Cedric
I couldn’t fully breathe again until Calypso guided us underwater. Everyone else was transfixed as the nymph worked her sea magic, first parting the waves, then encasing us in a massive sphere of oxygen, but I barely paid any attention to our destination or how we were getting there. As long as she led us to Scarlett, we could walk straight into the jaws of some horrifying monster for all I cared.
Within minutes, we were completely immersed. Though the sphere prevented us from getting wet—wetter in my case—it didn’t keep out the biting cold, and I began shivering violently. My shirt was ruined, and none of my companions had a jacket that would actually fit my broad shoulders, so other than the shaky inhales I drew through chattering teeth, I was forced to suffer in silence.
I had plenty to keep me distracted as we descended into darkness. I could still taste Scarlett on my lips, feel her arms around me, and picture her mismatched eyes as she stared into mine. I replayed the entirety of our encounter in painstaking, excruciating detail, determined to sear it into memory in case… In case…
No. I shook my head, unwilling to allow my thoughts to stray down such a harrowing path. I’d see her again. I’d hold her again. I’d kiss her again, even if I had to duel Kaara herself for the privilege, and as long as Scarlett still wanted me by her side, I’d never again let her go. She may well be all I had, especially after I’d so thoroughly fucked things up with Wendy, and if there was one thing this voyage had taught me, I wasn’t meant to be alone. But even the momentary twinge of doubt had been enough to let fear constrict my chest, not at all helped by the fact that we were descending farther into blackness with every step, and a single thought gripped me in a chokehold.
As much as I loved and needed Scarlett… could she ever again be enough?
She had been once, but that was before we’d had our daughter. Before I’d known her, traveled with her, and loved her. Confessing as much may have caught Wendy off guard and come at a painfully awkward time, but I’d spoken true. I did love my daughter, enough to want to bridge the gap between us no matter the personal cost. And as she herself had put it, it wasn’t as if Scarlett and I would be able to ride off into the sunset and live out our happily ever after as if none of this ever happened. As if she never happened. She was part of us now, part of the family I never knew I desperately needed.
I didn’t care if it took the rest of our lives. If by some miracle the three of us made it out of here alive, I would see to it that we were reconciled. Scarlett would never forgive me if I didn’t at least make an attempt, and I would never forgive myself if, after everything, Wendy walked away hating me.
She may have never answered my question, but she didn’t have to. Other than to ask about Scarlett, Wendy hadn’t said a damn word to me directly since Calypso had plucked me from the sea, and I didn’t for one second believe that was an accident. Even now, Wendy trailed behind me, either to pretend I didn’t exist or to burn a hole in my back with her glare.
“...hear me? Ced. Holy shit, did that squid turn you into a damn zombie?”
I nearly flung my hook at Elvira’s skull for breaking my train of thought. “What do you want?”
She pursed her lips into a thin line. “Excuse me for caring that you almost died.”
“I’m not dead, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“No, but you sure as fuck aren’t right in the head.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I’d have halted in place if I wasn’t so determined to reach Scarlett as quickly as possible. “I’m focused, that’s all.”
Elvira didn’t relent despite the warning in my tone. Dropping hers, she gripped my shoulder so she could lean in and hiss for my ears alone. “On walking to your own execution?”
“On the woman I love.” I shoved her away, and she nearly crashed into the side of the sphere. I had no idea what would happen if we broke it, or if we could break it, but right now I didn’t give a fuck. “And if you get in my way, I swear to Adais I’ll—”
“Oh, don’t worry about threatening me, Ced,” Elvira cut across me, gracefully recovering her footing. It was difficult to tell in the little remaining light, but I could have sworn her eyes were glistening. Her voice, however, betrayed nothing. “I know better than to try and stop you now. I’m simply wondering if I should turn back, because I have no desire to watch you do this. I suspect Wendy doesn’t either, though I’ll let her speak for herself.”
