And then she was out, leaving Remy no choice but to follow her.
The memory itself was long but filled with things that Remy took notes on. Her reaction to Pan, Pam’s reaction to Pam, Pam’s warning, Pam’s reason for being her. There were more questions than answers, and though she was in James’s library filled with books, she had a feeling she would not find any answers to those questions here.
Instead, she began to rifle through the fiction selection, looking for a cozy romance she could curl up with for a few hours. She found she liked reading more than she initially believed and wanted to indulge in it as much as possible.
She must have fallen asleep. It was the only explanation. Because when she was starting to wake up, she felt pressure on her hips, and there, a man was awkwardly sitting on her, attempting to tie her wrists together. When she tried to scream, she tasted the dry, rough material and she wanted to gag.
All right, Remy, her voice said in her mind. Focus. You need to figure out how to get out of this one. No one’s going to come rescue you.
She struggled underneath his weight, bucking her hips and shifting it side to side. He seemed surprised, and she used that surprise to throw him off of her. He was not able to tie her wrists down, so the minute she managed to get him off of her, she ripped off the rope from her mouth and let out the loudest scream of her life.
The man winced, giving her even more time to hop on top of him, and start beating him with her hands. She tried to remember all that Adele had taught, the tips Nick had given her, but she could not. All she knew was that she needed to subdue this man because, for whatever reason, he was kidnapping her.
The door to the library burst open, and in came James, a look of fierceness touching his features. Despite the fine clothes he wore, the look on his face was pure Viking. He had a sword in his right hand and stomped over to the pair. He paused when he realized Remy was in control of the situation, but only for a moment.
“Get off,” he told her roughly. Under normal circumstances, Remy would have been offended at his brusqueness, but given the current situation, she scrambled to listen to him. Her heart was beating faster than she had ever felt it beat before, and her breathing was spotty at best. Once she was up and away from her attacker, she felt herself calm down. With James handling everything, she felt safe.
“You,” James continued, putting the tip of the sword to his neck. “You know what I can do with this sword. You know what will happen to you should I choose to slice your throat and watch you bleed all over my carpet. As such, you have two options: you can tell me everything and survive or you can tell me nothing and die. What say you?”
“I’ll tell!” he exclaimed. “I’ll tell.” James did not remove his sword but made no move to harm him. Yet. “The Magistrate wants her. I don’t know why. I don’t know why! All she told me was to get her unharmed and do it so no one would find out. That’s it. Please, I beg of you. That’s all I know.”
James paused and seemed to contemplate it. Then, “I believe you.”
The man looked relieved. Up until James added, “But you trespassed on my property in my realm and threatened someone extremely important to me. I cannot let that stand.”
With that, he took his sword and hacked off the man’s left leg. Remy turned to the side and emptied the contents of her stomach completely.
Twelve
A knock on Magdalena’s door caused her head to spring up and her hiccups to cease. It was only then that she realized she had been crying. Magdalena had been crying.
What was going on with her? Had her monthlies started and she just hadn’t realized? Was there a reason she was acting completely unlike herself?
She cleared her throat and hoped that when she spoke it did not reveal her current state. Then, “Come in.” It was softer than she intended, but she could not help that. She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and shoved them in her lap. She sat on the cot awkwardly, with atrocious posture James would outwardly cringe at, and hoped the sunset would cause shadows to mask the red in her eyes.
She had never been in such a state before and, therefore, had never had to worry about presenting herself a certain way. James always stressed looking presentable even while sleeping. One never knew when a visitor in the night would surprise them, and it was important to always be prepared. Magdalena took that to heart and was always dressed in presentable clothes that were both comfortable and durable. They fit her body elegantly, but could adjust to quick movement and could not be used against her in battle. Now, she was left with Remy’s old clothes, which were just clothes Nick could no longer fit into.
Nick.
Blast that man.
The fool was drinking a potion from his ex-lover because he found himself in love with Remy. Love turned men into fools and women into slaves, and Magda wanted no part of it. Nick was no exception. How could he risk his life, his body, for a woman who might not love him back? Why would he do that? It made no sense to Magda.
Certainly you would do the same for James, a voice pointed out.
Magda could not deny it, but she made sure to point out that she was not in love with her captain, though her affection for him was deep. Familial, even. Nick did not have the same bond with Remy as she had with James. Yet he treated her as if they did.
Perhaps a big reason why Nick so easily crawled under Magda’s skin was the fact that she did not understand him. He was completely different than most of the men she knew. His skin was a dark tan from being out in the sun for too long, and his dark hair was getting too long and was constantly falling in his face. He would wear the same outfit every day until it smelled so bad even he knew it was time to change. Bathing was not something he did regularly, and he had dirt underneath his fingernails. He indulged in rum too often, his voice was loud, and his charm oozed out of him the way blood oozed out of the bugs that chanced making a home on Hook’s ship she had to smash with her bare hands.
She wished she could smash Nick and be done with him.
“Hey.”
