Fire leapt from tree to tree as the fireflies burrowed deep inside their trunks, lighting them up from the inside out. As the temperatures rose, the lost souls fled the lagoon—all except for Michael. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he paced below the cypress tree.
My foot slipped. My legs were giving out. Even without the flames bursting through the bark, I didn’t have a lot of time.
“One day I will find a way to make you feel as empty as me,” Michael warned. His knuckles were white as he gripped his gun.
A traitorous tear slipped from my eye, shedding light on how much pain I carried. “You already did the day you severed James’ hand. The day I watched my captain sink below the water was the most agonizing moment of my life.”
“Aye, that day was the most painful in my life as well.” Michael withdrew his gun only to scratch his head with it.
I was certain he was debating whether or not to waste a bullet on me. After swallowing a lump in my throat, I huffed, “Shoot me and you will never find the compass. You will never find your way to that hellhole. You will never get rid of the curse.”
“I will not stop until I know you will never see your loved ones in the afterlife, either,” Michael swore and then secured his gun back into the holster. “You’ll never see James again, just like I will never see anyone I love hereafter.”
The lagoon was blazing by the time Michael finally left and I dared to leave the tree. I expected him or the other lost souls to be waiting for me where the fire hadn’t taken hold yet. So I dipped into the water, praying that the animals would be distracted by the fire rather than see me as something to eat.
As I waded through the lagoon, I tried not to think about the crocodiles, snakes, or any other creatures in the murky water. Smoke filled the sky while flames spread from tree to tree. Even if my one eye wasn’t swollen, I couldn’t see more than a few hundred feet. I stayed in the water as long as I dared, but I was moving too slowly to escape.
Coughing, I tore off a piece of the bottom part of my skirt, dipped it in the water, and held it over my mouth and nose to keep from inhaling too much of the toxic air. Then I ran on the ground. Soon this side of the island would be burned entirely, so I only had one last resort. Of all of the places I swore I’d never return to, Savage Point was one of them.
As I hurried toward that atrocious place, my feet gave out when I tripped over a fallen branch. I tried to reach out and catch myself, but my muscles were too weak. I crashed onto the searing hot ground. Fire was all around me. It was as if even the air was ablaze. Everything I saw was engulfed in flames. I couldn’t outrun them. Clutching to the pocket watch, I wished I could stop time again. But with all of my injuries, I knew I did not have the strength.
Tick. Tock. I closed my eyes and thought of him. What would James think if I just gave up? I didn’t want to go on without him, but I couldn’t simply lie down and die, either.
Tick. Tock. With the beat of the watch encouraging me every precious second, I pulled myself up off of the ground and stumbled forward. Flames licked at my feet. Ash whirled in the blazing hot air. It burned my skin, but I kept going. Each step was painful, but I refused to give up.
Tick. Tock. Tick .Tock. Time was running out. My injuries were festering, causing me to become deathly ill. Peter would win unless I made a great sacrifice, so I pushed myself over the black rocks. Their sharp points cut up my burnt feet, but I reached the top of a cliff overlooking Savage Point.
Waves crashed into jagged rocks that stuck out from below the watery surface. Ships in different stages of rot littered the lagoon. Beautiful colors that were once hung high on masts were now markers of those who’d fought the beautiful creatures that had pulled them to their deaths. Broken rowboats collided into the rocks that had fallen from the sleeping volcanic mountain.
I took a moment to pay my respect to the lost souls who perished by the sea demons’ hands. I hated the idea I was contemplating, but I didn’t know of any better way to get off of this island. And as much as I knew this was a horrible plan, I’d trade one group of immortal demons for another. Mermaids were a lesser evil than Peter and his crew.
Holding the pocket watch to my heart as if it were my strength, I made my way to the top of Savage Point. Wind whipped at my face as I stepped closer to the edge and peered into the mouth of the volcano that barely rose above the water. A whirlpool formed with the rising of the tides, spinning water around inside the mouth. High tide was my only chance to enter their menacing world, for if I waited another twelve hours, the water would pull away from the rocks.
