Isla and Hawk cut their way through the city, retracing their steps from earlier that day. The moon overhead gave light to their passage. Though the day had shifted into the next, lanterns could still be seen glowing in windows. The sign was not one of late-night revelers but that of workers. The city held a quiet that spoke of artists lost in the throes of creating.

Isla and Hawk didn't speak as they neared the appriser's shop and lodgings. Their plan was already laid out, talked over, and discussed until it was all they could think about. As they approached the brick building, they searched for indications that Pascal had returned but there were none.

They rounded to the back of the shop, stopping at the rear. Above they jutted out a balcony that gave a view of the park nestled between the other houses. All lay in darkness, the only illumination was the descending moon. Without a word, Hawk took a stance by the wall, his fingers locked together for a foothold.

With the heat still gripping the city, they'd had to forgo the hook since there was no way to conceal it. Their tactics for entry would rely on strength and agility.

Hawk nodded to Isla. She backed up a step before running at him. She placed one foot in his hands and felt as he lifted her. As she rose, she pushed off the wall with her other foot and twisted in the air, grabbing hold of the iron railing and swinging herself over. She landed in a crouch with a soft tap on the balcony.

When there was no noise from inside, she rose.

Hawk glanced up at her and she nodded. In the dimness, she could see his want to follow, but they had agreed that stealth was their greatest advantage. If Pascal was not home Isla could quickly find the information they needed.

If he was home, one person was less likely to be detected than two. Forcing himself to remain below, Hawk leaned against the wall and took out a pipe. The least he could do was act as a lookout.

Slipping a dagger out of her boot, Isla wedged it between the doors and unlatching the lock. When she nudged the doors open, they moved without protest. She slid inside and pushed the doors back until they were a breath away from clicking shut.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, she found herself in a library. The scent of leather and dust hovered in the air. Shelves covered the walls and a desk lay off to one side while the other contained winged back chairs.

Isla went for the desk and struck a match, lighting the single candle. She rifled through the drawers, searching for a ledger or anything that would lead them one step closer to the emerald. Even as she worked, she had little hope. None of the drawers were locked. A man like Pascal wouldn't be so thoughtless. Her theory was confirmed when the desk revealed nothing of value.

Snuffing out the candle, she left the library. Behind the heavy oak door, lay a silent hallway. Doors were dotted along the length of it, each closed, each seeming to promise the chance of something worthwhile. Even with the stillness, she paused, waiting for a breath of noise. The quiet persisted.

The plush carpet muted Isla's footsteps as she crept from one room to the next. Her heart kept a steady rhythm, even as her nerves hummed, alert. The first two were empty bedrooms and yielded nothing. The third door - stationed before a set of curving stairs - gave way to a windowless study.

Inside, Isla found another desk, larger than the one the library held and all four walls covered in stretches of antics. Ignoring the hundreds of drawings that showcased items varying from vases to necklaces to statues, she rounded the desk and knelt before it. She tested one drawer and found it locked. The barrier lit a spark of hope.

After locating another candle and lighting it, she went to work on the lock. She dug a slender knife into the keyhole while driving another into the seam of the wood. As she twisted one, she leveraged the other, straining the lock from different sides. Eventually, it gave way and she tugged the drawer open, finding a stack of leather-bound ledgers.

Taking the top one, she laid it on the desk and flipped it open. Appriser's writing was neat and angular. Isla ran her finger down the list of information, looking for a mention of the emerald or anything that could be disguised as the emerald.

So absorbed in her study, she didn't hear the distant closing of a door, but she did hear the faint patter of footsteps on the stairs. Jerking her head up, she saw as a globe of light grew closer.

Swearing under her breath, Isla collected all the ledgers and dashed to the doorway, but her escape was halted when a trio of men stopped right before her. The image Isla had created of Pascal was completely wrong. He was a well-built man was in his mid-forties. His companions were younger and had the roughened exteriors of mercenaries.

