Kindred Spirits

Chapter 9

Treading On Dangerous Grounds

Dee couldn't believe the idiot the other night had been no other than the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow himself. What a major disappointment. The tales she had heard led to believe he was a smart and witty man, able to wrap most women around his finger. This - however attractive - man was nothing like that at all. How could she even have thought of seducing him, eager to find out if those stories were true?

‘Well I see now that that was all just a load of BULL,’ she said louder than intended.

‘Pardon?’ Jack asked.

She ignored him.

Devon looked at her friend, ‘Ye sure yer not on something, Ana? This is really him?’

AnaMaria nodded.

‘Might as well face the music than, eh?’ Dee said with a small grin on her face. She knew leaving now would give the appearance she had been eager to meet him, and that meeting him last night had been the cause for her early departure. Hell no, she was staying, if only to talk to AnaMaria.

‘That mean the lovely lady wishes to dance?’ Jack said grinning.

‘The wisest thing fer ye to do right now, Sparrow, is to pipe down,’ Dee hissed, rolling her eyes.

She sat herself down in a comfortable looking chair. She heaved herself up a bit and folded her legs underneath her. Ana looked at the older woman. ‘How's the headache?’

‘Better thanks, much better.’

Jack smirked looking at the woman. One can only wonder what she got into last night.

‘Anyone care for a drink?’ he said waving his hands in front of Devon's face.

‘What's with yer hands, mate? Can't seem to control them, can ye?’

Ana leaned over and whispered in Devon's ear that the wild gesturing was part of the Captain's nature.

‘Very well then. As long as he just keeps waving them and doesn't start slapping or pulling triggers its fine by me.’

‘Ahem! A drink anyone?’ Jack repeated the question impatiently.

‘If it means yer buyin, we'll have rum thank ye very much.’

‘I never said I was buyin, ye saucy tart!’

‘In my book, the man who asks is the man who pays. Simple as that!’

Jack rolled his eyes, reaching for his gun.

‘Wouldn't want to be doing that, mate,’ Devon said calmly.

‘That's were you're wrong, luv. I really want to.’

‘Suit yerself then, but I must tell ye, no one shoots better or faster than Devon Duville, not even a sad excuse for a Capt'n such as yerself. When ye get ta pull that trigger, it'll be when yer muscles start ta spasm after my bullet has hit ye.’

Jack wanted to retort to her insult, but he just muttered something under his breath as he walked towards the bartender.

‘Long toes that man has, Ana. I cannot believe ye put up with his temper,’ Devon grinned.

‘Yer evil Dee,’ Ana retorted.

‘Gift from nature, dear.’

Both woman laughed as Jack returned with a bottle and three cups of rum.

‘Now I want some answers Duville.’

‘Depends on what ye want ta know. I shall not reveal secrets to the likes of ye that I've kept hidden for so long. Better to keep the illusion sometimes. You'll have ta agree with me on that. I bet ye're great at that, since some women are actually anxious ta get into bed with ye. Wonder why that is. Or do ye use witchcraft instead of illusions?’ Devon looked him boldly in the eye raising an eyebrow.

‘Woman! Will ye just keep yer bleedin' mouth shut for once? Or do I have ta gag ye in order ta keep ye quiet?’

‘I wonder how ye intend ta get some answers then? I mean I'm not good at giving answers when I have ta mime them.’

Jack really got pissed now. The nerve that woman had. He just wanted to beat her, or kill her or do whatever it took the shut her up. But he decided she might like pain or torture – probably did, given her reputation – so he decided to try and ignore her. How could a woman who looked that hot be such a pain in the arse?

He turned his head to Ana, switching the conversation in an attempt to control his temper. ‘Ana, mind telling me how you know the illustrious Devon Duville?’

‘Aye, when we were younger Devon worked in a bar close to where I lived when I was but a girl and our parents knew each other so we became...’

‘Ye mean Miss Duville here was a wench once?’ Jack interrupted Ana in the midst of her sentence.

Now was the time for Dee to do the interrupting. ‘Hell no! I tended the bar and I sang at night! I never slept with customers!’ she cursed herself for telling him this and she cursed Ana for not lying about their acquaintance.

