“That is why you sought to find me, though, isn’t it?” She didn’t want to chat about it, but I pressed on. That was the whole reason she was even here, so we were going to have this discussion whether she cared for it or not. “You came here so you could take me there and never let me leave that hellish prison.”
She rubbed the hand she had slapped me with. It quivered slightly like striking me bothered her. “You were not on the ship when I took it over. Having heard the stories of Neverland, your father begged for death instead of being trapped in that hellhole. He wagered your soul instead.”
“I was just a boy at the time!” I barked, dragging my hands through my hair. “I was—”
“Living with your mother,” she guessed. “Orphaned.” She gasped and then closed her eyes like facing me—facing the truth—was too difficult to bear. Her voice caught. “Captain, I’m sorry.”
Her apology didn’t catch me off-guard as much as the way I suddenly felt like I’d been slammed in the gut. I waited for her eyes to flutter open before I spoke again. I knew I’d been doomed the second she drifted into my life. When those striking green eyes focused on me, I couldn’t look away from her.
And I didn’t want to. “I never saw eye to eye with Davy. His death was a blessing,” I admitted, taking a careful step closer to her. She didn’t move, not even when I could no longer control myself. I slipped my hand against her cheek. “I joined the colors of my homeland and served in the navy, but it didn’t take. Piracy is in my blood. But where I am today is not because of you. My choices brought me here. I make my own destiny, and I will find a way to Neverland.”
And I’d sailed these seas so often, I no longer needed anything more than the stars to guide me. I wanted to see the unknown, even if it was dangerous.
Bell was skilled at keeping her true emotions at bay, so I was surprised when I heard the panic in her voice. “You don’t understand what you are asking, Captain. Neverland has a way of breaking people. It corrupts souls. It destroys hope. The evil festering inside it brings out the darkness in our hearts and leaves us worse than dead. Criminals, traitors, and the truly evil beings are attracted to it. No good has ever come from it, no matter how much treasure is buried on the island.”
I finally understood what she was trying to tell me without actually speaking it. “Neverland is your birthplace.” Her pink lips turned white from her having them pressed together so tightly. There was my answer. She was a creature of evil, yet I wanted nothing more than to calm that trembling lip of hers. The second I traced my thumb over her bottom lip, her eyes glossed over. She whispered captain like it was a name of endearment.
“Corruption is in my bones. Darkness is all I know,” she insisted. “Is that why you are drawn to corrupt men? Because you think you are a curse to others?” I pressed gently, not sure if I even wanted to know the answer.
“I am a curse to humanity.” A single tear escaped her eye.
“Why? What have you done that is so awful?” “I can…” Her voice came out raspy. It was haunting. I’d never forget it in all my days. “My magic…I lure them…trap them in Neverland and its magic, its power feeds me. I am stronger because of it.”
“You kill them, too?” I asked softly.
“Not always, but what I can do is far worse than ending a life.” Again, she pressed her lips together. I understood that some secrets couldn’t be spoken, and this was not something I needed to force her to say.
When I didn’t flinch or pull away, she took a long, deep breath, and then she slowly relaxed against me. It was not without effort. It couldn’t have been easy for her to admit something so murderous.
In a soft voice, barely loud enough for me to even hear, she whispered, “I hate it.” “I am not one to judge another for taking a life,” I said quietly as not to startle her. “It never gets any easier for humans. I can’t imagine it’s any different for a fairy.”
I wanted to kiss her. Christ, I wanted to feel her lips on mine. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and blanket her in my affection. I wanted to kiss her until she could no longer recall another man’s name or why she was drawn to men like me. More importantly, I wanted to be the man who made her lose all sense of herself. My moral compass did not always point north, but I would do right by her.
But I didn’t. Her lips were close. So close I was tempted to take what I desired. I was a damn pirate for Christ’s sake. But I would wait until she came to me. I would wait until the end of time if I had to.
“You know more than only darkness. You know my touch. You know how I feel about you. And I know how you feel about me.”
