Page 24 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

“We’ll practice.” Gertie straightened in her chair. “We have a month, right? I can teach her to shoot. Uncle Durr has a collection of antique guns. I saw one of those flintlock pistols pirates used. Jen can practice in the country, where it’s safe.”

“She’s had antique firearms training,” Jake said. “For this trip, she’ll need to learn how to use a cutlass.”

“Hello, I’m in the room. Gertie, thanks for the offer, but I’ve been trained with a flintlock pistol. And as for the cutlass, I can use my feminine wiles to stay away from those.”

“Oh, crap. She’s doomed.” Gertie’s tone rang playful, but I worried she might be right. If I couldn’t get Caiyan to spill his secrets, how would I sweet-talk a pirate?

I rinsed my plate, refilled my coffee, and headed back upstairs.

“Where are you going?” Jake asked, already examining the contents of the chest.

“Upstairs to scour the internet for information. This is my mission. I want to be prepared.” I turned and squinted one eye at Jake, giving him my best pirate face. “Aaargh!”

His face drew up in alarm. “For starters, don’t do that.”

Nine

For the next three weeks, I researched 1718 and the events that happened in Nassau and New Providence Island. After the Spanish Fleet sank off the coast of Florida in 1715, lots of treasure seekers sailed from Nassau to the Florida Keys, picking up booty along the way.

Another hurricane swept through shortly after, delaying the Spanish recovery and placing treasure hunting in the top slot on a pirate’s to-do list.

Early Saturday morning, I sat in my comfy, overstuffed chair in my bedroom and flipped through aHistory on Pirates of the Golden Age, which Gertie had found in the archives at her library.

My phone rang on the side table next to me. Ace’s profile pic flashed on my screen. Ace wasn’t entirely upset about going to Nassau. He had a thing for men in tight breeches.

“Good morning,” I answered.

“Morning?” There was a brief pause. “Sorry, Hon, I’m in London, forgot about the time thing.”

“I figured, but it’s OK, I’m up. I’m working at the clinic today. I’ve got a new pirate book to plow through and I hoped to dig into it this morning.”

“Have you found any reason why Mortas is interested in 1718?” Ace asked. I heard a tinge of excitement in his voice.

“Nope. I have no idea what that scumbag is after.”

“I have a teensy clue.” His tone elevated on the word teensy, and I guessed it was bigger news than he led on.

“I visited my granddad today and mentioned I’m heading to the Golden Age of Piracy next moon cycle, and you know what he said?”

“No clue.” Ace had a way of dragging out a story, but I waited patiently, hoping it was a clue. His grandfather time traveled about the same time as Caiyan’s grandfather and my Aint Elma.

“He said you’re not chasing after that treasure map of Giorgio’s, are you?”

“Treasure map?”

“That’s what I asked. And get this. Apparently, there was a map that led to the King’s key.”

“A map that wouldn’t be helpful unless you had the King’s eye.” I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I had found the King’s eye on my jump to theTitanic, and Sasha had stolen it.

“Spot on. My granddad was a little put out because he wasn’t included in the shenanigans that went on during the rising of the King’s key. He was younger than the others.”

“The others?”

“Years ago, Gian-Carlo, James, and Giorgio attempted to steal the King’s key from the protector.”

“The who?”

“That’s right. There was a traveler assigned as protector of this big rock that apparently held the King’s key. And get this, Gian-Carlo, James, and Giorgio tried to steal it.”

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