Instead of being offended, Esmeralda chuckled. It sounded like tinkling bells and probably caused the flowers to bloom, it was so delightful. “I know more than you think, young one,” she said, her eyes solely focused on Remy.
“Yes, but how?” Perhaps Remy should not be pushing this woman, but Esmeralda had not exactly answered her question.
“It is one of my talents I have bestowed with,” she said. “Just like Adele is skilled with a blade and Giselle is skilled in the culinary arts.”
“What am I skilled with?” Remy wanted to know.
“That is for you to find out, my dear. I cannot tell you.”
“Getting back to the matter at hand,” Adele said after clearing her throat with impatience.
“You will, though.” Esmeralda was still looking at Remy, an indiscernible look on her face. “Do not fret, Remy, but you will find your talents, and more than that, you will find your purpose. Trust that.”
Remy was unsure how to respond to that, so she said nothing.
Adele glanced between the two women before saying, “About Pan?”
“Ah yes.” Esmeralda leaned back in her chair, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. “Captain Pan. The Magistrate’s eyes, yes? Tell me; why is it that you are seeking him?”
“We believe that he is responsible for the recent attacks on innocent ships, slaying souls so they are lost forever,” Giselle answered in her soft-spoken voice.
Remy narrowed her eyes, expecting Esmeralda to disagree with Giselle’s statement, claiming that such a thing was impossible due to the fact that Captain Pan did, in fact, work for the Magistrate and as such, could not possibly be responsible for those attacks. She expected Esmeralda to snap open her eyes or to push up her eyebrows or to react in some way to this news.
But all Esmeralda did was… nothing. She looked exactly the same as she had before Giselle spoke; relaxed, calm, at peace.
Who was this woman, exactly?
“Was it Nick’s idea to go after Isaac in the first place?” was the next question off Esmeralda’s painted lips. Still, her eyes remained calm.
“It was,” Giselle said.
“But only after James Hook gave Nick evidence that it was Pan behind the attacks,” Adele added.
This caused Esmeralda to open her eyes and pick her head off the back of the couch. :”Really?” she asked. To Remy, she sounded genuinely surprised. “What did James want in return?”
“He didn’t ask for anything,” Giselle explained.
“But he did lecture Nick about the lack of souls he was receiving,” Adele said.
“How very strange…” Esmeralda let her voice trail off. Despite her statement, she still had a passive look on her face. “And what was the evidence James showed Nick in order to get him to believe that the man behind the attacks really is Isaac?”
“A fire poker.” It was Remy who had spoken, Nick’s tale of why he wanted his revenge still fresh in her mind. “It had the shape of a snake on the end of it.”
“Well,” Esmeralda said, another smile – this one too dry to be genuine – sliding across her face. “That explains it, then.”
A silence hung in the air. It was not exactly awkward but the tension was palpable.
“To answer your question,” Esmeralda continued, “yes, Captain Pan is here on Tenedor. Interestingly enough, he is looking for Nick. I am not quite sure as to why, but that is what I hear.”
Remy wanted to ask how she could possibly have heard that when it appeared that Esmeralda had been in her random pocket of the forest, in her cottage, for quite a while. Before she could, both Giselle and Adele stood, prepared to take their leave.
“Thank you,” both Giselle and Adele murmured. Remy followed suit with a soft thanks of her own.
As Esmeralda led them to the door, she said, “But heed my warning, ladies. Captain Pan is not what he seems. Tread carefully.”
With that, the three walked through the door and out into the darkness.
Twenty-Three
“Now what do we do?” Remy asked as she, Adele, and Giselle immersed themselves in forestry once more.
“We obviously go back to the Albatross and tell Nick that Pan is on the island,” Adele replied as though the answer was rather obvious. “Not only that, but for whatever reason, Pan is looking for Nick.”
