“No.” I pushed his hand off my arm. “Let me see her.” I glanced to Jack for help. He stood at the foot of our bed, arms crossed across his chest. “Jacky, let me see her.”
Jack’s eyes shimmered. “She’s been gone awhile, Red. She doesn’t look like a baby.” Jack pointed down to her. “Solo, what’s that?”
“A knot. In the cord.”
“My God,” I whispered. “Loreena Jacqueline.”
“Loreena Jacqueline Rackham,” Jack echoed. “Let her mother hold her, Solo.”
Another bang on the door made me jump. “Cap. Cap!”
Jack let out a huff.
“What’s going on out there,” I asked. Though my insides were so numb, I didn’t care to listen. However, I wanted Jack with me, not out there with them.
“We’re in Blackbeard’s waters.”
“I’ve heard of Blackbeard—”
Jack shared a look with Solo. Even in my state, in our stuffy stateroom, I sensed doom. “He is also known as Edward Teach. At least that was what he went by when we were acquainted before.”
I looked up at my husband, silently begging him to continue.
“He is under the impression that my—that our—ship, The Revenge is, well—” Jack took a deep breath and let it out slow. “His.”
I chewed my lip. “Is that why Dark Water came down? To tell you?”
Jack nodded. “Blackbeard sent over a dinghy and kindly gave us an hour to get out of his territory. Or give back his ship. Though it was never really his. It was a misunderstanding.”
Solo’s brow furrowed. “An hour? By God that’s impossible and he must know—”
Jack looked at Solo and flipped back his cape. His steel caught a glint of light from the porthole and shone in his scabbard. “He knows. And our hour is up.”
Something shrouded Solo’s face before he remembered the task at hand. He forced a smile and placed my daughter in my arms. From the corner of my eye, I watched as Jack turned on his booted heel and whisked from our room.
“T-thank you, for everything Solo,” I managed. But the emotion came quicker than I imagined and drown my words. Deep sobs roiled up from the painful depths of my tender gut. Rusty circled her arm around my shoulder.
“Loreena Jacqueline is a beautiful name for a beautiful baby sister,” she cooed.
I sniffled.
Get a hold of yourself, Red.
Slowly, I look down at the bundle in my arms studied my dead daughter. Her tiny blue eyes were open wide. When I adjusted, her little jaw went slack. I pushed her mouth shut gently and held it there. Her lips were full, as though they were ready to plant a kiss on the cheek of her mother or father.
Or sister.
“She doesn’t weigh nearly as much as my sword,” I breathed.
Rusty’s voice was muted. “She’s just a bit longer than my hand. And her tiny fingers are so long and thin. And those little nails—”
Rusty fingered her little sister’s lifeless hands, each one perfect, with an almost invisible nail tipping each one.
Loreena’s skin that didn’t look like skin appeared somewhat bubbly and dark. I chewed my lip. “Pray for her, Rusty.”
Rusty was deep in a Latin recitation when Jack whisked back into the room. He slammed the door behind him. “Can you walk, Red?”
I made no move to swipe the tears from my cheeks. “Here Jack, would you like to hold her?”
Jack didn’t answer. “Darling, Blackbeard was toying with us. He had ships waiting, though I don’t know how he did it.”
Solo, who’d been keeping vigil in the corner, leapt to his feet.
“Red, if you can walk, we need to get you down to the cargo hold. I’ll lock you down there, and you too, Rusty, so no harm will come to you.”
Rusty scooped Loreena from my arms as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “Jack,” I managed. “Please bring my sword.”
I saw his lips tilt into a sad smile. “As you wish.”
•
“Rusty.” I jerked as something crashed above me. The thunderous cacophony that rumbled on deck was too much to bear. “I can’t stay down here while everyone else fights.”
And dies.
“Mama, you can’t go up there.” Rusty had wrapped Loreena in a sheet and placed her in a crate. Before it held my daughter’s remains, judging by the stamp on the side, it had held potatoes.
I struggled to my feet. “The cargo hold only locks from the inside.” I sheathed my sword and tiptoed across the floor. The world pitched and spun, but it felt good to walk and stretch my legs. I rested my fingers on the lock.