‘Well ye tend to do lots of that now don't ya?’ Jack shot back. Then he realised something and his eyes widened, ‘Ye sing?’

Ana answered before Dee could, ‘Aye Jack, she's got a magnificent voice.’

Devon's eyes shot fire. ‘Thanks very much Ana! You've just killed the reputation I've worked so hard on!’

Jack grinned, ‘I suppose ye danced as well?’

‘Yer treading on dangerous grounds here, Sparrow.’ Devon gave him her most venomous glare she could muster.

‘So that's a yes?’ Jack grinned mischievously.

‘If ye don't shut that hole in yer face I will think it very tempting for me not to put another one in there!’ Devon couldn't stand the man. The arrogance, the way he looked at her, it made her sick. How could any woman fall for this man?

Jack grinned with an expression that seemed to say 'You wound me, dear,' and held his palms together as to apologise.

Devon decided to completely ignore him.

‘So Ana, how did ye get aboard the idiot's ship then, and whatever happened to yer own boat?’

‘He stole it! And seeing how he still owes me a boat, I decided to join his crew. And not long after that, I became his first mate’.

‘Ah, one can never sit too close to the fire, right? I mean, he could get killed some day, and then who would captain the ship?’ Devon answered trying desperately to ignore Jack who had lost interest in all other women in the tavern and was looking at Devon, at ALL of Devon there was to look at.

There she starts her blabberin' again. The woman's got a tongue like a razorblade. He couldn't believe he had been attracted to her the other night. Oh right, he remembered why, it was because she hadn't opened her mouth that often. Oh, but what a wonderful mouth she had... those lips were like cherries. Oh God, Jack. Control yerself, the wench ain't worth it! But her eyes, her breasts, her lips... they all called out to him.

Look at him drooling over me, while his eyes shoot daggers. Stupid blighter! Hush now Dee, don't let him know that he's pissing ye off like that! Don't let yer temper get the better of ye, Dee. The idiot doesn't deserve that. Ignore him, just ignore him... But somehow there was just something about him was a huge turn-on...

‘How 'bout ye?’, Ana asked and Devon snapped back into reality.

‘Huh?’

‘What happened to ye since Port au Prince?’

Devon told her what had happened to her since they had last seen each other. She recounted tales about Drake, about the pilfering she had done, the men she had been with and how she had become one of the best tattoo- artists as she learned the trade from Lee Yu-Wan, the Dragon Man.

‘You are the woman that worked for him then? You are the Dragon Lady? The one that used to work in Singapore until a couple of years ago?’

Devon nodded, ‘Yes, that would be yours truly.’

‘Is that how ye got that dragon on yer arm?’

‘Yup, I got branded a year before I met Lee and asked him to tattoo over it. I don't mind scars, but brand marks I strongly dislike. And after all, it's not proper fer a lady to have a P branded on her arm.’

‘Dee, do you think it's proper fer a lady to have as many tattoos as ye've got?’ Ana queried smiling.

Devon shrugged her shoulders. ‘Honestly never gave that much thought. Don't give a shit either. I like my tattoos and I'm proud of every single one.’ Looking over at Sparrow, she saw that his jaw had dropped at her comments and when she identified the look in his eyes she hissed. ‘And don't even try picturing me naked in search for more tattoos!’

‘A woman of many talents, that much I've heard. But ye also sing?’ Jack had decided to butt-in to the conversation.

Dee couldn't contain herself any longer. ‘Yes, many talents indeed. Talents you'll never witness yerself, Sparrow. All except for my biggest talent that is, I could show ye that if it suits yer fancy.’

Jack eagerly looked her in the eye ‘What talent would that be, dear? Does it involve ye and I to get naked?’

‘If ye want to get naked, by all means. But it would be a bit odd fer a Captain to die that way. I can kill ye at a 30 ft distance, eyes blindfolded and I would shoot ye straight through yer heart, dear,’ she batted her eyelashes and pouted her cherry lips.

‘That's impossible!’ Jack shouted. ‘No man can shoot that good, let alone a WOMAN!’

Devon rolled her eyes. ‘See that spider on the wall over there?’ She pointed her index finger at the nasty insect.

‘Aye,’ Ana and Jack nodded.

Devon stood up walking towards the other side of the bar.

