by Dee Garcia
Copyright 2020 © Dee Garcia
All Rights Reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, real people, and real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the Author’s imagination and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, organizations or places is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. This book is intended for the reader of this ebook ONLY. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the express written permission of the Author. All songs, song titles and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
Cover Design © Dee Garcia with Black Widow Designs
Editing: © N. Isabelle Blanco with Black Widow Designs
Formatting: © Dee Garcia with Black Widow Designs
Contents
Playlist
Map of Rosewood
Prologue
I. Act 1
1. Wendy
2. Tavi
3. Wendy
4. Tavi
5. Wendy
6. Tavi
7. Wendy
8. Tavi
9. Wendy
II. Act 2
10. Tavi
11. Wendy
12. Tavi
13. Wendy
14. Tavi
15. Wendy
16. Tavi
17. Wendy
18. Wendy
19. Tavi
20. Wendy
21. Wendy
III. Act 3
22. Tavi
23. Wendy
24. Tavi
25. Hook
26. Wendy
27. Wendy
28. Tavi
29. Tinksley
30. Wendy
31. Tavi
Coming Fall 2020
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Dee Garcia
Dedication
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
Dedicated to the girls who might feel lost from time to time.
Who feel like they don’t belong.
This one’s for you.
You’re always welcome at my table.
Prologue: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major - J.S. Bach
1.Lux Aurumque - Eric Whitacre
2.Man or a Monster - Sam Tinnesz feat. Zayde Wolf
3.Bad Dream - Ruelle
4.Soldier - Fleurie
5.Paint It, Black - Ciara
6.Born Ready - Zayde Wolf
7.Ready or Not - Mischa “Book” Chillak feat. Esthero
8.El encuentro - KUXTAL
9.Game of Survival - Ruelle
10.Heroes - Zayde Wolf
11.Start a War - Klergy & Valerie Broussard
12.Cold - Aqualung & Lucy Schwartz
13.Close - Nick Jonas And Tove Lo
14.You and Me - Lifehouse
15.Somebody’s Watching Me - Hidden Citizens
16.Die Trying - Michl
17.Read Your Mind - Avant
18.Lost Boy - Ruth B.
19.Heart Of The Darkness - Tommee Profitt & Sam Tinnesz
20.The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez
21.(I Just) Died in Your Arms - Hidden Citizens
22.Signal to Noise - Hampus Naeselius
23.I Ran (So Far Away) - Hidden Citizens
24.Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
25.Twisted - MISSIO
26.Battlefield - SVRCINA
27.Afraid, Unafraid - SLUMBERJACK
28.Lost Without U - Robin Thicke
29.Legends Never Die - League of Legends
30.Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 1 in B--Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin
31.All of Me - John Legend
♫ Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major - J.S. Bach ♫
“For the love of God, Tavi, please don’t do anything stupid,” my sister hisses at my side, straightening the skin-tight plum dress clinging to her figure.
I still can’t believe our father allowed her to leave in such an exhibited state.
Believe me, I tried voicing my opinion on her choice of attire for the evening, but all he had to do was give me that look, and I was snapping my jaw shut. I don’t get much of a say about anything these days, a fact I know damn well is my own fault.
But c’mon, she’s half naked, exposing far more than he’d ever have let our mother show off. How is he okay with this?
“Did you hear me?” Tigerlily yanks on my arm, jerking us to a stop. When I glance down at her, she’s glaring at me, dark brows furrowed indignantly.
Sighing, I roll my eyes and nod. “Yes, mom, I heard you.”
She slams a fist into my bicep, all but growling at me before taking off. “I wouldn’t have to ‘mom’ you if you acted right.”
“Well, perhaps I’d act right if Hook didn’t—”
“He’s not a bad person!” she snaps, stopping short yet again. “Not as bad as you and most of Rosewood make him out to be. Yes, some of his choices are questionable, but no one is perfect. Besides, he’s done a hell of a lot better job ruling these lands than our ancestors did, that’s for sure!”
My mouth falls slack at the fire blazing in her ludicrous declaration. How dare she spout such drivel? “What in the actual fuck did he do to you?”
How can she for one second think that he’s not bad?
That’s when it hits me, harder than a moribund tree falling in the woods. Her newfound loyalty to their kind, those despicable bloodsuckers, must stem from one thing and one thing only.
“Did he…Did he fuck you?”
Tigerlily’s face contorts with disgust in nothing more than a single blink. “Ew, NO. What is wrong with you, Tavi?!”
“No? Then why the sudden allegiance and understanding for their kind? You were never like this before.” I stalk up to her in a rush, shoulders squaring as I drop my gaze.
Not that she so much as flinches. She’s unfazed as always. I don’t know why I bother, honestly. Why I think she’ll react to any form of intimidation. Being raised by our father and uncles, my sister has layers upon layers of thick skin.
