“What do you mean by that?” I questioned. “That I’m trouble and enjoy a flirtatious bout with danger,” she whispered. Her hands suddenly became frightfully cold. Her breath came out frozen; however, I didn’t pull away. I didn’t react. I simply watched her, waiting for her to make her next move. We stood there, in a room with dropping temperatures, but I never felt so hot.
“Have you ever sailed through a hurricane, Captain?” Her question came out breathy.
“Thousands of days have passed with the ocean beneath me. What do you think?”
“I doubt you would survive one,” she whispered. We weren’t talking about the madness of storms, of that I was certain. “I doubt I would survive you.” Suddenly, she released her grasp on my hands. Then she backed away and pressed her lips together. That! That was a real reaction. The constant biting was when she was playing games, but pressing those soft pink lips into a thin line was real.
Cocking her head to the side, she admitted, “You intrigue me, Captain.”
“I get the feeling you don’t say that to very many men.”
“Men are not normally interesting.” My smirk deepened. Now it was she who had to look away. However, when she glanced back up, her lips parted. I cursed thinking about how they would feel pressed against mine.
She hummed. It was like she could hear the dirty thoughts bombarding my mind. She strummed her fingers along her side. By the darkness in her gaze, the thoughts running through her mind were surely of a menacing nature. As if she just realized she’d melted into a puddle in front of me, she snapped her bottom lip back up and placed her hands on her hips.
Restraining myself from closing the distance between us took strength I did not know I possessed. Giving in now…well, that would be losing this game, and I got the impression that winning would be worth the wait.
I took a step toward her just as lightning lit up the sky. It caught me off guard. The flash shimmered in her eyes. The timing was too perfect, as if she’d compelled Mother Nature. The thunder that followed did not compare to the hammering in my chest.
One thing was certain. She was not civil. Bell was not to be tamed. She was like an element of nature itself—the physical embodiment of Mother Nature’s fury. She was a storm, a hurricane. I was sure she’d left a wake of broken hearts in her path.
“You will not break mine,” I told her.
As if reading my thoughts, she confessed, “No man has ever survived me.”
“Finally, the truth comes from your mouth.” “No, Captain, you are simply keeping up with the conversation.”
I crossed my arms and took charge of our discussion. “You had to have been a girl at the time.” A soft moan resonated from her throat. It matched her deepened grin. She took her time to answer, controlling the pace of our conversation. Without a doubt, she knew what I was alluding to but was testing my patience.
“When?” she asked in a light tone, disguising her intelligence. I gritted my teeth but spoke slowly. If she was going to fake stupidity, I would talk to her like she was dimwitted. “When you convinced Davy to give up the watch and set his ship ablaze.”
“So it would seem,” she quipped.
What kind of reply was that? It was then that I saw a glimpse of sadness on her face. She turned her back to me, but it wasn’t fast enough. Loneliness surfaced in her eyes.
“You have spent a long time searching for me,” I assumed. “Enough time for seaweed to stain your hair green and for moss to collect on your skin. Yet, not enough for the sun to bake you and turn your body into bones.”
“Time is not easily tamed,” she sighed. So many words were said in that sigh. I wondered how long she had been alone. I wondered how long she had spent on that piece of driftwood, wishing for our paths to cross.
“And now that you have found me?” I inquired. “What happens?” She glanced over her shoulder. I swear time stopped when her gaze locked on mine. She was right. Just like her, time was not easily tamed. But in that second, we understood each other. It felt as if years had passed between us, yet all the passing and nonpassing of time still left my inquiry unanswered.
“I’m not sure,” she finally admitted with a frown. “I’m not used to not knowing what I want. It’s never ever happened before.”
“You are conflicted.” “Yes.” Her breath caught as if she was surprised.
My heart softened. I got the impression she rarely made such a confession. “You are welcome to stay on board my warship until you are no longer conflicted,” I offered just as the lightning lit up the sky once again. It made her already sheer dress more transparent.
