Journey to Neverland (Haunting Fairytales Collection Book 2)

by R. L. Weeks

  ‘Feel free to throw me to the wolves time and time again. I will always come back unscathed, a leader. I am much stronger than you.’

  Lori laughed manically. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Lori threw a bolt of red Snows way as if it were nothing. The bolt, aiming for her heart, bounced off of Snow’s sword. She lifted the sword and cut through the air. The blue and diamonds glistened in the sunlight that escaped through the gap in the curtains. Lori’s lips parted. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.

  ‘What is that?’ Lori asked, fear lacing her words.

  Snow grinned. ‘Oh, this?’ she said, pointing the sword in the direction of Lori’s heart. ‘This is the last thing you will see before you end up in an eternal prison. I got it from someone who has more kindness in their little finger than you have in your whole body!’

  Lori gritted her teeth and threw another curse at Snow. The curse bounced from her sword.

  Snow moved with such grace and ease. Lori narrowly avoided the curse which had jumped back in her direction.

  Panicking, Lori clicked her fingers, but Snow cut through the air with the blade. ‘It cuts through magic as well. You’re not going anywhere.’

  ‘Why didn’t you use it when I threw you to the wolves?’ Lori asked, trying to stall Snow until she could gather enough concentrated magic to disappear without Snow having time to cut the magic.

  ‘You caught me off guard,’ Snow admitted. ‘It won’t happen again. I’ve been practicing. I’m about to become your worst nightmare!’

  Lori laughed. ‘Such big threats for such a little girl.’

  ‘Do your worst.’ Snow’s eyes flashed green for a second. She had a killer in her, Lori could tell.

  Lori turned in a full circle. The skirt of Lori’s dress was layers upon layers of black net which reached down to her black heels. The net spun away from the dress, licking their way toward Snow. One piece wrapped its way around her ankle, the other around her wrist. Frantically, Snow waved the sword around, cutting at the netting. But whenever she cut it, it grew back. Lori aged as she tried to kill Snow, her magic draining her beauty. Lori could see that she wouldn’t have much strength soon to be able to vanish. Snow dropped the sword whilst trying to free herself. Lori seized the opportunity and clicked her fingers. Red clenched her fists and lunged at Lori, but Lori disappeared just as Red reached her. ‘Dammit!’ Red shouted. ‘I honestly thought you had her. Guess we will need to do more than that to kill the Evil Queen.

  ***

  Stilt dressed into his finest suit and stood in front of the rectangular mirror, plucking at the cuff of his shirt.

  Cinderella was now almost one. He couldn’t believe it. Not that he had seen much of his adopted little Cinderella. He worried that the King and Queen of Dolorom would not hand her over when the time is right. Cinderella may biologically be their child, but he had made a deal with them. If it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t have the twins. As a precaution, he had placed a curse on Aurora. Edward had given him the idea when he was alive.

  When he and Lori travelled to Milborn, Stilt activated the curse on Cinderella’s twin sister.

  If he didn’t have Cinderella with him by her sixteenth birthday, then Aurora would fall into a death-like slumber. She wouldn’t awake until he and Cinderella were reunited.

  With that worry gone, he could concentrate on the most important things. Bringing Sadie and his daughter back to life. The memories still haunted him. How he had eaten his daughter when cursed with a ravenous hunger for his loved ones. A curse placed on him by Lori. The same woman who ripped his wife’s heart out. Ironically, the one who was now helping him to reunite him, his wife, and daughter.

  He would still get his revenge though. When they find the Fountain of Youth, Lori would die. He would see to that. He was so glad that they were going to Neverland. If he had any chance of killing Lori, it would be there.

  A piece of parchment flew through the open window. He caught the note which opened in his hand. It was from Lori.

  ~ Ran into a problem. Meet me at the Dolorom Mountain.

  Stilt vanished and reappeared at the mountain. The crackling fire and falling snow were the only sounds that could be heard. Everything was still, giving the whole place an eerie feel. The rocks, which were covered in snow, sat around the two-bedroom log cabin.

  The mountain had once been a popular resort, now all of the cabins were desolate, making it an excellent place for people to hide out.

  ‘Stilt.’ Lori addressed him and let him in. He looked around the room. Somehow everything was modernised, yet made of wood. Whoever had designed the cabins had done an excellent job in finding a balance between traditional and modern.

