of that is intuitive. It’s harder through the mirror. I don’t know if I can describe how. It’s just… harder to read intentions this way. This isn’t a Truthtelling. I can’t force anyone to give answers they don’t want to, and there’s nothing actually stopping anyone from lying. I can only try to read between the lines of what the people we interview choose to say. Just because Mister Reeve was straightforward and seemed to be telling the truth doesn’t mean he’s a good person,” Janie caught Bella’s satisfied look and continued. “It doesn’t mean he’s bad either. It just means I don’t think he lied to us or bears us ill-will right now.” Bella’s look faded.

“That’s good enough for me,” Belita said. “We’re undermanned. We need competent sailors, and he comes with four more.”

“I hope you’re right,” Bella sighed. “Maybe I’m just paranoid. I don’t think someone would cultivate a presence like that unless it was to make it easier to scare people.”

“Well yeah.” Captain Vex wasn’t following Bella’s reasoning. “He’s not the first sailor I’ve seen who tried tae cultivate a fearsome reputation. I guess I’m just not impressed by the theatrics anymore. Takes a thief tae catch one, and all that.”

“Anyone who’s trying to scare people on purpose isn’t doing it out of the goodness of their heart.” Bella said “They’re doing it because fear makes whatever else they’re trying to do easier. I can’t think of anything good that comes out of that.”

“I can,” Belita said.

“I can too,” Janie said.

Bella was surprised that Janie agreed. “Really?”

Janie gave Bella a small smile. “Caine.”

Bella blinked. She’d known Caine for years. She lived with him and worked with him. He was one of the few people she trusted and was willing to rely on, but Janie was right. His reputation was fearsome, and well earned. She just didn’t think about it much because none of the things that made Caine frightening were a threat to her. She slowly nodded, understanding.

She hadn’t known Janie to be wrong in her assessment of anyone yet. If Reeve was a risk, Janie would have said so. Bella slowly nodded. “I guess I need to think about it more. Sorry I got worried.”

Mister North stuck his head out onto the patio. The captain gave him a nod. He sent out the next sailor.

Bella barely heard the interview. The captain and the sailor talked, Janie watched. Bella stared off into space, trying to shake the nagging sensation that something important had just happened, and she’d missed it.