Love in Neverland: Book 2 in The Neverland Trilogy (21 page)

Nick did not seem to notice Magda’s glance, but his jaw popped as he deliberated their options.  Finally, he nodded his head.

“We’ll go peacefully,” he said in a strained voice.

“Beautiful,” the man said, his smile widening.  “It turned out to be a beautiful day!”

Chapter 21

“Captain!”

Charles Frenzy had long, dark red hair twisted and braided down his back.  He had narrowed blue eyes and a short, blunt nose.  He was short but compact.  He only came to James’s shoulders, but he was one of James’s most fierce warriors.  He usually kept to himself, listening rather than speaking.  In that respect, he reminded James of Magdalena.  Getting that girl to talk was like pulling teeth.  When he did speak, it was always with purpose.

The urgency in Frenzy’s tone caused James’s eyes to snap to his shipmate, his long fingers gripping the rungs of the wheel a tad tighter.  Before he could stop himself, before even Frenzy could tell him what caused such an outcry, he looked to Remy’s door.  He put her in Magdalena’s room on purpose.  It would give her a sense of privacy, he hoped it would give her a sense of comfort seeing as how a woman had stayed in this room before her, and he could keep an eye on her also.  He could see the doorway clearly from the helm of the ship, seeing if anyone went in or out, if she went in or out.  Nothing looked out of place.

When he looked back at Frenzy, he lifted one eyebrow as a way of question. 

“Sails ahead.”  Frenzy stopped, turning his attention back to the horizon as if he could see what he had seen in his position on the mask as lookout.  He squinted his eyes though he had a spyglass hanging from his waist.  “Don’t recognize ‘em.”

“How far away?” James asked.

“Half a day, maybe,” he said. 

James nodded once.  “Prepare the guns just in case, but keep going about our business,” he instructed.  “It could be a merchant ship.”

Frenzy nodded.  “Aye aye,” he said, before disappearing to his station.

James looked out at the horizon, trying to see what Charles had.  He had never admitted this out loud, but his eyes were not what they had once been.  It was why he trusted Charles so much as lookout; the man could see clear as day, quite a distance in front of him.  James, on the other hand, could see the horizon, though it was not as sharp as it had been when he was alive.  Hell, he had better vision when he had first gotten his position of ruler over The Other World.

The blessings of getting older
, a voice mused to himself, and he could not help but shake his head and tilt his lips up in a smirk.

If Charles said there was a ship, James believed him – even if he could not see it.  He was not sure who would be sailing here; after the attack on The Neverland, he decided to head toward a tiny isle adjacent to The Paradise’s entrance.  It had a low population but had the most beautiful sunsets in The Neverland and water so clear one could see the bottom.  It truly was a paradise, the perfect place to forget about their troubles.  At least temporarily.  He could regroup, sketch out an action plan, and start accumulating the necessary souls he would need to usurp The Magistrate.

James had already started accumulating more souls than necessary. He started taking some that did not belong to him and house them on luxurious mountain tops in The Other World so they would not question their current whereabouts. He knew Nick noticed the slight decline in souls at their arrival at The Alley. He also knew Nick was attempting to investigate it without raising concerns because ultimately, the souls were his responsibility and should he fail to do his job and transport them all, he would face the consequences, not James. However, James's also knew that should Nick learn of what James's was doing, Nick had the authority to arrest him and demand a trial to have him removed as ruler if The Other World. James did not think they would kill him for his crimes, but he was certain he would not transition to The Paradise nor would he be allowed to rest in The Other World. If anything, he would be a vagabond in The Neverland, sailing from place to place, without a true home.

He sent Magdalena over to Nick to find out what, if anything, Nick knew of James's plan. He had not told her his true intentions because he did not want her to know them. Magdalena had a set of values she held tightly to, even before he had acquired her through a trade with her mother. The next time he saw her, he knew she would tell him everything she could about Nick, his crew, and his role as a ferryman and James would not have to ask specific questions and reveal his true nature. He knew Magda would not approve, even if she did not care for Nick one way or the other. To steal souls was akin to stealing life and disrupting the natural order of things. It was the one thing Magda knew she could not control and, therefore, did not attempt to do so. She did not believe she had that right.

James, on the other hand, knew better and disagreed. If anyone could control the souls, it should be him. He knew the ins and outs of The Neverland, he knew how to punish different crimes in order to get redemption for victims and sinners. He knew what worked and what did not. He knew how to lead and he knew how to create a law the souls of The Neverland could unite under, where everyone knew what it was and no questioned it. Where punishment was clear and followed exactly. Where criminals would face consequences and those that abided the law would be rewarded and protected. The only thing he did not know was whether he could be both a Magistrate and a realm ruler simultaneously. But if anyone could do it, it would be him.

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.”