I wasn’t normally acquisitive, but the thought of my crew eyeing her in something that left so little to the imagination bothered me. I rubbed my jaw, thinking of something, anything, to cover her with. I doubted Wendy would be eager to give away any of her dresses, especially not for a vixen who…well, got me to pace my quarters for almost two weeks.
I lifted the chest at the foot of my bed. I didn’t have women’s dresses inside, but surely something would fit. As I began rummaging through the contents of the chest, the ship suddenly shifted. I caught myself against the door. Bell didn’t move, but she heeded a warning that resonated in my soul.
“You should leave the port, Captain.” Her voice carried a sense of undeniable urgency as she added, “Quickly. The sea does not welcome you in Barbuda. Your ship will be torn to pieces if you stay here.”
“Then we shall depart without delay. Rest assured, Miss Bell, the Jolly Roger is the fastest ship on the Seven Seas,” I announced even though I knew the safest place in a storm was by the dock. It was foolish—completely and utterly foolish—but the unrest in her eyes was etched in my mind. It gave me chills.
After exiting the room, I turned to close the door and caught sight of her. With her back turned to me, she slipped off the thin sleeping gown. Normally I would have noticed the curvature of a woman’s body, but she was right. She was not like most women. Tattooed wings were inked on the entirety of her back. The ink looked fresh. It glistened like water, splashing above her skin.
“Have you ever seen the rain drip from the sea and pool into the sky?” she purred, peeking over her shoulder.
I swallowed hard. “Never.”
“Ever?”
I didn’t reply. I’d seen many things, but I wasn’t delusional. She didn’t so much grin, but the same flicker of the edges of her mouth tugged upward nevertheless. “You are in for a show tonight.”
“What are you? Truly, Miss Bell?”
“I have many names. Witch. Goddess. Angel.” “Fairy?”
To that she only smiled.
6 MISS BELL
Present Day
Few things made me smile anymore. I was so lost without the man I never thought I would love or could possibly love me back. As impossible as it had seemed, both happened. Now I wished with all my heart that I could live in those precious moments of the past when I was happy. But my wish would not come true, and my reality was far more unpleasant.
Crocodiles circled around in the lagoon near the cypress tree where I sat high on a branch. Every so often, the wild animals raised their heads from the murky water as if they were keeping an eye on me— their next meal. I was safe for the time being, but those monsters weren’t the ones I was concerned about.
Peter and the other lost souls were far more dangerous. For nearly a week, I had been looking over my shoulder, waiting for an attack. The last time I managed to close my eyes for longer than a few minutes was when I was in the rowboat. If lack of sleep was the worst of it, I’d be okay; however, an infection festered in the wounds across my back. I suffered from cold sweats even though it was in the dead of summer. I wondered how long I would last…
Tick. Tock. I jumped at the sound of James’ pocket watch as it marked the final hour of another day. The clicks of the watch became louder with each passing second, a cruel reminder that I lived…and he didn’t.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. I
clutched the watch against my heart, comforting myself. I could almost make myself believe that it was his heart beating. Certainly death was a better outcome than this. At least we’d be together in the afterlife, whatever that entailed. Hiding in a fortress in a cypress tree was a far cry from the life we once had, ruling the seas.
I closed my eyes and remembered how the salty waves crashed into the wind and spattered my sunkissed face. I remembered gripping the rope in my hands as I redirected the sails. But mostly, I remembered James, my captain. I traced my bottom lip with my finger like he used to when I worried. I never understood how such a confident man’s man could have such a gentle touch.
Tick. Tock. I tucked James’ watch back into my pocket and looked out at the sea beyond the lagoon. Spanish moss blocked my view of the horrifying ship that had anchored off the shore a week earlier. I strained my eyes but saw nothing that indicated the lost souls had found me. I breathed a sigh of relief and closed my eyes. It was a single, blissful moment that was interrupted by the snapping of a twig. It was my only warning that they were coming in fast—faster than usual.