Pushing me away, she shook her head. “I have never been in love. Not now, not ever.” I knew what she was doing. She was literally pushing me away with her hands and with her words. But just as I knew that to be the truth, it didn’t sting any less. She hugged herself like she hated the cold air against her skin. Our bodies had been so close. I just needed her to admit the truth and I would ensure she’d never be cold again. But it was her choice to close me off. Fine, if she wanted to live in denial, I would let her.
“If you have never experienced love, then you have never truly lived.” I cursed and walked away, cracking my knuckles as I was suddenly in the mood to hit something.
10 MISS BELL
Present Day
My back hit something hard. My mood suddenly changed. Out of desperation, I had fled to Savage Point. Now that I lay in their haven, I wished to be anywhere else.
But there was no running from death. It would have been Peter who killed me, but now the mermaids would have their chance. I prayed they would take my offer…
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I lay on the rock shelf that I had been thrown upon. My head hung over the edge, forcing me to see my stark white reflection in the cavern’s pool. I hardly recognized myself. My eyes were no longer a brilliant green. Instead, they were dull. I wanted to look away from the purple bruises that surrounded my swollen eye, but I couldn’t bear to move. My body felt like it was on fire from all its injuries. My feet were shredded. My hands were burned. The gashes across my back were severely infected… No, moving was not an option.
The slight fragrance of smoke triggered a cough. I dabbed away a bit of blood and black residue that trickled from the corner of my mouth. The recent smoke inhalation had done a great deal of damage. My lungs were coated with it.
I glanced around the cavern to find the new source of smoke. Candles encased in seashells lightly lit up the room. The soft light flickered off of the rock walls. Mermaids wouldn’t have lit them, though. They hated the burn and how their demon-like eyes shimmered in the light, so it could only mean that their enslaved humans were responsible.
A moment later, a meager woman knelt down beside me. She glanced down at me, her nearly white eyes reflecting pity. “You smell like the sun.”
The sight of her almost translucent skin and balding head confirmed she was one of the mermaids’ human pets. I couldn’t help but take in her
appearance. My eyes followed her hand as she reached out to peel away the cloth that covered my back. I noticed scar tissue wrapped around her arm and trailed down her leg.
“You should have jumped at low tide,” she muttered. “If you were lucky, the fall might have killed you.”
Her piece of advice hurt my heart. “What is your name?”
“My name?” she blinked like she wasn’t sure what I meant.
“Yes, your name. What did you go by before you came here?” She stared at me for quite some time. Then she looked up at the cavern ceiling with her white eyes as if in thought. Frowning, she answered, “I had no name.”
That broke my heart. I reached for her hand. “May I call you Hope?”
Her face contorted like she wasn’t sure what she thought of my suggestion. Finally, she nodded.
“My name is Bell,” I offered and then asked, “Did they drag a boy down with me?” “They never allow any males to live.” The woman frowned and t
hen searched me for signs of a head injury. “Do you not know that men cursed these beautiful women to the sea? No mermaid would take a man as their mate because they are too ugly.”
“I’ve heard the stories,” I admitted, but I didn’t point out the error in her story. A voice echoed from the dark water. “The fairy witnessed us being cursed but did nothing to stop them.”
A beautiful woman floated just above the surface. Her fiery red hair shimmered across the water. Her green eyes all but matched mine. Her skin was light like polished porcelain. She was
breathtakingly gorgeous; however, when she spoke, her teeth showed. They had been filed into points. I didn’t have to see her nails to know they were just as sharp.
“It’s been quite some time, Kaleo,” I noted and clicked my tongue as she splashed her fin in the water.
“You look better than usual, Tinkerbell,” she hissed.
My cheeks warmed as I fought to stay in control of my temper. I retorted, “I go by Bell now.” Her lip curled. “I don’t care what you call yourself. I’m simply glad that you are allowing me to witness your death.”
I felt my cold smile crawl across my face. “You will regret my death if you do not hear me out first. I’ve come to strike a bargain.”
