SWNOVELS Chapter 16
After reading the book, it all made sense to me. The magic in this world is all in the air here. Anyone could use magic if they tried. So the next day we worked on using magic in this realm. It is more difficult to use elemental magic, but it could be done if you verbalize and channel the magic in the air. But that was not what we were going to need. Our plan was going to use my shifting and Ace and Trey’s levitation. I was going to be Captain Jay’s decoy while she found the chest with Azura’s heart. (We needed Jay to kill Azura to take her rightful place on the Flying Dutchman). Trey and Ace were going to use levitation to help trap the crew below deck. There are only two possible ways up so I was thinking one on each door. (One being a trap door, the other an actual door). All we had to do is find her and that was up to Jay and her compass. It took us a week to find them, but we did and we waited till night so we could have the element of surprise.
Once night hit, we were able to strike. About three crew members were up on deck. All of us with an exception of Captain Jay, went up on deck. We were the distractions so Jay could get up on deck without being noticed and find the chest. My goal, as her decoy, was to get the key off of Azura’s neck. We corralled the three on deck to below deck while Azura came out from her quarters. Ace, Rick and Ryan were holding the trap door down. Trey and Daniel took the other door. We kept the main crew below and Azura’s eyes on me, which gave Jay the opportunity to get into Azura’s cabin to find the chest.
Azura’s sword fighting was tough. She was almost if not better than Ace. I tried to keep up the best I could while also trying to find an opening to get the necklace. I lost focus on surroundings; they became a blur. The only thing I saw was Azura and the necklace in that moment. Every time I saw an opening for the necklace, it put me at risk for damage. After 30 minutes I realized I was never going to get the necklace without taking the risk. I grabbed the necklace and snapped the chain off her neck. The next second later Azura’s sword went into my left side.
“Alice!” I heard two voices call out as I fell to my knees. Right before I could grasp my side I was kicked to my back by Azura and the necklace flew from my hands and away from us. I lost control of my shift to look exactly like Captain Jay (she has a black and white blue jay tattoo on her right arm. I also shifted my hair to have her small braid on the right side and my corset red like hers) from the blood loss. Azura noticed something was up. She quickly turned around to see that Jay opened the chest with her necklace and her beating heart was visible from the chest. Trey made it to my side right when Jay stabbed the heart. Then it was over. Azura slowly fell to her knees and died. Trey and Ace helped me heal fast and after more inspection of the ship, we found Steven down below. He was still alive and Captain Jay had a lot of backed up souls to ferry. But of course before she did all that she gave the ship to Rick, (Rick, Ryan and Daniel sailed away almost immediately after) and took Trey, Ace, Steven and I back to where we started.
“Will you come and visit us next year? I should be caught up with ferrying souls by then.”
I don’t think we will be able to. I might have to have my own battle...” I look down and back up. “With my mom.” I replied.
“Come with me.” Captain Jay said while pulling me into her new captain’s quarters. “I want you to have this.” She pulled out her compass behind closed doors.
“Are you sure? I might not be able to come back here ever again. Ace and Trey are the only ones that can get me here.”
Captain Jay paused for a minute and then shook her head. “No, but you need it more. Find out what your heart truly desires. No more self denial.”
“But I am not in...” I tried to protest her comment on my self denial.
“Take it, before I change my mind.” she said while shoving it in my hands.
“Thank you.” I said while pulling her into a hug. She hugged me back.
After the hug, I put the compass in my bag and we finished our goodbyes. And went back home.
Now what happened to Steven’s and Jay’s relationship? Well... they are making it work. Steven waits for her to come back and she visited as much as her job would let her.