Taking a deep breath, I prepared to jump; however, I was distracted when I saw a shadow cast down on the rocks. It came from behind me. Since I hadn’t heard any snapping of branches and there had been no warning from a gunshot, I knew it was that foul boy.
“You follow me like a shadow,” I groaned, acknowledging Peter’s presence. Shadows were a giveaway to what was above. Not even Peter could get rid of that tell. I turned just in time to see his feet hit the ground.
“You will never survive the drop,” Peter scoffed. “You are desperate, hungry, and injured. Come with me and I assure you that you will be fed, bathed, clothed, and—”
“Tortured?” I interrupted. Peter laughed. His psychopathic snicker got under my skin. Oh, how I wished there was a spell to remove his voice all together.
“I didn’t understand why you had become so fixated on stories about a pocket watch. But now that I’ve seen what you can do with it, I understand why you left me to find it,” he fumed, closing the distance between us.
I inched closer to the edge. For years I had leapt from up high, and now that I had to make the jump, my heart pounded in my chest. Even if I survived the drop, I didn’t know if the mermaids would bother bringing me to their sanctuary.
Peter folded his hands behind his back and paced back and forth. “I waited years…years for your return, darling, yet you never came back. It was only by chance that I heard that boy ranting about mermaids and the fairy who took him to see them. Then I realized where you had drifted off to.”
If I had any strength left, I would slap that smile from his face! “His name was John!” “Like his name matters,” he quipped, taking another step closer to me. “Give me the compass and the pocket watch. I know you convinced the others that you hid them somewhere, but I know deep down you are a fool. Even so, you aren’t stupid enough to sacrifice your life for a keepsake. Give them to me and I’ll let you live.”
I wasn’t naïve enough to think I was invincible. He’d kill me, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight, even if I could barely stand. I slipped my hand around the pocket watch. I could do this. If my death was near, I would face it with my head held high.
My entire body shook as I took another deep breath. “I may die by your hand, Peter,” I noted, “but I will take you down with me.”
“There she is,” Peter whispered. “There is the girl I used to love tormenting the world with. The one who found it entertaining to terrorize humanity. She still resides within you. You can’t deny it. That part of you still thrives, just waiting to come out and play.”
“I grew up, Peter.”
Peter’s eyes widened, glaring at me with pure hatred. His movements were not human. Rather, they
were forced and unnatural. He was barely animated. No life sparked in his eyes, not even a glimpse. Without further warning, he charged me.
I jumped. I plummeted into the water below. It whirled around me, pulling me down. All of my instincts told me to swim upward but I did not obey. I swam deeper into the darkness. Despite my efforts to kick as hard as I could, something stopped me. Something had hold of my leg. Peter had followed me. He grabbed me by the throat and dragged me toward the surface. I fought him, but I was too weak. So I tried one last resort and screamed. My cries were muffled in the water, but surely the sea demons heard me.
The sounds were cut off when Peter spun me around so that we were face to face. His deathly glare w
as the last thing I saw before something latched onto my ankle from below. The moment I was jerked from his grasp, I saw him close his eyes and swim to the surface.
I didn’t fight or try to free myself. Instead, I merely waited. As the darkness crept in from the sides, I caught sight of those frightening red eyes I’d dreaded. I welcomed unconsciousness as they pulled me down deeper into Davy Jones’ Locker and into the world of the mermaids.
9 CAPTAIN JAMES
Earlier that year
Mermaids? Immortality? Bell was luring me into a world I never knew and damn it if I wasn’t compelled. Every dark secret about her made me gravitate to her more, but her latest declaration unhinged me in a way that truly startled me. Why? Because it made me crave her more—something I didn’t think was possible. She was the epitome of true power in a beautiful form, yet she somehow kept her humanity, her soul. She was a glorious creature, a tigress who was wildly attracted to immoral men— men like me. While it wasn’t unusual for vixens to be fascinated by bad boys, I wanted to know her exact reasons why. I wanted to know every reason why. I needed to know all of her secrets.
