The Untold Stories of Neverland: The Complete Box Set

by K. R. Thompson

  She gazed at it for one long moment, wondering who the tiny being had been, where she had come from, if she had been missed, and what her name had been. Then, she closed her eyes and blew softly across her palm.

  The air glittered gold, then a breeze brushed past Nerida and carried the sparkling dust away, further into the forest. She waited until the last sparkle of gold left her sight, then turned her attention back to the seashell in her hand. She squeezed the two open edges back together, but it popped back open, unwilling to shut again. It was broken. Tears filled her eyes as she pulled the strand back over her head. At least she could still wear it, even if it wouldn’t hold something special again. Rubbing a hand against her eyes, Nerida stood up and turned to head back to the sea.

  “You could come with me,” a familiar voice said, catching her off-guard. “We could have an adventure. It would be so much fun, don’t you agree?”

  Her heart threatening to hammer out of her chest, Nerida placed one hand over it, and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Another voice answered the first, proof she hadn’t been seen. This voice was quieter, more feminine, and she couldn’t make out many of the words.

  “We could do all sorts of things. I could teach you how to fly,” the last word told Nerida exactly who the first voice belonged to.

  But who was Peter talking to? Curiosity piqued, Nerida carefully took a few more steps and peered through the thick branches of a nearby bush.

  The first thing she saw was the young girl with dark, tanned skin. She was small, no bigger than the two boys of Peter’s troupe that Nerida had met on the beach before. The girl’s face was turned upward, a happy smile on her face as she watched something above her. The fringe on her dress fluttered softly in the wind, reminding Nerida of the woman she had seen on the ship and those she’d seen leaving on the boats. This girl had to be one of the ones that had left the ship. Apparently, it hadn’t taken Peter long to discover the newest inhabitants of Neverland.

  Nerida followed the girl’s gaze and found Peter flying a short distance above her, demonstrating a small flip in the air. “It’s easy to fly, see? But none of my troupe can do it. None of their happy thoughts are happy enough, it seems. You’re different, though. I think it might work with you.”

  The girl shook her head, then dropped her eyes to the bundle of sticks in her arms. “I can’t come with you, Peter. They sent me to gather wood. If I don’t bring it back, my people will come looking for me.”

  Peter’s bottom lip jutted out in a scowl. The pout only lasted a second, then it left and he gave the girl a bright smile. “That’s all right, I have some things I need to do anyway. Maybe next time, Tiger Lily?” He dropped down and landed softly in front of her.

  The girl returned his smile, a deep blush coloring her cheeks. “Yes, maybe next time I will come with you,” she paused, then added, “but my name isn’t Tiger Lily.”

  “Oh yes it is,” Peter said with a quick nod. “You see, I name all of my Neverlings and you will be my Tiger Lily. I think it’s quite fitting.”

  Nerida backed slowly away from the bush and the strange conversation. At any second, Peter could decide to leave the girl to her work and discover her eavesdropping. If there was one human who didn’t need to know a mermaid was walking about on land, it was Peter. She didn’t know why, but something told her he would gladly tell Thespa if he found out.

  Once she was out of the shadow of the forest, she ran across the hot sand and jumped back into the sea, her tail returning the instant the water rushed over her toes.

  Thousands of bubbles spiraled toward the surface and the instant they cleared, Nerida stared into the wide green eyes of Cassius’ sister.

  “You’ve broken Thespa’s rule,” Annalise managed in a shocked voice.

  “Yes, but you must not tell anyone!” Nerida begged. Thoughts began zipping around in her head. If Cassius found out what she had done, he would come after her.

  My only promise is to kill the one who finds me next, the man in the cavern’s voice reminded her. An idea came to her.

  “You’re right, Annalise,” she said, hanging her head in shame. “I’ve broken the rule and Cassius should be told. I’d like to show him why I did it, though. There is a cavern here, the opening is just below us. Could you go and tell him to meet me here?”

