Kat most certainly didn't like waiting in the tiny antechamber with the Jinx woman. Why did Jazz need to discuss with Cage alone? It was obviously not matters of money, since they'd already discussed that in front of them. Then what? Maybe a stiffer price they would have to pay that had nothing to do with gold?

"Relax," Jinx said, a grin on her face. "It won't last long."

"Do you know what they're discussing?"

The woman's green eyes narrowed. "Matters of men."

Kat huffed. "Of course. Matters that are too much for our woman minds to grasp. Bullshit." The last word slipped out before she could catch herself.

It only broadened the smile on Jinx's face. "I think we might get along well after all."

Kat wasn't so sure about that, but it certainly wasn't wise to antagonize her in case they ended up using their ship. The fact that Jinx existed in the first place was odd since women were usually considered to bring bad luck and misfortune upon ships. It was why a lot of the sailors on the docks didn't take kindly to women wondering around. But then again, maybe she manned the shanty while Jazz was gone.

"What are you scheming?" she suddenly asked, making Kat jump. "If we're going to be traveling together, you better not be the type who hides their mind. Traveling by sea in these times requires full trust."

There was one question answered. Kat didn't really want to get into what she'd been thinking, but if Jinx wanted honesty, she was much too good at that. "So, are you guys pirates?"

Jinx's eyes narrowed. "Of course not."

"But you are mercenaries."

"We are businessmen. You pay us, we take you places. Discretely. Because it there's one thing I'm convinced of, it's that you wouldn't be here if you had nothing to hide."

Kat swallowed heavily, but decided not to grace that with an answer. "So, if Jazz and Cage settle on the conditions of this... transaction, when will we be leaving?"

The woman tilted her head. "Cage, huh? That's a peculiar name."

Kat winced. She hadn't even considered hiding their real names, but Cage had made no mention of the sort and it felt like something they would have agreed upon before getting there. Plus, using fake names felt like a bother if they'd be with the same people for a long time.

"Yeah, that's what everyone calls him."

"What's your name?"

"Kat."

"Short and sweet." Jinx eyed her up and down as if to assess how much the name fit her current image. It probably didn't. Her disguise made her more of a Gertrude than a Kat.

Fortunately, the door opened and Cage and Jazz stepped out, putting an end to the awkward conversation.

"Let's go show our new friends our ship," Jazz said with the same good humor, wrapping his arm around Jinx's waist and leading her outside.

Kat stared at them, a little taken aback by the open display of affection, and maybe the tiniest bit jealous. The jealousy evaporated immediately as Cage wrapped his arm around her, too, and they followed.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"Things are a little more complicated than I thought," he whispered back. "I'll tell you later."

"We're just going off with them?"

"Our choices just narrowed down dramatically."

The light of the sun didn't dim her worries as they stepped outside and followed the other two towards the ship. It looked very well kept and the inscription on the side showed it was called The Jolly Marauder.

"Nice name for a ship," Cage said with a nod.

"Why thank you." Jazz spun in front of the wooden platform that lead aboard. "Just to be clear, once you come aboard, there's no going back. I will not expose my crew to dishonesty. Also, I'm the captain of this fair vessel, so my word is law. Get that, Admiral?"

Kat flinched and was even more shocked when Cage just nodded.

"I know how a ship works, Captain."

"This is interesting," Jinx said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I hadn't thought we were traveling with celebrities."

"Speaking of dishonesty," Jazz said. "I think it's time for you to show your real faces. No one is here except for us and the rest of the crew."

"Wait, what?" Kat's sense of unease only heightened. Why had Cage shared so much with this man who was basically a stranger when they'd tried so hard to go unnoticed?

"Ha!" Jinx said. "I thought she didn't look like a Kat."

Cage didn't even flinch and untied the veil from around his waist. Jazz had absolutely no reaction, as if he'd knows beforehand exactly what Cage looked like. Jinx faltered for a moment, taking him in. The bitter taste of jealousy filled Kat's mouth as she wondered if her heart had fluttered at the sight of him. But she made no comment and looked to Jazz instead. Maybe seeing that he was very handsome as well, Cage might not have been very impressive.