Magdalena picked her head up, only to find the petite blonde woman from before walking into her room, a hesitant look on her face. Magda felt her insides squirm; she knew she deserved that look. It was not her fault Magda chose to be antisocial. It was just important to her to keep her distance and do her job. She had not been looking to make friends, and she still had no intention of the sort. However, she could still reach out and be a human being.
With that thought, Magda stood and extended her hand. It was an awkward movement; she did not possess the grace James seemed to be born with, and though he tried to engrain it in her, it did not appear she would ever be able to master it.
“I’m Magdalena Raybourn,” she said. “Thank you for your hospitality while I stay here on your ship.”
“Oh.” The blonde seemed surprised, and Magda did not blame her. However, she took Magda’s hand into her own and gave it a good shake. “My name is Giselle. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Magda felt herself blush with shame, but she forced herself to continue to keep her eyes focused on Giselle. She would not look away, even though she wanted to.
“I know Nick got heated,” Giselle said, dropping her hand to her side. “He tends to do that when he’s passionate about something.”
“Or someone,” Magda said before she could stop herself.
Giselle smirked. “So you noticed it, too?” she asked.
“I wasn’t here to notice what transpired between them,” Magda pointed out. “But I notice that sad look in his eyes when he thinks no one is watching him. I notice the way he stares at particular places on the ship as though he expects someone to be there. And he was willing to drink something in order to enter The Other World undetected so he can get her back. He does not have to tell me he’s in love with her. His actions have said enough.”
Magda paused and looked in front of her without really seeing anything. She knew the words that came out of her mouth were true, and yet
something did not sit well with her. However, she could not figure out if it was the words themselves, or something deeper, something she did not quite understand.
“Remy’s feisty,” Giselle said, not noticing Magda’s change in demeanor. “I think he likes that. She challenged him and pushed him and fought with him… but she didn’t understand him. And I don’t think he realizes that. Maybe he never will.”
“You don’t believe she’d be a good match for Nick?” Magda asked, furrowing her brow. She did not have much experience with love of her own choosing, but she was curious to learn more about it. And the fact that this woman before her seemed to have a good deal of experience – whether it be first hand or indirect – made Magda more compelled to it than she normally would have been.
“I am the last person to cast judgment on good matches and poor matches,” Giselle said, and Magda could tell she was choosing her words carefully. “However, I think certain matches are better than others, simply based on my observations. I’m not an expert. From the outside, my relationship with Calum is probably unconventional at best.”
“You and Calum are…?” Magda pushed her brows up, surprised. “He’s the tall one?”
“The physician,” Giselle said with a smile. “The one with the amazing blue eyes.”
“Ah,” Magda said, nodding her head. She knew exactly which male Giselle was referring to. He did have amazing eyes, Magda agreed.
“He’s gruff, I’m warm,” Giselle continued. “We’re polar opposites on many issues. But he makes me a better person. He says the wrong things and he doesn’t know how to say the things he wants to say without being offensive. But somehow, it works for me. I’m too nice for him, perhaps naïve. But it works for him. I push him to be a better version of himself. We work together, very well. Same for Adele and Joel.”
“Adele and Joel are together as well?” Magda asked, surprised. “No wonder Nick fancies himself in love with Remy.”
Giselle giggled, leaning her back against the door. Her right arm crossed her torso so her hand could cup her left arm. Her blue eyes looked out the small window, out to the water.
“You’re not as perceptive as I thought you were,” Giselle commented, her tone innocent.
However, despite Giselle’s pure intentions, Magda still could not help but take offense to that. “What makes you say that?” she asked. She hadn’t meant to sound aggressive, but her voice always turned rough when she was trying to control herself.
“I did not mean to upset you, Magdalena,” Giselle said, and her cheeks turned red. “What I meant is, you seem to only focus on what you think is important and ignore everything else. Clearly, Nick is important to you for some reason. I always see you stare at him – not because you find him attractive (although I do think you find him attractive) but because you’re taking him in. You’re memorizing his details in case something turns out to be useful. But your hyper-focus narrows in on one target and ignores everything else. You didn’t even know our names before this conversation, Magdalena. Don’t you think that’s a bit daft?”
“I suppose so,” Magdalena agreed. She sighed through her nose. Her gaze flickered out the window. “Do you believe in the magic?”
Giselle tilted her head to the side, and her hands – either consciously or unconsciously, Magda could not tell – began to braid her hair. Magda narrowed her eyes at the action, and something niggled her insides. She wished to learn how to braid her hair. She had never been taught by her guardians, and after she met up with James, never saw the point in learning when she could simply toss her hair into a bun or a ponytail. Now, however, she wished she knew how. It would give her hands something to do during times like these when pacing was too exhausting to think about.
“What do you mean?” Giselle asked. “Do I believe that the potion will do as Elizabeth says it will? I do not know. I’ve never encountered magic of this kind before. I, myself, did not even know fairies were real. However, I believe that there is a possibility of everything. My feeling, though, is that the user must believe it for it to be real. And if they believe it, then the chances of it working are much more than it would be if they did not believe it.” Giselle wrinkled her brow. “Am I making sense?”