“No one is turning back.” Though she hadn’t turned around, Calypso’s booming shout was so loud and forceful it rattled the edges of her sphere, sending ripples all along its outline. “It’s far too late for that. Prepare yourselves, for we’ll face Kaara shortly.”
The nymph snapped her fingers, summoning an orb of bright light and forcing me to throw up an arm to shield my face. Once my eyes had adjusted, I had to do a double take, because Calypso had either shapeshifted or donned a new outfit while I wasn’t paying attention. A glittering golden dress hugged her features, and the way it was cut exposed most of her back. Her hair had been secured into elaborate, decorative braids, forming what almost looked to be a crown. She picked up her pace without warning, leaving the rest of us struggling to keep up with her hurried steps.
Behind me, Elvira huffed. “Surely the goddess isn’t going any…”
Her voice trailed off as the orb of light began rising, ascending above and beyond the reach of Calypso’s protective sphere. From there it expanded, at last illuminating the previously pitch-black area surrounding us, and my mouth fell open in a silent gasp.
We stood in what looked to be a courtyard. Elaborate marble arches and columns were erected to our left and right, while just ahead, a short set of stairs led into a larger, grander area. At least half a dozen nymphs scurried to and fro, utilizing their webbed feet and hands to move about as they worked to tidy up the already immaculate space. They were dressed exactly like Calypso, wearing blue dresses instead of gold, and even had their braids done up the same. Not one of them spared even a curious glance as we passed. Craning my neck, I looked upwards, unsurprised to find that the space had no roof. Several schools of various fishes hovered above, kept at bay by another of Kaara’s nymphs.
Though I’d never been in one, and certainly not one that was underwater, I had no doubt we were entering a palace, especially as we began ascending the stairs. Calypso’s sphere molded to the space below our feet, allowing us to more easily keep up with her still-brisk pace. Hopeful we were nearing Scarlett, I kept as close to the nymph as possible, barely noticing that Elvira had appeared at my side until she yanked my hook from my hands.
I attempted to snatch it back but missed. “What are you doing?”
“You need to put this on,” she said, her tone as urgent as it was serious.
“What could I possibly need it for?”
“I don’t know, and that’s my entire point. Just let me help you, all right? It will put some of my fears at ease.”
I held out my arm and didn’t protest as she fastened the prosthetic to it. There was no need to tell her to hurry. Elvira’s practiced fingers worked quickly and efficiently, and though we fell slightly behind, we were easily able to catch back up. We walked in silence after that, trailing behind Wendy, Pan, and the dog, but just as I was about to ask Elvira what ‘fears’ she meant, Wendy halted so suddenly I nearly slammed into her back.
“Do you hear that?” she whispered, remaining immobile as Calypso kept moving both herself and the sphere.
“Hear what?” Elvira asked, looking as confused as I was. Ever since being encased in it, I hadn’t heard a single sound that may have occurred outside the sphere.
“That voice.” Wendy turned her head, revealing that her face was white as a sheet. “It’s Mother’s.”
Any excitement that had fluttered in my chest evaporated upon recalling that, according to Scarlett, her voice had been stolen by Kaara. Unless that was a lie, and I didn’t believe it was, the goddess was already toying with us. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
We waited and listened, but not only did none of us hear anything, the back end of the sphere was quickly approaching. “Come on,” I finally said, gently urging Wendy forward. “We need to keep—”
Then a song came drifting through the stillness, a lullaby I knew more than well, and my blood turned to ice at its achingly familiar tune. Wendy was right: it was Scarlett’s voice, clear and pure as it sang the mournful melody.
“The winds, the waves are howling,
The sailors watch by night,
Then come the morn they’re drowning,
As storm, she takes her flight.
The pirates spurned,
The witches burned,
The colors now they fly!
All men must die,
The crimson sky bleeds out,
And moon soars high.
The winds, the waves are howling,
The sailors watch by night,
Then come the morn they’re drowning,
As storm she takes her flight.”