  Stilt brushed the snowflakes off of his suit. ‘When do we leave?’

  Lori drank the last of her red wine and adjusted her large black wedding style hat. ‘We leave in an hour. We must push forward with this. Once we have the boy, we can combine our power to obtain the Fountain of Youth. We just need James, but I have a plan for that. That plan is chained up, ready to take with us.’

  Stilt nodded. ‘And Snow, is she going to be a problem?’

  ‘Not where we’re going,’ Lori said, grinning. ‘She possesses a type of sword that I haven’t encountered before. Once I have the power of the fountain, I will take it from her, and with it, her life.’

  Stilt nodded. They had a meal, packed some supplies, and stepped back outside. Both of them clicked their fingers and reappeared on a ship. Stilt looked around wide-eyed. ‘Why are we on a ship?’

  ‘We cannot just magic ourselves into Neverland. It’s out of our domain. We must sail there.’

  Lori climbed down the rope ladder. She placed Ariel’s hair into a vial which was filled with a black option. Once it had turned red, she poured it into the sea.

  Lori climbed back up the ladder, and both she and Stilt watched over the side of the wooden ship. The water bubbled, and from its black depths, skeletons of lost seamen climbed the ladder.

  Seaweed covered their bones. Their eye sockets were eyeless; their teeth were black with no lips to cover them. They walked slowly and in silence, to their stations.

  Tied up below deck, Belle tried to get free, but couldn’t.

  As Lori had escaped from Snow and Red, she saw James and Belle outside of the palace. She reappeared by them and tried to grab James, but he had grown too powerful and avoided her. So, she grabbed Belle instead, then told him that if he wants his mother back, he must travel to Neverland, and all would make sense once he is there.

  ANYTHING FOR LOVE

  Ariel laid under her cloak, the skirt of her ball gown spread out around her. ‘Eric,’ she managed as she got to her feet. She looked around nervously. She was back by the entrance to the dungeons. It was nightfall, the pinpricked stars marked the rich blackness beautifully. The moon shone down on the silent kingdom. Everyone was searching for Ariel. Eric had sent out a hunt to find Ursula, convinced that she had taken her, just as Lori had predicted. Ariel got to her feet brushing down her dress, and pulled the cloaks strings tighter. It shielded her from the brisk cold that swept through the palace grounds.

  She walked up to the entrance when a guard spotted her. He sunk to a bow then stood up quickly. ‘Your Majesty, we are relieved by your safe return.’

  ‘Where is Eric?’ Ariel asked, a lump rising in her throat.

  ‘He is hunting down Ursula, Majesty,’ the guard replied.

  ‘No,’ Ariel replied, panicked. Tears stung at her eyes. ‘He is chasing the wrong person. She will kill him. Where can I find him?’

  The guard shook his head. ‘I will send out a message to the King’s guard to find and bring him back. We are under strict orders to keep you here should you return.’

  Ariel walked up the steps and grabbed his sword, holding the blade against his throat. ‘I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I swear if you don’t tell me where to find my Eric, I will make sure that your head leaves your shoulders with one quick cut!’

&nb
sp; The guard, shocked, stepped back. ‘Majesty,’ he started.

  ‘Where is he?’ Ariel interrupted, pushing the sword in further.

  ‘The lake,’ he said quickly. ‘He is at the lake!’

  Ariel dropped the sword and ran down the palace steps, through the gates, and down the moonlit path to the shimmering lake.

  Ariel leant down by the water’s edge. ‘Coral,’ she whispered to the water. Ten minutes later Coral appeared, her tail hidden by the dark water. Her hair was darker than it used to be and her belly was swollen. ‘Are you… pregnant?’

  Coral nodded enthusiastically. ‘Sixteen weeks. It is almost time. We think it’s three girls.’

  ‘I’m so happy for you,’ Ariel said, but did not smile. ‘I wish I could spend more time with you, to talk to you about your pregnancy and your marriage. I miss you.’

  ‘But?’ Coral asked.

  ‘Eric is missing and I need to find him. I was kidnapped by two sorcerers. I did what they asked and… well it’s a long story. The main thing is, Eric thinks Ursula took me when she didn’t. Ursula helped me, but if Eric tries to kill her…’

  ‘She will kill him,’ Coral finished.

