White and Black Pearls 3 - Ten Pearl Strand

Chapter Ten

“There, that wasn’t so hard,” Beckett purred as he slipped the bracelets onto his own wrist and the Black Moss back into his pocket. He smiled charmingly, but it only made Calypso spit at his feet. “Now then.” He looked over to Jack, then at Davy Jones. “Gentlemen. I have some work for you to do. Jack Sparrow, since your little sprite is only human right now these pearls don’t control much at all. I’ll have you apprehend her please, and keep her near.”

Jack’s head turned, and he was surprised to find himself moving to obey Beckett’s orders. “What?” he cried out. “No!” He grabbed hold of Celeste and pulled her arms behind her back.

Beckett laughed. “Resist all you want,” he taunted. “Davy put up quite the fuss as well, but there’s no breaking the bond between us. Hold her still. Jones.” He turned to Davy. “Apprehend Barbossa.”

“Arr!” Barbossa roared, drawing his sword at the defense. “Just try it!”

Jones lumbered forward and appeared very clumsy and slow, but when Barbossa swung his blade, it was caught in Davy’s claw. Davy twisted his arm to one side, snapping the blade in two, and his other hand shot forward, the tentacle wrapping around Barbossa’s throat and squeezing. The current captain of the Black Pearl thrashed, refusing to accept defeat just yet, and thrust his hand forward, sinking the half-blade right through Davy’s chest and out his back.

Calypso gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hands, but was relieved to see Davy didn’t even flinch. Instead, he slammed his blunt claw into Barbossa’s face, rattling his teeth, and then into the man’s stomach in an uppercut, knocking the wind out of him. Before Barbossa could recover from the blows, Davy Jones lifted the man up high by the neck and slammed him headfirst into the sand, robbing him of consciousness once more.

The weary, betrayed party standing before Beckett seemed to grow heavier with weight on their shoulders as Beckett walked past them with a smirk. “Well then,” he said calmly. “It looks like we’re ready for our voyage. Shall we?” They all followed behind Beckett, over to the waiting raft that Barbossa and his men had used to reach the island from the Black Pearl. He paused as they were all loading into the boat, and looked out into the distance at the familiar ship sitting dead in the water. “Well, well. Calypso, as your first chore for me, it’ll be your job to churn the waters so that ancient heap of wood follows behind us on our journey back to Port Royal. I’ll be successfully eliminating every pirate and threat to the security of the East India Trading Company and the Majesty’s Royal Navy all in one fell swoop it seems.”

On the way to their means of travel, Celeste picked up the pile of Jack’s belongings and clothes, and she offered them up to Jack with a dulled expression on her face, unable to even bring up the strength to be hurt any more and having given up hope. After Barbossa was dumped on the floor of the boat, Calypso and Celeste were designated to be the ones to row the little vessel out to the Pearl. Both of the women appeared miserable in their positions but still wouldn’t make eye contact with each other as they rowed.

As the boat drifted across the waters towards the Black Pearl, Jack looked up at it longingly, before over his shoulder at Celeste. She looked so different while human; she didn’t look powerful and terrifying, she looked humbled, and meek, and weary. She looked like she wanted to cry but was too worn out to do even that, and she looked dirty and tired. She looked so… mortally wounded.

“I warned ye, Sparrow,” Jones said grimly as he closed his eyes and sucked in another rattling breath.


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