Chapter Six

Scootch. Sarafina couldn't help it. She was trying her hardest not to move at all, but it just wasn't working.

Jesse checked his compass. Northwest. She was moving northwest. This was so boring! What good was being the most wanted thief in England if you were stuck sitting in the brig of a ship with some girl, measuring which direction she moved? He had not signed the articles for this. He hoped Skylar would come soon.

Scootch. Me, a queen? Sarafina thought. No, not a queen...the Pirate Queen. And somewhere out there was the Pirate King. Sarafina bit her lip. She hated to be the reason for the Pirate King's death, but what could she do? Her moving northwest was involuntary, as if by some force, just as her jumping off the dock had been. But still... How can I do this? Basically giving Captain Larkurr a map to the Pirate King. Murdering the one who might even be my true love. And I haven't even met him yet.

Scootch. “NO!” Sarafina screamed aloud. “Don't move!” She started crying, and her tears dropped into the disgusting bilge water on the floor. Through her tears, she saw Jesse looking at her strangely.

“Um...are you...is something wrong? What's happening?” He looked confused.

Sarafina didn't know if she should tell him. She looked at him for a moment through the tears that blurred her vision, then gave up on that and buried her face in her hands, crying some more.

“I'll tell you what's happening,” said a slightly gruff voice from the doorway of the brig. A boy stepped into the light of the solitary lantern. His shoulder-length, brownish-blackish hair was tied into a low ponytail with a scrap of brown leather, and he had brown eyes and tanned skin. He wore tan, knee-length breeches, a white shirt, a burgundy vest, a silver medallion, brown leather boots, and a dark brown tricorn hat. A sword, a pistol, and two daggers hung from his belt, and he had the usual dirt and squalor of pretty much all of the pirates Sarafina had seen so far. He was shorter than most of the pirates though, even short for his age, which Sarafina assumed was probably about 13 years.

“Hi, Skylar,” Jesse said, looking up at the dark-haired boy. “Haven't really talked to you much.”

“Hello, Jesse Torret. What a fine lot I've run into today"the Pirate Queen and England's most wanted!”

“What?!” Jesse gasped. “The Pirate Queen?!”

“Aye,” said Skylar, looking amused. “I heard the whole thing from a weak spot in Captain Larkurr's cabin wall. You would've known I was there if you would've been awake.” He smiled.

“But I thought it was just a myth...” Jesse was now staring at Sarafina with the same expression as someone looking at a fascinating museum artifact. Sarafina squirmed uncomfortably, moving northwest.

“No, it's all true. You've got your living proof right there in that cell, although I suppose we should probably stop talking about her like she's some zoo animal that can't understand us.” He turned to Sarafina. “I'm Skylar. I would give you a last name, but I haven't got one. I understand you and your pirate jack are going to take over this ship and defeat Captain Larkurr, and I just thought I'd tell you I'm on your side...unless you lose, that is.” He winked. “Just kidding.”

“Not to be rude or anything, but why didn't the captain kill the Pirate Queen?” Jesse asked Skylar.

Skylar smirked at him. “Check your compass.”

“She's leading us to the Pirate King?”

“Aye.”

“But she can move any way she wants!”

Sarafina scootched uncomfortably. “No, I can't.”

“This is just absurd,” said Jesse.

“Yes, it is,” Skylar agreed. “But a lot of things are 'absurd,' aren't they?”

“I guess that's true.” Jesse stood up. “I've got to go report Sarafina's direction to the captain. And then I'm going to finally get some sleep. See you later.”

“Bye,” Skylar said as Jesse left.

Only after Jesse had gone did Sarafina notice that Skylar had been leaning with his back to the post with the lantern the whole time, one hand behind his back. He was hiding something...but it was too late to do anything about it now. Skylar smiled slyly and pulled a sword from behind his back.

“So, Your Majesty...”