Flying With a Broken Wing, Chapter VIII: Fears, Storms, and Powers

   Addie awoke to the sound of Armando DiCastillo's, her master's, voice in her head: 'Adeline,' his Spanish accent echoed, 'you're weaker than I thought.' She frowned at the air and whispered low enough so the other prisoners of Barbossa could continue their slumber, “I'm not trying to prove myself to you, sir.” His sinister chuckle buzzed in her ears and he said 'So, you admit you're weak.' She crossed her arms and legs angrily as she sat in the water on the floor. She growled at him through her teeth quietly, “I am not weak.”
'Look at him,' he referred to her father.
She obeyed, glancing at him across the cell. The peaceful smile on his face almost made her grin.
'He's right there. Kill him!'
“No. Barbossa needs him alive.”
'What is that brute to you?'
“He'll kill me if I kill Jack.”
'He needs you too. Better to lose only one of his necessary prisoners than two.'
“I have no weapon. The only ways to kill him would cause him to make too much noise. Pirates will be down here before I can finish him.”
His voice turned harsh: 'Admit it, Adeline! You won't kill him!'
“I will!” her voice raised slightly.
'You can't. You have a soft spot for him.'
“He's my father. It's inevitable. His blood runs in my veins.”
'You're pitiful!'
“Get out of my head!" she screamed now.

   Jack stirred and his eyes shot open. He looked over at Addie, who was covering her ears with her hands like a four-year-old. “What's gotten into you?” he asked her, starting to come over. She stuck out her hand, signaling for him to stay away and assured him stubbornly, “I'm fine!” The morning sun began to peek through the hole in the wall of their cell. He plopped back down, making a splash in the bit of water on his spot. “Let me ask you something,” he said. She snapped, “I don't have to let you do anything.”
“Why are you with this... Alex Smithson? You don't even know him.” he spoke anyway, ignoring her rudeness.
“I've known him for almost ten years.”
“You think you know him, Addie, but you don't.”
“Didn't you hear me?” she asked him in anger, “I've known him ten years! I've spent over the last three thousand days of my life with him!”
“I'm sorry, love, but you can't know someone who doesn't even know themselves.”
“I love him, Jack. I don't need to know everything about him. You don't understand. You've never loved anyone.”

   The pirate moved his hand in the water on the floor with a glum look on his face. Addie felt a twinge of regret and sympathy for him. He was her father- it showed not only on his face and features, but in his actions. They shared habits and thoughts. Somewhere inside of her, there was the little girl she used to be who wanted a daddy to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. However, her rage and unforgivingness hid that little girl behind a black curtain. To her surprise, he spoke, “You don't have to be in love with someone to love them. You love your mother, don't you?” She scoffed, “Of course! She's my mother!”
“But that's not only why, is it? There's more to it. You don't love me and I'm your father.”
“I love y...” she began to argue, but stopped herself.
His smirk stretched up one cheek in a half-smile.

   At that moment, Addie knew she couldn't do it. She couldn't kill her own father. Elizabeth was right. She could kill him physically, but her heart would never allow it. The realization that she actually loved her father messed everything up. She would have to find the strength. If she didn't kill him, DiCastillo would take her mother back to La Isla de Almas, she would be letting down Alex, and DiCastillo would most likely punish her in more ways than one. Her attention shifted back to something Jack had said earlier, “What do you mean I 'don't know' Alex?” He sighed and shook his head as if it was completely obvious and replied, “You'll find out soon enough. He won't be able to contain himself much longer.”
“You're talking like you know him better than I.”
“I don't, but I know the more important things.”

   Addie glanced over at Alex, who was moving around uncontrollably in his sleep. He was grunting and moaning and his eyebrows were knitted into a frown. He was whispering nonsense in a language she didn't understand. Jack watched him as well with an amused smile on his face. Just as Addie was about to crawl closer to the front of the cell to be closer to Alex, the ship rocked to the side, plastering her against the wall. Pirates above on deck began shouting loudly in panic. She peeked out the hole in the wall before Jack could get to it.

   Dark grey clouds, almost black, covered the sky in a frightening blanket. Enormous sticks of lightening lit the sky in their jagged dashes. The biggest drops of rain Addie had ever seen plummeted from the heavens, spreading large ripples across the growing waves. Another noise shattered the sound of the rain for a second. Alex shouted in his sleep, “Agua de la muerte!” The ship flopped around the water like a toy boat in a bathtub. Addie shot her eyes from Alex to her father over and over, to and fro. Alex was struggling, Jack was smiling- completely unmoved.

  “You're mad!” Addie yelled at her father, “He's not doing this!” Jack stood up and walked towards the front of the cell, as she had wanted to do moments before. Elizabeth and Liam were awake now, holding onto one another. Alex, however, was still sleeping in the water on the floor, thrashing with his eyes closed. Jack kept his sea legs and held onto the bars of the door, watching Alex in wonder. Addie tried and failed several times to stand before catching her balance and grabbing onto the bars herself. “Agua de la Muerte!” Alex shouted again.