Elvira gripped my upper arm. “That’s…”
A lullaby Blackbeard had learned from my sister’s mother. “I know.” I had sung it for Scarlett once when I’d thought she wasn’t listening, but she most certainly had been, and she liked it so much that she wouldn’t relent until I taught it to her. “But it isn’t Scarlett.”
Both my sister and daughter gave me incredulous looks, and Elvira said, “Even I know what her singing sounds like.”
“Just trust me, and keep moving.” Herding them both despite their protests, we started forward as the back of the sphere began rubbing uncomfortably against my still-sore shoulders. Though it may be see-through and malleable, it was far more solid than it looked.
We reached the top of the stairs, entered an area far less open than the last, and it immediately became obvious why the courtyard had been so simple in its design. If I didn’t know better, I may have believed we’d happened upon the ruins of a shipwreck. More likely, several shipwrecks. In addition to the various sections of hull that appeared as though they had literally been chewed on and spit out by some horrifying monster, every inch of available space contained something, from long-ruined cannons, to broken and crumbling statues, to half-rotted crates spilling their half-rotted contents. There existed paths, but they were so narrow that navigating through the chaos was going to take careful and precise maneuvering. I had no idea how we were going to manage it while remaining within the boundaries of Calypso’s sphere.
There wasn’t time to worry about it, not when Wendy stiffened and froze in front of me. I tried to shove her forward, but she planted her feet and wouldn’t move. “Come on, we need to keep—”
“I can’t.” Her whisper was pleading, desperate. “It’s too small.”
“What are you talking about? You’ll fit.”
“That’s not what she means.” Pan appeared at Wendy’s side, taking her hand. “She’s claustrophobic.”
I vaguely recalled Elvira telling me how badly Wendy had panicked upon being locked inside a small closet the night before we raided Blackbeard’s tomb. “She still has to go in there.”
Wendy shook her head, pulling against Pan’s grasp as she made an attempt to turn back. “No! Please, don’t make me.”
“I could carry you.” The words left my lips before I thought twice about them. “Will that help?”
She considered me, swallowing, but didn’t answer until Pan swooped in, handing her a strip of fabric he’d torn from the bottom of his shirt. “Cover your eyes,” he said. “It should make it more bearable.”
Wendy took the makeshift blindfold, albeit hesitantly, before raising her gaze to mine. “If you drop me—”
“I’m not going to drop you.”
She looked unconvinced but didn’t argue. After securing the blindfold behind her head, Wendy allowed me to scoop her into my arms. She was light enough but so tense and stiff it felt as if I was carrying one of the statues. “You can relax, you know.”
“With your hook poking into my shoulder? No thanks.”
“Then at least wrap your arms around my neck.”
Heat crept to her cheeks, contrasting against the white of the blindfold. “Gods, you really want to make this as embarrassing as possible, don’t you?”
“Just do it, Wendy, unless you want to fall.”
With a deep breath, she obeyed, pulling herself flush against my chest just as Calypso’s voice came booming once again. “Everyone gather closer together. I need to make this shield quite a bit smaller.”
We formed as straight of a line as we could manage, with Pan behind Calypso, followed by me and Wendy, the dog, and Elvira at the rear. No sooner were we in position did the sphere begin to shrink, stopping a mere inch or two above my head given that I was the tallest. It was no wider in width than it needed to be to accommodate Wendy’s legs, and even then I pulled her tighter against me, ignoring her whimper of protest.
Navigating through the wreckage was far more difficult than I anticipated, and not solely because I carried my teenage daughter in my arms. The farther we got into it, the narrower the paths became, so much so that the debris on either side rubbed against my profile as I passed, and more than a few times, I was forced to walk sideways. I’d never had any specific fears related to being in small spaces, but the overwhelming feeling of entrapment was beginning to make even me sweat. Wendy was quick to pick up on my nervousness and responded by tensing up, making manipulating her body even harder.
“You need to trust me,” I hissed after we nearly got stuck ducking beneath a pair of fallen support beams. “I’ll get you through this.”
