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“Captain!” Starkey came running from the main deck. “You’re up… and about? I wasn’t expecting?—”
“Tie my damn breeches.”
“Uhh,” Starkey looked at my waist, befuddled. “Oh, you can’t—” He stopped short. “Aye, Captain.”
“What day is it?”
“Tis the day after yesterday, sir.”
I looked at him blankly and sighed at his stupidity. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Oh, forgive me, Captain. It’s midday. You slept through morning.”
I sighed again, still not getting the answer I was looking for. “Where is Miss Hawkins? I haven’t yet seen her today.”
Starkey stared at me, his eyes widening, his face going pale.
“Where. Is. Miss. Hawkins?” I said the words comically slow this time. Clearly, I misjudged Starkey’s ability to carry the position of first mate.
“I…sir, I…”
“Out with it!”
“She left with the pixie last night. She has not yet returned.”
“What do you mean she left?” Katherine wasn’t a prisoner. She could come and go at her will. But she never returned? That was cause for concern.
“I tried to stop her. She?—”
“Where is Smee?”
“You sent him off with the rest of the crew. To find his son.”
“Ah, yes. I remember. So, no one has gone looking for her?”
“No, Captain.”
“You imbecile! Do you have any idea of the danger she could be in? If one hair on her perfect head is harmed, you will find yourself moldering in the Viridianwood.”
“I… I?—”
“Get my cutlass. Now!”
“Yes, Captain.” Starkey scurried off, returning promptly with my sword.
“Move my scabbard to the right side of my belt. I’m going in search of Miss Hawkins.”
“Sir, respectfully, you can’t.”
“Last time I checked, I was the captain of this ship. You’d be wise to remember that. Send Smee out to find me upon his return. I won’t be back until I’ve found her.”
What was she thinking? She knew better than to go off on her own in the middle of the night. Surely, she wouldn’t have gone into the Viridianwood? I’d warned her of the dangers there. That pixie of hers would have guided her elsewhere, right? Fuck! Katherine, where did you go? Neverland was a small island. She couldn’t be far. Maybe she’d gone to Tiger Lilly looking for a way to mend my hand. Yes! That’s it. I’ll start there.
The alternative option was unthinkable. Could she have really betrayed me and run off to be the surrogate mother to Peter and his Lost Boys? The idea sent a vicious chill down my spine. There was no way she’d turncoat. Not Katherine. We’d been through too much together. We loved each other. She was soft, sure. Her maternal side wouldn’t allow her to see past the ‘young boy’ Peter appeared to be. I'd explained to her he was hundreds if not thousands of years old, but it didn’t help. I couldn’t fault her for that. It was a boggling thing to comprehend. It went against nature. I pushed the intrusive thoughts from my mind and continued north to Tiger Lily’s village. That’s where I would find her. My beloved was searching for a solution to my situation.
“Tiger Lily!” I roared, walking straight into the village center. “Show yourself, or I’ll end this satyr’s life right now.” I’d grabbed a young male on the outskirts of the village and had my cutlass digging into his throat. It was a ballsy move. If any of Tiger Lily’s guards came at me, I’d be a dead man. With my dominant hand gone, I was essentially defenseless. But I wanted answers, and I wanted them now. The village had been quiet, but my outburst had drawn attention, and a crowd was forming quickly.
“Jas, old friend.” Tiger Lily emerged from her home, confusion quickly contorting her beautiful face. “This is not how you get my attention.”