“You are,” Magda said with a smile.
“Do you believe in the magic?” she asked. She stopped braiding her hair, and instead, chose to regard Magda with a curious look on her face.
“If I know it’s true, does that mean I still believe it?” Magda asked. She shook her head. “Your captain is the most frustrating man in this realm. Do you know that?”
“Of course, I do!” Giselle exclaimed with a laugh. “I’ve been with him for years. I knew him when all he wanted to do was look for treasure and whores and drink lots of rum in the sand under the sun. Basically everything but his duty. He has gotten better, and after Remy…” She let her voice trail off and shook her head. “He’s more focused than I’ve ever seen him. He’s determined to get her back.”
“Do you think he will?” Magda asked.
“I have no doubt. Nicholas Grey is the most stubborn man you will ever meet in your entire life, mark my words. If he wants Remy found, he will find her no matter what it takes. My only hope for him is that he doesn’t put all of his heart into this adventure.”
“You think she will break it,” Magda stated, and for some reason, Giselle’s words caused her heartbeat to quicken.
“Not intentionally,” Giselle made sure to say. “But I do not think she is placing much of her heart into anything down here when she’s still tied to her home and family on earth. I have Calum, Adele has Edward. Nick has no one. Not here, and not there. And I worry he’ll be blind to everything else but getting Remy back.” She paused. “He is much more attracted to the idea of her than who she actually is. To him, she represents completeness.”
“That’s absurd,” Magda said.
“Is it?” Giselle pushed her brow up. “Everyone wants someone, Magda. May I call you Magda? Nobody wants to be alone. There is a difference between independence and partnership. Do you really think you’ll be alone for the rest of your life? For the rest of forever?”
“But you cannot expect to be with someone for the rest of forever, either,” Magda said. “Monogamy is impossible.”
“That is something we’ll have to disagree on, Magda,” Giselle said. “I love Calum with the entirety of my soul. Sometimes, we get into the worst arguments. Sometimes, I feel this burning hatred for him. Sometimes, he makes me cry and hurts me and I think I can’t take anymore. He brings out the absolute worst in me, in a way no one else has done before. But then we take time to ourselves, we calm down, we breathe. And then he brings out the best in me. He pushes me, he makes me strong, and he’s the only person I want to be with in the entire realm. I love him. That’s what love is.” She caught herself, passion engulfing her grey eyes. “That is love. And I care for Nick. I care for Remy. But that is not what’s between them.”
“Yes, but you and Calum have had time,” Magda pointed out. “You share a history. Remy and Nick just met.”
“They’ve had a couple of months together,” Giselle corrected gently. “Relationships may not begin in the first couple of months of knowing someone, but if something is going to happen, it’s clear. It’s in the way they look at each other, the way the speak to each other, the way they touch each other.”
Magda let Giselle’s words sink in. She rubbed her lips together. Love was a whole new concept for her, but it was something she wanted to understand, piece by piece. Perhaps she did not have the experience it, but maybe she could observe and learn.
“I care about Nick,” Giselle continued, her voice low. “I want to protect him more than anything. I know, without a doubt, he’s making the wrong choice. But I have to support him. He’s my captain. Sometimes, you have to let people make poor decisions themselves.”
“But” –
“I know. But they don’t need to hear why they are wrong and what choice th
ey need to make in order to be right. What they need is our support. And when that decision comes back to haunt them, they need us to be there for them, without judgment. Because that is what partners do for each other. Whether we want to or not. Do you understand? I think you do, if you are going to be apart of this crew. Nick has made poor judgment after poor judgment. But I know, without a doubt, he will eventually learn to make the right one.”
“How are you so certain?” Magda asked.
“Because of you.” Her grey eyes were piercing and serious. “Because of how you treat him, and how he treats you in return. He may claim to have never felt the way he feels about Remy before, but he’s never treated anyone the way he treats you.”
Thirteen
The Magistrate did not like how things turned out with James Hook. If she was being completely honest, she might say she was worried. It was clear he knew of the girl and, perhaps, he had her in his possession already. If she was to get a better grip on her position as Magistrate over The Neverland, it was essential that she get the girl. Whoever had the girl had the souls, and even though her role commanded respect, it did not mean that respect was guaranteed.
The problem was, she could not do this alone. She needed reinforcements, and she needed to find an ally she could trust quickly. The only problem was, she did not think she could trust anybody. Everyone wanted something, and if she shared just what it was she was after, there was no guarantee that person might highjack her plan and make it theirs.
Currently, she was in a luxurious room in one of the many hotels the Bay of The Other World had to offer. It was on the highest floor – the seventh – and her room overlooked the ocean, giving her a beautiful view of the nearby dock and the horizon. Hook’s castle was just down the road, but it was so heavily guarded that she could not break in herself with some sort of repercussion. That much was revealed to her when her man came back with only one leg. Poetic, if James implemented the punishment.
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