She turned around and sat on the sand as she placed the flower behind her ear. The bright yellow petals stood out in contrast against her dark, wet hair. “Do you mind if I share this place with you for a while? It’s the warmest I’ve ever been.”
Jack smiled. “No. No, I don’t mind at all. Can I ask you what your name is?”
“Lorelei, but you can just call me Lori. If anyone asks, I’ve never met a human before and I’ve certainly never sat with one on a warm beach.”
He nodded. “Well, Lori, my name is Jack. And your secret is safe with me.”
NIGHTFALL WAS NEARING when he rowed back toward the ship. Time had slipped past him as he sat on the shore with Lorelei. Hours had gone by and he hadn’t even noticed. It was the first time since he’d been in Neverland that he hadn’t been trying to think of ways to leave. It was the first day he had enjoyed being here. The thought startled him enough that he quit rowing for a moment.
It was because of her, he realized. They’d talked for the entire day. She told him of her life below the sea, while he told her of his life above it. He’d listened as she told him of her family—of her father who had disappeared when she was young—and of her mother who feared everything because of it. He’d learned she was the cousin to the sea prince, Odin, who was, in turn, related to Nerida, the sea witch.
In turn, he’d told her about his life as a Neverling—and his life now as a pirate. What he hadn’t told her was that every spare moment until this day had been filled with thoughts of trying to find a way to leave. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to tell her, it was simply that he hadn’t thought about it.
Once the boat bumped against the Roger, he called out and promptly was rewarded with two ropes. He fixed one to the rowboat and found that he had one extra. He looked up and saw Beckett’s face peering down from the rail.
“Best ye climb on up, lad, and be quick. The cap’n has been waitin’ for ye. He not be in the best of notions as ye’ve been gone all day long. The lads will take care of the boat.”
With a grimace, Jack took hold of the rope and began his climb up, the joy of the day spent with Lorelei immediately quelled with the thoughts of spending the evening with Hook. No doubt the captain wasn’t happy that Patch and Beetles hadn’t grown according to plan, then Peter Pan had shown up, and who knows what else had happened in his absence.
I suppose I’ll be finding out. Once at the top, he crawled over the railing, and made his way to the captain’s quarters.
He gave a quick knock to the door and held his breath, praying that it would go unanswered.
“Come in.”
The door pushed open soundlessly and Jack’s spirits lifted minutely when he realized that there was more than the customary single candle lit on the table. This time there were two. Maybe he wasn’t quite in as much trouble as he’d thought.
One look at Hook’s face changed his mind. That extra candle, Jack decided, had been lit to make sure he knew precisely how displeased his captain truly was.
“Where have you been, Pritchard?” The question seemed lethal, as if an incorrect answer would surely seal his fate.
Inspiration struck. “I was searching for Pan’s hideout,” he lied.
Hook’s eyes narrowed to slits.
He doesn’t believe me… A quick memory of the thin cut that had ran down Murphy’s face flashed in Jack’s mind. Unable to help himself, he took a step back.
“And did you find said hideout?” the captain’s voice was quiet and calm…too calm.
“No, but I did find out from the two Neverlings that Pan has ordered his men to build a house for the girl he brought to Neverland today.”
Hook leaned forward in his seat, the cold, calculating look leaving his eyes as the flame in the candle danced and flickered. “The girl he left today to protect…”
“Yes.” But he only protected her because I told him to.
“He’s never protected any of the others,” the captain mused, sitting back in his chair, his hook tapping thoughtfully against the table.
“No, sir. He hasn’t.” And I should know.
“’Twould be irony that a girl should be his undoing,” Hook said, more to himself than to Jack.
At least, that was how Jack took it, so he didn’t say anything at all. Everyone knew not to mention the woman the captain had loved and lost. Not even her name was whispered on the ship for fear of being heard.
“It’s settled.” Hook slammed his hand on the table so hard and fast that Jack jumped. “Tomorrow at first light, every man able will leave to search for the girl. Surely she will be easier to find than Pan. Once we have her, he’ll come to get her.”
Not likely, Jack thought, but he nodded his agreement anyway. There was a gleam in the captain’s eyes that wasn’t quite right. I’m not going to be the one to tell him that Pan cares for no one but himself.
“Shall I give Beckett your orders, sir?” he asked.
But the captain was already busy spreading maps out on the table. Jack quietly left the room and shut the door behind him. He let out a deep breath as he listened to the muttering behind the door as Hook planned their next searches.
Beckett soon appeared. “Thought I’d best check on ye, lad. ’Twasn’t too sure what he’d do.”
“He wants to start looking for the girl Pan brought tomorrow,” Jack relayed.
Beckett’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “A better plan be to go hunt for game tomorrow instead of kidnapping a little girl dressed in her nightclothes.”
Surprised, Jack looked at the man. No one ever dared to contradict the captain. To do so would break the pirate code—to do so spelled mutiny.
Seeming to realize what he’d said, Beckett shook his head. “Come first light, we’ll hunt for the girl,” he said as he stalked back up the steps.