When Pascal saw the ledgers in Isla's arms, his eyes narrowed with anger. In a flash, she saw there was no getting out with her freedom and the ledgers. Making a split-second decision, she flung away the stack and her chance at finding the emerald. Pascal dove for his life's work as Isla hoped he would. With him temporarily distracted, she threw her knife at the man on the left. It caught him in the arm, making him growl in pain.

His partner lunged for Isla. She rolled to the side, popped back up and spun around, bringing up her leg and hitting the man in the temple with her boot. The impact caused him to stagger and fall, hitting the edge of the desk with his head, knocking him out cold.

The first mercenary charged Isla, blood dripping from his wound, her knife in his hand. She ducked away as he slashed at her, but just barely, the blade glancing off her neck. The sudden motion set her off balance and she stumbled. The mercenary rushed froward, stabbing at Isla's chest. She dropped into a crouch then surged upward, ramming her shoulder into his stomach, winding him.

Seeing an opening, she darted for the doorway. She was almost out when a hand yanked her arm and pulled her back inside, slamming her against the wall. Her healing side flared with pain making her wince. Pascal's face was murder as he grabbed her neck.

He choked her, squeezing the air from her lungs. With her fading clarity, Isla stomped on his foot and jabbed her elbow down on his arm, breaking his hold. Air flooded her lungs. Half dazed, she took hold of his shirt from and smashed her forehead into his. Pascal cried out and faltered, clutching his forehead.

Forcing herself to think past the wave of dizziness, Isla scrambled out the doorway and raced back down the hall. She heard the shouts and pounding footsteps that followed her but she didn't look back.

She barraged into the library, flung the balcony doors open and vaulted over the railing. The hard stone rushed up to her as she crashed down and rolled on impact. Spikes of pain stabbed through her shoulder, arm, side, and legs.

Grimacing, she pushed herself up. Her stance was unsteady and she nearly collapsed.  Before she could, Hawk was at her side, helping her up. He wrapped one arm around her waist and guided her into an alley, out of sight.

He let her go and she leaned against the wall, trying to gather herself. Pain pulsed through her, draining her strength. The pair was silent, listening for the sound of pursuit. There were shouts of frustration but that remained it for the moment. Able to manage the throbbing of her body, Isla tore herself from the wall and continued down the alley, Hawk keeping pace with her.

Once they were clear of the appraiser's neighborhood, Isla looked at Hawk. Words of annoyance and accusation about his failure to warn her were hot on her tongue. But when she saw the gash on his forehead and the blooming bruise on his cheek, she swallowed what she had been about to say.

"What happened?" she asked.

Hawk tentatively touched his forehead, staring at the blood that stuck to his fingers.

"When I saw them approach, I called to you, but wherever you were you couldn't hear me."

Isla thought about how the study had been windowless and Hawk would have been calling out to a brick wall.

"There were two mercenaries besides the two you faced. I handled them as fast as I could. When I went to follow Pascal, the door was locked. I returned to the back, and watched as you jumped off the balcony."

Isla nodded. Nothing else passed between them as they headed back to the ship. Isla's half of the story was easy to decipher and the lack of forthcoming knowledge about the emerald proved the night's mission was unsuccessful.

The heat built as they neared the port, the air heavy with moisture. When they stepped out from an avenue and the ship came into view, Isla halted. Hawk turned back, eyeing her. Despite needing the healing salve on the ship to relieve the pain, she couldn't move forward. Staring at the stationary vessel she was all too aware of her failure. Of the weight of the crew. Of the ghost of her father.

"I will follow in a moment," Isla said.

Hawk opened his mouth to argue, to point out the dangers of being on her own when she was weakened, but Isla held up her hand, stalling him.

"Please, Hawk," she said.

He heard the need buried in the request and nodded. As he walked away, Isla sagged, leaning back against the building behind her. There was a pain inside that was deeper than the superficial ones. It was a pain that pressed down on her spirit, her soul. Weary, Isla tilted her head back, breathing in the thick, salty air.

When she heard a faint tap-tap of boots, she stiffened and opened her eyes. The port was deserted, the hour having nudged men into sleep. From down the street, Isla saw a shadow approach, the gait confident and unmistakable. She closed her eyes again, burdened by one more thing.