  “I was going to promise not to tell anyone,” Annalise said, shaking her head in disbelief. “You know he’ll punish you, right? I don’t know what he’ll do to you, but it won’t be good. My brother has a terrible temper.”

  “I know. But please just go and tell him what I told you.”

  Annalise frowned, but answered with a small nod before leaving to swim toward the castle, her long red hair streaming behind her.

  Nerida’s heart raced as she made her way to the cavern. It was a strange plan, but if it worked, then everything would change and she wouldn’t have to worry about Cassius’ temper ever again.

  SHE THOUGHT OF waiting for Cassius to arrive and go into the cavern first, but then decided against it. If he found her outside, waiting, he might be suspicious and not go inside. Besides, she still had a few moments and she wanted to check on the human. She took a breath, and went in, carefully keeping her head just below the surface as she looked around. Finding nothing, she swam into the shallows and slowly lifted her head out of the water.

  The cavern was empty.

  Where was he—the pirate named Black Caesar? There was no sign of him. The only promise I make is to kill the one who finds me next. His words echoed again in her head. He’d traced a finger across his own throat, a gleam of some dark satisfaction appearing in his eyes with the gesture. He hadn’t seemed at all worried to take the life of another. If anything, he seemed to have been looking forward to it.

  A small mound of sand piled near one wall at the back of the cavern caught her eye. She was certain that hadn’t been there before and it was too far away to get a good look at it. Maybe there was a hollow place behind it and he was lying in wait.

  There was only one way to find out.

  Hoping the man was still in the cavern, she pulled herself free of the water and felt the immediate stabs of searing, hot pain as she stood on her feet again, followed by the cool brush of air whisking against her body as the scales left her belly and chest.

  She ran toward the back of the cavern. Cassius could appear at any second.

  Please be here, she wished as she reached the small mound.

  But he wasn’t.

  Her eyes traced the footprints scattered on the sandy knoll. They began where she stood and disappeared on the opposite side, where a very small niche in the rock began.

  Now, she realized why he’d decided not to help her. As he watched Peter at the top of the cavern, he’d discovered a way of escape. After she’d gone, the man had built the sand up in order to find a way to climb the wall. Smears of blood showed dark against the stone, evidence that his ascent hadn’t been any easy one, but the streaks at the top and the lack of a body at the bottom proved he had made it out alive.

  “Now who will help me?” she murmured.

  “Who indeed,” a dark voice sneered from behind her.

  Nerida’s heart dropped, then rose back up and threatened to hammer its way out of her chest as she turned.

  Cassius was as far out of the sea as she had ever seen him. But unlike her, he stayed in just enough to maintain his form, thrusting his staff into the sand to keep the tide from pulling him back into deeper water.

  “There is little I’ve asked of you,” he told her, his voice as cold as ice. “Only two things really—marry me and keep Thespa’s one rule of staying below the island. I can see with my own eyes you’ve broken the rule and something tells me you haven’t changed your mind about being my bride.”

  Nerida didn’t bother answering. While his words seemed calm, if cold, the muscles in his jaw were tight and those that ran along his neck were corded and tense. That tight tension traveled along his shoulder, all th
e way to his whitened knuckles, clenching the trident—the one thing giving him power over her.

  Perhaps, she could still find a way out of this. If only she could get close enough to the trident…

  “I’ve been thinking,” she began softly, slowly walking toward him. “Perhaps marriage to you is exactly what I need.”

  The pain in her legs was excruciating now. Each slow step felt as if a thousand sharp knives were slashing at her flesh, but she didn’t hurry. She would rather sit on the beach, forever human, than continue walking toward him.

  This isn’t only about you, she reminded herself. The fate of everyone below rests on me.

  She was at the edge of the surf now, inches away from him. As she looked down at him, his eyes narrowed. She was stunned as the tide ebbed, he pulled himself out of the water, and stepped toward her.