  ‘Do you know where Ursula is?’ Ariel asked hopefully.

  Coral nodded. ‘Ariel, she’s a mermaid again. She is in her cave.’

  Ariel gasped. ‘Eric must have gone down there. Where is mother, father? Someone must have seen him!’

  Coral disappeared under the water and returned a little while later with Neptune. ‘Daddy,’ Ariel cried, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. ‘Eric is gone. Have you seen him, spoken to him?’

  ‘We’re glad you’re back. Eric spoke to your mother. We figured that you had been kidnapped by Ursula. Your mother went to find Ursula with Eric. We allowed him to breathe underwater so he could go with her. He is in the lake.’

  ‘No!’ Ariel shouted. ‘I need to go in.’

  ‘You are no longer a mermaid, Ariel,’ Coral jumped in. ‘You could become one again, to save your King, but you could never go back to being a human once you have your tail back. You know this.’

  Ariel nodded. ‘I know, but Eric needs me. I can’t lose him. I’d rather die.’

  ‘Then, it is time for me to bring you back to who you once were,’ Neptune said, holding out his trident. Ariel’s legs shot together, skin grew over both of them, tying them together. Then, they turned into a shimmering gold and black. Her feet turned into a large fin. Ariel screeched in pain as she laid on the pebbles. ‘We need to get her in the water!’ Neptune said. He and Coral pulled her into the lake and Ariel was once again home.

  Ariel swam into the depths, past the shipwreck and to the cave. Neptune tried to stop her, but she swam straight into the cave. Neptune was the only one who could never enter the cave. Ursula had made sure of that a long time ago. As Ariel entered the large stoned room, her gaze locked onto Eric’s. He was floating, seemingly lifeless. Ursula looked different. She was beautiful. Her tail was more golden than the rest, the shells covering her face were no more, and her hair was long and black, waving in the water in an entrancing dance.

  ‘Ariel,’ Ursula addressed her. Josephine, Ariel’s mother, was gagged and inside one of the low dungeons of Ursula’s cave.

  ‘Please let them go. They thought you had kidnapped me, but it was not you! It will never happen again, please let them go. Is he- he still alive?’ Ariel dared to ask, closing her eyes as the dreaded answer came her way.

  ‘Yes,’ Ursula said. ‘You have a tail again. You gave up being human? You hated it here before. What have you done?’

  ‘Love,’ Ariel admitted. ‘I’ve done this for Eric, and mother.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Ursula said, sincerely. Coral stayed behind Ariel after deciding to follow her in.

  ‘What do you want from us?’ Coral asked.

  Ursula shook her head. ‘From you? Nothing,’ she spat. ‘Ariel has been the only one to show me any kindness. She helped me. I will let Eric and Josephine go at no cost. But Ariel,’ Ursula said, now looking directly at her. ‘If you wish to stay here with me, you will not have any responsibilities as a princess. I can give you legs for one week every year and that is it. You can still see your kingdom once a year and you King. I can teach you to use your magic. You can explore.’

  ‘You’d really do that for me?’ she asked.

  Ursula smiled. ‘We are friends, Ariel.’

  Ariel smiled back and Ursula let Eric and Josephine go. Eric woke up, unable to breathe. Ariel grabbed him and swam out of the cave with him.

  She reached the shore and placed him down. ‘You’re alive,’ Eric spluttered. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay!’

  ‘Eric,’ Ariel started, pushing him away. ‘I have a tail again. I cannot become human again.’

  His eyes widened. ‘No, why would you do that?’

  ‘To save you,’ she admitted. ‘Ursula did not kidnap me. It was another two sorcerers. Ursula let you go. She is going to help me. I can become human for one week every year, to see you. I do understand if you’d rather find another Queen, though.’

  He shook his head vigorously. ‘I love you! You are the Queen of Milborn and always will be. One week a year is not great, but I can come down here to see you.’

  ‘I love you Eric,’ Ariel cried.

  He laughed. ‘You saved my life twice. Am I the damsel in our love story?’ he laughed.

  A small smile etched onto her face. ‘I’ll always save you.’

  JOURNEY TO NEVERLAND

  Gallisa looked at a breathless Snow. ‘I cannot come with you,’ Gallisa said.