Without hesitation, I was on my battered feet. I would have bolted that second, but another branch snapped. This time the noise came from behind me. I strained my ears, listening for any indication of their numbers. Then I saw Michael creeping around the base of the tree I had been hiding in. Holding my breath, I didn’t dare make a sound.
“We know you are close, Bell!” Michael called out, startling me. I barely jumped, but bits of dirt shifted beneath my feet. The specks slowly drifted downward, sprinkling on top of Michael’s head. Immediately, he spun around and looked up. His bloodshot eyes fixated on me. Exhaustion was obvious in his stance, but he managed to stand a little straighter in my presence.
“Bell.” He uttered my name like it was a curse. “Lads! I found her.” Hardly a moment passed before Robben joined Michael’s side. He was always a brawny giant, but now his movements were jerky, like his muscles were no longer working in sync with each other.
“Hello, boys,” I greeted them coldly. I tightened my grip on the branch to keep from falling after one of my legs buckled. “While I find it adorable that you insist on chasing me around this island, I will admit my patience is wearing thin.”
“It is your strength that is wearing thin,” Michael noted as my legs began to tremble. “You look like you’re in shock.”
“We’d rather not wait for you to pass out. Peter insists on your timely return to the Jolly Roger,” Robben sneered, grasping the bottom branches like he was going to climb up the tree. When the branch snapped under his weight, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I decline his offer. I’d rather spend my time with them,” I quipped, nodding at the crocodiles that had taken notice of the men. The reptiles slowly crawled out of the water toward the two. “Now you know what it feels like to be stalked by wild beasts.”
“They can’t kill us,” Robben mocked. “Thanks to you.”
“Perhaps, but I do wonder if their bite will hurt any less,” I retorted. Releasing the branches, Robben turned his attention to the animals snaking across the ground. Without hesitation, he withdrew his gun and fired. I screamed as one stopped dead in its tracks.
“It’ll make a fine pair of boots,” Robben chimed, nudging its head to check for liveliness.
“No!” I bellowed, wishing there was something I could have done for the creature. “I doubt you’d care so strongly for the animal if you knew what Peter had fed them after you lead us to this mosquito-infested island,” Robben chuckled.
I cocked my head to the side. Where was he going with this? “I don’t care what Peter feeds the animals.”
Tucking his gun back into its holster, Robben beamed, “I suppose that it is only fitting he tossed James’ hand into the crocodile-infested water since the cap’s body is rotting in the sea.”
They’d fed James’ hand to the beasts? A whimper fled my lips. My stomach churned. Suddenly, the air was suffocating me and I couldn’t draw a breath. My body began to shake as I fought back tears.
“I think she is going to be ill,” Michael dully stated. “Aye, she’s turning green,” Robben agreed and then nodded at the redheaded twins, Calicos and Kale, who had just arrived.
“Where is that bloody witch?” Calicos demanded. His accent was as thick as every other British sailor’s.
Kale spotted me first, as any good lookout man would. He nudged his brother and pointed up at me. “She’s hiding in that tree.”
Calicos’ eyes were dull. They followed my actions, but there was no spark left behind them. “Hiding like a coward.”
“I’m no coward,” I snapped.
“You’re not?” Kale snickered and then withdrew a double-barreled gun and pointed it right at me. I swallowed a lump in my throat. My anxiety soared. One bullet in my chest meant I would take my final breaths, whereas there was little I could do to harm them. They weren’t alive, but they certainly weren’t dead, either. There was nothing I could do that would cause them to age or fall ill. There was nothing that would make them permanently disappear. All I had to use against them now were my tricks.
“It’s easy to call someone a coward when you cannot die,” I said, fantasizing about hurting them. “But you’re the one who is hiding behind a gun.”
“I’ve seen your tricks,” Robben boomed. “Not all of them,” I muttered under my breath. With my shaking hands, I reached behind me and grabbed some of the Spanish moss. I balled it into my hands and blew. Slowly, the moss took to flame. My hands were raw from all the spells I had worked in the past week, but I needed to pull through. I had to come up with a plan. I had to survive. My skin charred quickly, but I didn’t let go of the tiny little embers. It was too soon. The magic needed time to take hold of the moss.