  If he felt any of the pain from changing, his face didn’t show it. He stood inches higher than her and she realized the reason for him changing to a human form—it was the only way he could still look down on her.

  Inside, she was seething with anger, but she managed to bottle it up and turned her face up, giving him a sweet smile. She reached out a finger and traced it down his jaw.

  “You were saying something about what you need,” he said gruffly.

  “Yes, the kingdoms must unite. We must rule as one,” she answered him demurely, her finger continuing its trek down his neck to his shoulder. If I can only get the staff from him…

  As her fingers brushed the hand holding the trident, Cassius took a step closer, closing the gap between them. He reached up and gripped her face with his free hand. He studied it for a minute, then a sinister smile twisted his lips.

  “I don’t believe you, Nerida. You see, the truth always shines in your eyes, whether you wish it to or not. You are right about one thing, though. You do need something.” In one massive thrust, he flung her backward. “You need to remember the power I hold. I believe I’ll leave you here awhile. Perhaps with time, you’ll change your mind. Besides, you seem to care more for the humans than you do your own people—so human you shall be.”

  He lowered the tips of the trident toward her and a bright silver light struck the ground around her. Hard rock rose from the sand in long, thin bars and crossed over her head, trapping her within.

  “I’ll come back once I think you’ve had enough time to remember your place in this world,” he smirked. He turned and walked back into the sea, leaving her imprisoned—and alone.

  The solid cage was unmovable. For the first moments after he left, Nerida spent every bit of energy she could muster to shove against the rock, but the only things she managed to get were bruises from the stone and scrapes on her back from the coarse sand. There wasn’t enough room to do anything but lie there, so that is what she did, her fury growing with every second.

  First, she screamed out of anger, then she screamed in hopes of being heard. Once, she thought she spotted the dark green of Peter’s shirt as he flew over the opening of the cavern, but if he’d heard her, he made no move to see what she wanted.

  Anger was now replaced with fear. What if Cassius had left her here to die?

  THE SUN SET twice before the dolphins found her and even then, she was sure they had happened upon her by accident. Her voice had long disappeared after the first day from bouts of screaming and crying.

  She hadn’t made any movements to attract them either, which made the dolphins’ appearance even stranger. Her skin had gone brittle and was sloughing off in long strips like a water snake shedding its skin. What bits that remained were pebbled up in blistering welts. Any movement whatsoever made her wish death would come for her soon.

  The first splash from the dolphins’ tails stung as it met her raw flesh. She gasped and the second splash netted her a glorious mouthful of water and managed to completely drench her. Instantly, her body cooled and she felt life begin to seep back into her.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. Her voice sounded as rough and hard as the rock surrounding her, but she didn’t care.

  The two dolphins stopped long enough to click their reply to her, then resumed their splashing until her legs and feet disappeared and her tail returned. The pain subsided.

  They continued to soak her with splashes until she sat in a small puddle. It was just enough water to keep her as a mermaid. She sighed in relief as her body stopped dying and began to heal.

  Taking a break from their rescue efforts, the dolphins turned around and watched, happily clicking and bobbing in the water, obviously pleased with their work.

  “Please don’t leave me,” Nerida begged them. “Please stay.”

  She wouldn’t make it without them, she realized. Who knew when Cassius would come back or even if he would return. It seemed likely at this point he really had left her here to die. Annalise was the only other one to know about this cavern, and she had already made it clear that she would never defy her brother.

  None of her people would venture this far to see what had become of her, and none of the ones on the island would come to her aid—at least—none that she knew of. Peter wasn’t interested in what was happening down here and the man she had left in this cavern had escaped and had no intention of returning.

  So that left her with these two beautiful dolphins, who still sent her a splash every few moments, as if they completely understood her plight.

  The tide swept in and a sudden silver flash caught her attention. There, at the water’s edge, stood a water sprite, looking at her with a thoughtful expression.

