There are more important things to do than to play games with Captain Hook.
Chapter Six
When I’d first come to Neverland, there hadn’t been any docks in the cove, only sand and dangerous rocks. It’d taken us a long time to build what we needed to fit two ships into the dock, to clear the rocks away and leave room for maneuvering.
Captain Hook allows us to dock closest to the land, but I don’t mistake the move as him being a gentleman. No, he’s making sure there’s an easy escape if there needs to be. It takes a little more room to be able to lift into the sky, his sails infused with the pixie dust necessary for such flight, before he can rise above the cloud layer. The sight had amazed me the first time I saw it, and though he’d never admit it, I knew Hook had been nervous when he raised so high the first time. A pirate with sea legs had to gain flight legs, although I suspect it isn’t too different. I’ve never had the pleasure of being on his ship when it flew. I’ll never admit it’s one of the things I dream about.
My crew busies themselves with tethering the ship to the rough dock, calling out directions to each other as they work through a system they rarely ever do. We don’t come into land often. The only times are for meetings, such as today, and for a much needed reprieve when possible. Sometimes, the sea gets exhausting.
“You should take the crew for protection,” Smee comments beside me, his eyes trained on the bustling activity on Hook’s ship. “Besides the normal dangers, Hook feels just as much of a threat right now.”
“We’ve talked about this, Smee. Hook can’t hurt me, but he can hurt my crew. I don’t think he will, however. Besides, someone needs to protect the ship. The sea creatures won’t hesitate to attack if they think they can suddenly commandeer the Jolly Roger.”
“I’m not worried about Hook harming you physically.” Smee turns his too wise eyes on me, concern in their depths. “I don’t think the pirate could kill you even if it were possible. You’ve come a long way since you first arrived in Neverland.”
“What other way are you worried for then?” I turn my gaze back to The Star Chaser, watching as Hook stands in the center of his ship and barks out orders.
Smee sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “You forget I was there when you were Chosen, Wendy. I saw what it did to you when Hook chose the stars and nothing else. You might not have shown any outward sign of your pain, but I felt it.”
I clench my jaw and turn away. “Whatever happened all those years ago doesn’t matter now.”
He reaches forward and threads his fingers with mine, dragging my eyes back to his. His face is more solemn than usual; he doesn’t hold back. He never does. It’s one of the reasons he holds the position of First Mate, and the reason I call him friend. “Lies have a way of festering in Neverland, Captain. Don’t let that lie consume you.”
I want to scoff at his words but he’s right. It was a lie, and I can’t deny I felt an ache in my chest the moment I saw the pirate again. But none of that is important right now, not with Neverland acting strangely. I nod my head at Smee and adjust my tricorn. “I’ll be careful. In the meantime, I need you to stay aboard the Jolly Roger during this trip.”
“Absolutely not,” he sputters, furrowing his brows. “I’m the most capable fighter. It’s my duty to protect you.”
“That’s the exact reason I need you to protect the Jolly Roger, Smee. Now more than ever, we’re a target for the sea. If the creatures there think they have a chance of victory, then they’ll attack. With you here, they’ll see you as a threat.”
He curls up his lip in anger. “I can’t argue with that, Captain.”
Smiling, I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “I know. I’ll take three of the crew with me for protection.” I release his hand and move away, ready to request the members.
“You’ll take ten.”
I turn and look at Smee over her shoulder, my brows raised. “I’ll take three,” I repeat, but I don’t flex my position. Our relationship never calls for that. “But I’ll make sure to take strong men.”
Smee’s shoulders droop, knowing he won’t win once my decision has been made. Our dynamic has evened out over the years, until it’s easy to bicker with him, but he still knows I’m the Captain, and as such, my final decision is still word. I never mind when Smee gives me more to think about, when he opens my eyes to something I miss, but sometimes, it’s easier to stick to my guns. Like with this. As a Daughter, it’s impossible for me to die. And believe me, if it wasn’t impossible, I’d be dead a hundred times over by now. I’ve had limbs cut off, swords pierce my heart. I’ve been drowned at least a dozen times. Every time, I come back to life, I regrow a limb, I walk away unscathed. Of course, with the changing world, now I’m not so certain of my immortality, but I’m far more likely to live than the members of my crew, who can die from most unnatural causes. The only thing they’re safe from? Disease, sickness, and old age. Although, old age may be a danger now.
With the Jolly Roger safely tethered to the worn dock, the gangplank is dropped, and I step off the ship for the first time in what feels like forever. The air on Neverland always coats my tongue in a different way than the sea does. Neverland is in a permanent night that makes the air feel almost stagnant, but I don’t dwell on it for long before I step down onto the dock. Even though I’m only taking three of my crew with me, most of them step down to place their feet on solid ground again, taking in the deep breaths.
“Keep your eyes open,” I warn them, looking towards the dark trees we’ll have to trek through.
“Aye, aye, Captain,” they call, moving around to their duties.
I watch as Hook follows my lead and steps down from The Star Chaser, his eyes fixated on me and nothing else. I wish, for a moment, that he’ll stumble over a loose board and into the ocean, but I take it back quickly. Even wishing for something in Neverland can have dire consequences. Wishes, dreams, and happy thoughts will get you killed far more easily than the nightmares will.
“Wendy Bird,” he purrs as he stops in front of me. “It’s always a pleasure.”
I grit my teeth at the term, the moniker sticking even after all these years. I know he calls me the name because he knows it bothers me, but I can’t seem to help the annoyance. It’s always made me feel like he’s trying to put me in a cage of his making, or it did at the beginning. Now, it does nothing but cause things in me to light up. I don’t comment on it.
“If it isn’t Captain Asshole,” I throw back, and a muscle ticks in his jaw. “It’s never a pleasure on my end.”
Hook narrows his eyes, the metal on the end of his wrist glinting when he fidgets. This close, I’m able to see just how much he’s changed since the last time we were together. At nineteen, Hook had been trouble, far older in spirit than his permanent age. He has always been ruggedly attractive, and my sixteen-year-old heart had fallen for him fast when I’d been aboard his ship. A mistake which still haunts me.
Now, he sports a well-tended short beard, his hair longer than I remember. He keeps it bound at the base of his neck, but it doesn’t stop me from realizing the length goes well past his shoulders. He’s forgone his tricorn, leaving it aboard his ship, something I will be doing as well. The trees like to grab onto the feathers as you pass, so it becomes more of a bother to wear the symbol of status. While I wear my coat, Hook has decided to go as casually as possible. His coat is missing. He wears only a shirt, unbuttoned at the throat to expose the tanned skin and the hint of tattoos peeking out. His signature hook tips his right arm, but he has a curved sword and a revolver strapped to his thigh, thighs which are more muscular now than they’d been as a teenager.