Jack waited until Beckett was out of sight before making his way toward the surgery to borrow a needle from Smee. No time like the present to do a bit of sewing. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? His thoughts were wry as he instinctively reached to pat the bottom of his shirt. He froze in mid-step when his hand brushed against the loose threads. Frantic, he patted every inch of his shirt before he tore it over his head and shook it.
It had to be here! It has to! It’s all I have left of her! A memory of his mother’s face flashed in front of him, her smile as she placed the necklace over his head on that last night. “So long as you have this, you’ll always be safe,” she’d promised. “Keep it near you always.” Now it was gone, as was she. Both lost to him forever.
Tears welling in his eyes, he crumpled to the floor, his empty shirt in his hands, the sounds of the captain still muttering in the room behind him. This day had been his best day on Neverland—and it had quickly turned into his worst.
LORELEI WAITED UNTIL Jack got into his boat and began rowing back toward the ship before jumping into the Never Sea. She fought the urge to shiver as the chilly water swept over her skin. Even though she’d stayed a safe distance in the surf to keep her tail whole, the cold that brushed over her head and arms was startling. Deciding to ignore it, she swam far enough under the surface that no one would above would see her, and followed Jack as he made his way back.
She hadn’t meant to spend so much time on the shore, but had found herself enchanted with this human. He’d listened to her as she talked, truly listened. No one else, save Odin, had ever done for her before. To the rest of the merpeople she was seen as the daughter of Annalise, the poor mermaid who had been a bit…off…when her husband disappeared. As her mother rambled about the danger of the surface, the others would pass by, some shaking their heads. They looked at Lorelei with pity and nothing much else. They surely didn’t listen to anything she had to say. They didn’t care. But Jack had listened. His eyes had stayed locked on her face as she told him about life in the sea. While sympathy had showed on his face from time to time, there had never been any pity. Occasionally wonder and intrigue, certainly empathy, but never pity.
She found herself not wanting the day to end—but at the same time, didn’t want him to see that she was still watching him, still close. As the small boat neared the ship, she swam up a bit closer, hoping to catch another glimpse of him. Another pirate called out from above and she spotted ropes being thrown down before they splashed in the water. Jack appeared as he took hold of one and climbed up.
Something fell from his shirt and dropped into the sea. It sluiced through the water like a thin golden fish. She rushed forward and caught it before it slipped into the darkness. The thin metal chain still felt warm, as if it held some of the heat from being near Jack’s body. She spread it out on her palm and ran her finger over the small, smooth golden disc. She’d heard of humans who greatly admired such things. Her people told stories of finding sunken ships that held chests of golden treasures in the old ocean. She held the small disc up to take a better look at it. It was well worn, with a picture of what looked like a star with four points on it. She flipped it over. The other side was rough where someone had etched markings on it, as if they wished to claim it as their own.
Lorelei looked back up, but Jack was now out of sight. This small treasure must have been important to him, she decided, looping the chain over her head. The small disc bobbed in the current. I’ll keep it safe for him until he comes back to the island.
Though he hadn’t said as much when he left, she was sure he would come back to the perfect place where the water met the sand, and when he did, she would be there waiting for him.
But until then, she had to go home and check on her mother. She sighed, took one last look up at the place where Jack had been, then turned and swam for the ocean’s bottom.
She grimaced as the water turned dark. She’d never been near the surface when night came and the thought of the things that could well be swimming around her, hidden in the blackness, scared her so much that she swam as fast as she could. Never had she been so happy to see the first bits of light as she neared the castle. The familiar flowers that grew up the sides of the coral walls held a soft glow that welcomed her, chasing away the darkness. They reminded her of the small yellow flower Jack had given her that still caught in her hair. It didn’t glow, but she knew it was just as beautiful as the blue and white ones that curled regally up the castle’s pearl columns.
She swam past the castle to the small caverns etched in the side of the island’s base. The royal family stayed in the castle, and the rest of the merpeople stayed directly behind it; each family in their own small, oval-shaped home. The opening for each was decorated with a variety of flowers and vines that served for both beauty and for light, based on the family’s needs, desires—and their ability to grow the plants. She continued past them all to the very end, where the last cavern sat, poorly lit. Two small flowers grew at the base of the opening, struggling to give enough illumination that one could tell there was a cavern there at all.
This was it. She was home. She braced herself for what she knew would come next, and swam inside.
Her mother was just inside the opening. Even in the dim light, Lorelei could see the frantic gleam in her mother’s eyes as she swam forward and grabbed her arms, pushing her against the rock wall of the cavern.
“You went to the surface, didn’t you?” her mother’s voice was a near shout. “How many times have I told you not to go to the surface? How many times? It’s dangerous up there.”
Staring into her mother’s face was like looking into a reflection of herself. More than once others had thought she was Annalise. Her mother’s auburn hair swirled around her in the water and her eyes looked shocked as she spotted first the yellow flower in her hair, then the gold disc hanging at her neck.
“You’ve been with the humans…” her voice came out hoarse and cracked.
“Mother, I’m fine. Nothing happened,” Lorelei said softly, choosing to look at the cavern floor instead of her mother’s face.