Because I am the one who traps them there. Countless nights had passed and those words never left my mind. At the stern of the ship, I leaned against the rail and stared out at the sky as we sailed toward the North Star. With my hand in my coat pocket, I twisted the chain of the watch around my fingers and listened to the sound of it tick. I would uncover all of her secrets, including the things she still wasn’t telling me about Davy’s pocket watch.
“It’s a chilly night.” Without having to turn around, I knew it was Bell who had spoken. I’d grown quite enamored by her voice and would recognize it anywhere. It wasn’t dainty, but rather mysterious and wispy. Just like her.
“Chills have been running down my spine ever since we found you floating on the driftwood,” I admitted casually.
Any other vixen I knew would have leaned against the railing next to me, but she pulled herself up over the side and sat on it. Her bottom was close enough to my hand that I could easily slide it around the small of her back.
I couldn’t help but notice her mesmerizing tattoo peeking out from beneath her collar. I desperately wanted to trace the lines with my fingers and slide them lower on her back until I found out where they ended. Damn it! Focus! Even as I berated myself, I couldn’t deny my desires. I wanted to touch her, to hold her…The thought of tasting her lips as they pressed to mine was almost unimaginable, yet it plagued my dreams as often as her menacing confession of trapping souls in Neverland.
She let out a breath of air she’d been holding in. It came out frosty. Tonight was the first time cooler temperatures had forced us into warmer clothes, yet Bell still seemed to prefer her short attire. Not that I minded. I enjoyed the sight of her skin glistening in the sun and shimmering under the moon’s light.
My eyes were captivated by her as she looked up at the night sky. Nonchalantly, she kicked her legs in the air like she enjoyed the wind beneath her bare feet. Even so, she seemed to be millions of miles away as she gazed up at the stars like she longed to join them.
I needed to bring her back, closer to me, so I withdrew the pocket watch I’d collected from her. Her ears perked at the sound of the chain.
“Davy would not want me to have this,” I claimed, forcing myself to look straight ahead as to not fall into a trance when I met her eyes.
“Many men would be wary of gifting a fairy such a tool.”
“I am wary of you.” She giggled. Gripping the railing, I forced my eyes closed. That sound was of a siren. I could hardly keep my bearings. I needed to focus, but then she cursed under her breath. I wasn’t sure there was anything about her that was not intriguing. I knew it shouldn’t be, but hearing her swear was quite…adorable.
“There is much about me that is difficult to bear, Captain,” she confessed as if she was a menace to society—like that mattered to me. “The way I move, the way I look, the way I speak, my laugh…it’s…I’m a curse.”
I wanted to tell her otherwise, but I needed to figure out how to get her to open up to me. So I slid the pocket watch beside her, lightly grazing her hip when I pulled my hand away. I’d barely moved before she snatched up the watch.
Folding my hands behind my back, I walked behind her and leaned forward enough to whisper in her ear. “Why should men be wary of gifting a fairy such a tool?”
“Time can be harnessed if you have the right tool,” she warned, dangling it in the air, watching it sparkle in the moonlight. “And if you can control time, you can control outcomes.”
Slipping the watch into her pocket, she kicked her feet up and turned around on the railing like falling overboard never dawned on her.
I rubbed my chin, wondering how insane I had to be to hold a conversation like this. “Is the pocket watch the tool you speak of?”
She glared at me as I placed my hands on either side of her body, trapping her between me and the railing. That I had brought on that pout of hers made me smirk.
I demanded, “Show me what you can do with that watch.” “Now you need proof?” Her chest rose and fell quickly as she lost control of her calm demeanor. “I thought that you believe the words that come from my lips.”