  ‘Please,’ Snow begged. ‘I have just found out that Lori is sailing for Neverland.’

  ‘Who told you that?’ Gallisa asked.

  ‘Me,’ Rapunzel stepped forward. ‘I’ve been practicing witchcraft. I’m not really any good, just beginner stuff. But I used runes to see what was happening.’

  Red grinned. ‘You managed to break a barrier spell. That’s amazing.’ Red wrapped her arm around Rapunzel.

  ‘You’re magical,’ Gallisa said, making her way to Rapunzel. She stroked Rapunzel’s golden hair. ‘Your hair is magical. That’s why witchcraft comes easily to you.’

  Rapunzel played with her hair. ‘Oh.’

  Red shot her lopsided smile. ‘I’m so proud of you.’

  ‘For what?’ She replied.

  Red grinned. ‘You, my little badass. You broke the spell to the tower. You cut your hair, fighting back against Jackie. You’ve been amazing at learning the art of witchcraft.’

  Rapunzel giggled. ‘That’s not all.’ She blushed. ‘I was wondering, well…’

  Red poked her side. ‘Out with it.’

  Rapunzel took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. ‘Okay. So, I was hoping you would rule my kingdom with me. I’m going to fight to get it back. I am the princess. I heard that my father died. My cousin took the throne. I am the heir, and I will get it back. You could be my queen, if you wanted that is.’

  Red grinned. ‘I would love to be your Queen, more than anything.’

  Snow smiled at the pair and turned back to Gallisa. ‘See that? That’s true love. We have so much banking on this trip to Neverland. Apparently there’s something there that can help Red. Although, she won’t say what her problem is…’ Snow eyed Red suspiciously. ‘But still, I trust her. Lori will never allow me to live and I think they are planning something terrible. Stilt has gone with Lori and he is just as evil as her. I must take my kingdom back too, she’s a terrible Queen and my people are scared. Be brave Gallisa, please. We need your help getting to Neverland.’

  Gallisa looked around and sighed. ‘I have been to Neverland before.’

  Snow gasped. ‘Perfect. Even more of a reason for you to come with us.’

  ‘Peter was the one who gave me this charm,’ Gallisa admitted, playing with the charm that hung from her bellybutton. ‘The truth is that I left Neverland. He didn’t want me too. I don’t think he would be happy
to see me.’

  ‘Ah,’ Snow said. ‘Peter is the one who you said is incapable of love.’

  Gallisa nodded. ‘I’m afraid so.’

  Snow gritted her teeth. ‘We’re going with or without your help. I appreciate everything you have done for me. If you decide not to come, I will understand. If you do change your mind, I will do anything.’

  Gallisa arched an eyebrow. ‘I want nothing in return.’ Gallisa sighed and pulled off her charm. ‘I will go with you. If you’re right and they are planning something, things could get bad. Neverland holds some of the world’s most powerful objects. If they manage to use anything there and get out with it, our world could be in great danger.’

  ‘So,’ Red stepped forward. ‘How do we get there?’

  Galissa smiled, making fairy dust appear all around them. ‘With fairy dust, of course.’

  The mirror on Gallisa’s mantelpiece, which was the size of the small wall, rippled as if it were made from water. The swirled frame spun mesmerizingly. Gallisa pushed her hand through the glass, feeling warmth. ‘This is how we get through. However, only ones with good hearts can cross this barrier.’

  Gallisa walked up the steps she had made from fairy dust and stepped through the mirror, falling out onto the far side of the Island. It would take a two-day trek to reach the beach near to where Peter lived.

  Red helped Rapunzel up onto the cloudy, sparkling steps. She walked through the mirror too and fell out onto the muddy ground. Red looked and Snow, they both bit their lips. ‘Thinking what I’m thinking?’ Red asked.

  Snow nodded. ‘That we might not be able to go through the portal.’

  Red lowered her head. ‘I’m no angel.’

  ‘Me either,’ Snow admitted. ‘Together?’ Red nodded and they walked up the steps together. They both jumped through the mirror, prepared for the worst. Surprised, they were greeted by Gallisa and Rapunzel. Snow looked back at the shrinking mirror. ‘It worked?’

  Gallisa smiled kindly. ‘Of course it did. You’re a good person.’