Five: Hook
1159 Words
Chapter Five
Hook
There was nothing I hated more in the world then rabbit holes. They launched you into space, and you never had any idea if you were going to reach your desired destination. But with faerie no longer being ruled over by Clark Endless, I had to be careful. I couldn’t just go through The Gate like a normal person. No, I had to travel the illegal way.
Through rabbit holes.
I managed to find one that I thought would take me close enough to Dale, Emma’s hometown. I was spat out in the middle of what appeared to be a garden, landing flat on my back.
“Bloody hell,” I groaned, pain wracking through my body. I gripped the ground with my hands, relieved that I had long ago replaced the Hook that I was so named for. It had taken a lot of trial and error, but I had gotten the thing back.
I pushed myself up off the ground, only to find myself being knocked back down again with a swift kick. “f*****g hell,” I groaned again.
Standing over me, with blond hair, cat eyeglasses, and her staff pointing at my chest was Louisa Endless. She was a little older than the last time that I’d seen her but I would have known her anywhere.
“Louisa,” I said with a smile on my face, “lovely to see you as ever, my dear.”
“Hook,” there was venom in her voice.
The Endlesses all believed that I had left their sister to rot, to be taken hostage by the monster that was Emma’s son. They had no idea what it was that I’d actually been doing, which was trying to find a way to fix everything. We had had to keep everything quiet. If anyone had found out about Emma’s powers, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything.
“Yes, it’s me. In the flesh. I come baring news. That is, if you want it, and considering that it regards your sister I think you’re going to want it.”
She stared at me, her eyes seeing with rage. Then behind her an ebony skinned, green eyed young woman with curly dark hair appeared. One I recognized and knew well. Nia. The Captain of the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, formally Clark Endlesses second in command when he’d been King of Faerie.
“You gave up on my sister, you rotten bastard. So give me one, good reason why I shouldn’t kill you on the spot.”
“First,” I said putting my hands up, “you know as well as I that faerie is all about story. Nothing is ever what it seems. It’s what’s behind the magic that is important. Second, because you are many things Louisa Endless. But you’re not a killer.”
Nia stepped forward then, her green eyes blazing. “She might not be, but I certainly am. I’ve worked for Kings and Queens. All it will take is one word from her, and I’ll kill you.”
“Come on, Louisa,” I said, “I know you. You wouldn’t stand a chance at ruining Emma’s true love, would you? After all, you’ve already ruined her life once. Wouldn’t want to do it again now, would you? Unless you were really that spiteful?”
I watched as she considered my words. Louisa Endless had been guarding the gate to faerie since she was a teenager. She was ruthless and would do anything to protect or avenge her family. Also, true love of Emma’s or not, she was no fan of mine.
I’d once worked with Oberon to kidnap young Emma and bring her to faerie. I’d lost my hand because of it. I had no wish to repeat that experience ever again. I’d kept my moniker, but I wouldn’t return to the pirate joke.
“Fine,” she said, “stand up pirate, and come inside. But you’d better be on your best behavior, because Clark is here and I won’t stop him from killing you if he wants to. Too many ramifications.”
“Right. Right.” I grunted and pushed myself up off of the floor despite the pain from my fall. I could feel Nia’s glower on me. I had met the lady-in-waiting more than once, and she had every reason on the planet not to trust me.
I followed her into the Endless estate. It was different from the last time I’d gone there, not so grand. The gardens looked worn, brown, as though they hadn’t been taken care of. There was a whole in the roof, and the ivy that normally covered the place seemed dead. The magic that had once filled the area seemed to have been sucked out of it.
“What’s happened here?” I asked. “Something feels different. Was there a curse?”
Louisa and Nia exchanged glances. “When Oberon died, his magic went with it. We’ve lost money, we’ve lost the enchantments holding the place together…each day it seems to fall away with out him.”
I smiled. “What if I had a way to bring him back? To fix everything?”
Nia crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you forgetting that psychopath turned people into stone for fun? That he nearly killed Emma just so he could make her into a fairy even though that wasn’t what she wanted?”
“No, I’m not forgetting any of it,” I said, “but I do remember what it was like when this estate was a grand estate, and not just a rundown piece of s**t. Wouldn’t you like to see this place returned to the glory that it once was.
A long, pregnant pause filled the room.
“Louisa, I don’t think you should trust him,” said Nia, “he’s a pirate, he does everything for his own, personal gain.”
“What’s it going to take?” she demanded.
“Every bit of your cooperation, and sanity, and some faith that we can get your family and home back,” I said, “possibly a little bit of pirating, as it were.”
“Killing?” she asked.
“More like thievery,” I replied.
She took a deep breath, then held out her hand. I shook it.
“Alright,” she said, “tell me about this plan of yours.”
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