Damn it! I was doing just fine without her having to mention lips. My gaze dropped. The corner of her mouth tugged. My grasp on the railing tightened the wider her smile became. Slipping past me, she walked to the ship’s wheel. I would not follow her. She could not lure me to her. I wouldn’t have it.
“You just said that the way you speak is a curse!” I called out, anchoring myself to the railing with my hands. I would not chase her, damn it.
She glanced over her shoulder. “But do you believe I am evil?”
“As corrupt as me,” I admitted. “But that does not mean your choices are pre-destined.” “Well then, let’s chance fate, shall we?” she mused, skipping in front of the wheel. With her little finger, she spun the ship around.
The ship leaned heavy to the side. Barrels and supplies slid across the deck and teetered against the railing. I raced up to her and seized the wheel. I imagined my crew falling from their bunks from the sudden shift.
“Bad form, Miss Bell. Bad form!” Cursing under my breath, I carefully steered us back on course. I kept looking down at her so there was no doubt that she could see the annoyance clearly written on my face. Then I forced my eyes upward toward the stars for guidance so I was sure to head the right direction.
She tapped her finger over her lips, considering me. “Don’t you have a compass to guide you?” “Of course,” I muttered, aligning the boat with the North Star. I rubbed my hand over my breast pocket to make sure it was still there just in case something horrid occurred. “But I’ve managed the Seven Seas long enough without one. I am not dependent on navigational devices.”
“But you would need it to travel somewhere you don’t usually navigate to?” She laced her arms over her chest, hugging herself like she had suddenly gotten the chills.
“What’s with all these questions about how I command this vessel?” I demanded. She shrugged her shoulders like they were innocent questions. Oh, but I knew better than to trust those wide eyes.
I caught sight of Kale’s carrot-top. He shook his head at me and then assumed his post in the crow’s nest. Without having to ask, I knew he thought I was a fool for letting a vixen touch my wheel. If he only knew she was the sole reason we survived the summer storm, he might think differently of her.
I shook my head at myself. Perhaps I was the fool he thought me to be. Grabbing her arm, I walked her backwards toward my quarters. I did not need my night-watch to witness my encounters with this vixen.
“Let go of me,” she demanded, digging her feet into the floor.
“No.” Right before I got my hand on my door, she slipped from my ironclad grasp. She was behind me. I hadn’t heard her move. I hadn’t seen her race around me. But there she was, plain as day. She snaked her arms over h
er chest and pressed her fingers against her arms so hard the tips were white.
I raised my eyebrow. “Did you stop time just now, or was that some other trick you used?”
“You played me!” she fumed. I chuckled. If she wanted to play these games, then I would participate. “I want some honest answers. How long did you float on that driftwood?”
She tapped her fingers on her crossed arms, contemplating her answer. “A handful of days.”
That was not a defiant answer. I took a step toward her. She took one back.
I narrowed my eyes. She raised an eyebrow. Fine. I marched forward, expecting her to walk back, but she held her ground until her back hit the railing. As I towered over her, I realized I had no damn clue what I was going to do with her. So I stood there like a fool, glaring down at the vixen I desperately wanted to kiss.
Instead of stealing the kiss I desired, I asked, “How many years equate to a handful of days for you?” “Nearly a decade,” she answered truthfully and waited for me to react.
“The timepiece? Is that how you did it?” I demanded. She pressed her lips together, which was as good as any confession I was going to get from her. Christ, it was exasperating to hold a conversation with her!
“Do you know that you ask questions in rapid succession when you get anxious?” She noted, baiting me from this topic.
I wasn’t going to bite. “Take me to Neverland, Miss Bell.” Raising herself up onto her toes, she didn’t meet my eye; however, that didn’t make her glare any less fierce. “No.” She turned away.
I reached for her arm to stop her from walking away from me. The second I touched her, she turned around and slapped me. It stung. I winced, more so because my finger twitched afterwards than because she struck me.
She clenched her hand tightly. Her skin was flushed. “I do not wish to take you there, Captain. And I do not wish to debate that particular place any longer. Please drop it.”
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