More than any woman I’ve ever met. Aside from our mother, of course.
“Because being in there,” she motions to the castle behind her, “taught me there’s more to immortals than meets the eye, more than you think, dearest brother.”
As if that’s supposed to change my mind.
“I don’t care if the sun shines out of their—”
“Are you done?” she growls. “We’re going to be late.”
No, I’m not, but I don’t tell her that. She doesn’t give me the chance anyway. Once again, she storms off without a glance back, leaving me at the very entrance of Hook’s palace.
I’d say I wonder who she gets her temper from, but I’m not one to talk. We’re both as fiery and stubborn as mama was.
“Lil, wait!” I hustle behind her, sweating bullets in this damned tuxedo jacket.
My sister stops long enough for me to catch up, lifting her chin as we follow the stoned path. “Don’t do anything stupid,” she repeats, eyeing me from her peripheral.
Adjusting the now too tight bow wringing my neck, I tip my head. “I’ve got this, lil’ sis. Chill.”
“Sure about that? It’s a full moon tonight.”
“You know that doesn’t affect when I shift.”
“But it affects your temperament. You’re irrational and impulsive during this phase.”
“Have you bee
n studying me?” I chortle, jokingly I should add.
Her response, however, is anything but. “I’ve studied you since I was old enough to understand what gifts you possess. This shouldn’t be news to you.”
It’s not, really. Tigerlily has always been curious and analytical, since we were kids. While I wanted to roam the forest, widdle spears, and prove myself to my father, my sister would spend hours reading, practicing her piano skills, or simply watching our people bustle about. She knew everything about everyone.
“So in what phase am I the calmest?” Another joke, because me, calm?
Perhaps in another lifetime.
“Waning,” she replies, surprising me in the process. “I wouldn’t venture to say calm is the right word, but you’re definitely easier to handle then.”
Our conversation comes to a halt as we round the side of the palace to the back where the festivities are being held in the lush garden. Bach’s melody fills the air, sounds of laughter and chatter ringing out amongst the serene tune. Champagne, hor d'oeuvres—it’s a celebration at its finest.
What exactly are we celebrating, you ask?
Peter Pan’s death.
Word throughout town is Hook and the little Tinksley Bell crossed the portal with the intent to end him. The boy’s demise doesn’t surprise me. I always knew our land would find a way to rid itself of his unwelcome presence.
I’m more surprised it was not only Tinksley who wielded the blade, but that she’s chosen to hang on the Captain’s arm.
Then again, from where I stand, it doesn’t appear she’s the same girl anymore.
She’s one of them now.
“Come on, let’s go say hello.” My sister loops her arm through mine.
We do, exchanging pleasantries with anyone who stops us. Naturally, they all ask for our father, in which we assure them he’ll be on his way soon.
Somewhere along the way, a champagne flute finds its way into my hand. I’m sipping the bubbly, taking in the ornate decor of whites, golds, and lavish flower arrangements while Tigerlily converses with a few of the townspeople, when I hear it...
Fuzzy.
Distant.
But the sound meets my ears no less, my head snapping in the direction of Hook’s castle.
Pulling my sister abruptly from the conversation, I ask her, “Do you hear that?”
Tigerlily arches a brow and quickly apologizes on my behalf. “What are you talking about?”
“You seriously don’t hear it?”
“Hear what, Tavi?”
Of course she can’t hear it. My sister isn’t like me. What gets me is that no one else—even those who probably can pick up on it—seems to hear it, either.
That or they’re choosing to ignore it.
I can’t, though. The more I focus, the clearer it becomes.
Chains.
Chains clanking.
Chains clanking desperately.
And a woman’s nearly hoarse voice screeching, “SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE!”
♫ Lux Aurumque - Eric Whitacre ♫
We’re definitely not in London anymore.
That’s all I can think to myself as Tinksley drags me through a dense forest, the man Peter referred to as Hook stalking behind me.
I mean, I knew it the moment that purple orb appeared in Hyde Park.
From there, it all happened so fast. One moment we were standing before the Equestrian Statue of Duke Wellington and the next, it felt like my entire body was sucked through a black hole. I couldn’t see anything, hear anything. If any time passed between then and when we dropped into this forest, I haven’t a clue, but this isn’t home.
Far from it.
“Where are we going?” I ask again, head snapping around as I try taking in my new surroundings. It’s dark and eerily quiet, save for the crunching of our shoes as we step through the lushest grass I’ve ever felt.
Neither one of them answer me. She and Hook have been ignoring me since we left my flat...with Peter’s decapitated, castrated body strewn in his own pool of blood inside. May God be with whoever stumbles upon him, whenever that may be. That’s an image they’ll never be able to erase from their minds.