“I do not make arrangements with your kind” she sneered. “I don’t, either.” I giggled and then got caught in a coughing frenzy. Hope wiped the blood from my lips after I was able to control myself.
“Good, she’s awake,” another mermaid squealed, her head bobbing above the water. My eye twitched when I caught sight of Wreif’s curly blonde hair—a striking contrast to her twin sister Tethys’ short, jet black hair. Wreif’s bright red eyes sent chills down my spine.
Tethys pushed herself up out of the water and sat beside me. Her tail shimmered in an array of blues and greens. It would have been beautiful if it wasn’t decorated with scars. As if reading my mind, she snickered upon sight of my torn back.
“I didn’t believe my ears when I heard your scream,” Tethys quipped, smiling at me with her pointy teeth. “But then I dug my fingers into your ankle and I saw your eyes roll back into your head. I couldn’t let you die so easily, so I had my pet tend to your needs until you woke up.”
“Thank you, Hope,” I said, reaching for her hand. Tethys swatted me across the face. “You named her? She is my pet! Not yours!” I closed my eyes, hating that I had gotten Hope in trouble. “Heal me, Tethys. I don’t have energy for these games.”
Wreif laughed. Even my ears bled at the horrific sound. “We don’t take orders from you.”
“You will when you find out what bargain I’ll strike,” I retorted.
The mermaid paused. “What could possibly make me want to agree to anything you propose?” “Because I know how to grant you something you want,” I promised. “All if you heal me with your tears.”
“Don’t be crass. Don’t assume to know what I want,” Kaleo insisted, leaning against the ledge in front of me. Her sharp nails tapped on the rock. Looking at me, she blinked those beautiful green eyes in a manner that reminded me of a snake. “Please tell me you’ll grant us the legs that we used to have.”
I chided, “I’m not a fool. Most assume mermaids seek legs to walk on land, but I know better. You want something that no fairy has been able to grant you, and I’ll give it to you for some of your tears.”
11 CAPTAIN JAMES
Earlier that year
It was her tear that I first saw when I woke in a cold sweat. It slipped down her cheek and when I wiped it away, it felt as cold as ice. When I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong, she pressed her finger over my lips. She held it there seconds longer than necessary. I would have been a fool to remove it. Hell, I’d be a fool to let her out of my room.
Much to my dismay, she dragged me out of bed and then tossed me my coat. I got dressed, but it did not go unnoticed how her gaze drifted down my chest and over my stomach. Suddenly, she hugged herself as if she was chilled.
I loved how her lips parted, but it was when she licked her lips that I couldn’t contain myself anymore. A moan ripped from my throat. I closed the distance between us, grabbed her waist, and pulled her up against me.
“Do you want to truly live?” I demanded, tightening my hands around her waist.
She let out a shaky breath. “That depends on what you choose tonight, Captain. Me or…” “Or what?” “Everything any pirate has ever dreamed of having,” she replied and wiggled out of my grasp so quickly that I barely caught her hand.
She led me out onto the deck. I’d never seen the night so dark. Not a single star hung in the sky. Kale wouldn’t have been able to see anything during a night like this, not even from the crow’s nest.
“Don’t be mad, but he’s sleeping,” Bell said as if reading my thoughts. My grip tightened. Falling asleep as a lookout was not going to be tolerated. I stopped, waiting for my eyes to adjust long enough to call him out.
Bell stood on her tiptoes, barely able to brush her lips against my ear as she whispered, “It wasn’t his fault. His sleepiness was my doing.”
“What?” I demanded through clenched teeth. “How?” There was that damn giggle of hers! “It’s a secret, but enough about Kale. There is something else that you have been wanting to see.”
With my hand in hers, she walked over to the railing. I couldn’t see anything. She could have been leading me off of the ship and I wouldn’t have known. But I trusted her. I shouldn’t, but I foolishly did.
I felt the edge of the railing against my hips. I wanted to ask so many questions, but she’d made it clear when we awoke that I was not to speak.