She bit her lip but nodded. Although she didn’t fully relax, it became marginally easier to guide her through what was beginning to feel like a gauntlet. Getting from one end to the other took a full ten minutes, and when we were finally through, the first deep breath I took felt like I had just emerged from underwater. Ironic.
Sensing that it was over, Wendy all but leaped from my arms, ripping off her blindfold and racing back to Pan’s side. Calypso waited until everyone was out before restoring her protective sphere to its normal size and shape, and I was in the middle of stretching my arms when Scarlett’s voice came drifting over us once again, sounding far closer than it had before.
“The winds, the waves are howling,
The sailors watch by night,
Then come the morn they’re drowning,
As storm, she takes her flight.”
Elvira made a face as she came to stand beside me. “Gods, that’s fucking creepy.”
“If you think that’s creepy, just wait.” Calypso spoke without turning yet again, solidifying that, at least in this place, she either had eyes in the back of her head, super hearing, or both. “But come. She isn’t far off now.”
As promised, we only walked for another minute or so, Scarlett’s voice the ever-present backdrop, before the setting changed again. The hall opened up into another elaborate circular space, but I didn’t bother to take a good look at our surroundings. It was more of the same, though there were two key differences: in addition to the powerful aura that seeped into my lungs and constricted my chest, at the far end of the room sat Kaara herself.
The goddess lay draped over an extravagant throne. Dressed in a simple black gown with a slit up one side, it contrasted starkly with her ghostly white complexion, yet enhanced the beauty of the ornate silver locket hanging around her throat. Her hair and clothing seemed to be acting as their own sentient entities, each swirling and dancing in a current that didn’t exist. Coal-black eyes narrowed as we approached, though once she ceased singing in Scarlett’s voice, she didn’t otherwise move to greet or stop us. I should have been worried about the depth of Kaara’s stare, and even more worried about that smirk playing on her unnaturally pale lips.
But the moment I noticed Scarlett, I could focus on nothing else.
She hovered to the right of the throne, the expression on her face unreadable as she stared directly ahead, not looking at anything in particular. Her dark hair was loose as it billowed and swayed in the unseen waves, and her one blue eye glowed faintly. But as my gaze trailed lower, the easier it became to read her. Just as it had on the beach, her red mermaid tail twitched slightly, especially when Wendy came to stand beside me.
My daughter’s whisper was shaky and hoarse. “You… You were right. About the voice, and about her.”
Of course I was, but now wasn’t the time to rub it in. We had far bigger problems, namely the way the goddess had lit up upon seeing me and Wendy side by side. She spread her arms, grinning from ear to ear, and spoke in the smoothest voice I’d ever heard. “We meet at long last, Cedric Teach and friends.”
If I hated the way Calypso said my name, I had a visceral reaction to the way it sounded on Kaara’s lips. Chills erupted along my arms, shooting down the length of my spine, and I had a sudden urge to claw my skin off. Swallowing it, I forced a smile and bowed my head. “We are honored.”
Kaara cackled the way a child might upon ripping the head off one of her dolls. “You may speak plainly, Cedric Teach, for you have nothing to fear. I did not allow you to come all this way simply to kill you. At least not yet.”
Her idle threat did nothing more than stoke my barely contained rage, because if she thought death scared me, this so-called goddess didn’t know me very well. Ignoring Elvira’s tug on my arm, I strode forward, only coming to a halt when Calypso’s conjured sphere held firm, even when I banged my fist against it. Part of me wanted it to shatter, because drowning would be more than worth it if I did so in Scarlett’s arms. “All right, then, let’s be plain. You know the reason I’m here. It sure as fuck isn’t for you.”
Kaara sat up straighter on her throne, narrowing her dark gaze. “That’s more like it. And by all means, if you want her, come and claim her.”
I dared a glance at Scarlett, whose lips were drawn into such a thin line it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head, but I hadn’t come this far to give up that easily. Turning to Calypso, I brandished my hook. “Let me through.”
