I shuddered and tried not to think about my injuries, or that I’d made a ghastly amount of noise stumbling out of the boat. Sharp shards of rock cut the bottoms of my feet. The water was cold, but it would suffice as a medium to complete another spell. Cupping the pocket watch in my hands, I blew through a crack between my thumbs. The warm air circled around in my hands. Time passed and my hands began to warm, hotter and hotter. I kept them closed tight and looked around, searching for any markers that indicated where I’d landed. The place where I’d washed ashore was not a beach, but rather a lagoon. The humidity was unbearable. My hair immediately clung to my skin in a sticky mess.
As my hands continued to heat the timepiece, I took in my surroundings. I saw no sign of civilization on the island. It was only when I saw a black rock formation in the distance that I knew where I had landed. Gigantic waves crashed into the sleeping volcanic mountain.
Savage Point. My strength vanished. I’d survived a hellish night simply to land on the only island inhabited by the demons of the sea. My heart hammered in my chest. I tried not to panic. I would be safe as long as they didn’t know I was here…well, and if I managed to stay clear of the reptiles.
The watch began to burn my hands. I held it as long as I could before dropping it in the cold water. The moment it fell below the surface, the shattered glass came together, melting into one solid piece. When I picked it up, the pocket watch began to click again.
Tick. Tock.
I clutched the watch against my heart. Closing my eyes, I vowed, “I will avenge you, Captain.” The moment the words left my mouth, I was startled by a boom! I spun around just as a cannonball whirled past me. My jaw dropped in horror when I saw where it came from. The unimaginable had happened. The Jolly Roger sailed on the horizon.
“It’s impossible,” I gasped, even though I knew better. James had always bragged about the Jolly Roger being the fastest warship on the Seven Seas, but I never truly grasped just how fast it was. I also never thought the ship could break free of the time suspension spell I had cast on it so soon. I was wrong—gravely wrong. Or I had slept longer than I’d assumed. Thinking back, I never looked behind me because I’d been too consumed by grief.
Feeling faint, I caught myself on the rowboat as I took in the hellish glory of the ship before me. The warship that once belonged to James was a mutated, condemned version of itself. The sails were no longer cloth, but blankets of flames whipping around furiously in the dawning light. Glowing embers burned away the body of the ship, charring the once brown wood frame. The wind carried the scent of burnt flesh. Water boiled where it splashed against the sides.
What was worse was that the ship’s fate had been my doing. But there was no time for grief. Several rowboats were lowered into the water, and escaping on land was slim. I was fast, but not as fast as their bullets. Not anymore, I thought bitterly.
What scared me more than knowing the lost souls were coming for me was what I couldn’t see. As I ran inland, I kept a watchful eye for shadows casting on the ground. Peter may have stolen my ability to fly, but I knew the tells of being followed.
Regardless, I needed to find a way to end him. Until then, I needed to save myself. I didn’t fancy being tortured and knew it was only a matter of time before Peter would discover what John had uncovered—the compass with Neverland’s watermark. It would lead Peter back. Why he was so hell-bent on going there, I was not certain; but I’d keep him away from that godforsaken island come hell or high water.
5 CAPTAIN JAMES
Earlier that year
Watching the sea witch as she slept in my bed for thirteen nights was godforsaken torture! But come hell or high water, I would get the answers I desperately sought—starting with why she had my father’s blasted watch. So for thirteen nights, I watched her sleep, waiting for her to wake up. For nearly two weeks, I paced in my quarters, waiting for her to stir.
When we finally docked in Barbuda, I was fed up. Lightning lit up the night sky as I secured the warship to the dock. The rope left burns on my already callused palms, but I paid them little attention. My men continued tying down the rest of the ship while rain beat down on their backs. I pulled my hat down lower to keep the drops from splattering in my face. Although the air was warm, I still hated water splashing in my face.
“The Jolly Roger should stay put for the night,” I hollered out once all the ropes had been thrown and the knots had been tied.
