A smile spread across my face as the men realized what I had done. They could wait for me, but their bodies would burn.
“I would rather die than be captured,” I hissed. “You are immortal, but I can still bring you pain.”
“Pain is all I know,” Michael replied bitterly.
“Why do you care what Peter wants?” I demanded. Calicos answered, “He promises to take us to Neverland. It’s the place John spoke of every night. The place where the women are beautiful and the beaches are covered in gold.”
Michael shook his head. Sadness lingered in his eyes. Torment consumed him. I wished death had found him. “Because he knows how to reverse the curse. He says that the magic in your bones is powerful enough to rid us of our curse.”
“It will never bring John back!” I screamed. “It won’t bring back James, either!”
“I don’t wish to bring them back,” Michael admitted. “I wish to join them.”
7 CAPTAIN JAMES
Earlier that year
“I’m not joining anyone in Davy Jones’ Locker! Not tonight!” I screamed at the storm. Gripping the wheel, I fought the sea for command of my warship. The ocean slammed into her. Winds tore at the sails. The crests of the waves pounded against the bow. I swear the rain was coming down sideways.
“Why the hell did we leave Barbuda?” Michael yelled at the top of his lungs. His screams were deafened by the winds. I pretended I hadn’t heard him at all. What was I to say? A woman challenged me to take on a storm and I had foolishly accepted? He would have relieved me of my duty as captain.
Panic expelled his body. Every muscle was strained. He was prepared to die. The hell if I was ready to let that happen! The last thing I needed was to have to worry about him keeping his act together. Instead, I needed him to take on the fury of the storm without fear, so I gritted my teeth and made an offhanded remark.
“I was looking for a great adventure,” I jested.
His mouth dropped open in disbelief. “So you decided to tempt fate? Do you have a death wish?”
Laughing, I raised my eyebrows and scoffed, “Oh, what a great adventure that would be…” My words trailed off as I saw the most beautiful siren who had ever partaken in a storm of this magnitude. Bell.
Michael followed my gaze. “Are you kidding me right now?” Michael bellowed, looking at me as if he wanted to smack me.
He should have. Perhaps I would have had more sense. Bell walked up next to us, drenched by the storm. The water dripping down her face and gliding over her hair and skin was stunning. I would have done a double-take had a wave not knocked me on my back.
Michael managed to keep his footing, but the wheel spun out of his grasp. The boards of my ship cracked like they were going to give out at any moment. Wave after wave collided into her. Swearing, Michael assumed my position and seized one of the wooden holds, but the torque ripped at his shoulder as he tried to slow it. I bolted back and grabbed one of the handholds. Cupping it with my elbow, I held onto my wrist and pulled back with all my body weight.
“Captain, it’s useless,” Michael shouted as a crack split down the center of the deck. “The storm is going to tear her apart.”
“The hell it is!” I hollered back. Lightning flashed. I caught a glimpse of Bell watching me. Her skin was so light compared to the darkness of the night that it looked as if it was twinkling. She was stunning, although it was her serious demeanor that gave me pause. Her jaw was set. Her tiny hands bunched up into fists. Every muscle of hers flexed. The wind whipped at her face, throwing her shimmering hair into a frenzy; however, I didn’t think it was the storm that caused the conflicted look in her eyes.
It was me.
She’d asked me how many hurricanes I had survived. In that second, I wondered how many she’d lived through. Looking back, that should have been my question. Based on the defiant look in her eyes, this was not her first.
Without a word, she walked around me, dragging her fingers across my back, and then squatted beside my boot. She plucked a knife I had secured around my leg. My arms shook as I tried to focus on keeping the wheel from spinning out of control, but damn it if this vixen didn’t demand my attention. Grabbing a lock of her hair, she abruptly cut it with the knife. Then she seized a loose rope that had unraveled from the sail. She sawed the twine with the knife and then twirled her hair around it.