With an annoyed sigh, Kat untied her own veil.

"There we go," Jazz said with a grin.

Jinx's eyes widened. "Wow, look at you. Now you look like a Kat." 

Kat shifted, wondering why the woman looked a lot more impressed by her real looks than by Cage.

"Wonderful," Jazz said. "Now let's meet the rest of the crew." And he headed up the plank with Jinx trailing behind him.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We'll have to trust them. They know who we are, and this will only work if we're open about what we want to do."

"Why did you tell them all that?"

Cage sighed. "I didn't."

"Are you coming or what?" Jinx called over the edge of the ship.

Cage took her hand and headed aboard the ship as well. Kat's words died on her lips as she had to focus on keeping her balance. Once she reached the deck, she was glad it didn't feel like it was running out from under her feet as she had feared. What was odd was that the ship seemed deserted, but she took advantage of this to take another few steps and stop next to the center mast. Yes, the deck was firm under her feet.

"New job, men! Come and meet our guests," Jazz called.

"Guests?"

Kat jumped as someone appeared right next to her, hanging upside down, his legs wrapped around the mast. It was a young man with jet black hair and an eye patch. His visible eye was as green as Jinx's.

"This is Trix," Jazz said. "He's in charge of mostly everything."

"How do you do?" Trix let himself drop into a normal standing position. 

He was about a head taller than Kat which still made him a bit shorter than both Jazz and Cage, but it was still impressive. His clothes were simple trousers, boots and a white shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The tattoo of a sea serpent coiled from his wrist, around his forearm, and disappeared further up. He wore black leather gloves. There was a sword on his belt, but otherwise, he looked unarmed.

"These are Kat and Cage," Jazz said. "We'll be traveling together. Where's Harrison?"

Trix shrugged. "I don't know. He was loading up the supplies a few moments ago."

Jazz narrowed his eyes. "And why weren't you helping?"

"I needed a nap."

Kat found it shocking that Jazz didn't comment on the bit of insubordination, especially since it was a little past midday. Instead, he glanced around at the stack of crates already on deck.

"We'll need to move these down into the hull. Harrison!"

"Hold yer horses, lad," a gruff voice said.

In a matter of seconds, an old man made his way out from behind the crates. He had a long, dusty grey beard and short hair, but seemed to be in fairly good shape. His forearms were thick and his posture straight. Once he reached the others, he stopped and gave the newcomers a once-over. He only grunted as an answer to whatever it was that he had seen.

"You two can go settle in as we finish bringing the supplies on board," Jazz said. "Trix can show you."

"Will do!" Trix skipped towards a door that was right in front of them and opened it. "Guests first."

Cage put his hand on the small of Kat's back and the two of them followed Trix down some narrows wooden steps and into the belly of the ship. The corridor beyond was narrow and dark.

"Now don't expect a great deal of luxury, esteemed guests," Trix said in a sing-song voice.

Kat could barely focus on his words since she was too busy with her footing. The floors seemed a bit more traitorous down there so she was glad when they finally stopped in front of a door which was the same color as the walls.

"For you, lovely lady," the sailor said with a dramatic bow.

"Does Jazz only hire performers?" Cage asked, though he sounded amused.

"When you live the way that we do, you do get a certain flair for the dramatic," Trix answered with a wicked grin.

Kat wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but she did want to be alone with Cage and ask things, so she entered the small cabin instead.

The tiny cot was nailed to the floor, against the wall on the other side of the door. There was a large chest at the foot of the bed, a small desk and a chair and that was about it. The cot itself seemed unable to fit Cage, let alone both of them.

"How...?"

"You can change now, sweetheart," he said, dropping her bags on the floor. "I'll be back to get you so that we can go up top again."

Oh, right. They wouldn't be bunking up together. Why would they when there were probably loads of empty cabins on the huge empty ship and this one wouldn't even fit them both?