‘She can't be serious. She's gonna kill someone,’ Jack said looking at Ana.

‘She's serious all right. Dee can't stand men underestimating her.’

Devon closed her eyes pulled out her silver pistol, lifted her hand and pulled the trigger. A shot was fired, and there was now a hole in the wall where the spider had been. Jack couldn't believe his eyes.

Devon walked back to the table and gracefully fell into her chair, turning to Sparrow and smirking, ‘Ye were saying?’

‘Improbable, luv, sayin it was improbable fer anyone ta shoot as good as ye obviously do.’

‘Case closed then,’ Dee said with her trademark grin back on her face. Sure proved him wrong she thought.

Several hours had passed and the Hazard's crew and the Pearl's crew had joined them in the Treasure Chest.

‘Dee? Can't ye sing tonight? Ye know for old time's sake?’ Ana asked the older woman pouting.

‘No there's no way in Hell I'm getting back on stage again! Never!’

Somehow Stevens and Dacosta had overheard the conversation.

‘Oh Dee, you must! Please sing to us, but don't sing chanteys, for ye only screw those up.’

‘First bring me more rum, then I'll see what I can do fer ye pathetic simpletons.’

A few more hours and several empty bottles later...

I should really stop drinking the blasted rum.

‘And now, The Treasure Chest proudly presents Devon Duville.’

Devon could see Sparrow gloating, probably thinking she'd back down. Hell, she thought she'd refused, but in spite of all her efforts she stood on the stage and the crowd just crew bigger and bigger. They yelled, whistled and made obscene gestures, and her crewmembers were possibly the worst amongst all the men. Then there was Sparrow, just sitting there waiting for her to screw up. She couldn't think straight, was this stage fright? Come on Dee, ye've done this hundreds of times before, its just like learning to swim, once yer back in the water, ye instantly know what ta do.

She started singing:

Devon sang a song about how she’d never become any ones wife. The words seemed to come from her heart and she sang them with a passion.

So Devon closed her eyes. The men didn't bother her in the least, she was used to being in the centre of attention, she knew how their perverted minds worked, but Sparrow... his eyes... There were sparks in his eyes, unpredictable ones, and for some reason she couldn't creep inside his mind. Hell, how did that happen?

Devon slowly walked around, sitting herself down on a few laps, looking seductively into the eyes of strangers. Hell. She was enjoying herself. She hadn't sung in front of a crowd in a long time.

And with that the crowd was applauding, whistling and going bananas. Devon gave a weak smile.

‘We want more, we want more!’ her crewmates yelled.

‘All right, one more ye shall have,’ Devon yelled and grinned back at them. She walked up to the man sitting behind the piano and whispered something in his ear. She strolled through the bar towards Jack Sparrow.

The next song she sang was a song about love, the only love she was able to give was skin deep… no one would ever touch her soul.

Devon stopped in front of him, pulling away the wench hat was in his lap, and taking her place. She looked him deep in the eye, and he swallowed.

She sang close to his ear, he could feel her breath down the side of his face. He was drawn into her dark blue eyes. He saw the green flecks glisten. He could tell that she was slightly drunk. Still, he just couldn't keep his eyes of her. How's that, Sparrow? You can't stand the woman, she's annoying, egotistical, cruel, a genuine Hellcat, but still... the woman turned him on. Big Time!

After she pulled the strumpet away from him, she sat in his lap face to face with the man that could very well be the nails in her coffin. But there was something about him that made her blood run cold. His eyes, it was as if they could see right through her. Something about those eyes aroused her, despite herself.

Devon let the fingers of her left hand trace his beard and his nose wiggled from the tickling sensation. She smiled seductively digging the nails of her right hand deep into the flesh from the hand that he had placed on her bum.

Then she got up and walked to another man, she did the same routine (except from the digging the nails part) to him, but the routine proved to have less enjoyment. Less enjoyment? What the blazes was goin' on?


Devon kept singing, but she could feel the dark kohl-rimmed eyes follow her cross the room. His eyes burned her skin. Dee tried to focus on the song, but she couldn't get rid of the strange feeling in her stomach. It was an ache, a craving, a strong desire. It was unmistakably...lust. A feeling she was so familiar with, but it felt so strange now.

