Like Clarida, Veracruz was covered in fog, with mist rising off the ocean and dancing with the sea spray. It was a warm, damp heat, the kind that worked its way beneath Elodie's corset and shift, leaving her skin hot and clammy.

Never had Elodie wished for a ladies' fan, but they had no such thing here. She supposed that even the painted silk however might not have stood up to such oppressive heat.

How much worse would it be when day came?

"My hair is frizzing," Kas complained as he removed his hat, revealing that he was indeed correct.

Elodie reached to run a hand through it, only for Kas to dart away.

"You add insult to injury, darling!" He held his hat over his heart, putting on a dramatically wounded affect.

Elodie rolled her eyes. "It's already ruined, according to you. Might as well touch it, you silly goose."

"Only because you ask so nicely." He dipped his head down, allowing her to briefly run her fingers through his blonde hair.

"I am quite satisfied, thank you." Elodie laughed and patted his cheek.

She then found herself looking off the deck of the ship, as she had so often on this voyage. "Another key, then."

"We won't be getting on Veracruz proper, you know." Carina had slipped behind them, Ventus and Jade in her wake. She pointed off into the fog-covered distance. "Around there are other islands, unmarked. That's where our vault is."

"And, allegedly, where Felix Vance found and reburied his treasure, somewhere." Ventus folded his arms over his chest.

"Which means that the gate to Limuria is also somewhere near." Carina frowned, clasping her necklace, which now had four crystals dangling off the cord.

"The gate?" Elodie tilted her head.

It was funny, for all they had discussed Limuria and resurrected empires and arcane powers, she'd never thought of how exactly the business of raising a city thought to be lost to the tides might be done. But she now found herself considering that very problem as the Albatross drew away from the shoreline of Veracruz.

"Yes, the Cloudsgate, if we bring the keys to it, the gate will open and it will allow the city of Limuria to rise once more." Carina closed her eyes. "I can feel the keys, they're calling—"

She was broken off by a low-humming note. Not that of a siren, but perhaps a bird—or a human.

Kas frowned. "Something's wrong."

Just as he declared it, the coin had flipped.

The foggy night was set ablaze by cannon and gunfire flanking the ships.

Somehow, other pirate ships had gotten around them without their knowing!

Mr. Heyin and Captain Jennings shouted orders, but Elodie could not hear them over the roar of battle as pirates launched themselves onto the deck of the Albatross, more than she'd ever imagined to be on a ship at once.

She drew her selkie's blade and slashed forward at an oncoming attacker—only to be blocked, and pushed back, into the awaiting arms of another pirate. They struggled for the blade—only for it to be wrenched painfully out of her hand by a third pirate.

Elodie cried out as her arms were twisted behind her back. She kicked and struggled—but no one was coming to help.

They were all overwhelmed, at least three to one like it had been for her.

It was over all too quickly, the battle lost. They were subdued, and brought to the center of the deck. From what she could tell, they were waiting for someone.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Before Elodie could contemplate the horrors that might await her, a voice cut through the night.

"Ah, there you are."

Some of the pirates parted for none other than their leader—Captain Hawkins.

He looked far more formidable than the last time that Elodie had seen him, at Mrs. Hawkins's party. He wore a dark blue coat with brass buttons and some metallic embroidery around the hems, with several guns and blades strapped to his person. He wore a matching hat with a black-tipped feather in the brim.

He was every inch the Pirate King, no merchant or gentleman now.

"How did you find us?" Captain Jennings demanded.

"It was fairly easy." Captain Hawkins smirked. "The newly-elected Captain Perez of the Morgenstern sent out a missive by way of bird-messenger alerting us to what transpired at Thule and Cartagena."

Kas blanched at this.

"A shame we couldn't have added the Beaumont boy to our ranks." Captain Hawkins sighed as he spared Kas a glance. "I'm not unsympathetic to others of your situation, Mr. Beautmont."