With a mild grumble, she let herself fall on the cot. It actually had a mattress and it felt fairly comfortable. Not like the one in the castle, but better than those at the inns and much better than her own straw mattress back home. The thought of her papa and her heart clenching. Was he alright? He had to be. He was with Keleigh after all, in a well-guarded building filled with people loyal to Cage.

Would he find their current accommodations lacking? Was he used to better seeing as he'd spent so much time at sea? The thought of sailing away from dry land had goosebumps erupting across her arms. The ship seemed stable enough now, but the sea was calm. What would happen once they took off into the unknown?

Don't worry Kit-Kat. I've got you.

Cage was right. She didn't have to do this alone. And even if it felt weird, it was maybe best that this ship was manned by four people out of which one was a woman and another an old man. This way, should things go south, she trusted she and Cage could handle it.

So instead of further worrying about matters that had not yet come to pass, she focused on finally slipping out of her dress and into a pair of much comfortable trousers and boots. Then she secured a shirt around herself and a waistcoat, finishing the ensemble with her father's sword draped across her hip. She already felt a lot more comfortable as she she braided her hair with the aid of the mirror hanging on the door. A knock had her jumping back and she hoped it wasn't Jinx.

"Yes?"

Fortunately, it was Cage. He too had changed into a new pair of trousers and a tunic without all the trinkets his usual ones held.

"You seem a lot more comfortable," he observed, eying her up and down.

Heat rose to her cheeks as she noticed the appreciation in his gaze. "I was longing to get out of that drab dress."

"Trousers have always suited you. And not just because I love staring at the shape of you."

She nudged his shoulder with her fist, a grin on her face. "They are a lot more practical."

"We're expected to go up and help the crew set sail," he said, his amused expression falling into a serious one. "But before we do that, I need to explain a few things."

"Like how Jazz knows so much about us?"

"They have magic."

The words sealed Kat's lips shut. She wasn't even sure why the news shocked her so much, especially since Cecile was involved in the matter.

"So, yes. I didn't have to tell Jazz anything because he knew. That's his curse, apparently, to see the strings of fate. His and other's."

The thought was terrifying and Kat swallowed with some difficulty. "So he knows what will happen?"

"Not exactly. He mentioned the future is very hard to grasp since it's ever-changing. But it does give him a good view of the past. So he definitely knows who I am."

Her jaw dropped. "Who you really are?"

He nodded, the uneasiness in the gesture proof that it was indeed everything. "My guess is Jinx and Trix are also magic wielders, though I'm not sure what their magic might do or if they've mastered it. The old man, I think is human."

"Don't say that," she whispered.

Cage tilted his head in confusion. "What? That he's human?"

"You're implying we're not." Which, even if true, she didn't want to think about it.

After all, her own magic, if any, hadn't manifested and if it hadn't been for Cecile mentioning that she had some and tying her to Cage using it, she would've denied it. Cage did have magic, but it was so easy thinking of it as a curse he couldn't escape rather than something he could wield.

Cage sighed. "Kat, I don't think there's any point beating around the bush with this. They obviously know we're just like them."

"I don't want to be like them."

"I don't think we were ever given a choice, really."

That was true. And she suddenly wondered what Jazz had done, who he had angered to have such a curse put upon him. What Jazz could do, or the over-friendly Trix.

"My advice is not to antagonize them. They could prove of great help and they've been decent to us so far."

That was true, so Kat just nodded in agreement. "Do you trust them?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Jazz was fairly candid with me, and I can understand where he's coming from. His affliction makes it basically impossible for us to lie to him and he knows that. What he probably doesn't know is that I have a good nose for people myself. He's making amends for something, and this can only be in our favor. I think we can trust him."

"What about the others?"

Cage smirked. "Jinx is with him, so I'd say yes. About Trix and the old man... I do think they can be trusted as long as they listen to Jazz."

It made sense, though Kat still felt a bit uneasy about the lot of them, especially since they all had magic.

"Another thing. I think we should carry the veils with us at all time."

"But Jazz said to take them off."

"I mean have them with us, not tied around us. Because if we meet other ships, especially navy ships, I don't want to blow my cover. And the less people know what you look like, the less danger you're in."