   Liam clutched Elizabeth's arm and asked sheepishly, “What's wrong with him, Mummy?” She stroked his hair and admitted, “I don't know, darling.” The waves outside jerked the ship at a sharp turn, causing her to almost roll on top of her son. Just then, Barbossa came hurrying down the stairs on his own with his pet monkey on his shoulders. Jack mused, “A life kept secret is a dangerous one, ain't it, mate?” Barbossa snickered at him and bent down by Alex. Addie panicked, demanding to know, “What are you doing?” He reached through the door of the cell and laid a hand on Alex's forehead and he awoke immediately.

   Slowly but surely, the ship became steadier and steadier, returning to a reasonable state. Addie let go of the bars and sluggishly stepped farther and farther away from the door, back against the wall. Alex rubbed his eyes and smiled at her, clueless as to what had happened. She felt herself shaking violently and she knew her fear was displayed on her face. Barbossa looked her way and nodded, then walked back up to the deck, unphased.

   Alex stood up and strolled to the front of his cell, never looking away from Addie. Elizabeth and Liam stayed on the floor, gawking at him. “Addie,” he asked, “Love, what's the matter?” She shook her head at him, unable to speak. Her palms were pressed against the wall behind her. Jack smirked at the unaware buccaneer and said casually, “Quite a nightmare you had.” Alex's face changed to stone with understanding. He gazed at Addie in sympathy, then dropped his head, letting out a suppressed sigh. Jack straightened his face and questioned sternly, “When exactly did you plan on telling my daughter about your abilities?” “I didn't...” Alex's voice faded and he confessed, “I didn't know what it was. I still don't.” Addie felt a tear slip from her eye.

   Addie found herself on the floor of her cabin when her head hit the ground, waking her up. Her ship was swaying back and forth clumsily. She heard thunder booming outside. Forgetting to put on some decent clothes, she ran out the door to investigate the storm. Lightning flashed in the sky, brightening the night. Cold water swept over her bare feet, making her realize that the deck was drowning. The ship took a strange direction with the wind, shifting Addie and making her slip to hit the floor, twisting her ankle. An unbearable pain shot through her foot and up her leg.

   Addie tried to stand, but the agony in her limb was too much. She was stuck on the deck with a sprained ankle. “Alex!” she cried for help, “Alex, wake up! Help!” She watched the spot above her foot turn purple and swell. After what seemed like hours but were only seconds, Alex emerged from his cabin. As he did, the sun came out from behind the clouds and the rain ceased. The ship rocked back into a solitary state. Addie looked up at him, trying not to let the pain she was feeling show on her face. “Could you help me up, love?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  Alex rushed to her side and sat on the now dry deck beside her. A mortified expression covered his face. He put his hand on her ankle gently and she winced. “I slipped,” she explained, sucking in air, “There was a storm before you woke up. The deck was wet...” her voice trailed when she saw his eyes glaze over with tears. “I'm so sorry, Addie,” he whispered. She stroked his cheek and smiled, assuring him, “It's not your fault I'm clumsy!”
“I'm not talking about that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It doesn't matter. I won't let it happen again.”
“You're confusing me, Alex.”
“Let me help you up,” he dropped the subject.

   Clenching the bars of the cell, Alex told Addie, “Please stop looking at me like that.” She knew that her fear was unable to be hidden, but she obeyed, closing her eyes. “Y-you...” she stuttered, “You knew you could...” She heard him sigh and he replied, “At first, I thought it was all coincidence.” She curled her hands into fists. Jack pointed out, “But you obviously knew after some time that you weren't... normal.” Addie nodded, agreeing with him and opened her eyes to look at Alex, who confessed, “I did, but I thought I could control it. It rains when I'm sad. It storms when I'm angry or having a nightmare.” “And you didn't tell me,” she choked out through the lump in her throat.
“I was hoping you wouldn't have to know.”
She stepped forward now. “What would have been the harm?”
“You would look at me like you are now- afraid.”
“I...” she moved her eyes to the floor, “I'm just surprised. I don't know if you're...”
“If I'm dangerous,” he finished for her.
“I've been safe for the past ten years, Alex-”
“Not knowing that half of the storms you faced were caused by me,” he interrupted.

   Addie looked over at him to see that he'd stopped squeezing the bars and was now standing up straight. He lifted up his arms so that they were in a horizontal line with his palms down. Now, with his eyes closed, he seemed to be concentrating. Addie watched him curiously. Suddenly, she felt the water moving under her feet. It flowed in Alex's direction quickly and smoothly. The water underneath him rose up beneath his arms, shrinking into mist as it got closer to his hands, where it vanished. After but a minute, all of the water on the deck was gone, leaving the wood as dry as a bone. Addie gulped in fear and bit down on her bottom lip. Jack frowned at the mystical man and whined, “Now, why didn't you do that earlier?”