Kaara laughed again before clicking her tongue. “How can someone as bloodthirsty as yourself lack such basic self-preservation? I have to say, I expected more from the man who not only unleashed Jamie Teach’s curse on the whole of Neverland, but who survived it.” The goddess stood then, once again drinking me in as though she intended to devour me. “That was unsurprising. Your soul is as black as the crow you’re named after.”
If Kaara didn’t release Scarlett this fucking second, I was prepared to show her how right she was. I opened my mouth to tell her as much, but Calypso’s whispered warning was enough to shut me up. She didn’t move anything but her mouth, continuing to stare straight ahead as she spoke. “Careful. My mistress does not take kindly to threats.”
“She’s right,” Kaara said, though her smile had vanished. “And if we’re extending courtesies, I suppose it’s only fair to inform you that my magic might make you feel a bit chaotic. You’ll feel compelled to do and say things you may not under normal circumstances.”
I felt more level-headed than I had in weeks. Scarlett was within my grasp, my sister and daughter were safe, and I had the perfect bargaining chip to ensure they all remained that way.
Me.
Someone said my name, but I ignored it, standing my ground as Kaara approached the sphere. She touched the tip of her index finger to the barrier. It parted like water, and the next thing I knew, I was face to face with a goddess.
Her hair and dress continued their odd dance even out of water, unnerving me more than I wanted to admit, but I managed to keep my composure. Expecting her to linger on or at least speak to me, it surprised me when Kaara did neither, turning instead to my companions and gasping as if noticing them for the first time—which wasn’t at all true, given that she’d just addressed Calypso. “You brought spares. How touching. It’s not often those who visit my realm bring guests.” She clapped her hands, but her lips curled in disgust upon noticing Pan. “Peter Pan—the Golden Child—and his fairy. You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid for daring to show your faces here. Elvira Teach, the Serpent, no shock there. Your obsession with Cedric might be endearing if it wasn’t so toxic. Wendy Maynard of course, Neverland’s Chosen, and her… dog?” Kaara seemed surprised by Arktos’s presence but moved on when he snarled at her. “And you.”
Kaara fixated on Calypso, whose eyes were wide with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. “Hello, Mistress,” the nymph said, sinking into a respectful bow, but Kaara had already turned away, this time to address Scarlett.
“Well, what do you think? Was she worth everything you sacrificed?”
It took me a moment to realize Kaara was talking about Wendy, but Scarlett understood immediately. She darted to the edge of the sphere, but it didn’t part for her. Placing her palm flat against it, Scarlett glanced longingly at me and Wendy in turn. Though Wendy took a startled step back, I mirrored Scarlett’s movement, placing my hand over hers all while silently cursing the barrier between us. I wanted to touch her, to hold her, to tell her I was going to get out of here, but with a goddess listening, neither of us dared to communicate with anything other than our eyes.
Kaara cackled, though evidently not at us. “The girl who broke Neverland’s curse is frightened of a little mermaid?”
“W-what did you d-do to her?” came Wendy’s stammer. “Why do you have her voice?”
“She gave it to me,” Kaara answered smoothly. “You weren’t the only one who needed to be spared of the curse, so in addition to serving me ‘as long as her daughter should live,’ her voice it was. I keep it right here for safekeeping.”
In my peripheral vision, I watched as Kaara held up the locket around her neck.
Wendy’s tone dropped to a whisper. “But… But I’ve heard her—”
“Your whole life? Indeed you have, child, but it was never Scarlett. It was me.”
Scarlett banged her fist against the sphere so forcefully that even Kaara flinched. The look of absolute loathing the two exchanged unsettled me to my core, as did a cryptic quip from Kaara in what sounded a lot like Sirenstongue.
Switching back to English, the goddess addressed me next. “As you can plainly see, your Scarlett is as fiery as ever, Cedric Teach.”
“If she’s too much for you, I’ll be more than glad to take her off your hands.” I loathed myself for speaking of Scarlett as though she were an object to be bought and sold, but if it got the goddess’s attention, so be it.
