Battling Destiny

Chapter 8

James’s fingers plunged into her hair as he held her steady for the unexpected onslaught. Destiny’s skin was cool but her lips were warm and though her shock was obvious she returned his kiss ardently.

He pulled her closer until he could feel the heat radiating from beneath her soaked dress as she melted into his touch, wrapping her arms around his waist. His hands slipped from her hair to begin drawing lazy circles over her lower back.

She gave a soft mewing noise low in her throat that seemed to pierce him from his groin to his heart and that was enough to make him realize what he was doing.

Kissing her in a torrential rain storm in full view of any crew member who happened to walk by must surely be one of the most out of character and irresponsible things he had ever done on duty before. He released her so abruptly that she sank to feet for a moment.

Destiny quickly pulled herself up and stared into his handsome face with complete astonishment, not knowing which had thrown her worse his impulsive kiss or his sudden withdrawal.

“I’m sorry.” James said gruffly, trying to sound authoritative and unaffected.

“What are you apologizing for? Kissing me or not believing me when I was trying to warn you?” She dazedly asked, unconsciously running her fingertips over her lips.

“Kissing you. It was out of line and I apologize. It won’t happen again.” He answered, though he wanted nothing more than to pull her close again.

Destiny felt her temper flare that he wanted to ruin the single best moment in her life with an apology and tried to keep the hurt from reflecting in her eyes. Her temper soared further when she realized that he still wasn’t accepting her gifts as part of her. He wanted to pick and choose the things about her he felt comfortable with and ignore the rest of her. Well she was going to show him that it wouldn’t happen. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this infuriated.

“Do you really think it won’t happen again? No, let me tell you what you really think.” She said with her hands on her hips as she planted herself directly in front of him. “You’re mostly over Elizabeth and now you’re confused because I’m here. You’re confused because every second we spend together makes you realize how utterly ill suited Elizabeth was for you. You’re right of course but you also can’t quite figure me out. You physically want me; you think I don’t know how many times you almost kissed me yesterday? But you can’t keep far enough away from me emotionally, and that just isn’t….damn. You have a ship emergency and we’re about to be interrupted.” She continued is a rush before the impending soldier showed up.

“You know, instead of the kiss, I’d be sorrier for not listening to me. Maybe next time you’ll believe. Good night Admiral.” She finished angrily before spinning on her heel and gliding away.

“Destiny, wait…” James called after her and started forward.

“Admiral! I’ve been searching for you.” said a young soldier that came to a skidding halt in front of him. “It’s the mainsail.”

James peered into the storm but found Destiny had already disappeared into the darkness and allowed himself to be drug away.

Destiny had seethed for the rest of the evening and hadn’t slept well at all. Rover had caught her on the way back to her cabin to let her know that they’d be arriving at their first port of call early tomorrow morning and offered to escort her into town for anything she may wish to pick up.

This early into their journey she really didn’t need much except for a new pair of shoes. The ones she had carelessly discarded last night on the deck had been washed away by the storm, leaving her with only one pair.

Rover assured her Rum Cay island would have shoes and agreed to meet her just after they docked. She was looking forward to putting some distance between her and the ship…and James Norrington. She needed to regroup and was finding it much more difficult than usual.

James had rapped lightly on her door around midnight but she ignored him and thinking her asleep he’d given up and went to his own room. But not talking the rest of their issue out had left her restless and exhausted.

She stretched tiredly before leaving the confines of her cabin and heading above deck to meet Rover.

James hadn’t slept either. Guilt had clawed at him all night but when he managed to tamp that down he was trying to get his head around the fact that she was a Seer. He could not deny that fact any longer. Every single thing that she had hurled at him last night had been dead on. That didn’t make it any easier to hear but she’d been right.

He heard Destiny’s door close and rose from his perch on the chair to peek out to see her ascending the stairs. James couldn’t imagine why she was up so early…unless she was sneaking into Rum Cay. He knew she had no qualms about wandering the docks alone, given he’d admonished her about it in Port Royal, but he sure did. No woman under his watch was going to go traipsing anywhere off the Valiant unescorted.
Destiny?” James said as he stepped out into the hall and towards her. “Where are you going at this hour?”

She turned gracefully on the stairs and stared at him with what he could only call aloofness for a moment before she finally decided to answer him.

“Into Rum Cay.” She said with mild irritation.

So she’s still upset with me, he noticed.

“Not without an escort your not. You don’t know these ports, there could be scallywags about.” He replied with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I have an escort Admiral.” She flashed an overly sweet smile.

He hadn’t expected that answer and a fierce stab of jealousy sluiced through him. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from demanding, “Who?”

“Rover.”

He scanned his mind for a crew member named Rover and couldn’t recall one.

“Rover? What position does he hold?” James asked.

“He’s your Captain, Admiral!” She answered with surprise. “Captain Grover Netherland.”

“Rover? You call him Rover?” He inquired incredulously, the knife of jealously twisting further upon that knowledge.

Destiny didn’t answer, just stood staring at him as if she couldn’t wait to get away from him and get to Rover.

“You know he’s married.” James burst out.

“I beg your pardon?” She asked wide eyed.

“I bet he didn’t tell you he was married.” He said with self assured smugness.

“That’s a bet you would lose, Admiral.” She replied, wondering what in the world his point to the remark was…unless he was jealous. She was so tired her gift wasn’t functioning at its prime at the moment and she couldn’t read him.

“He told you? Then I bet you didn’t know he had a young child at home.” He said, his smile slipping from his face.


“I don’t have time for this. I’m expected on deck. Good day Admiral.” She said, ending the conversation with a curtsey and a roll of her eyes.

James watched her fade into the early morning light and forced himself to return to his cabin and not follow her, demanding that it should be he, not the Captain, that escort her.

Deciding she was more trouble than she was worth, he lay down on his bed and willed himself to sleep, thinking that it didn’t matter that another man was with her. After all, she was nothing to him but a job and with that though sleep blissfully came to him.

Hours later, James was woken by frantic knocking on his cabin door. Fully disorientated he fell out of bed and stumbled across the room to rip the door open, finding a panicked looking Captain Netherland on the other side.

“What in the bloody…” James began.

“They’ve killed Pantari and taken Miss Overland.” His captain panted.

“Who has taken her?” He demanded, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

“Pirates.” Rover said grimly.