Pushing his entire body against the wheel, Michael howled, “What the hell is she doing?” I had no idea. Holding the knife between her teeth, she reached around me. My entire body was flexed tight as she slid her hands over my wrists. In a swift movement, she secured each hand to the wheel, expertly tying knots.
“As long as my tresses stay wet, this rope will be unbreakable, Captain,” she whispered in my ear. Another wave tossed the ship. The knots tightened around my wrists as I was jerked back. Momentarily, I lost my footing, but I managed to stay upright. Bell held onto me, burying her head against my chest. Michael was knocked on his back.
She screamed up at me, “Tell your first mate to release the barrels on the deck.” Pushing with my legs, I forced the wheel back. It was unmanageable enough without Michael, but now I had a damn vixen holding on to me for dear life.
“You will condemn your crew if you do not,” she vowed. “Those barrels are stocked with food,” I yelled back. We were dead if we gave those up. “A fast death by the sea is a far more honorable death than starvation.”
Michael slammed into the wheel next to me and helped me right it again. “What is she doing?” Michael groaned, staring down at the deck.
How did she get down to the deck so quickly? Bell carried my sword in her hands. She had a death wish. There was no other explanation for her willingly stepping onto the slippery deck in the middle of a storm. With as little as she weighed, she’d be thrown overboard in a matter of seconds. I glanced at Robben, the beast who was struggling to stay upright down there.
“Damn it!” I growled, struggling in opposition to the fury of the waves and the knots that she had tied around my wrists. They pinched so bloody hard, my fingers were already turning blue. Adrenaline pumped through me. That pissed me the hell off. Using my anger, I pulled the wheel back. “Michael, lock her in my quarters before she gets herself killed. Then get yourself and the rest of the crew locked down before you’re cast to sea!”
Without hesitation, he raced down to her. As I carried the ship through the storm, I watched Bell. Her hands gripped onto my sword as she swung at the ropes that secured the barrels. One by one, she freed them. They were quickly thrown off of the ship.
Robben got to her before Michael. He moved as if to tackle her, but she went low and rolled out from under him. Without missing a step, she took off racing toward our largest stock.
The second she swung the sword, Robben grabbed her around the waist. The barrels came down despite his efforts. They were thrown about. Robben had his fist raised back to strike her just as Michael got to them. Michael braced the throw with his forearm. I winced. That had to hurt like a—
Another wave slammed into the vessel. The ship was pushed on its side. Time slowed. I swear it did because in the seconds it had taken us to fall onto the ocean crest, the rain shifted. So did the wind. However, they pulled in opposite directions. The rain that had fallen down turned upward, dripping back into the sky. The raindrops gathered, clumping into groups and forming clouds. The clouds took on the characteristics of the waves, whipping around in the sky. The sea was calmer, yet the winds grew, spinning around the ship but never coming at it. Natural laws were defied. Our ship righted itself in the whirlwinds.
My eyes caught Bell’s. She was several feet away from Michael and Robben, who were at each other’s throats. My sword was still in her hand, and she used it to point at the remaining barrels as if she was asking for permission to release them.
I didn’t know if we’d survive. I didn’t know what Bell had planned, but she had promised me a reverse rain and delivered the impossible. Certainly I would b
e unwise to not heed her advice now, so I nodded and watched as she severed the ropes holding the barrels in place.
*** Morning came. I didn’t think I’d see another day, yet here I was, tied to my ship’s wheel. The strength in my legs was gone. I simply hung from the knots that had left my hands numb. My arms trembled when I tried pulling myself up. It was useless.
“You survived, Captain. But you’re in dire need of a couple mermaid tears.” Bell stood above me, looking down at me with an intense stare. She no longer wore the see-through dress we’d found her in. Rather, she’d found a brown leather vest I’d worn as a boy. Where she had found a skirt, I did not know. Had that been one of my shirts? I tried not to focus on her attire, but when I saw my sword in her hand, I would not bite my tongue.
