The Neverland Trilogy Box Set

by Isadora Brown

  That was why he wanted Remy. He needed more souls at the same time. He needed to collect his army - but to fight for him. Rather, he needed the support, so when it was time, he would have it, and overthrowing The Magistrate would be easier than expected. Remy was the key to everything.

  And he had practically ruined it all when he kissed her.

  He had not meant to, of course. It was just something that had happened. She was frustrating by taking the life she had for granted. Because of her beating heart, she attracted souls with ease. Without even trying. The fact that she did not know just how valuable that made her infuriated him. Perhaps it was partly Nick's fault; his influence was strong and he hoped Magdalena would get away from it unscathed. However, his current focus was Remy and Remy alone. The fact that she wanted to defend herself to fight in battles was ridiculous. Not because she could not do it, but because she should not do it. Not when so much was at stake. Not when her life was as valuable as it was.

  The problem with girls like Remy was they grew up with the privilege to do whatever they wished whenever they wished it. Should they wish to buy a dress, should they wish to take up sailing, should they wish to take a stroll, they could do what they pleased and they did not have to explain themselves. No one said no. They were spoiled children who ran around believing they deserved what they had and more. James had seen plenty of those types of people - because it was not just the girls - and he wanted nothing more than to rip that fantasy away from them and force them into a life of work. It was the worst type of punishment.

  But Remy was different. She was spoiled but not snotty, entitled but sweet. He wanted her to experience the reality of life that most people found themselves in but he wanted to be nice about it. And James was never one to go out of his way to be nice.

  If the ship was a threat, he needed Remy safely secure. It was why he had sent her to collect Magda's clothing and bring it in his room. He did not trust her by herself any longer, not when there were too many people who knew what she was, what she could do. Not after what happened in the library of his own home. He still did not know if Pam was responsible for assigning Pan as dock master, filling in for Magdalena after he sent her to Nick. However, the fact that she could be a suspect caused him to lose his trust in her, so he kept a close watch on her, especially since she would have dealings with Remy on a constant basis.

  However, Pam had done exactly as he asked her by bringing the clothes to his room and sorting it out in various trunks he had that he could not figure out what to do with anyway. He had not explained to Pam why he had her complete the task and she had not asked him, which he appreciated.

  Pam was one of the few souls who sought him out after her death. She was unhappy, that was easy to decipher though she refused to tell him or anyone else what happened to her. All he knew was that she had been alive here, until she died. It was the only reason why he took her in and gave her such a prestigious position. He wanted to learn more about her, about how she got here and how she died. She kept to herself, however. There were times when she completely disappeared but he never really thought too much about it until now. Where had she gone to? What had she been up to? She had never even caught his attention and now he worried that he underestimated her, that perhaps he had spoken of important things in front of her without thinking twice. He hated that feeling. The doubt, the second-guessing, that blow to his confidence.

  He pressed his lips together and looked away, toward the looming ship. A storm would hit soon, probably around the time that the ship would arrive. If he decided not to outrun it. The problem was, James Hook did not run away. His pride would not let him. Even though he had Remy and a place he needed to get to so he could be safe for the time being as he set his plan into motion, he refused to let himself be swept in by fear or anything similar.

  As such, he kept his eye on the ship and decided to wait it out.

  "Pam!" he called once he noticed the girl emerge he from his room. She had just moved one set of Magdalena's clothes into his quarters and was probably going to get the next group. Magda might not be a fan of dresses but she certainly had a generous wardrobe. His heart panted at the thought of Magda and he realized he missed her. Once all of this was over and he was certain Nicholas Grey would not try anything to stop him, she could come back. It was not the same without her.

  Pam stopped what she was doing and walked over to him. Even though she had been with him for a good deal of time, there was still that spark of intimidation so vivid in her dark eyes. He could not help but smirk internally at this. It caused his sense of pride to swell - even after all of this time, even though Pam had seen him during vulnerable times, he was still able to scare her just a bit.

  "Yes?" she asked, keeping her eyes down as a sign of respect.

  "Go lock Remy in her room," he instructed, "but do not tell her. Do you understand?"

  Pam nodded and disappeared. He watched as Pam reached Remy's door and locked her inside. He did not hear pounding on the door or screeching or his name being called just yet, which meant Pam had the stealth he required from her. She caught eyes with him and he nodded once, giving her his approval. From there, she disappeared belowdeck, none the wiser.

  James turned his attention back to the horizon. His men were getting ready. He was always ready. Remy was safe. Now all that was left was to wait.

  It should not have surprised James that Peter Pan had his own ship with his own crew in a uniform he was fairly certain The Magistrate designed herself. James almost laughed, looking up at Pan in a horrifying green outfit. He looked like a sprite, if James was being honest. Like a child playing dress up so he could act out a fantastical story brought to him by his imagination. His hair was combed just so, everything was in place. He looked like a ridiculous, overtly clean boy. And James had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. Because, as ridiculous as Pan was, he was still dangerous, cunning, and sneaky. James did not trust him whatsoever. If Pan was around, James chose to sleep with his eyes open.

