Page 25 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

“You’re pulling my leg, right?”

“Girl, I’m not pulling anything. My granddad says this is the truth. He swore on my Nanna Pooky Postlethwaite’s grave.”

“Did they get away with it?”

“No. Your Aunt Elma saved the day.”

“Really?” My heart swelled up with pride that my petite Aint Elma had saved the key from those idiots. “Wait, I thought she had a love affair with Giorgio?”

“I didn’t ask about those details because what happened after was way more interesting. The protector hid the key and drew up a map to the new location, then he tore it up.”

“Why?”

“He gave a piece to each of the main players in the game. Giorgio, James, Rogue, Gian-Carlo, and…Elma.”

“My aunt had the map?”

“Yes. A piece of it anyway. The protector told them no one would have the key unless they worked together to protect the key until the prophecy was fulfilled.”

Jeez. More about the stupid prophecy that it took the three to find the King’s key.

“If there were five of them, there’s two extra players in the prophecy game.” I chewed my lip, mulling over the possibility the descendants of these ruthless time travelers fulfilled the prophecy.

“I couldn’t agree with you more.” Ace laughed, and I knew his eyes sparkled with the fresh gossip. “The four men couldn’t get along, which led to them stealing the eye from Rogue and kidnapping Rogue’s daughter.”

“And now that they’re dead, these map pieces have surfaced?”

“Granddad didn’t know. He’s getting on in the years, and his mind isn’t what it used to be, but maybe Sasha found a piece. Then you found the King’s eye, which she nicked from you, and now she has access to the key.”

“But she needs the other pieces of the map.”

“Bloody brilliant. You’re razor sharp in the morning.”

The morning wasn’t my sharpest time, but Ace’s information cleared the shadows. “Mortas has a piece.”

“I’d say so.”

“This doesn’t make any sense. Mortas could have used his henchman to take the other pieces. Why travel to Nassau?”

“Don’t know, Doll. At least we have a partial reason why he’s tracking Sasha. She’s got the eye and maybe a map. If Mortas had two pieces of the map, half is better than a fourth. And if Marco has another…”

“Marco would have told me if he had a map.” And Caiyan, too.

“Unless he doesn’t know what he’s got.” There was car noise in the background and a horn honking. “Gotta run, Doll, keep up the research. We’ll figure out what this bugger is after and catch our brigand with his knickers at his knees.”

Oh, jeez, I hoped not. I’d rather catch him attempting to change history and bring him to justice.

I ended the call with Ace and pulled out the drawing Marco sent in the chest. It looked like part of a skull, a treasure chest with some bushes around it. No X marks the spot or any recognizable landmarks. Definitely not a treasure map. Only the nameSea Stormscrawled in almost illegible handwriting under the skull. And why didn’t Caiyan tell me about a map? And where is Aint Elma’s map? So many questions.

I flipped through more pages of the book. According to the book, the famous British Captain Woodes Rogers sailed into Nassau and created a blockade, forcing pirates to accept a pardon. The pardon gave the pirates their freedom. Most couldn’t hang in the land of farming and fishing and returned to piracy.

I rubbed my eyes. I couldn’t read another word about Charles Vane or blockades or pirates. Maybe I’d look at the pictures. A picture’s worth a thousand words, right?

If history is correct, my jump is around this time. I hoped to find Marco on New Providence Island with both feet on land, hopefully sick of chasing Sasha and happy to come home with me.

Was Mortas Mafuso after Sasha’s map and the eye? I had a hard time picturing Mortas plundering the high seas wearing a white linen shirt open to the navel and with the wind blowing his Nazi haircut.

Skimming a few more pages, I paused on a drawing of an unknown pirate that could have been Mortas. “Why have you been jumping to Nassau, you vile sleazeball?”

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