I strolled down the dock, making sure all the knots were tight. Michael was waiting for me at the end with Wendy by his side. Rain beaded down her face, making her brown hair appear darker like her brother’s. She shivered as the storm winds picked up. Concern coated her face, but the look in her eyes didn’t match. No, it was of desire. For years, she had wanted me. For years, I had turned her down.
All except for that one night. The need in her eyes grew with each day I denied her. It wasn’t that I was trying to be cruel. Simply, my heart belonged to the sea. That was it. I was done explaining myself to her.
“What is it?” I demanded.
“She’s stirring,” Wendy answered.
My heart hammered. “Who?” I asked, even though I knew damn well who was stirring. “Christ, James, the girl!” Michael threw his arms up in frustration. “You’ve been pacing your room for nearly two blasted weeks waiting for the girl to rise.”
I let out a deep breath, looking between the village with the fresh drinks and my quarters. “Just like a woman. She waited two weeks and had to wake the second we docked.”
“Yes, James, she waited this long just to drive you out of the company of another’s arms simply to annoy you,” Michael quipped and started walking to my quarters.
Grabbing my arm and stopping me, Wendy asked, “Why do you say these things?”
I glanced down where she gripped my arm, annoyed and confused. “Say what?”
“Say things that make you sound like a heartless jerk,” she answered truthfully. “Because that is what I am.” I jerked my arm out of her grasp. Damn I hoped that she’d find some fellow and move on.
Leaving Wendy behind, I raced up to Michael, who’d just started up the side of the ship. I tapped him on his boot.
He groaned, “What now?” I pulled a gold coin from my pocket and tossed it up to him. “Enjoy a drink for me, mate. I’ll tend to the sea dame tonight.”
“You want to question her alone,” Michael didn’t so much ask me as state the obvious. Instead of answering, I simply raised an eyebrow and waited for him to jump back onto the dock so that I could ascend back onto my ship. Crossing the deck, I pulled my collar up high. Then I marched with certainty up the stairs to my quarters. Finally! I was to know the answers I sought.
The wind whipped violently when I grabbed my door handle, as if to trap whatever inside. Not that my curiosity could get much greater, but that nature itself dared to keep me out of my own bloody quarters was enough to set me off. I had to pry open the door. Once I was inside, the wind slammed it shut, sealing me in with the girl.
“Damn it,” I muttered, not referring to the fury of the storm brewing outside. It was the girl lying in my bed who tore the curse word from me.
Her fierce stare had not been my imagination. The dark green color of her irises stole any further words from my mouth. It wasn’t the color alone that made her eyes so compelling. It was the intellect in her calculating gaze that intrigued me. The depth of it was far more than I had expected.
“I am Captain James Jones. You were found floating in the sea, on the brink of death,” I stated, measuring her reaction. “What is your name?”
She said nothing, nor did she move. The corners of her soft pink lips never turned upright into a smile. Her nose was still dusted with red, marking the countless days she’d baked in the sun. The silver earrings that hung from her pointed ears were still dusted with sea salt. The rest of her skin turned closer and closer back to a tanned color; however, her blonde hair had yet to obtain a silky sheen. It seemed that th
e sea had permanently highlighted her tresses a mossy-green.
After digging the pocket watch out of my coat, I set it down on the edge of my desk. “Where did you find this?”
Her gaze followed me, yet she didn’t utter a word. My fingers tingled as they always did when I felt vulnerable. I detested that feeling. And it was maddening that this thin, petite woman, who barely came up to my chest, caused me such alarm.
Women were either terrified of me or loved me. This one…She didn’t appear the least bit frightened by me, nor did her jaw slack with desire. I didn’t know what I had expected when I brought Death upon my warship, but I certainly hadn’t expected it to take thirteen damn nights for the girl to awaken. And I certainly hadn’t anticipated seeing a numb, glossedover look in her eyes.