  “So here we are,” Peter said, deciding to speak first.

  James was not surprised in the slightest. Peter was too arrogant for his own good. It was his one downfall – well, he had many downfalls, but this was the one that mattered. This was the one that would consume him to the point of no return. James just needed to figure out how to exploit that.

  “Here we are,” James agreed. “I like your outfit. It brings out the dead in your eyes.”

  Peter narrowed his dark eyes, but his face remained light. “Yes, well, I like your hook,” he said. “Have you scratched your face with it yet? Shall I invest in an eye patch for you?” His smirk returned and he chuckled at his joke. “That was the best thing I’ve ever done, you know. Chopping your hand off that fateful day. Do you remember?” He laughed again. James remained silent. “Of course, you do. How could you forget, when you have a constant reminder in your face every day? Think about the beauty of it for a moment: the big, bad Viking will never be whole again. He will never touch a woman the same way. Never make love. Would anyone want to have you? Not the whores, of course. They’ll take anything as long as it has silver. But a real and true woman?”

  “If you ask your mother, I’m sure she would be happy to tell you all about it,” James said, and though his tone was dark, his eyes were light. How the tables had turned. “Oh, wait, you cannot. You don’t know who your mother is. You don’t have any family. And it’s rich, coming from you, talking about sex, when you’ll never experience the pleasure of making love to a woman as a man. You’re forever a boy. That is worst than anything I will have to endure.”

  Pan’s reaction was immediate. His jaw popped, his eyes narrowed once more, his brow furrowed so deeply it nearly covered his eyes.

  “It’s too bad we cannot get along,” Pan said, having a difficult time controlling himself and his voice. James delighted in its shakiness. It was like music to his ears. “We would have made a formidable team.”

  “We wou
ld not,” James disagreed. “I tried that, if you remember. We made a deal, you and I. But you betrayed me for your own gain. You have no code. You have no honor. The only reason the men follow you is because The Magistrate makes them. They do not respect you. No one does. You are useless, worthless. A waste of life. A waste of death. Why are you here, Pan? Why waste my time?”

  “I am here,” Pan said slowly, enunciating every word, “to kill you and everyone aboard your ship.”

  Twenty-Two

  Magdalena would never admit it out loud, but she was taken by surprise how quickly the ship caught up to the dingy sailboat she and Nick were on. It had been three days, and currently, they were in the brig of a ship known only as The Punisher. They had not yet met the captain of the ship, and despite Nick’s attempts at parleying a meeting with him or her, his requests went on deaf ears. They would not even tell them the name of this mystery captain, and quite frankly, Magdalena was frustrated as a result.

  Perhaps she was a tad frustrated with Nick as well, and even herself. They surrendered so fast it was embarrassing. She knew they did not stand a chance against the ship, especially since it flew black colors – a white skull with red eyes. The red symbolized no quarter, so if they were daft enough to engage in a battle, they would fight to the death, and death for Nick and Magda would come soon. It would be pitiful, and perhaps be referred to as a suicide rather than a noteworthy physical engagement.

  Immediately, they were taken into custody by men wearing uniforms, despite the piratical flag they flew. Magda was not familiar with it, but she could have sworn she saw a flash of recognition in Nick’s eyes the instant he saw them, but he kept his mouth shut and would speak no more about it, not even when the two were alone together, sharing the same cell. Why they did not separate her and Nick, Magda did not know, but she refused to question them lest she give them any unnecessary ideas.

  “What’s the plan?” Magda had asked that first evening after the pirates gave them supper that consisted of stale bread and grog. She forced herself to eat everything, despite the fact that she was not hungry and the food was shite. She needed her strength, and she wasn’t going to get that, moping around due to her current predicament. They needed a plan. They needed to get out of here.

  Nick cast her a surprisingly dark look, and Magda had to force herself not to recoil at the sight of it.

  “I’m done coming up with plans for now,” he said, his tone nearly as cutting as the look on his face. “I’d like some solitude, if you don’t mind.”

  “We don’t have time for solitude,” Magda replied. “Why are you being so snippy with me, anyway?”

  Nick clenched his jaw but said nothing. He looked away from her, and instead, focused them on the wall next to him. There were no windows down here, which meant there was no light seeping in. She knew they were belowdeck, but she had no idea what time of day it was, or even the day itself.

  Magda bit her lip to keep the growl of frustration lodged in her throat. She knew why he was acting like a petulant child. How could she not? She had been acting the same way before Pan came upon them, only she had done so in silence. Her fingers gripped the bars so tight her peachy color turned white. She needed to keep her cool if they were going to get out of there. And, as much as she wanted to, she could not do it alone.

  "We should talk about," she said. Her whole body resisted the notion of confronting the kids head on, but it needed to be done if they were ever going to move forward. She did not want him to treat her this way - for whatever reason. Magda did not like to admit it, even to herself, but she did not want to ruin their friendship over a kiss that meant nothing.

  Except it meant everything to her.

