The Neverland Curse by K. A. Last

Author:K. A. Last
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA Dark Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fairytale retelling, Alice in Wonderland Retelling, Peter Pan Retelling
Publisher: K. A. Last
Published: 2023-12-22T00:00:00+00:00

Use Time Wisely

ALESSA

Water splashes, and I turn as Jewel, Pearl, and Ava disappear beneath the surface of the cave pool. Nerida returns to the mouth of the passageway she emerged from, then beckons me to follow.

I smooth my hands over my skirt, then pick my way over the slick, rocky ground. The passage is lit with slug-like creatures that cling to the walls and glow like the jellyfish I saw on my way in.

The long hall twists in several directions before opening out into another chamber with a pool at the centre. There are three more tunnels leading off into darkness, and Nerida takes me along the middle one to yet another cave with a pool.

Unlike the others, this has only one entrance. Fine silk drapes the rocks around the left edge of the cave, and there are puffy cushions scattered on top. Nerida makes her way over and sits, pulling her skirt back until it piles behind her. She dips her feet in the water, and scales shimmer along her legs as they morph into her tail. She swishes it back and forth, her scales changing from purple to green in the iridescent light.

“Please, sit.” She points to the cushion beside her. “Perhaps there are matters you would like to discuss?”

I make myself comfortable, then say, “Have you seen my dagger? I asked your sisters, and they brought me here.”

“The dagger does not matter at this exact moment. There are more pressing issues on your mind. You need only address them. Did the lake show you what you needed to remember?”

I frown, because I sense the dagger is important. It belongs to Ronan, and he wants to take it to Wonderland. But I decide to humour her. “Yes, and no. I learnt something that shocked me, but it helped me understand something about myself as well.”

“You’re from Wonderland.”

“I ... I have Wonderland blood, but it’s not the same thing. How do you know?”

Nerida studies me for a long moment, her round eyes filled with a wisdom I’ve not seen before. When she speaks, her voice is low and controlled. “I see everything the lake holds. What are your intentions here in Neverland?”

The question takes me by surprise. My intentions? I never intended to come here in the first place.

“I’m not exactly sure what you mean,” I say, “but I intend to get to Wonderland. To get back to my sister ... My ... mother.”

“Ronan has tried many times to go home, and he has failed.” Nerida leans forward and dips her fingers into the water.

“Do you know why?”

“Wonderland broke his heart, and he believes it does not want him.” Nerida brings her hand up and a sphere of water rests in her palm. “Sometimes, what we believe becomes the truth.”

“Believe the impossible, and the impossible becomes believable,” I mumble.

“Indeed. Ronan is his own worst enemy. His magic is powerful here, and he has built a world reflecting that. Neverland protects him from his deepest fears.”

“He can’t return home because he believes he can’t?” I ask.

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