The longer she kept her mouth shut, the more I understood. She was studying me. Watching me pace…I stopped. I leaned back on the wall farthest from her and looked out the window. I didn’t want her to think that she held my attention entirely. I knew that she’d see right through it, but appearances mattered. I mattered. And it mattered where she had gotten her hands on my father’s watch.
“I didn’t think you’d be so young,” she whispered. My skin pricked the second she spoke. Her voice sounded raspy, although it made sense if she had been baking in the sun for God only knew how long. Even so, there was a certain appeal to her voice. It was as if she was singing, but without wavering from a deep, hypnotic tone.
I glanced back at her. Her piercing eyes were no longer on me. They fixated on the watch. Standing in front of my desk, she lightly traced the bronze. That I hadn’t heard the creak of the floorboards startled me. It was annoying. More so, it was annoying how her white nightgown was almost transparent. Almost. The corner of her mouth twitched when she caught me looking.
She was baiting me! Damn it! I marched over to her, the boards rumbled under my feet like they properly should. Then I snatched the watch from her thin fingers. She raised her eyebrow like she had anticipated my reaction.
I slipped the watch back into my coat pocket. I wanted to know how she had gotten it. I wanted to know who she was. I wanted to know how she came about the fate of floating on a piece of charred driftwood.
“I acquired that particular watch from a god of the sea,” she explained, moving toward the window. The boards made no sound as she walked over them barefooted. It was as if she’d floated.
“Davy was no god!” Disgust seeped from my voice. I cringed at the mention of the man who was as much of a god as a father. I didn’t bother to explain it or deny the hatred I had for that particular man. “He perished with his crew at sea, and so they found their lockers at the bottom of the ocean.”
A giggle escaped from her lips. “Yet Davy Jones and his locker will be immortalized for all time.” “I doubt that,” I mumbled.
Twirling on her toe, she spun around. There were vixens who moved with unbelievable grace but
this tiny woman put them to shame. She seemed to move through the air with an elegance that made me think dancing with her would be remarkable, to say the least. And then there was that fire in her eyes that kept me on my toes. She was as manipulative as she was graceful.
What game was she playing? My finger twitched. They had never tingled with apprehension when in the company of a woman, much less one who was half my weight and at least a foot shorter than me.
She pouted when I crossed my arms over my chest. “You resemble your father, Jimmy.”
“The name is Captain James.”
She smiled a perfectly infuriating smile. “I prefer Jimmy.” “You will address me with respect.” I clenched my hands so tight that my knuckles cracked. “I am the captain of this warship, and you will address me as such, witch.”
Her lip curled. It was brief, but I saw it. “Then you will address me with respect, Jimmy.”
My name had never been uttered so coldly that it sounded like a curse, but the way she hissed it was just that. I was standing in front of her before I realized my feet had even moved. Staring down at her, I seethed. She was so small I could easily pick her up with one hand, but she didn’t find me intimidating. I knew. I could tell she found me amusing when she spotted the exotic feather in my hat and giggled. This little tigress was intelligent, yet she was disrespectful, antagonizing, and positively—could that dress be just a little more see-through?
“I don’t know your name,” I pointed out. She chewed on her bottom lip. Damn it was distracting. It was when my eyes dropped to her lips for the second time that I caught on to what she was doing. Whatever name she’d give me certainly wouldn’t be her God-given name. I wasn’t a fool.
“Miss Bell will do just fine, Captain.” She purred my title like she enjoyed the way it sounded. Perhaps it was just me who enjoyed how it sounded coming from her. I tried not to think about it too much.
“Fine then, Miss Bell. How does a vixen come to the fate of floating in the sea on a piece of charred wood with no boat in sight?”
“I didn’t want to dirty my boots with sand,” she quipped. “And mermaids hate fire.”
She was testing my patience. “What the hell does that mean?” “And here I fancied you as an intellect, Captain. Surely you must be able to deduce a simple reply like the one I just gave.”
