Star of the Sea
Anger
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Chapter Twelve - Anger
“Damn, damn, damn”
Jack was watching with interest, Maia had stopped pacing for a few minutes,
standing at the rail with her head down she had looked into the water for some
time. Then the pacing had renewed, this
time with a suppressed anger that seemed to hiss and spark from her, and he
could see her cursing, her lips forming each word, spitting them out one after
the other. Until finally she stopped
dead. To look up at him and he saw her
visibly pull herself together as if someone had placed a rod of steel that
reached from the top of her head to her very toes and she pushed her shoulders
back….the very movement causing interesting things to happen as her breasts
strained at the tight vest. He was
thinking about that and was momentarily distracted by the thought, that was why
he jumped when her finger prodded him in the chest.
“We need to talk”
He was backing away from her but she kept prodding him in the chest. “Nothing
to talk about luv, nothing that I want to talk about, bloody horrible weather
innit, not a breath of wind.”
“That is what I want to talk about Sparrow” the finger prodded him again, and
then again.
He drew a breath and grabbed her hand wrapping his fingers around hers ignoring
the anger that flared in her eyes.
“Stop poking at me” his eyes were angry too and one be ringed finger shot out
to push her squarely in the chest “how do you like that Star of the Sea...”
again he pushed at her conscious that the crew was watching and that made him
angrier. He still had her hand clamped
in his when he swung looking down at them “bugger off you lot, you not got
enough work to be doing you can clean the bilges….get off with you” he was
furious and seldom was Jack Sparrow angry, they shot off as one and then they
were alone glaring at each other.
Now she gave a sharp twist, one hand pushing his chin, the tip of her boot
shooting out to jab him in the gut, propelling him back.
righted himself.
“Do not touch me like that again” her voice was a hiss, and there was anger and
another emotion in her eyes, but he could not tell what as the flicker was gone
as quickly as it had been.
“You need to learn some manners; nobody lays hands on the Captain like that….”
His eyes were hard rocks as he stared at her and they locked gazes neither of
them giving an inch. Then a wave that seemed to rise from the depths slapped
hard against the Pearl startling them both, spray splashed down on them and the
Pearl rocked, Jack grabbed at the wheel, but there were no more, just one big
wave in an otherwise calm sea.
“We need to talk”
“Well I don’t feel that need” Jack turned away from her to look out over the
same stretch of ocean he had been staring at for days.
“You and I both Jack but if we don’t then we are going to be stuck on this
blasted ship for the rest of our days. And I for one would rather be anywhere
but here.” Silence he kept his eyes on the horizon.
“bloody hell” she grabbed his shoulder meaning to spin him around to face her,
but this time he was ready, this time he caught her arm, pulling her off
balance, pulling her into him so that her face was inches from his. There was
no laughter in his eyes, his expression was deadly serious and Maia felt a
small quiver of fear in her belly. She had underestimated this man, he was not
as he seemed, she did not know him at all.
“I asked you not to do that”
“I don’t take orders from you” the rebuke was automatic, a need to prove that he
did not unsettle her, that she did not feel as though things were beyond her
control.
“This is my ship and while sailing under my command you do as I say, savvy?”
“Let go of me”
“Savvy?”
She could feel the panic starting to rise, she tried to push her thoughts out,
into his mind but somehow he had blocked her, it was impossible and she gasped
in shock.
“Care to try that again?” his voice was low and icy “seems that I know some of
the things in your head now too…” his laugh was not one of amusement, it was
cold, hard and she tried not to shiver.
The panic was threatening to choke her and she could feel herself drawing in
power, from everything around her, she was becoming dizzy, but fear was driving
her and she pulled in more, seeking to drive it out to conquer fear with anger,
with power. She could not show weakness, the air rippled around her…
“Stop that” the slap across her face made her blink, then gasp.
She was lying on the deck and he was leaning over her, the man that had been
there a moment ago was gone and there was concern and something else in his
eyes.
“You hit me” the words left her mouth before she could stop them, they sounded
like something that a hurt child would have said and she was no child and she
had been struck before. Battered with anger, hate and fear, fists and weapons
that had hurt body far more than the one slap that he had landed across her
cheek, but she had never thought that Jack Sparrow would have struck her,
never…
“Aye I hit you” he reached as if to press his hand against her cheek then
stopped, “you were somewhere else…going someplace else, someplace not good, it
was the only thing that I could think of to wake you..”
His hand was shaking, he noticed that and made an effort to still it, he did
not know what had happened, but she had started to shudder under his hands and
he could see fear in her eyes and he had been about to release her, he was not
a man to make a woman frightened but he had been determined that she would know
that he was not some plaything. But it seemed that he had left it too late,
something had shifted in her before his very eyes, and he could sense her panic
her beginning to do something that they would both be unable to prevent once it
had begun. So he slapped her.
“Here luv” he put an arm around her shoulder “try and sit up”
“Don’t touch me” her voice shook and she despised that sign of weakness, what
was happening to her, what had happened on that island, in his cabin. His arm
dropped as if he had been stung and he moved back before hunkering down to look
at her.
“I would never have hurt you” his voice was low and he went to lean forward to
tilt her chin upwards so that she would look at him, but then he stopped as she
flinched away, she did not want him to touch her. “You have to believe that,
you have nothing to fear from me.” But he could see the fear in her eyes still
and he felt cold, this was not what had been supposed to happen, he cast about
in his head for something else to say, something to move on from here, “what
did you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know” the tremor was still in her voice and she would not look up at
him and he pretended not to notice the tears that began to fall onto the wooden
decking, decking that had been soaked in blood, in rum and now seemed to be
flooded with sorrow. Awkwardly he put a hand on her shoulder, she did not
flinch away just wept harder, he steeled himself then wrapped his arms around
her, holding her close and she wept burying her face in his chest.
“It’s alright little one” his hands began to stroke her back, through her hair
and neither noticed that the wind had risen, that the black sails had filled
and were billowing until Gibb came thundering up the stairs shouting for Jack.