Kas frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Captain Hawkins smiled widely, almost shark-like. "I, too, was a second son of dubious parentage driven to the high seas, Mr. Beaumont."

He paused, his teal-gray eyes twinkling. "I suppose that Captain Madigan served his purpose, but he was rather. . . overzealous, in his actions. He lacked the proper restraint a pirate should show."

Kas's frown deepened in silent disagreement.

"Not that it matters anyway, for even with how all of that turned out, we won the day overall." Captain Hawkins straightened his posture. "All of my crews have reported back with their keys, and tomorrow we meet with the young man claiming to be King of the Manoans for his final keys. And now perhaps we have the most important keys of all."

Captain Hawkins turned to Carina and Elodie. "The girls who will lead us to the last of the keys and Limuria. Princess Carina of Manoa, and Elodie Fleetwood."

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" Elizabeth struggled in the pirates' grip. A great many tendrils had escaped her coronet of braids, her dark eyes wild.

"Oh, don't worry, Elizabeth." There was a gleam in Captain Hawkins's eyes behind the polite, gentlemanly smile that Elodie did not like. "No one has to come to any harm here. I want the girls alive and cooperating—and then there's the matter of my own children."

Elodie blinked as Jade tensed.

"Children?" Ventus's voice was low.

The way Captain Jennings flinched, as if she'd been struck, was enough to confirm the truth that was dawning on them all.

Jade's green eyes widened. "You're my father?"

"You never told her?" Captain Hawkins looked genuinely taken aback at this.

"Her father wasn't important—isn't." Captain Jennings looked him directly in the eye. "She's my child and that was all that mattered."

"Aye, unless your father is the Pirate King." Captain Hawkins looked to Jade, and something in him softened. "I can say that I'm sorry I wasn't able to look after you the way I was for my boy, Ventus."

Ventus raised an eyebrow at this.

"You know that I've been looking after you as much as I could." Captain Hawkins turned a stern gaze upon him. "You are your mother's son, after all. You wouldn't have done well as a bastard in my wife's house, wasting away on land. You had a place, were well-fed and taught in your father's trade. That's better than many young boys get."

Ventus said nothing.

"But to return to your worries, Elizabeth, you and your crew have nothing to fear." He placed a hand over his heart. "It is on my honor as a gentleman and on the fine name of Hawkins that I promise none of you will come to harm—unless my hand is forced, of course."

"Of course," Elizabeth hissed. Still, she stopped fighting her captors. She stood tall, regaining some of her dignity. "I still think you're making a big mistake, Marius. Felix never wanted anyone to find that treasure."

Captain Hawkins shrugged. "Felix isn't exactly available to consult, anymore. And tides have changed."

He turned to his first mate. "Mr. Flynn, if you wouldn't mind escorting the princess and Miss Fleetwood to my office? It's better that they stay somewhere safe for the time being."

"Aye, Captain."

With that, Elodie felt a strong hand on her shoulder, pulling both her and Carina away from Kas and Ventus and Jade and the rest.

----------------------------------------

She and Carina were deposited in the office, which Elodie could see by a locked door was connected to the Captain's cabin. She supposed she was grateful, at least, that she wasn't in the brig again.

However, that did not stop her anxiety at what might befall her or Carina as she stared around at that office.

It was similar to the one of the mansion in Yorkhaven. There were mahogany bookshelves built into the walls of the office were filled with books of all kinds, rich-looking ones, and a map hung on the wall, the expensive and almost decorative kind that only the wealthiest held. There was a rug from Oyeshima covering the floorboards, and a great many soft, comfortable chairs to sit in.

Elodie supposed there were worse places to sit and await one's own fate.

Carina did not see it that way, however. She paced the room like a tiger in a cage, agitated by the mere location. She did not speak a word to Elodie, and Elodie feared that any words from herself might not have the intended effect.

A tray was left for them with food and a pitcher of water, and the Captain did not come for them the entire night.

Somehow, Elodie was able to curl up into a chair and fall asleep, among all the uncertainty.