“Steal that again and you will pay,” I warned.
She leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I intend to pay.” Then she cut me free from the knots. I toppled to the ground. I didn’t have the strength to catch myself, but I stuck my hands out anyway to brace myself for the impact. Muscle failure plagued my body. My arms shook as I tried to lift myself up yet again. I barely moved.
“I have something to show you,” she cooed, wrapping her arms around my waist and positioning my arm over her shoulder.
I winced when she touched my wrist. Dark purple bruises were scattered across my skin. Blood had crusted over where the material had dug into my flesh. It wasn’t red. It was almost black. I had to look away. The sight of it made me ill.
“You don’t like the sight of your own blood,” she stated, watching me.
“Does anyone?”
“You are…unexpected, Captain.” Before I could reply, she stood. Her thin little legs trembled as she held me up, but they didn’t give out. She carried the majority of my body weight for me.
“As are you, Miss Bell,” I replied. If any other woman had seen me in such a dismal state, I would have faked death. But with her, it was
different…because she was different.
She nodded to the horizon. The sea was full of ships but mine was the only one afloat. It was an oceanic graveyard. Bits of wood drifted along the current. Sails hovered just below the surface. Half sunken ships stuck out of the water, their masts severed.
The vessels that had been driven into the shores of Barbuda had massive cracks in their hulls. They’d never set sail again. The beaches were littered with debris, creating a shipyard-esque cemetery. Barrels of goods, parts of ships, their dead crewman—all was scattered across the sand. The dock in which we had been secured to now lay in ruins.
“Heaven help us,” I muttered. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I tried to take a step closer to the railing, but my legs gave out on the first step.
My weight was too much for Bell to hold any longer. I toppled back onto the ground, pulling her down beside me. We laid there for a second, not moving. I could feel her heart beating out of control as she scooted upright.
“Your men will see you,” she explained as she pulled back from me. “They are untying themselves from their quarters now. It won’t be long before they venture topside.”
“Are you concerned that they will see you with me?” I pressed and held my breath as I waited for her reply.
“Do you find yourself concerned with watchful eyes?” she whispered. “No,” I answered flatly. I didn’t care what they saw on this ship right now. The Jolly Roger was the only one still afloat. “Let them see it all.”
“That is unwise,” she replied.
“Why?”
“Because what has been seen cannot be unseen.” I lost myself in her jade-colored eyes. “Good, because I never want to forget.”
Her eyes shifted to the deck. “Be warned, Captain. Others do not forget easily, either.” She nodded to the deck. Wendy’s mouth hung open. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she’d been up all night, no doubt worried about the likelihood of making it out of the storm alive. I wasn’t sure if she was more horrified with the aftermath of the storm, or of the company I sought. Regardless, she raced down the stairs to the deck, nearly knocking over her brother, John. Shaking his head, he groaned and then turned around and chased after her. Leaning against the railing below, she buried her head in her hands. Her sobs echoed in the wind. Rubbing her back, John consoled her but nothing he said could calm her.
“Just because you say I cannot break you, does not mean there won’t be consequences,” she pointed out.
I wanted to cup her face in my hands. I wanted to assure her in some other way than my words, but words were all I had.
“You will not break me,” I promised her once again.
“I can.”
“To that I have no doubt, but you won’t,” I dared, waiting for her to deny it. She didn’t. In fact, she chewed on her bottom lip. “I meant to win your heart and then break you,” she confessed. “I meant to lure you into my arms just like you are now. And then I planned to destroy you.”
“You intended to seduce me and then what? Rob me?” I did not take kindly to confessions of a heist. She shook her head. “Nothing like that.”
“Then enlighten me,” I demanded. “I’m drawn to traitors, pirates, politicians—those who are commonly corrupt,” she admitted. “To people like Davy Jones.”
“I already told you, I’m nothing like him,” I reminded her, attempting to keep my anger in check. She was trying to trust me with the truth, but damn if it wasn’t difficult to keep my temper under control.