“Well, is that not a good thing?” Remy wondered. Why was Adele walking so fast? Now that they received the pertinent information they needed, could they not resort to a leisurely stroll and not fast, powerful walking that was just shy of a jog? “If both men are looking for each other, it is only rational to assume that eventually, they will find each other, much quicker than if Nick was looking for Pan.”
Giselle stifled a giggle and Adele glanced back at Remy. Though it was dark, Remy was certain the red head was glaring at her for some reason.
“And what then?” Adele asked, turning her attention back to what was in front of her. “What happens when the two who, by the way, loathe each other to the point where if they had the option to kill the other, they would not even hesitate? Nick might technically still be alive, like you, but he can still die here. He was cursed to his position, and until he fulfills the curse’s requirements, he’s stuck down here. Which means death, if it comes down to it.”
Remy was not sure how to respond to that. Instead, she decided to ask, “I understand why Nick hates Captain Pan, but why does Captain Pan hate Nick?”
“Even though Captain Pan has free reign over the sea thanks to his position with the Magistrate,” Giselle remarked softly, “Nick has more power than he does in that Nick answers to no one. All Nick is required to do is his job. Which he does. But he has no master, no one who controls him.”
“Nick has more freedom,” Adele said from the front. She kept her eyes in front of her, rather than turn around to look at whom she was talking to. “And remember, Nick is still technically alive which means there is a possibility he can leave The Underworld.”
“As soon as the curse’s requirements are fulfilled,” Remy finished.
“And Nick his handsome,” Giselle pointed out. “He’s charming and decent and everybody loves him, despite the fact that Nick is also a pirate. It’s quite rare to find someone with little regard for the Law who also happens to be adored.”
Remy pressed her lips together and nodded her head. Nobody could see her, of course, but it was a gesture done at a subconscious level and so she could not actually stop herself from indulging in it.
Conversation ceased among the three women, and they headed back to town in their silent thoughts.
Captain Peter Pan currently paced up and down the rather small room he had rented at the King’s Cross Inn, placed conveniently across the road from the Albatross Tavern. Captain Pan was not as fond of the island, which permitted all sorts of people to walk the streets freely. There was no Law prohibiting these common folk from conversing with him if they so chose either, which he had found out the hard way. Of course he promptly walked away from the man hoping to sell real silk sheets to the captain, without even a backwards glance.
He had no interest in socializing with people so far beneath him he would not allow them to shine his boots. He could not be distracted by whores and the like – who knew where these women had been anyways? – and though he was used to more extravagant rooms and a much more comfortable bed, he had no other option than to rent this room from this inn if he wanted his plan to be executed beautifully.
While Captain Pan heard from his trusted lieutenant Leslie Roads that Nicholas Grey was already asking about him, that the Transporter wanted to know where Pan was, Peter already knew Nick’s location. It was rather predictable, he was disappointed to say. Anyone who encountered knowledge of Nick acquired that it was no secret Nick liked to patron the Albatross. If Captain Pan were planning something nefarious in regards to the Transporter, Nick would be in serious trouble.
Which would mean that the pirate was in serious trouble.
/> Peter allowed a smile to slither across his face as he slid into the lone armchair in his room. He wished his room had a window that looked out at the Albatross but apparently those were all filled and the innkeeper was not going to kick out his probably-indisposed customers just so Peter could have a better of the tavern. And it was not as though Nick was going to go anywhere. The pirate was too predictable in his mannerisms to change them, even though he now had the goal to find Peter.
Nick would not find Peter because Peter had already found Nick. And though he wanted nothing more than to rush into the tavern and take Nick back to the inn in order to slowly torture and kill the pirate, Peter knew that it was best to wait for the right moment. He did not want to act quickly and ruin the entire thing.
No, he would wait. And that would make everything worth the while.
“Captain!” Lieutenant Leslie Roads knew better than to burst into the small room without so much as knocking first. However, there was something in his panicked eyes that caused Captain Pan to refrain from lecturing him about his breaking decorum. Instead, he felt something tug at his insides, quite unpleasantly in fact.
