Chapter 13

She is more beautiful than I remembered.

Though she has left us, the image of her in regal dress and a queen’s diamond crown is seared into the space behind my eyes.

Wendy Darling is alive and she’s the queen of Everland?

No longer is she the young, innocent Darling girl snatched up by Peter Pan and whisked away to Neverland.

She is a woman.

A survivor.

A fucking queen.

Her face has sharpened, her cheeks a little hollower, her eyes dark and haunted. She may have matured, but she hasn’t aged by much. Not like she should have with all the time that’s passed.

How did she do it? How has time not touched her? Is it some kind of magic?

The dockmaster said something about the court being overrun by witches.

The guard pushes us toward the door.

I look over at Roc. How is he taking this so well? Why isn’t he demanding she return? Demanding answers?

He looks calm as can be.

We’re ushered out of the room and down the same hall and down the same narrow tunnel until we emerge in the early daylight.

“These still necessary?” Roc asks. “Theo was it? We really mean no harm. Clearly, we’ve made an innocent mistake.”

The guard grumbles to himself, then fetches a key from his pocket. He undoes my cuffs first, then Roc’s.

“This way,” Theo says and gestures with his hand, indicating we should follow the stone path back to the gated entrance.

We take the lead. Roc lights a cigarette. He says nothing, just follows the stones beneath our feet.

What is wrong with him?

I want him to be ruffled.

I want him to join me in this unyielding sense of despondency.

Wendy Darling is alive and yet she looked at us like we were an inconvenience. A bad memory. One she wanted to wipe the slate clean of.

And she’s the queen?

How the bloody hell did that happen?

I have so many questions.

When we reach the gate, Theo instructs the guards to open it. The chain system clangs to life and the iron gate slowly lifts.

Are we really going to walk through that gate and never look back?

I can’t.

I can’t do that.

“Roc,” I start, but he immediately cants his head, narrows his eyes, silences me with a look that only he can wield.

“You both would do well to keep your fucking mouths shut,” Theo says.

Roc doesn’t break our stare for several long seconds and while his expression is blank, his only movement that of the cigarette at his lips, I have come to know that tension in his body.

It is the tension of an ocean right before a storm.

He’s going to kill this man.

Maybe not right this second, but someday, maybe soon.

“Don’t worry, Theo,” Roc finally says and pulls the cigarette away. “We heard the queen. We will play the role of dutiful little boys.”

Theo’s mouth presses into a thin line. He doesn’t like us and it begs the question: what is his relationship with the queen? I would place my money on it being more than just guard and queen.

And thinking about him on top of her makes me want to drag my hook across his gut and let his insides spill out.

I may be fighting Roc for the opportunity to kill him.

“Good,” Theo says and nods us forward. “Let’s make haste before⁠—”

“Theo? Is that you?”

The lilting posh accent sounds from our left and I catch the imperceptible wince on Theo’s face.

Roc and I turn at once and spot a man making his way to us.

I don’t recognize his face, but I know immediately who he is.

He’s wearing the Grimmaldi crest, the Grimmaldi signet ring, and the oversized gold chain, with interlocking links, known as the Collar of Ember.

Only the Crown Prince, the Heir Apparent, would wear that particular collar.

“Your Highness.” Theo gives a shallow bow, his hands clasped behind his back. “Good morning. You’re up and about early.”

The Crown Prince stops, keeping several feet between us. His gaze rakes over me and Roc with an interest that is penetrating enough to make me cringe.

“I heard our dear queen had visitors today and I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet them.”

“Ahh,” Theo answers, like he didn’t already know why the prince was on the castle grounds at the crack of dawn.

Some of the answers I had so desired are starting to reveal themselves.

There is nothing in the prince’s face that would connect him to Wendy, so she must be his stepmother. And of course the Crown Prince would hold a grudge against the woman on the throne who is not his mother.

The prince does not like the queen and he thinks he can use us against her.

“And you are?” the prince asks, giving me a pointed look.

“Captain James Hook,” I answer distantly.

The prince glances at Roc.

Roc’s expression is unreadable. He says nothing.

“This is the Crocodile,” Theo answers for him.

The prince might want to pretend he’s the one who holds all the power in this exchange, but none of us miss the step back that he takes once he finds out who Roc is.

There is something intoxicating about being Roc’s traveling companion and watching how people react to him.

I get to stand beside him, almost his equal, no longer his enemy, and no longer afraid of him. Well, mostly unafraid.

I survived having my cock in his mouth so I feel like we are almost equals.

I very much doubt the prince would agree to be alone in the same room with Roc, and certainly not with his dick in his mouth.

“I’ve heard of you,” the prince says.

“Of course you have,” Roc answers.

The prince laughs, but the sound is miffed.

“You know our venerated queen then?”

Roc takes one last hit of his cigarette, then places the butt on the end of his thumb, flicking it with his index finger. It arches through the air, raining sparks, before landing at the prince’s feet.

Theo chokes on his own spit.

The Crown Prince looks down at the still smoking cigarette, his nostrils flaring.

“Theo,” he says when he looks back up. “Any friend of the queen is a friend of the entire court. Show these fine men to a room in the guest wing. They’ll join us tonight for supper.”

“Your Highness, with all due respect⁠—”

“Now, Theo.” The prince turns. “I look forward to getting to know you better over a king’s feast,” he says as he walks away. “Theo, make sure our guests have the proper attire.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

When the prince disappears around the castle wall, Theo grabs us both by the arm and yanks us toward the castle. “You idiots. You have no idea what you’ve done, have you?”

I yank out of the guard’s grip, but Roc lets himself be steered which I think must be one of the most sinister things he’s ever done.

Theo must have a death wish to be manhandling a voracious beast.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” Roc says. “But we’ve just been invited to dinner by the prince. I’d say we’ve done something very right.”

Theo snorts and grabs me again. “You’ve endangered the queen by showing your faces here. She will not be happy.”

Roc hangs his head back so he can look at me over Theo’s shoulders. He gives me a wink.

I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, but with him, it certainly can’t be good.

“Come on,” Theo says. “Looks like you’re staying at the castle tonight. Good luck making it till morning.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” Roc says.

Theo snorts. “Consider it a warning.”