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Sebastian must share the same thought. He tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword but lowers it to his side. "What are you doing here?" He starts to take a step forward but thinks better of it.
"Looking for you! I should toss you over the rail myself for putting me through that. I grieved you, you asshat, only to find out you're on Neverland." Zephyr flails a hand in the air. "That's beside the point. Smee is being held captive. Your fa—uncle killed Nelvin. I don't know what to do." He lifts up a ring wrapped in fine magic threads,A dreamcatcher."I managed to trap his soul in here, but his body died. It'll only last for a day or so, then after that he'll be released and allowed to pass on, but the Crocodile took Smee before she could say goodbye. I had to do something…"
I'm frozen, my jaw falling slack, as I try to wrap my head around what he's just said.Sebastian…I can't imagine how he feels. I'm not even sure what I could say to help, but I rest my hand on his arm, hoping it'll give him strength.
“Smee...” he trails off, twisting his neck like he can’t bring himself to say it. “Smee made her bed. I can’t save her from this one. Not without my shadows, but our uncle won’t hurt her. He needs me to do that.”
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. He shouldn’t have to choose between keeping me alive or his sister, but I don’t know what to do. All I can do is stay here.
Sebastian scrunches his face, biting his lower lip as his eyes gloss over. “What happened?”
“After you went over, he took Smee prisoner on his ship. Nelvin tried to stop him, and the Crocodile stabbed him in the throat. Poor boy, almost bled out on the deck in front of her. He didn't last long after that, but Lorian managed to make this thing.” Zephyr holds it up again and the light above the canopy of trees reflects off the silver strands.
Sebastian tenses. I can’t see his face, but I feel the fury rip through our bond, consuming me as if the feeling were my own. And this is with dampened emotions... I’d hate to experience the full thing. I can see the muscles in his body flex as Sebastian tries to keep himself upright. Tears brim my eyes as a sharp sensation explodes deep within me. It’s not physical pain, but an emotional agony so strong it threatens to break me apart. I barely knew him. This isn't from me… Smee though, despite everything I don't wish for her to die, or to be captured, but Sebastian is right. She put herself there and nearly killed the both of us in the process.
Something metal flips through the air and Sebastian catches it. His gaze darts to Zephyr as he rolls the metal thing in his hands. I look to Zephyr, hoping he'll make sense of it. To me it's just a piece of scrap. It's the first time I truly look at him, and a part of me wishes I didn't. His eye is bruised, nearly swollen shut. His lips are busted, but he holds his shoulders high. It’s not until he stands directly in front of Sebastian that he speaks again. “It’s a good thing I brought that then, isn’t it?” His dark lips curl up, wincing as he attempts to smile.
Sebastian puts the metal piece into the cuff, and it releases as if it was the key.They managed to reverse-engineer them... That’s incredible.Sebastian reaches for the small circle net, being careful not to strain the threads.
“I don’t see a way out of this one,” Zephyr says, hanging his head. “The Crocodile has way too many witches, and we barely have any men left. Trying to fight them head-to-head would be suicide. Smee wants you to choose her…”
Sebastian takes a deep breath and turns his gaze towards the canopy of trees, eyeing their fluorescent leaves. It’s like the world is ending, and I can feel the despair slip into my chest, turning it cold and bitter.
“We’re not going to fight them head-to-head.” Sebastian’s eyes glint as he glances at me. The breath hitches in my chest, hoping he’s not making the decision I think he is...
Zephyr raises a brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“We’re going to give him what he wants, or at least what he can’t use.” Sebastian shakes his head. “I have to die.”
My heart plummets as I stand, stalking forward. “No. There has to be another way.” It’s impossible to keep the tremble in my voice out. All of this can't be for nothing. I've tried too hard to keep this fool alive. I won't let him die now. Sebastian releases a long sigh and turns to cup my face. His expression is resolute and his jaw is set.
“He won’t accept anything else,” Sebastian says quietly. “If we don’t give him what he wants, he’ll keep coming for us.”
My face mere inches from his, and my entire body shakes, furious he'd even consider that an option. “Find another way.”
“We might’ve had more time, but it didn’t change the fact that my death is the only option to keep you and Smee safe. We can keep running from the inevitable, but all it’s going to do is deny her the chance to say goodbye to the man she loves.”
Sebastian's gaze is unwavering as it bores into mine, and his jaw is clamped shut with a firmness that suggests he won’t be swayed from his decision. Then, as if someone has flipped a switch he changes, smiling until his dimples show, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. “My mother survived on this island for a year by herself. You might share her freakish love for plants and remind me of her in so many ways, but she wasn’t nearly as stubborn or strong-willed. You’ll be just fine, Scarlet. I know it.”
I stagger back, but before I can say anything, Zephyr steps forward. “If you die, he’ll just kill Smee. She’s not his daughter and seeing as your father banished him the day she was born, he has no emotional attachment to her. Smee is offering a way out. Let her help you. She'll get to be with Nelvin again.”
“We don't know that… The only other way is for me to turn myself over and try to get her out first, then end it. But that's a risk I'm not sure I'm willing to take. If I'm captured, I can't stop him from opening that vault.” He drives his ringed fingers through his hair, messing it up.
“We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Zephyr says, glancing at me. I don’t have words for this conversation, and even though I have the moonstone on my neck, I’ve never felt more numb.
There’s no changing Sebastian's mind. I don’t think there ever was a chance at it... I clear my throat, quickly wiping away the tears that have slipped from my eyes. “I might know something that can help.” They both turn to me in shock. “The plants in your mother’s garden. Not all of them were safe. You can try to get Smee and you out of there, but if it goes wrong, there's a plant there you could ingest, and it'd kill you peacefully within a minute.”
"I knew I liked her," Zephyr says, smiling through the pain.
40
Hook
Idon’tlikethisplan... I don’t like it one bit.
There’s so much that could go wrong, but it’s also the only one I have that can end with Smee and Scarlet safe—for now—that keeps me alive. It’s not that I wish to be a martyr. There are just no other options at play. I’ve been fighting my uncle for two decades and he’s relentless. He won’t stop, no matter what the cost is, until he gets what he wants.
Scarlet and I can’t run forever, though. This has to end here. I turn them over the leaves Scarlet gave me in my palm, dragging the pad of my thumb over the dark red veins. Honestly, I’m not sure why she’s helping me. She made it very clear that sacrificing myself isn’t the route she wants me to go, but it’s the only one that ends with both her and Smee alive. No tricks. No gimmicks.