Kaara’s lips twisted into a wicked grin. She sauntered toward me, coming to a halt a hair’s breadth from my chest, and trailed a finger along my jaw as she spoke. “Oh, I know you would. The real question is whether Scarlett still wants you.”
It took effort not to rip myself from Kaara’s grasp. “What are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you heard? She’s to be a married woman. Arranged it herself.”
My heart skipped a beat as Prince Herbert’s ridiculous declarations echoed in my mind. I’m engaged, you see, but not to any woman. In fact, she’s not human at all. I had assumed he meant a nymph, but had he meant Scarlett?
“Still want to make a deal, Cedric Teach?” Kaara grinned from ear to ear. “Or are you only interested in bargaining for Scarlett’s freedom on the condition that she spends it with you?”
Of course I wasn’t, but my throat had gone dry regardless. Though I was more than aware that Scarlett didn’t belong to me, and never had, it was no secret that I’d done nothing but fantasize about picking up right where we left off if we were ever lucky enough to reunite. And to claim that marriage to another, especially a prince, wasn’t going to complicate things was the understatement of the fucking century. None of that addressed my main question, though; did Scarlett truly want this? Or was this Diego Ruiz all over again, and was the engagement just another ruse for some elaborate plot I wasn’t yet aware of?
“If he doesn’t want to bargain, I do.”
Pan spoke while I was still lost in thought. All heads snapped to him as he stepped forward, raising his chin to look the goddess in the eye. Tink stood perched on his shoulder, more lucid than I’d seen her in days, and in unison, they sank into what were clearly rehearsed bows.
“I have sought you out for centuries—” he began, but Kaara cut him off with an animalistic snarl.
“I don’t make deals with Golden Children.”
I didn’t have the slightest idea what Kaara meant by that, but both Wendy and Pan flinched at the venom in the goddess’s tone.
“However,” she continued, turning back to me, “retrieve the trident Heartpiercer from the Sea of Eternal Woe, and in return, I shall give any of you willing to aid in the quest whatever your hearts desire. Name it, and it’s yours.”
Pan blurted out something along the lines of ‘aging’ and ‘immortality,’ but my desire was entirely different. I whispered it as I glanced at Scarlett’s tortured expression, hers still fixated on where our palms touched through Calypso’s barrier, then decided that I wasn’t willing to see her like that for a single moment longer.
“I’ll get the damn trident,” I declared, paying no mind to Elvira’s stammered protests. “Swear that Scarlett goes free, and I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“Anything?” Kaara’s voice dropped to an unsettling purr, and several strands of her hair stroked my cheeks of their own accord. “What I wouldn’t give for you to actually mean that.”
“I do. Free Scarlett and her voice, and you can have me.”
Elvira wasn’t alone in protesting my sacrifice. Scarlett resumed banging on the sphere, and had she possessed the ability to speak, I had no doubt she’d be screaming at the top of her lungs. For once, I was glad that she didn’t, because neither of us could afford to see logic or reason right now. Not if she ever wanted to be free.
“If he’s going after the damn trident, I’m going with him.” Only when Elvira snaked both of her arms around my middle in a vice grip did her words truly sink in, but as I shook my head, someone else appeared on my other side.
“Me too,” Pan said.
“And me as well.” Wendy stepped forward, trailed closely by Arktos. “Well, ‘us,’ I suppose.”
“No. Absolutely not.” I found my voice then, and though I didn’t need anyone coming with me, I addressed Wendy in particular. “Let me do this. Alone.”
“Touching as your concern for Wendy may be, it’s she who has the least to fear.” Kaara began pacing around us in a circle, her hair and dress lightly caressing those she passed. “Any of you may enter the Sea, but only one of selfless heart and untainted soul may return to our world unscathed. Wendy may be far from perfect or even innocent, but I’d wager that stabbing herself to save all of Neverland counts as pretty damn selfless to me.” Halting in front of Elvira, Kaara’s tone switched back to that sultry murmur. “And keep in mind that not even a mother’s love and sacrifice were selfless enough. I didn’t render Scarlett a mermaid. The Sea did.”