I know I won’t.
Just the fleeting thought of it is enough to make me shudder, one that rattles down my spine in an icy drip, prickling every inch of my skin with goosepimples. Tears well at the surface, momentarily distorting my vision, but I will them away, breathing through the overwhelming sense of dread and grief threatening to consume me.
I’ll cry eventually, but I can’t right now. Now isn’t the time for that. For all I know, I may never get the time. They may kill me the second we get to their destination.
“Where are we going?” I’m all the more insistent, hackles raised at the urgency my current situation presents.
I just want to know where we’re going. That’s it. Nothing less, nothing more.
Tinksley stops abruptly, whipping around to face me. Her grip tightens, too; it hurts. “Do you always ask so many questions,” she hisses.
“I, uh…I...ow.” I try pulling free, but it’s useless.
She’s so strong and, while she’s my height—maybe even a couple inches shorter—I’m no match for her. She’s intimidating as all hell.
Because she’s a vampire.
I still can’t believe they’re more than just a lore.
“Baby,” Hook’s voice booms behind me, “you’re hurting her.”
Very slowly, her dark head pivots toward him, aquamarine eyes flashing in a way I’ve not seen before. “And? At the rate she’s going, she can expect far worse soon.”
“Please don’t kill me,” I whisper, eyes clamping shut as pure and utter fear racks my spine.
I hadn’t meant to say it, but it doesn’t surprise me. I’m not brave, never have been. Yeah, I’m that girl—the damsel. I’m not proud of it, trust me, wish I weren’t, but I’ve never had a reason to be brave.
My life back in London was simple. Easy. Even when Peter was tak—when Peter left, yes, I was devastated, but I hadn’t a reason to be valiant. His disappearance and his mother’s death was nothing more than a brutal reality my father and I had to grieve for years to come.
After a beat or so, Tinksley’s grip loosens enough that my arm doesn’t feel like it’s going to snap in half. I don’t know what prompted her to do so, but we’re off again without another word, stalking through the obscure forest.
The further we tread, the more I note how the tops of the trees begin changing as well. From perfectly peaked pines and rounded oaks to tall, grand palms. The pungent scent of salt water fills the air, distant sound of turbulent waves crashing against the shore.
Cicadas.
Frogs.
Ravens squawking.
Their nightly calls only add to the soundtrack of this unfamiliar place, somehow timed with the unsteady tempo of my pulse.
“This would be so much easier if I could flash us to the doors,” Tinksley grits, picking up the pace.
I almost stumble because of it, struggling to keep up.
Hook chuckles darkly behind me in response. “Almost there, my little pixie. Just keep it moving.”
Yet again I want to ask where we’re going, but I quickly decide against. It’s not like they’re going to answer me and, given how irate Tinksley seems to be, it’s probably better I keep my mouth shut.
Miles later it seems, the thicket of palms finally opens up to a clearing where a stoned path begins. At the very end of said path? A dark majestic castle. It’s otherworldly and, naturally, I’m awed, but that’s not what I’m focused on. My legs already ache from the nerve-wrecking uphill trek and now, after seeing how much further we still have to go, they tremble like jelly.
“Can we take a break?” The words leave me before I so much as realize my mouth is moving.
Tinksley stops and sighs profoundly, head falling back in clear frustration.
“I’ve got her,” Hook chimes, and before I can so much
as internalize what he means, I’m swept off my feet.
Thrown over his shoulder like an errant child.
“Put me down!” I squeak, death-gripping the back of his ebony shirt to keep myself upright.
I feel rather than see him shake his head, tone humorous as he replies, “Can’t do that, little Wendy. You wanted a break, yeah? Well, here’s your break.”
“This isn’t what I meant!”
“I could break your neck if you’d prefer,” Tinksley counters. “Just zip it, Wendylocks. It’s for your own good.”
“But—”
“I’d take her word for it if I were you,” Hook murmurs, halting what remains of my protest on the tip of my tongue.
That’s when it happens. When trepidation and grief finally best me, leaking free from my eyes in steady, uncontrollable streams.
I’m going to die here.
It’s a whisper in my mind, one I can’t ignore. I’ve been taken from home, without any explanation other than I’m connected to Peter, and it’s clear as day I’ll never make it back. They’re going to slaughter me in the same fashion they did him, and no one will ever know.
If they note I’m crying, neither one comments on it, a small act of kindness—for lack of a better word—I’m grateful for. At least they’re letting me have this moment, although I’m sure I’ll end up drowning in my own tears when it’s all said and done.
“I’ll tell Violet to get one of the rooms ready,” Hook says as he sets me on my feet beside Tinksley and starts up this grand curved staircase.