“Yes?” Peter asked tightly. He was trying to keep a hold of his patience, but the longer Roads caught his breath, the longer Peter had to wait, and even if it was for the greater good, Peter absolutely loathed waiting. “What is it, Lieutenant?”
“Captain,” Roads repeated, standing up straight. He managed to lock eyes with his commander and recite news that he knew his captain would not be happy to hear. “It’s Nick, sir. He’s gone.”
There was a deathly silence that filled the room as Captain Pan tried to comprehend just what it was his lieutenant was trying to convey. “Gone?” was all he managed to inquire.
“Gone,” Roads confirmed with a curt nod. “The men lost him, sir. He’s no longer in the Albatross.”
Peter, without consciously realizing it, felt himself clench his jaw and curl his long fingers into tight fists. “You’re sure?” Again, it was all he could get out.
“Yes.” Another nod.
Captain Pan had to hand it to his lieutenant; if the man was anything, it was brave. The longer he was in Peter’s presence, the more likely it would be that Peter would take out his anger on the man.
And Peter was angry. Though the word itself did not exactly describe the urgency of his feeling.
And then, like that, the pressure caused Peter to go off, much like a teapot over a hot surface. “Find him!” he exclaimed. “Find him now! Search every inch and crevice of the Albatross. Go into rooms. Go in the kitchens. I do not care. Find out where he is by any means necessary. If he’s not in the tavern, expand your search to the entire island. No one, and I mean no one, leaves this island until Nicholas Grey is found. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” Roads said quickly. His pale face turned red, being at the receiving end of his commander’s tirade. “Right away, sir.”
“Oh, and Roads,” Peter said. This time, however, his voice was calm. Soothing, even. Which made it all the more worrisome. “Do not return unless you have anything useful to me.”
Roads did not respond. He did not have to. With one last look at Peter, he spun around and headed out the door, slamming it behind him.
Somehow, Nicholas Grey managed to elude Captain Pan this far. Peter would not lose him again, if it was the last thing he did.
“Where’s Nick?” Remy asked, once the three returned to their table in the Albatross.
“And Calum?” Giselle asked. “And Edward?”
Remy watched as Adele’s eyes scanned the tavern. “Something’s happened,” she whispered to the two. Remy could feel the tension brimming off of Adele which caused her to tense in return.
“What do we do?” she asked, eyes going between both Adele and Giselle.
“We sit down,” Adele said as she pulled out her usual seat, “and Giselle will get us a round and some bread. We act normal.”
Giselle nodded and disappeared through the crowd. Remy took a seat across from Adele, trying to figure out what had happened. And why, above everything else, they were supposed to act normal.
“What if Nick’s in trouble?” Remy whispered, leaning over the table. She knew her posture was less than perfect but at the moment, she did not care. She was now in a position she had never been in before: people she felt close to were in trouble and she could do nothing to help. More than that, she was uncertain how to help.
Adele raised that blasted eyebrow of hers. “What of it?” she asked in a hard voice. “What if something’s happened to Edward or to Calum for that matter? There’s nothing we can do about it?”
“What the devil are you talking about?” Remy asked. She had not meant to swear, but Adele’s dismissive attitude was really starting to annoy her. “You shroud your affiliation with Esmeralda – who, really, should not know what she knows – in secrecy and I know you know what’s happened to Nick and Calum and Edward, or at least, something surrounding their mysterious disappearance. I may be new to the crew and all, but that does not mean you can keep me in the dark about the things I have a right to know about?”
“And who says you have any right to know these things?” Adele snapped in a hushed voice. She, too, leaned forward so her face was centimeters from Remy’s. “You are right; you are new to the crew. As such, I’ll decide what you need to know and what you don’t since Nick isn’t here. Trust me, all right?” She leaned back in her chair, her body still tense as she looked out at the crowd once more. “I know what I’m doing.”