A second later, determination replaced the astonishment and Annalise straightened. “You are forbidden to leave the ocean floor. Never are you to go to the surface again, do you hear me?” She reached out and jerked the golden chain from her neck.
When Lorelei felt it snap, something in her broke. With a broken sob, she snatched the necklace out of her mother’s hand and fled from the cavern.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat in the tall sea grass at the knoll over the castle when Odin found her, but she did know her tears were gone, mixing into the salty sea water long before.
“I was worried about you. You must have had quite the adventure today,” he said, plopping down next to her. “Maybe I should’ve stuck with you instead of visiting with Nerida.”
She crossed her arms and rested her chin on them. “How did you find me?”
“You’ve picked this same spot to hide ever since we were little, Lori,” he said.
It was true. Ever since her father disappeared, she’d ran for the tall grass when she felt like hiding. She hunched over, wanting nothing more than to curl into a ball and cry.
“Hey, are you all right?” Odin asked, placing a hand on her arm.
She winced and pulled away. Immediately, he turned loose, his eyes widening as he took in the bruise on her arm. “Did the humans do this?” he thundered. The water around them seemed to radiate with his sudden anger.
“N-no,” she managed just before the dam broke that sent her melting into a sobbing ball against his chest. “She…did.”
“Oh.” That one word told her that he understood exactly what had happened and he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. “I’m sorry.”
He sat there and rubbed her back until she quieted. She felt him pick something out of her hair. “What’s this, then?” he asked conversationally, as he cradled the wilted remains of her flower in his palm. “These don’t grow in the sea.”
“It was a gift,” she sniffled, carefully taking her flower back from him. “I met one of the humans today. He wasn’t a monster like she tells everyone. He sat and talked with me for hours.”
“Oh?” Odin clasped his hands together and listened as she told him everything that happened from the time he left her—to the moment he found her. A look of understanding passed in his silver eyes, but there was an edge to them that hadn’t been there before. “I know Annalise has her reasons for wanting to keep you safe and close to the bottom of the sea, but this…” he looked at her arm, “this is taking it too far. Annalise spends every minute in her cavern. She needs to be around her own people more, I think. You should both come live in the castle with us. You have a place there, you know. We’re family.”
“She won’t do it.” Lori shook her head.
“Then you come and live with us. I don’t want you hurt. If you’re close, I can take care of you.”
“I can’t leave her. I’m all she has left now that Father is gone.” She managed a weak smile and reached over and squeezed her cousin’s hand.
More than that, she thought. I’m the reason she’s alone. I’m the reason he left.
4
What was Lost is now Found
HOOK HAD BEEN as good as his word and the next morning every longboat sat in the water, filled with pirates, the instant the sun’s first rays streaked across the sky. Jack watched, bleary-eyed, as the first boat holding the captain started toward the island. Picking up his oar, he followed suit, attempting to keep time with the others as they rowed.
As hard as he tried, his movements were slower than the others and just a bit off, the result of not having slept well. Nightmares had plagued him in the hours that he did manage to sleep. Ghostlike shapes of children flitted around him like shadows, taunting him as they held a golden necklace out of his reach, all the while he heard his mother’s voice whispering that he should always keep it safe. He had awakened drenched in sweat, and didn’t bother trying to go back to sleep.
Instead, he went up and laid on the deck and stared up at the stars. They blinked like magic above him, chasing away the me
mory of the nightmare, so he stayed. The night wore on, finally fading away, taking the stars with it, and leaving a captain bent on vengeance to take their place and a day that would definitely prove to be interesting.
He sighed and pulled the oar toward him, digging it as far down into the water as he could. He was fairly certain the captain hadn’t gotten as much sleep as he had and had likely spent the better part of the night with his maps, but he had arrived at the deck at first light and stood directly over Jack and began shouting orders, looking none the worse for wear.
Jack, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to take a nap. He yawned, and pulled the oar toward him again.
Someone in the boat in the third boat yelled and fired a pistol. All thoughts of sleep left and Jack quit rowing, craning his neck to see what had happened.
“Croc!” he heard someone yell, and he caught a glimpse of the crocodile’s dark form as it swam beside the boat.
Jack cringed. Tic-Tock had apparently decided to come out and hunt for a bit of breakfast.
“Heave to, lads! They’ll be needin’ our help,” Beckett yelled over the din as more pistols fired. The crocodile thrashed in the water, having obviously been hit. He disappeared, but not before bumping against the longboat.
One pirate, aptly named Long Jeff for his height, had stood up in hopes of delivering one final shot, but the sudden parting jolt Tic-Tock gave the boat made him lose his balance and the tall man landed headfirst in the Never Sea.
He came up, spluttering, and his crewmates quickly hauled him back in. Then it was silence, but for the man’s coughs that Jack could hear, even though the boat was still a good distance away.
The curse. They were all thinking it, Jack realized. So far, no one had fallen prey to Nerida’s spell on the sea. What would happen to the unlucky crewman?
The Untold Stories of Neverland: The Complete Box Set Page 41