Finally, the setting took shape as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. An island formed in the distance. Not a single light shined on it, but the sands shimmered with a golden hue.
Bell’s fierce jade eyes stared down the island like it was the devil himself. Her skin burned, yet when she let out a breath of air, it came out frozen. While she glared at the island in front of us, my eyes were only for her. Her hands were balled up into tiny fists. Her body was deathly stiff except for her bottom lip. It trembled. I wanted more than anything to cup her delicate face in my hands and trace her bottom lip to calm it.
Her voice came out as a raspy whisper like she was summoning the dead. “The beaches of gold are only meant to lure vile humans here, and the beautiful women…well, their memory haunts the souls of men until they cannot think of anything else. And if humans try to leave, those beautiful women drag them to the depth of the ocean and slaughter them. And if they manage to save themselves by swimming to shore? Well, whenever a soul steps foot onto Neverland’s shore, they remain there evermore…cursed for all time, unable to grow up, unable to die. The island is a powerful prison, trapping them in its dark magic. It is said that only the dust of a fairy’s bones can change that simple truth.”
“And you bring men here?” I whispered so softly I could barely hear myself. “Because Neverland feeds off of wicked beings, and it takes the power that evilness brings and…rewards its creatures who supply it.”
Before I could ask any more questions, she turned to me and dug out the compass that I kept in my breast pocket. Flipping it open and pointing to a watermark that now stained the outer edge, she cooed, “This is Neverland. I will never bring you here again. But if you decide to return for the riches, or women, or whatever draws you, this will guide you.”
It was then that I noticed a scratching sound resonating from the keel of the ship. It was slight at first, but then more scratches came like fingernails scraping at wood. Wetness dripped from my ear. I reached for it. When I pulled them back to see, my fingers were stained with blood. It was as black as ever. I shuddered. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.
“Horrid mermaids,” Bell cursed. The scratches grew louder and louder until the sound was painful to an extreme. It was as if they were tearing my eardrums apart. I bit back the urge to scream out in pain. That wretched sound damn near brought me to my
knees. My ears rang, muffling out everything else. Bell slammed her hand over my mouth. She viciously shook her head, begging me not to make a sound.
“They despise men,” she stated loud enough for me to hear over that deafening noise. “If they were to discover you or your crewmen on this ship, they would tear it apart with their bare hands.”
“Cap, where are we?” John’s voice echoed in the night. The younger version of Michael was a few paces away, with a sleepy look on his face like he’d just woken up. He walked toward the edge of the ship with his gaze fixated on the sea. It was as if nothing was as important as the water even though he saw it every day.
Bell raced over to him, not making a single sound as her feet hit the ground. Pulling him back from the rail, she spun him around and cupped her hands over his ears. “This is a nightmare, a dream.”
John looked at me for confirmation, his gaze drifting to the compass in my hand. As much as I wanted to speak, the desperation in Bell’s eyes stopped me. It wasn’t for me, though. She was focused on something splashing in the water. I peered over the side of the ship just as Bell screamed.
“Captain, don’t look!” she pleaded, but she was too late.
I caught sight of a fin. John must have seen it, too, as his eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. “What is this place?” John marveled.
“This is hell. Neverland,” Bell cursed. Then in a softer voice she purred, “Close your eyes, John.” Instead of doing what she asked, he looked back at the dark water and muttered, “I never want to take my eyes off of them.”
Cursing again under her breath, Bell dug her nails into his arm, distracting him. It only took a second, but it was enough time for her to kiss his eyes. Instantly, he dropped. Wiping her lips, she made no effort to catch him. His body hit the floor like dead weight as she withdrew the watch from her pocket.
The soft clang of the pocket watch’s chain echoed in the silence. In the blink of an eye, Bell and I were back in my quarters. The compass was still in my hand. I stood in the middle of the room as she cupped my face, covering her hands over my ears. The ringing stopped immediately, but the concern in her eyes did not vanish. Her gaze darted back and forth as she searched for answers in my eyes.
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