She waited until I managed to relax a bit. “I didn’t believe you then.”
“And now?” I snapped. “And now I’m simply drawn to that wicked smirk of yours,” she cooed breathily and looked into the distance.
It wasn’t long before she was entranced by the horrifying scene. She couldn’t look away, whereas, as soon as I could bring myself to stand, I was going to get us out of this hell.
Bell held her breath, studying the demise. I wondered if she forgot I was there. She didn’t say anything. Soon she tangled her fingers deeper into my unkempt hair. The salt water had dried in the strands, coating them with the granules. She didn’t mind, though.
“You trusted me.” Again, her voice came out raspy. It was haunting. I spoke softly as not to startle her. “It would be foolish not to take the advice of a woman who claims to be a fairy.”
Her attention snapped back down to me. She noticed that my hair was tangled around her fingers. She froze. Then as if she made up her mind, she withdrew her hand. I reached up, catching her hand, and stopped her. I closed my eyes, not because I didn’t want to watch her reaction, but because my witnessing it would have been too much for her. I got the impression that tenderness wasn’t something she was used to.
I could feel her take a long, deep breath, but then she slowly relaxed against me. It was not without effort. It couldn’t have been easy for her. “I am mistaken, Captain. I hadn’t taken you for one to believe in what cannot be proven.”
“I believe what I can see with my own eyes,” I admitted, which was ironic as they were pinched tight. “And what if what you see is so unbelievable that your mind will not let you accept it as the truth?” I opened my eyes. If I had any strength left in me, I would take her in my arms and force her to see the truth that was unbelievable to her. But I couldn’t do that right now. Right now, I was weak and she was strong.
She glanced down at me. For a split second, I saw the fear in her eyes. It mixed with doubt. It made me wonder if her question was for me or more for herself. Regardless, I would answer her question about believing the unbelievable.
“Like rain dripping up from the sea? Like a woman who has made claims of dark magic having a shimmering tattoo decorating her back that does not appear to be attached to her skin?” I stated, daring her to deny it. “I see you and accept that there is something truly different about you. That is proof enough for me.”
“That is not the same as believing I am a fairy.” I raised an eyebrow. “You never actually said you were.”
<
br /> She grinned. I found myself more and more enchanted by that smile of hers.
“Secrets so great are rarely spoken,” she whispered.
“So what aren’t you saying?” She pressed her lips together. My grip tightened on her hand in anticipation that she would pull away. Damn it, I wanted to pry the answers from her mouth. I wanted to take the answers I sought, but conversations with Bell were like dancing with words.
“Have you ever seen the tears of a mermaid heal someone? Have you ever seen a child wish upon a star only to join it in the sky? Have you ever known a man who visited hell, only to return with vast riches and stories of the most beautiful women in the world, yet warn you never to travel to the place called Neverland?”
It was her last comment that caught my attention. Vast riches? Women? I could live without the latter, especially since the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid my eyes upon was already in front of me. However, I was still a pirate and vast riches tempted me.
“Never. But you have, haven’t you?”
She smiled such a sad smile that left me gutted, especially when she looked away. I waited for her to say something—anything— but she simply pressed her lips together. This woman tested my patience, but damn, I knew when she finally revealed her secrets, it would be worth the wait.
“Mermaid tears do incredible things, and I’ve watched children join the stars,” she cooed. Remorse carried in the tone of her voice. “But I have never heard a man give warning of a place called Neverland, because there is no escaping that hell.”
I reached up for her face and drew her attention back down to me. “How do you know that no one has ever escaped?”
“Because I am the one who traps them there.”
8 MISS BELL
Present Day
I once thought the most wicked thing I had ever done was trap a soul in Neverland, but I was mistaken. Oh, how my heart ached when Michael made his confession.
Neverland Evermore (Never Ever Series Book 1) Page 6