I stole another glance at Scarlett. Was that why she had refused to tell me what happened to her? Was that the reason behind the set of mismatched eyes she definitely hadn’t possessed the last time I saw her? And if what the Sea had done to her was a curse, how the fuck were we going to undo that particular one, if the whole point of the Sea’s existence was that it contained ancient magic not even the gods could unravel?
I was still spiraling when Elvira tensed beside me. “So if the rest of us choose to go regardless—”
“Perform a selfless act, remain forever, or emerge marred in some way. Like her.” Kaara waved her hand toward Scarlett dismissively. “Your choice.”
Wendy, Pan, and Elvira nodded their agreement, but suddenly I wasn’t so sure about mine. Not because I feared for my life or even my soul, but because I feared for Wendy’s future. If Kaara herself hadn’t cursed Scarlett, would Kaara ‘releasing’ her even mean or do anything? Was Kaara capable of turning her human again? That left me and my fate. If I entered the Sea and became trapped or perished…
Would Wendy become an orphan all over again?
It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, no matter what scenario I played through my mind. Nothing I did from this moment on was certain, but I could at least marginally control one thing: Wendy’s perception of me. And I may be many things, but I certainly wasn’t a fucking coward.
“All right,” I heard myself say. “But before we go, please, let me see her. Just once.”
Kaara laughed before materializing in front of me. “Scarlett, you mean? She’s right there. Look at her all you want.”
“I mean face to face, in here. So I can…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence aloud: So I can say goodbye.
“How romantic.” Rolling her eyes, Kaara waved her hand in a quick flourish. “Go on, then.”
It happened so fast it took us all by surprise. Scarlett still had one hand on the sphere, but what had once been a solid barrier gave way the moment Kaara’s fingers moved, sending Scarlett careening forward. When everyone else staggered back as a torrent of water entered the space along with her helpless body, I darted forward, unwilling to allow Scarlett to strike the unforgiving ground. I caught her awkwardly around the middle and took the brunt of our fall, becoming drenched all over again. The water was fucking freezing, but I didn’t care, especially not when she threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in the crook of my shoulder.
She was shaking, though from what, I couldn’t be certain. I very nearly asked until I remembered that she couldn’t answer, at least not verbally. A mixture of rage and protectiveness ignited within me, and as conversation continued around us, some of it containing raised voices, I whispered for Scarlett’s ears alone. “I’m not letting you go. Do you hear me? I lost you once. Never, ever again.” I would let her go, though, and we both knew it. If this was what the Sea had done to her once, there was no way she could risk entering it a second time, meaning in another short while, we would be separated once again.
But when my gaze flickered to her tail, there were legs. Human legs, fully covered with a pair of loose breeches, but bare feet and toes poked out precisely where they should. What the fuck? Gooseflesh erupted all along my arms, and it had nothing to do with the cold.
Scarlett Maynard was human once more.
She lifted her head to meet my incredulous expression, and my words were just as dumbfounded. “What… How…?”
“Did she not tell you during your little beach rendezvous?” Kaara looked anything but pleased at its mention. “Though the Sea may have so modified her, my power is enough to change her form at my leisure, whether it be from human to mermaid or vice versa. And before you ask, no, it’s not something she’s able to do herself.”
I turned back to Scarlett. “Is this true?”
She nodded, pointing to each of her eyes in turn, and suddenly they made a lot more sense, as did her reasons for remaining tethered to Kaara in more ways than one.
The revelations shocked me, but there wasn’t time to dwell on them. Wendy and I had a trident to retrieve, and it was becoming increasingly obvious Scarlett had a plan of her own, and I had no intention of standing in the way. This wasn’t the first time she would have used a fake engagement to set some elaborate ruse into motion—I didn’t believe for one second that she had spent the past sixteen years sitting on her ass, and if I knew anyone who could fool a goddess, it was Scarlett. She was intelligent, more than capable, and, as Wendy had once said, clearly didn’t need me to save her, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to aid however I could. Taking Scarlett’s hands in both of mine, I pulled her close, touching my forehead to hers. “We’re going to get through this. Hold on, all right? I’ll keep Wendy safe until we both return.”
