you mean,” Carolina said. She hopped over a fallen tree trunk and hurried to keep up with Jack. Long strands of moss hung down in their faces and blue butterflies darted away into the foliage. “Aren’t you worried?”
“About being betrayed?” Jack said. “Piffle.
Who would betray someone as charming as me?”
It was lucky for Barbossa that Jack couldn’t see the expression on his face at that moment.
“Don’t do it!” Jean cried suddenly. His head popped up, and he nearly fell before Diego and Alex caught him. “Don’t do it, Jack! Don’t drink the last vial!”
Jack sprinted back, clearing the tree trunk in a single bound, and clapped a hand over Jean’s mouth. He grinned wanly at Barbossa.
“What is he on about?” Barbossa growled. “Drinking the vials of Shadow Gold? Who would do that?”
“Good point, Hector,” Jack said, nodding vigorously. “No one would do that! Pretty, shiny Shadow Gold! Drink it—that’s crazy talk.”
None of his crew members knew the truth: that Jack had to drink the Shadow Gold to cure his shadow-sickness. The rest of the pirates, including Barbossa, thought Jack was saving the Shadow Gold to sell at the end of their voyage, which would make them all fabulously wealthy. This seemed like a much better strategy to Jack than explaining to all of them that this whole trip was just to save his life. He was pretty sure they’d understand once he explained it to them at the end…or, failing that, he was pretty sure he could outrun them all.
Jean fought free of Jack’s hand. “She’ll die!” he gasped hoarsely. “If you take the last vial…I see it—she dies. I see her hair, long and dark—and the blood—so much blood.…She dies trying to save you, Jack! On the Day of the Shadow!”
Diego gasped. “He’s talking about Carolina!” He grabbed Jack’s shoulder and shook it. “He’s saying Carolina is going to die!”
Carolina was speechless. Was it true? Was she destined to die fighting the Shadow Lord?
“Well, you know how these prophecy thingies are,” Jack said, trying not to look worried. “All vague and cryptic and, uh…cryptic and vague.”
“Ooooh, not all of them,” Grandmama chirped. Her black eyes sparked with malevolent glee at the anxious looks on all their faces. “Some prophecies are spot-on. Like the one Cousin Mabeltrude the Violent Visionary had about you nearly burning down my ship when you were eight. Lucky she predicted it, too, or we mightn’t have had the foresight to lock you in the brig where you couldn’t do too much damage.”
“That wasn’t a vision,” Jack insisted balefully. “All eight-year-old boys like fire. Anyone could have guessed that.”
“Skeletons in the moonlight!” Jean shrieked. “They look alive, but they’re not! Cursed, they’re all cursed! Even the monkey!” Suddenly he slumped again, losing consciousness against Diego’s shoulder.
“See?” Jack said triumphantly. “Utter nonsense!”
“Huh. That did sound pretty ridiculous,” Diego admitted.
“Come on, let’s catch up to the others,” Jack said. They started forward again, dragging Jean carefully along with them.
“Jack…watch out…he’s out there waiting…” Jean murmured.
“The Shadow Lord?” Jack said quietly.
“And the other one…thirteen years, Jack…and then he sends his pet. Beware, for the beastie brings your death.…”
Diego looked at Jack quizzically.
“More nonsense!” Jack said. “Ha-ha! Rambling! Makes no sense to anybody! Especially not to me! No, sir!” He patted his forehead with his kerchief and edged away from Jean, stumbling over fallen branches.
Unfortunately, he knew exactly what that last comment was about, and who the dark character was that was waiting for him out in the world. And since nobody else knew about that…Jack had to wonder whether that meant Jean’s other words were going to come true as well.
C HAPTER N INE
T he imposing stone fort of King Samuel, Pirate Lord of
“About being betrayed?” Jack said. “Piffle.
Who would betray someone as charming as me?”
It was lucky for Barbossa that Jack couldn’t see the expression on his face at that moment.
“Don’t do it!” Jean cried suddenly. His head popped up, and he nearly fell before Diego and Alex caught him. “Don’t do it, Jack! Don’t drink the last vial!”
Jack sprinted back, clearing the tree trunk in a single bound, and clapped a hand over Jean’s mouth. He grinned wanly at Barbossa.
“What is he on about?” Barbossa growled. “Drinking the vials of Shadow Gold? Who would do that?”
“Good point, Hector,” Jack said, nodding vigorously. “No one would do that! Pretty, shiny Shadow Gold! Drink it—that’s crazy talk.”
None of his crew members knew the truth: that Jack had to drink the Shadow Gold to cure his shadow-sickness. The rest of the pirates, including Barbossa, thought Jack was saving the Shadow Gold to sell at the end of their voyage, which would make them all fabulously wealthy. This seemed like a much better strategy to Jack than explaining to all of them that this whole trip was just to save his life. He was pretty sure they’d understand once he explained it to them at the end…or, failing that, he was pretty sure he could outrun them all.
Jean fought free of Jack’s hand. “She’ll die!” he gasped hoarsely. “If you take the last vial…I see it—she dies. I see her hair, long and dark—and the blood—so much blood.…She dies trying to save you, Jack! On the Day of the Shadow!”
Diego gasped. “He’s talking about Carolina!” He grabbed Jack’s shoulder and shook it. “He’s saying Carolina is going to die!”
Carolina was speechless. Was it true? Was she destined to die fighting the Shadow Lord?
“Well, you know how these prophecy thingies are,” Jack said, trying not to look worried. “All vague and cryptic and, uh…cryptic and vague.”
“Ooooh, not all of them,” Grandmama chirped. Her black eyes sparked with malevolent glee at the anxious looks on all their faces. “Some prophecies are spot-on. Like the one Cousin Mabeltrude the Violent Visionary had about you nearly burning down my ship when you were eight. Lucky she predicted it, too, or we mightn’t have had the foresight to lock you in the brig where you couldn’t do too much damage.”
“That wasn’t a vision,” Jack insisted balefully. “All eight-year-old boys like fire. Anyone could have guessed that.”
“Skeletons in the moonlight!” Jean shrieked. “They look alive, but they’re not! Cursed, they’re all cursed! Even the monkey!” Suddenly he slumped again, losing consciousness against Diego’s shoulder.
“See?” Jack said triumphantly. “Utter nonsense!”
“Huh. That did sound pretty ridiculous,” Diego admitted.
“Come on, let’s catch up to the others,” Jack said. They started forward again, dragging Jean carefully along with them.
“Jack…watch out…he’s out there waiting…” Jean murmured.
“The Shadow Lord?” Jack said quietly.
“And the other one…thirteen years, Jack…and then he sends his pet. Beware, for the beastie brings your death.…”
Diego looked at Jack quizzically.
“More nonsense!” Jack said. “Ha-ha! Rambling! Makes no sense to anybody! Especially not to me! No, sir!” He patted his forehead with his kerchief and edged away from Jean, stumbling over fallen branches.
Unfortunately, he knew exactly what that last comment was about, and who the dark character was that was waiting for him out in the world. And since nobody else knew about that…Jack had to wonder whether that meant Jean’s other words were going to come true as well.
C HAPTER N INE
T he imposing stone fort of King Samuel, Pirate Lord of
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