Of Heart and Hook: A Fairytale Retelling by Anderson L.J

Author:Anderson, L.J.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lark Letter Press
Published: 2022-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

CAPTAIN HOOK

Bell follows me from my cabin to the bow of the Roger, her face skewed with confused emotion.

I take the wheel from Jukes, who’s proven himself a formidable foe to the sirens, perhaps because of his connection to Bell.

I knew that going through Breaker Bay wouldn’t be easy, but I never expected this.

Come to me. I’ve been waiting for you…

I shake my head, forcing the voices to clear, but knowing they’ll only grow worse.

“Get to work,” I shout to a cluster of men who are staring out aimlessly at the rocky coast. I loathe to think what would happen if Bell weren’t aboard.

Their movements are sluggish, but they comply, working the ropes and mast slowly.

“Don’t you hear them?” I say to Bell, whose look of anxiety is not lost on me.

She cocks her head to the side as she closes her eyes. “I should, though my time away from The Nevers has significantly dulled my senses.”

All I want is you. That girl knows nothing of the hearts of men. She only wants to use you. All that exists to me is pleasing you…

“I’ve always been strong-willed, but even I am having a hard time resisting their call,” I confess.

“Whatever you do, don’t look out at the waters,” Bell warns.

“And steer blindly?”

“Jukes is faring well. We’ll get through this.”

“Perhaps.”

You’re tired. You’ve been sailing for far too long. I have what you’ve been looking for. It’s me. All you want is me…

“It’s good that most of the crew is below deck,” Bell says. “They’re going to have to rotate out as the men on deck are clearly struggling.”

I grab my head, trying to physically force myself back to reality. “Is it even going to matter?”

“It has to matter. Do you know what will happen if we crash into those rocks?”

“We’d all perish.”

“Not exactly. The men will die. The sirens would see to that. I’d be traded to some demon, and Snow would become one of them.”

My brow furrows. “How is that possible?”

“It’s one reason pirates think it’s unlucky to have a woman aboard their ship. Although they are great at distracting the men from the sirens, they too hear a calling, though not the same way that men do, and now that I think of it, it’s already taken hold of Snow.”

“What do you mean?”

“They turn a woman against her heart, making them feel that true love is lost, and all that exists in men is lust and violence. Before you pulled me from the cabin, Snow was saying things rather uncharacteristic of her. I had attributed it to you rebuking her…offer, but now, I realize it was the sirens’ call.”

“Dammit!”

“You need to get back to the cabin and make sure she’s okay. Now that I know what we’re up against, I’ll be a little more effective in helping the men resist.”

“Can’t I just lock the door so she can’t get out?”

“I don’t think you realize just how serious this is. As she is now, eventually she’ll simply leave the

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