“What the bloody hell are you doing?” Calicos demanded. “You’ll see,” I whispered to myself. My hands were hot but not as fiery as they needed to be. I needed to buy some time. “Robben, you enjoyed making James’ command difficult. May I suggest the same for Peter? Is he truly worthy of leading you? After all, he’s just a boy.”
“Peter is worthy of following,” Robben barked, picking up the dead crocodile under its teeth. He dragged it further out of the water. “He made us immortal.”
“And what of your soul?” I questioned. “Tell me, Robben. Does food taste the same? Does your sense of touch feel as sensitive, or is it numb? Are colors dull? How is life without your humanity?”
Robben cracked his neck, clearly agitated. “My life suits me just fine.”
“Liar,” I said and then the corner of my mouth twitched.
“You cursed us,” Michael muttered, noticing my smile.
“Yes,” I fumed. Peter had tricked them all. He used John to convince them that I had manipulated James. It was my fault that John had fallen prey to Peter. It was my fault that he could not un-see what he’d seen that night I’d taken my captain to Neverland.
I just wished my captain would have put John out of his misery the moment he realized the boy was possessed. I wished my captain would have told me the moment he found out.
“And my brother, John? You cursed him?” Michael asked. His face paled, but it was his hand that gripped his pistol that gave me pause.
“He saw what could not be unseen. That kind of magic was not my doing. John was doomed, Michael. You never should have asked James to spare him. He was too far gone,” I stammered, clenching my hands more tightly around the burning moss. “James had every right to put him out of his misery when John tried to steal his compass.”
“It was just a blasted compass!” Michael bellowed, pointing the gun at me. My heart hammered in my chest. The last time he pointed a gun at me, I was fortunate there weren’t any bullets left. I doubted I’d be so lucky twice. But I was wrong. Kale grabbed the barrel of the gun just as Michael fired. A bullet whizzed by my face.
“Peter wants her alive,” Kale barked and jerked the gun from Michael’s hands, t
ossing it aside. All humanity vanished from Michael’s eyes. He swung at Kale, landing a punch. Kale’s nose broke and he stumbled backwards. Michael didn’t back down. He continued beating Kale until Calicos seized him from behind.
“Michael! Think for a bloody second! If it was only a compass, why would James kill your brother over it?” Calicos growled, keeping Michael tight next to his body so he couldn’t swing anymore punches.
I couldn’t worry about them discovering the truth about the compass. Not now. The burning sensation in my hands wasn’t something I could handle much longer.
Michael’s shoulders heaved as he glared up at me. “What is so special about that compass? Why was it worth killing my brother over?”
“It’ll lead us to Neverland,” Kale guessed. Still lying on his back, he scanned my figure for the navigation device.
“Only fools keep what can be traded. Only fools dare carry precious devices, like that compass, when others would kill for it. Do you take me for such a fool?” I asked and then mumbled a spell to unleash life into the creatures I cupped in my hands. “Besides, I wouldn’t be so concerned about the compass, boys.”
I brought my hands to my mouth and blew the scalding embers from my palms. The wind quickly gathered them and scattered them into the sky. I held my breath as I waited. Seconds ticked by. I didn’t have much time before I couldn’t stall anymore and the lost souls would come up after me.
Then I saw one zing. Another flowed, moving in the opposite direction of the wind. I grinned. The embers zipped around in the sky on their own accord.
“What is that?” Calicos marveled, releasing Michael. “Fireflies,” I whispered to myself as I watched them jump from tree to tree, burrowing into the wood before their embers died out.
Fireflies had a short lifespan. They fluttered and died in a handful of seconds, but I only needed them to live long enough to set the lagoon on fire. And they did. The trees began to burn. Soon this side of the lagoon would be engulfed in flames.
A smile spread across my face as the men realized what I had done. They could wait for me, but their bodies would burn.
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