She walked seductively towards the bar and crawled on top of it, she was acting like a tiger trying to attack its prey. She was back in charge, and thoroughly enjoying the power she had over men. But one look in Sparrow's direction and she could feel the leashes being taken from her hands into his. Damn, how could this happen? She fought the feelings Sparrow's eyes had given her. She crawled towards an unfamiliar face. 'Any face was better than HIS!' she thought, singing the words with as much determination she could muster. Don't let him win, Dee. You be in charge, you can fight this. She focused again on the man in front of her to take her mind off Sparrow and his damned eyes ... As Dee sang to him, a timid grin appeared on the man's face. She could see his yellow teeth showing. Good thing too, she needed distraction. The arousal Sparrow's eyes had given her the need to kill those feelings instantly.

She finished her song and let herself slide off the bar when raw, dirty hands grabbed her by the arm.

‘You and I need to have a little talk, don't ya think?’

‘Sparrow!’

‘That's Captain, luv.’

‘Whatever, Sparrow, just get yer bloody hands off me.’

Jack turned her around, twisting her arm behind her back, shoving her in front of him towards the stairs that led to the bedrooms. Devon struggled to get out of his grip, kicking wildly around her. Her struggles were futile, he had an iron grip.

‘Ye can fight Devon Duville, but ye can't win against yer own desires.’

Damn to the Blazes, how could he have possibly known?

‘I know you want me and I happen want ye too, so let's just give in, eh?’

Devon felt her heart jump in her throat. She wanted to, oh God she really wanted to – despite what her mind and her pride was telling her – but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of having her cornered. And even if that meant also declining herself from getting her own satisfaction, so be it.

‘No, Sparrow. That's where ye're mistaken. I like ta play and screw with yer mind a bit, but that's all there is to it.’ She reached for her dagger with her free hand and swiftly turned around, pressing the cool blade against his throat.

‘Such harsh words from such lovely lips. And there ye go bringing screwing up yerself,’ he said hoarsely. His eyes never lost track of hers.

‘Get used to the harsh words, that's all you'll ever get from me,’ she said more huskily than she meant to. Fire was raging through her body and her blue eyes glistened.

Jack pulled her towards him, grinning like a madman, looking down at her chest. ‘Dee, are those bullets in yer blouse, or are ye that glad to see me?’

‘Actually, Sparrow, those ARE bullets, golden ones. Made from my engagement ring!’

He raised an eyebrow, ‘Ye mean, you were engaged?’

‘Yup, but I got rid of the ball and chain. Ye didn't know? Thought ye knew all about me. Seems like ye judge the book by its cover too often, Sparrow.’

‘And some nice cover ye have, Duville.’

‘I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person, Sparrow.’

She suddenly realised the silence around them and as she turned her head, she saw everyone holding their breath, sitting on the tips of their chairs.

‘Kiss 'im already, Dee!’ Shredder yelled, first to break the silence.

‘Yeah, kiss the man!’

Dee grinned wickedly. ‘Well, I could give ye a sort of farewell kiss, I s'pose. I see no harm in that, besides I always wanted to know what a fool tastes like.’

She gently took her dagger from his throat and tucked it away in her belt.

Sparrow grinned as he leaned in to kiss her. She leaned in as well and she felt his tongue searching eagerly for hers. There was no gentleness, just eagerness and a desperate attempt to control the evolving erupting passion. Both sides wanted to be in command. Devon felt all her guards fall down, no barriers, no borders; she finally gave in. She gave in to the most passionate and venomous kiss she had ever had shared with anyone before.

And she could tell he'd done the same. He pulled her closer to him as she bit his lip lightly. She could hear him moaning her name and she broke away. Jack dipped her low; her black braids touching the ground. It felt as if they were dancing without music, their bodies were drawn to each other. He pulled her back up, looking her in the eye with more hunger than she had ever seen before. Damn, it was so hard to resist this man, so hard to ignore the hunger inside of her.

Jack on the other hand wanted to give in to the lust that had aroused him to an all time high. He tried to ignore the warning signs that popped up in his head. The woman was a man eater just like he was a womanizer, she was such a tease, such a nuisance, yet she felt so right.