Remy wanted to argue but found it was probably better that she did not. Instead, she, too, leaned back, her mind churning out possible scenarios that had happened to the three men of the Black Star. At that moment, Giselle returned with a bar wench, some bread, water for Remy, and ale for herself and Adele. Once the wench was paid, she left, leaving the three alone.
“Can you at least tell me,” Remy said as she reached across the table for a fresh piece of bread, “if they’re safe. Perhaps they found Captain Pan.”
“If they found Pan, they would have left us a cryptic note with the wench,” Adele said. Her eyes were on the tavern, looking for someone or something. It made Remy uneasy.
“We assume that something abrupt happened,” Giselle whispered. “Since there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of a fight or a struggle – people would surely be talking about it if it did happen – we believe they found information and had to leave or something else happened.”
“Giselle,” Adele snapped. “Why’d you have to go and blab it to her?”
“She has a right to know!” Giselle said in the same aggressive voice. This caused Remy to pause, only because she had never seen Giselle upset about anything and had otherwise believed it to be impossible to rile the demure girl up. “She is part of our crew, whether you like it or not.”
“And what happens when someone captures her and wants information on Nick’s whereabouts, hmm?” Adele asked. “She isn’t exactly subtle. People notice her, Giselle. And don’t act like Pan wouldn’t do something like that either. We both know how much he hates Nick.”
“So we are just going to sit here?” Remy asked, her eyes going between the two women. “Until we receive some kind of news? Really? That’s it? While Nick and Edward and Calum could be hurt?”
“What do expect us to do?” Adele asked as Remy took a bite of the bread. “Question every single person here? What if Nick and the rest of them aren’t harmed, but rather found pertinent information that will lead to the whereabouts of where Captain Pan is? If we go snooping around, all will be lost. No. We stay here and we wait.”
“If it’s any consolation,” Giselle added, the look on her face much more sympathetic than the hard one on Adele, “Nick would want us to wait. Even if it meant that we’d miss out on aiding him. It’s quite an important rule among pirates, actually: those that fall behind are left as such.”
Remy’s mouth dropped open, completely appalled at such a
notion. “What about honor?” she demanded.
“We’re pirates,” Adele spat. Was it Remy’s imagination, or did Adele sound slightly bitter when she said the last word, as if a lifetime ago, she, too, despised pirates. And yet, now she was one. How did that happen, exactly? “There exists no honor among pirates.”
“I do not believe you,” Remy said firmly. “You would really allow Edward to be in danger without helping him, Adele? You would really follow this rule rather than at least attempt to acquire any kind of information of where he is?”
“Yes.” Adele clenched her jaw, and to Remy, it appeared as though she was fighting back tears. “Because I’d rather let harm come to him then go after him, knowing I indirectly caused him harm.” She paused, but her brown eyes were lit with amber, fiercely glaring at Remy. “Mark my words, missy, do not think me callus and uncaring. I have been with Nick longer than anyone has. I would take a bullet for Edward without thinking about it. I saved your sorry arse, didn’t I? But now, I’m choosing to stay. When people get liquored up, they talk more freely. I can wait.”
“And if Edward cannot?” Remy slid her eyes over to Giselle who was tentatively pulling apart small pieces of bread and popping them into her mouth. “If Calum cannot?”
“With both Edward and Nick gone,” Adele said, and then added, “- for now – I am reigning captain. As such, I order you to remain here and to keep your blasted mouth shut. There will be no more discussion on the matter.”
Remy opened her mouth to argue but she stopped herself. Remy might not have agreed with Adele, but the red head was right. With Nick and Edward gone, she was captain, her superior, someone Remy was forced to obey.
But Remy refused to simply sit here. She could not.
“Fine,” she forced out. She made sure to lock eyes with Adele as her voice grew tight. “Since all we’ll be doing is sitting here, I’m going to get more water. May I have permission to do that, Captain?”
The Neverland Trilogy Box Set Page 22