  "I do not think that is a good idea," Nick said in a dark tone. His voice was low again, which meant it was not loud or obnoxious. His eyes were still in front of him and not in her, which frustrated her more than anything.

  "You could at least look at me when you speak to me," she growled, although she had not meant to sound so aggressive. However, with his attitude being what it was, she did not have it in her to reach out and apologize for her role. Instead, she met Nick's glare with one of her own, and she realized nothing was going to get resolved if they carried in that way.

  As such, Magda knew she would have to be the bigger person. As much as her body resisted the notion of giving in first, of being weak and accommodating to someone she did not believe deserved it, she forced herself to lower its weapons and soften its defenses.

  "We need to get past whatever is between us if we are going to escape," Magda said, and though her tone came out strained, tightly controlled, she made a point to have it come out gentle as well.

  "There is nothing between us," Nick said, his voice taut, cold. Indifferent. That was probably the worst part about it. It genuinely did not sound as if he cared. As if he felt nothing in the kiss when she had felt everything.

  "Nick" -

  "You've ruined everything, Magdalena," Nick said, and finally shot his eyes over to her, and they pierced her heart as painfully as a bullet might have. "Do you not understand that?"

  "I do not," she said, and her face got hot, the first indication that tears were on the way, but she blinked fast and hard. She needed to make them disappear. She wished she could disappear. "I do not understand why you are upset with me, why you're snapping at me. You kissed me back. And perhaps you don't want to admit it to me or yourself or anybody else, but you kissed me back. You kissed me back."

  Magdalena remembered it now, now that she was speaking about it, the picture of them flashed in her mind so vividly she thought she could reach out and touch them.

  The way she gripped his face. The way he held onto her waist. The way the front of their bodies crushed together as though they were two pieces of a separate puzzle that came together and somehow fit. No air escaped them; their bodies were too tightly wound, too tightly positioned, that nothing and no one could force them apart.

  "You kissed me back," Magda said again, her face heating up at reliving the kiss, but delighted by it all the same. The memory gave her strength, and that strength gave her confidence. "You kissed me back."

  "Of course, I kissed you back," Nick said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How could I not kiss you back? Have you seen the way you look, Magda? Have you been around yourself before? You're beautiful. You remind me of that time just before sunset where the sky is still gold and the sun is still bright, just before it descends in the west. You have this power over me to make me watch you, even when I shouldn't, even when I don't want to. But I can help it because you're captivating and I simply can't take my eyes off of you. I can't! And the way you are - did you know conversing with you is like dancing? You take one step, I take one step, and you know where you're going and I know where I'm going but we're going to get there together because I trust you to do your part and you trust me to do mine. You're my partner. I've never had that with a woman before, do you understand? I don't think you understand. I've always been the one to take charge, to take care of everything and everyone else. But I don't have to do that with you because I know you'll take care of yourself. And that trust scares me. It scares the shit out of me."

  Magda blinked back tears because she was feeling everything and nothing at the same time. She didn't know what to feel, to be honest.

  "I still," she finally managed to say, "I still don't understand how my kiss ruined everything."

  “It does not matter,” Nick said, running his fingers through his hair. “What’s done is done and there’s no going back.”

  “So you’re just going to let us sit here and rot until whomever it is that’s captaining this ship decides to pay us a visit, and it’s hard for me to believe that it will be the jolly good friendly kind,” Magda said. She knew it did not help that her voice was laced with sarcasm, but she could not help it and did not want to. Nick was being pouty, and she understood up to a point. However, now was the worst time to go about feel
ing sorry for himself. They needed to get out. Or, at the very least, figure out who had taken them and why.

  “I’d like to see you come up with something,” Nick growled, turning to her. “Everyone wants me to do everything for them! Ferry souls, help transition the crew so they can learn their own lesson, save their lives, not save their lives, take them back to earth, pull them from earth and bring them here. Well, it’s my bloody turn to get what I want, you hear me? You come up with a plan and we’ll see how easy it is for you to figure it out.”

  “It’s part of being captain, is it not?” Magda asked, tilting her head to the side. “You asked for these responsibilities when you decided to don the captain hat. I don’t want to be captain. It’s not my job to save my crew.”

  “You are not my crew,” Nick snapped.

  “Then what am I?” Magda asked. She had not realized how close Nick had gotten until she had to crane her neck back in order to look him in the eyes. “To you, I mean. What am I to you? Because to me, you are the most infuriating person I have ever met. You’re dirty, you eat like a horse, your hair is unruly, you can’t seem to speak properly, you have gold teeth that I’d like to chuck out into the sea, and I absolutely abhor when you call me Tinker Bell.” She paused, catching her breath. “There are times I absolutely think I hate you. But then you go and do something like smile or you tell me a little bit about yourself that I know you’ve never told me before. You treat me like your equal, and I’ve never had that before. Not even with James. You make me love you when it’s the last thing I want, and that, in turn, makes me hate you. To me, you’re a frustration I’d rather not deal with. But you’re also the first man I’ve ever loved. And I’m sorry that that’s caused a rift between us, because your friendship means a lot to me, even though I never indicated as such.”