Scarlett gave me an irritated look as if to say, You’d better. Then she rose, wobbling for a handful of steps before coming to a halt in front of Wendy. Producing something small from her pocket, Scarlett placed it in Wendy’s palm, covering it with her free hand before I could make out what it was.
Kaara snorted. “Protect that little shell with your life, Wendy, because Scarlett certainly does.”
A shell? I tried to search Scarlett’s face for any sort of hint, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze, and Wendy looked as puzzled as I felt. “What does it do?” she asked, holding it as though she was worried it might burst into flames.
The goddess shrugged. “What all shells do. Nothing. It’s Scarlett’s supposed ‘lucky charm,’ so evidently she thinks you need some.”
Yet another clue that wasn’t adding up. I had never known Scarlett to be superstitious, and she had certainly never relied on luck to get her through anything. Nagging questions posed themselves once again as I watched Pan approach Scarlett. What are you hiding, and what are you trying to tell us?
Buzzing wings broke my focus. Pan had lifted Tink from his shoulder and now held the protesting fairy out to a wide-eyed Scarlett. “She’s far too weak for the Sea, and you were a friend to the fairies once. Will you keep her safe until I return?”
Scarlett took Tink in her hands. Her eyes flicked from the fairy to Pan, and even to Wendy, but after a brief hesitation, she nodded. A satisfied Pan rejoined the others, and it looked as though everyone was gearing up to go. Calypso, Scarlett, and Kaara all stood back as the goddess surveyed us for a final time, trailing a finger across her cheek as she scrutinized us individually.
To Elvira, she said, “You look well-prepared, but something tells me you’ll need more knives.” With a snap of Kaara’s fingers, half a dozen more appeared, all strapped in various places on her person. Pan was gifted a new jacket given that his had been ripped while searching the jungle. Arktos received an instantaneous groom, clipping some of his excess fur and making it much easier to see the leather pack now strapped to his back. Hopefully it contained food and water, because I was fucking starving.
Wendy was next, and though Kaara stared at her for an unnervingly long time, the only thing my daughter received was a compass whose arrow kept spinning and turning erratically. When asked what it pointed to or whether it even worked, Kaara’s only answer was a cryptic, “You’ll know.”
I was last. Half a dozen tendrils of Kaara’s sentient hair slithered along various parts of my body, including beneath the rips in my still-tattered shirt, but I forced myself to remain completely still as the goddess took me in. She giggled, the sound once again reminding me of an overexcited schoolgirl, and said, “You’re such a mess that you’re going to need the full package.”
I barely noticed Kaara tilt her head, but a moment later I was clad in an entirely different outfit, complete with weapons. Everything from my boots to the pistols at each of my hips were shiny and new, and my shirt and jacket no longer had any holes. Shrugging my shoulders and flexing my arms, I was pleased to find that my range of motion remained sound, and that the clothes were a comfortable, yet snug fit.
“Like it?” Kaara asked, clearly enjoying the view.
I liked them so much that I felt more myself than I had in days, but not wanting to stroke Kaara’s massive ego, I simply nodded. “Thank you.”
“Good!” She rubbed her hands together as she took us in a final time, clearly admiring her handiwork. “I wish you luck, Cedric Teach and friends.”
She spoke as if we were supposed to take it from here, and I frowned. “Aren’t you going to lead us to the Sea?”
Kaara’s irises dilated until her eyes became pools of soul-emptying blackness, and when she spoke, it was in Scarlett’s voice. “Only you would stand at the gates of Hell and still ask to be shown the way.”
It was the only warning we got before the ground caved out from under us. Instinct had me scrambling for a ledge, but all it earned me was something sharp slicing into my palm. With Scarlett’s name on my lips, I fell, catching a fleeting glimpse of her tear-stained face before tumbling into nothingness