  She doesn’t look at all surprised to see a caged mermaid, Nerida thought. And she didn’t look really look angry either, considering the blatant disobedience of Thespa’s rule.

  “Could you help me?” Nerida asked. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And at this point, I have nothing to lose.

  The sprite crossed her arms and scowled at her. “If you stayed below, you wouldn’t need help. Besides,” she chimed, then paused to nod toward the dolphins. “Thespa sent them to find you. I’m just making sure they did as they were told.”

  “She knew Cassius did this to me?”

  “Thespa knows everything that happens within the Never Sea, especially when the trident is used,” the sprite replied airily, then she frowned and kicked idly at the foaming surf beneath her feet as if she wasn’t happy about something.

  “She’s gone to tell him he must use his power wisely, or else she’ll take it from him.” The frown on the sprite’s face deepened as she muttered in a voice so low Nerida barely heard her. “She chose poorly, whether she wants to admit it or not. That merman is one she never should have bargained with. The only one he believes in is himself. He’ll be the death of us all.”

  The skin around Nerida’s mouth ached as her lips stretched into a wry smile. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one who held the same opinion of the new sea king.

  “Please, could you free me?” she tried again.

  “No, I can’t help what doesn’t touch the Never Sea.” The sprite shook her head. “You shouldn’t have left it. I can’t help you.” And without so much as a goodbye, the grumpy water sprite flew back into the water and disappeared.

  At least the dolphins stayed, Nerida thought, as they splashed at her again. And Thespa knows I’m here. Not all is lost. There’s still hope.

  SHE’D FALLEN ASLEEP some time afterward and was awakened by the sense of someone watching her. Without thinking, she jumped, which resulted in smacking her forehead against the rock bars above her.

  Gritting her teeth, she rubbed the back of her hand over her head and twisted so that she could see who was there.

  She expected to see Cassius come to free her, or perhaps even Thespa. Instead, a surprise met her eyes.

  “Callie, what are you doing here?” she asked, scrambling to reach her hand through the bars.

  Her sister let the tide carry her as far on the shore as she could, while keeping enough of her body in the water that she would
n’t change. She reached toward Nerida and grasped her hand tightly in her own.

  “I had to come and tell you that it’s going to be okay now,” Callie said with a smile. While her words said one thing, her blue eyes told Nerida something entirely different. A deep sadness lingered there, as if something had occurred that had forever changed her.

  “Callie, what’s happened?”

  The grip on her fingers tightened, but Callie’s voice didn’t change. The same forced cheerfulness was ever-present. “Cassius is coming tomorrow to free you.”

  “Thespa must have told him to release me. I bet he loved that,” Nerida replied, rolling her eyes.

  “I haven’t seen anything of Thespa. Why would she care what he does?” Callie said, her eyes narrowing just a little, as if she was worried maybe Nerida wasn’t thinking straight. She shook her head then, as if to put her own mind back on task, and took a deep breath. “In exchange for uniting the kingdoms, you’ll go free, Nerida.”

  “I’m not marrying him.”

  Callie’s voice was a hushed whisper, so quiet that Nerida thought maybe she’d imagined her say, “I know you aren’t—I am.”

  “No, Callie, you can’t! He’s a monster. You can’t marry him!” Nerida begged, gripping her hand with every ounce of strength she had left. “Please promise me you won’t. It isn’t worth it. We’ll find another way.”

  “There isn’t any other way.” Callie shook her head sadly. “You can’t stay here, Nerida. You’ll die. I was so afraid that you might have already died. If Annalise hadn’t told me where you were, I’d never have found you. I can’t lose you, Nerida. You’re the only family I have left.” Tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. “This is something I have to do. This is what will protect us all.”

  She turned loose of her hand and slid back into the sea, while Nerida kept begging her not to go, pleading for her to change her mind.

  “You’ve always taken care of me. Now, I can do something for you,” Callie smiled. “I love you, Nerida.”