Page 6 of A Descent Into Darkness

Isucked in a deep breath, my body jolting into consciousness. Muffled shouting had snatched me out of a dreamless sleep and now my heart pounded in my chest while my mind played catch up. A soft coo and the shift of a body beside me brought reality crashing back. The two girls from the previous night were tucked into my side, a spray of hair covering their faces, a tangle of blonde and brunette. My mind began to replay visions of the night’s activities and my cock twitched against the sheets.

But just when my thoughts were about to takea devious turn, the shouting returned, filtering up from the streets below. I gently removed myself from the girls. Their moans of protest had me cursing my curiosity. I should have stayed in bed and indulged in them again, but something nagged at me, luring me from the comforts of the bed.

Rays of sunlight streamed in through the window. I’d slept late. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept past the dawn. I hopped into my breeches as I made my way to the small window that overlooked the main street below. The road was filled with people, all of them bustling about, straining to see something that was just out of my view.

“Do either of you know what’s going on down there?” I called to the girls who were still spread out on the bed covered in nothing more than last night’s soiled sheets.

“Aye, today’s the trial for that poor orphan girl. The whole town’s been a buzz with the news.” The blonde answered with a yawn, looking more interested in returning to sleep than the obvious commotion going on in town.

“Since when does a lowly orphan girl garner so much attention? Looks like the entire towns in the streets.”

“That’s because she’s been charged with a capital crime.” I turned my attention from the window and cocked an eyebrow at the girl in the bed, my interest thoroughly piqued.

“They say she’s awitch,” she whispered the words as if God himself were listening in.

“A witch?” I repeated skeptically. Real magic was almost nonexistent in this realm. The accusation of witch wasusually nothing more than an easy death sentence for those that didn’t conform to society.

“It was Jeremiah Grant, the governor’s nephew, ya see,” she explained, her face becoming animated as she relayed the town gossip. “They say she cast a spell on him. Cursed the bastard to die a horrible death. That she poisoned his mortal soul. But if ya ask me,” she lowered her voice again to a whisper, “he deserved whatever he got. The devil may have sent a witch to do his dirty work, but I think God was happy to send that man to the pits of hell.” The scarred look on her face told me she knew firsthand of the evils the man had been capable of. “And now the governor is out for blood. Everyone knows today’s trial’s a farce. She’ll be burnin’ at the stake by daybreak tomorrow.”

I was entranced by the story. Maybe there was more to the girl than meets the eye. Could she be a fae in hiding? I had to get a better look. Not that the fae were easy to identify. Hell, I was still speculating whether or not Teach was fae, and I’d lived in close quarters with the man for years. My gaze reverted to the window, the crowd growing frenzied as a group of men pushed through, dragging a bound woman behind them. Her shackled wrists pulled her petite form forward, causing her to stumble in a vain attempt to keep up with her captors. Waves of blonde hair fell into her face, blocking me from seeing her clearly. Her clothes were filthy and threadbare, with several holes among the mud caked skirts.

“Make way! Coming through!” the men called, pushingthrough the crowd as they hurled rotten food and called derogatory names at the woman as she passed. None of it seemed to affect her. Her gaze was focused on the ground, and it drove me crazy that I couldn’t see her face. Something about her, the way she carried herself. Not at all like a young woman being led to her death. I needed to get closer. I needed to talk to her. If she was indeed a fae in hiding, I could offer my assistance in exchange for a favor. At this point, I was desperate to get back to Neverland. It had taken years to get close to Teach with no guarantee that he could actually get me there. I had to keep myself open to other options. No lead was too small to follow up on. Every day Peter Pan went on living without paying for his crimes against me was a day too long. I felt the demon flex in my chest. My vengeance was tired of waiting.

I pulled a few coins from my belt. “Thanks for last night. It was quite memorable.” I nodded at them, setting the tip on the bedside table, and grabbing the rest of my things.

I had to find Teach. See if he knew anything about this trial that seemed to grip the entire town. I found him lounging in the parlor, a voluptuous redhead sitting in his lap.

“James,” he called. A big grin spreading across his face. “You look well. A woman’s touch always does the trick. Are you ready?—”

“Do you know what’s going on in town? The trial, I mean.”

Teach plucked the woman from his lap, getting to his feet.All traces of the grin gone from his face. “Day one as my bo’sun and already you’re talking over me. Don’t forget your place. You live to serve me, not whatever whim takes your fancy.”

I took a step back, dropping my gaze from his cunning eyes. I’d learned to take orders at an early age, but it wasn’t something that came naturally. I knew my own mind, I had my own agenda, but I had to remind myself that my liberties were a temporary sacrifice to accomplish my ultimate goal. “I beg your pardon, Captain.”

“Ah, James, at ease, my boy. A taste of power always leaves you wanting more. It’s how you curb that hunger, only indulging at the proper time. That’s how real power is gained,” he said, clapping my shoulder. “Now, I have an important meeting to see to. I need you to take charge of the repairs while we’re at port. Get the cargo unloaded and be sure to post the most reliable amongst the crew to stand guard. I’ve arranged a meeting for you with one of the governor’s lackeys at noon. You’re to collect a payment, but you’ll only accept gold and silver. I’ll not take any bills of credit. I want to be out of this godforsaken town by the week’s end. We’ll ride out the rest of the storm season in New Providence.”

I almost laughed. We’d been at port less than twenty-four hours and his skin was already crawling with the need to leave. TheQueen Annenever stayed anchored for long. Teach was always searching, questing for something, and it wasn’t more riches. No matter how many ships we took, he wasnever satisfied. Seeing that I’d already gotten under his skin, I thought it in my best interest not to rile the man by questioning him on his neurotic behavior.

“Might I ask who you’ll be meeting?”

“You can ask, but you’ve not gotten into my good graces enough to earn a response. Now off with ya. The day is wasting away.”

“Aye, sir. And when should I expect you back?” It was a common question for the captain. But I hoped he couldn’t see through the façade. I needed to know how much time I had to complete my tasks and still look into the girl behind his back.

“I’ll be gone all day. Plan to meet me at the pub around seven o’clock. Take inventory of everything and we’ll discuss what rations we need to procure before heading to Nassau.”

I nodded briefly before turning on my heels. Teach was a master at reading people, and I couldn’t allow him to see the deceit flare in my eyes.

The sun had already sunkbelow its zenith when I finally managed to get through the double doors at the back of the courthouse. It was the finest building in the city, and it was filled beyond capacity. I’d had to use my size and the intensity of my glare to worm my way through the crowd. It hadn’t been pretty, but I’d gotten all of my responsibilitiestaken care of in record time before rushing into town. I’d pushed the crew hard—harder than the bo’sun before me—but I had to establish myself.

“Not sure what you’re playing at, James,” Henry said with a cautionary tone.

“They have to know that I expect the best,” I explained.

“Why do I get the feeling there is more to the story here?” he speculated.

“You and your damn intuition. It’s going to get you killed someday,” I joked. “But you’ll cover for me tonight, yeah?” I met his gaze with sincerity this time. He huffed and rolled his eyes.

---