"I understand."

He gave her a smile, even if it looked sad, and placed her hand on her cheek. "We've got this Kit-Kat. Let the adventure begin."

The two of them headed out of the cabin and back on deck where Trix and Jinx were securing the sails of the center mast. Further up ahead, Harrison was fighting with the smaller sails of the first mast. In the back, Jazz was already behind the hull, leaning with his elbows on it and watching his crew. Since Cage headed that way, Kat followed, feeling a little awkward that she wasn't helping.

"Ahoy, ahoy," Jazz greeted them. "Welcome to the poop deck."

"The what deck?" she asked in shock.

Jazz only grinned. "Of course, you haven't been on a ship before and dear ole Cage didn't bother to teach you."

Kat's cheeks caught fire because she remembered Cage had given her some books about boats, but she'd ignore them in favor of kingdom politics and fairytales.

"So let me give you a quick lesson," Jazz said, his grin only growing. "Poop deck--" He pointed straight down. "Under it is the captain's quarters." He pointed to the closest mast. "That's the mizen mast. The tallest one is the main mast and the one in front is the fore mast. The deck between the mizen and main mast is called a quarterdeck, the deck between the main and fore mast is called the main deck. Then further up you have the forecastle and the cathead. Then bow, stern, starboard and port." He gestured front, back, right and left. "Easy."

Kat just stared, trying to remember at least a few of the words that Jazz threw at her. But it all felt so useless. "Why do you have three names for the same thing?"

Jazz tilted his head. "Like what?"

"It's just one deck. And the masts. They're masts. Why not give them numbers?"

Cage stiffled a laugh and Kat had to put in a lot of effort to not step on his foot.

"Isn't she adorable?" Jinx asked from behind, making her jump. "You'll get the hang of it in no time. Especially when you'll start climbing to the crow's nest to wake Trix up."

"I resent that," Trix called from somewhere above their heads. It was hard to say where exactly since the sky had become a mass of dark sails.

"I'm convinced she will," Cage said, raising his eyebrows. "Your orders, Captain?"

Jazz narrowed his eyes at him as if he couldn't believe his intention to follow orders were pure. For a few moments, his black eyes flashed white. It made him wince, but the smile stayed on his face.

"Where are we going?"

"Do you have any clue about where Wolfbane might be hiding out?"

Kat had no idea why she hadn't expected Cage to be so direct after what they'd discussed. After all, their captain most likely knew what they were chasing after.

"As far as I know, he was last spotted near the coves," Jinx offered.

"That would make sense," Cage said with a nod. "The navy doesn't dear sail too close to them. Best place to hide."

"Yeah, well, good thing we're not the navy then," Jazz said, though his smile seemed a little bit less sincere.

As she wondered why, Kat remembered something Joey and Cage had mentioned during that fateful conversation that had turned her life and her perception of the kingdom upside down.

"Wait. Didn't you say that Wolfbane collects magical beings? I mean..." She glanced from Jazz to Jinx and then up towards the sails where she guessed Trix wasn't. "Wouldn't you be in danger?"

"Sweetheart, we're all in danger," Cage said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "But without Fer, the entire kingdom is fucked. We need to do this."

"Oh, I like him," Jinx said. "Sure, I think the kingdom is fucked for much different reasons, but the conclusion is the same."

"So we're chasing after Prince Ferdinand?" Trix made his appearance, landing with a thud next to Jazz.

"That we are, Tricksy, that we are." Jazz stared forward and his eyes went milky white again.

The sight of it made Kat tremble as she realized he was probably looking into the future as that happened. When his eyes became black again, the resignation on his face was even more pronounced and it heightened the unease inside her.

"Let's set sail, comrades. Cage, if you will do us the honors of raising the anchor, I believe the sea awaits."

Adventure does await! And now you've met the ship and the rest of the Jolly crew. How will they handle themselves with so few people?

But that's not really the issue. Wolfbane seems to be a more pressing matter. As is all this magic in one spot. That will go swimmingly.

Stick around for more adventures at sea! And don't forget to vote and comment for support.