"Lost?" a voice said.

"What are you doing here?" Isla said.

She felt the warm caress of a breath as Jakks rested one hand beside her head.

"You don't sound happy to see me."

Isla met his gaze, showing no emotion. When she didn't offer up a retort, Jakks cocked his head surveying her. His gaze landed on the red handprint forming on her neck. He frowned in concern. Gently, he touched the mark. The action brought him closer and Isla couldn't help remember the way his lips felt. The feeling of wanting to give in and have all her troubles swept away.

It was a notion she couldn't help feeling again in that moment.

"Are you ever not involved in a fight?" he asked, letting his hand drop. 

"Lately, no."

Jakks grinned, the smile teasing and filled with memories of them causing trouble. But Isla was not in the mood to reminisce. Failure hung around her, making it hard to see a time when she wasn't trapped. The smile fell away from Jakks' face.

"What is it?" he asked.

Instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own as she held his gaze. "Why are you following me, Jakks?"

He placed his free hand on the other side of her head, pinning her in.

"Maybe I'm chasing after what I want."

"You don't want me."

"But I do," he said, deep emotion flooding his voice. "Isla, don't see you how much stronger we could be together. There would be nothing in this world that could stop us. I command a crew that has never known failure."

The word stung Isla, though she kept her face blank.

"And with you, with your knowledge of the ocean's current, we could be unstoppable. Let me handle this debt. Say yes to marrying me and it will be gone. You, your crew, you'll all be free."

Isla closed her eyes, hating how he was saying all the right things, knowing her point of weakness. How easy it would be to give in, to join herself with a man who had known her for so long for the sake of saving the crew. Her father's men. Men who still listened to her orders because they believed that she could get them out of this mess.

Men she continued to fail.

Jakks cupped her face. "Isla, marry me."

There was a desperation in his tone that surprised her. She stared him, really seeing the intensity in his gaze, the need in his eyes that spoke of the man so few saw but he let her see.

The freedom given by him wasn't freedom. It was an illusion of it. Being bound to him would not bring about what she was striving for: freedom without the cost of life.

She pushed against his chest, but instead of releasing her, he held on. She narrowed her eyes at him in warning.

"Don't do this, Isla," he said. "I can give you everything."

She gripped his wrists, squeezing them until he let go of her face.

"You don't get it. I don't want everything."

"What do you want then, I can get it for you."

Isla let go of him and slipped around him. He snatched her arm, holding her, eyes boring into hers.

"Tell me, Isla. What can I do to have you?"

There was nothing else he could have said to truly make her never want to cave to his offer.

"Nothing, Jakks. There is nothing you can do."

**********************************************************************

I practice five hours a day so that when I meet a pirate I can kill it!

(Jeez Will Turner! That's harsh, remember that Isla is also a pirate and we love her!)

Phew! She truly rejected him. *collapes onto the floor* I thought she was going to give in for a moment there. And I mean I can't blame her, Jakks has that whole rugged swashbuckling air going for him. Even I wouldn't be able to refuse him!

Coin for your thoughts? 💭🗯💬🤕

Alrighty mates we have to talk about this. Isla is getting into too much trouble. What are we going to do about it! I mean seriously the girl JUMPED OFF A BALCONY!!! Oh whales, what are we to do!

Suggestions for Isla to take care of herself!

Honestly, I think she needs a day at the spa and a night candle light dinner with Raif. That's my suggestion. But let's face it, she'll never do it. Does it matter to her that I'm the author? NOooOoooo it doesn't! She'll just do whatever she wants and stab me if I try to change it!

Suasha chaptarka (Somali): Which would you rather be able to do: use a bow and arrow or fight with a sword?

I would totally go for a bow and arrow mainly because these past two weeks I've been inhaling the Ranger Apprentice series and I love how boss both Halt and Will are at using them!

Also there is Katniss Everdeen to think about too!

Vote for arrows of love, comment on floating heart, follow anyone but me cause clearly I've lost my mind cause I don't know what any of that means!