I understood. She liked to play games. She had been playing this game with me since the second I stepped foot inside my quarters. I wasn’t about to lose, so I quickly reconsidered her answer. She didn’t want to dirty her feet with sand, meaning she didn’t want to go ashore. As far as the mermaid
comment…I crossed my arms to keep myself from strangling her. Mermaids were a myth created by paranoid men. Right or wrong, this fiery spirit believed in them.
I concluded, “You set your boat ablaze to keep finned women from pulling you to the depths of the sea?”
“Is that a question or an observation?” she mused and then nibbled her bottom lip again. Her biting was wildly distracting and she knew it. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to me. She smelled like rain and sunshine. Damn, it was enticing. I may not have believed in mermaids, but she was a damn siren. And when she giggled…Heaven help me to keep my bearings.
“What makes you think I didn’t set flame to a ship bigger than yours?” she whispered in my ear. “A ship like your father’s, Captain?”
“Women don’t command ships,” I stated, pushing her off of me. My reaction made her giggle. I hated that it was an insanely addicting sound. Immediately, I wanted to hear more.
“Do you not believe I could get my hands on a pretty boat?” she purred, moving close again and walking her fingers up my chest.
“I dare not assume what you could do,” I proclaimed, thinking of the pocket watch weighing heavily in my coat.
She lowered herself onto her heels. Her gaze fixated on mine as she dragged her hands down my chest. For the life of me, I couldn’t turn away. It was like staring into the eyes of the devil himself. It was terrifying and radiant. There was fire in her eyes—fire that I couldn’t look away from.
Her lips parted when a shudder ran through my body. Most women would mirror the actions of a man they were attracted to or merely look him up and down. Bell was much more hands-on. She used her fingers. She traced them down my stomach until I had to catch her hands at my beltline. They were quite warm, yet when my fingers slipped over hers, her hands began to tremble. I knew how to hold a woman, but no one had ever reacted to my touch so immediately. She quickly drew them away and held them behind her back.
It wasn’t the feeling of my physique that she enjoyed. It was the touch of my hands. Judging from her slight frown, she was as surprised by her reaction as I.
If I wanted answers, this was my opportunity. “How did you get your hands on Davy’s pocket watch?”
“He told me that it was yours,” she mused, faking poise. Her hands were still tucked behind her back, so I assumed they still trembled. “Well, actually he told me that he had to take it back as you we
re not worthy enough to carry it.”
That sounded like him.
I asked, “Why did you want such a pathetic timepiece, then?” “Because it would lead me to you,” she admitted. Then she turned on her toe and rolled her eyes like she had suddenly become bored with the
conversation. “And then some dry conversations entailed. But what you must take away is that I assured him that no mermaid would find his body if he gave me this token.”
She still had her hands clasped together. She was still uneasy about her reaction to me, but expertly distracted me away from that fact when she giggled. She enjoyed my fixation on her.
“Why did you want to meet me?” I pursued.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Because I hoped you would be like your father.” Out of habit, I reached for my sword. She would not get away with mockery. I would not be accused of being something beastly. “I’m nothing like him.”
She approached me once more, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. As if to prove she was not afraid of me, she placed her hands on my chest and looked directly in my eyes when she teased, “So it would seem. Yet, here I am and here you are, and I am not left wanting.”
The way she said wanting—slowly and deliberately—left me wanting. I considered her for a second. She was literally throwing herself at me because it was what she thought would intrigue me. She was wrong…well, I was intrigued by her fingers walking up my chest. But when they slid past my collar, I caught her hands in mine once again. This time, her eyes fluttered. It was then that I noticed her long, dark lashes. No doubt she batted them to entice men to reveal their secrets.
This was another one of her games.
Fine, I would keep playing. Towering over her, I smirked, “You take me for a fool.”
The truth showed in her grin and the spark that flashed in her eyes. “I tend to keep foolish company.”
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