Page 43 of Escaping Pirates (Legends of Neverland #4)

H arlan and I were questioned until almost dawn.

We answered everything we could: names, places, orders we’d overheard, and every deal Tyrone and Harsh had coordinated.

After the questioning, I’d been offered a bed, but instead elected to take the longest bath I’d ever had, during which I painstakingly removed every bit of tar and blood from my body.

I stood on deck near the railing, looking out at the sea, which looked pale pink in the early morning as the sun rose. For the first time since my capture, it looked tranquil and beautiful. At my side, Harlan spoke with Korth, his voice calm but firm.

“I want the prisoners taken to Berkway,” he said. “They’ll stand trial there.”

Korth didn’t argue. “I assumed as much. The transfer paperwork’s already being drawn up.”

My chest tightened at the words. Stand trial. They would finally be held accountable for their actions and face judgment.

Justice was coming .

I hadn’t realized how deeply I needed that or how much I’d feared that none of this wouldend.

For so long, I’d dreamed that we would crawl out of our nightmare, but each time I’d begun to hope, it seemed like the world had turned a blind eye, the way it always had for men like Tyrone and Harsh. But not this time.

I let out a breath that carried the weight of all my months of captivity. It felt like laying down a burden I’d carried too far and for too long.

Korth left, leaving just Harlan and me in the quiet of the deck as the ship sailed on toward Berkway. Toward freedom.

The sea stretched out in all directions, an endless, glittering canvas, brushed in hues of rose gold and pale lavender. Dawn had just crested the horizon, and the world felt hushed. It was all so peaceful and calming.

I drew in a deep breath, letting the salty air fill my lungs.

My hands rested on the railing, fingers spread wide against the weather-worn wood.

The deck beneath my feet shifted gently with the movement of the waves, steady and predictable.

There were no shouting voices, no angry orders, no footsteps pounding overhead.

Behind me, the hum of crewmen carried softly on the wind. Orders were called out in calm tones, boots moving with purpose instead of anger. Somewhere to the stern, a sailor was whistling a cheerful tune.

It felt like waking up from a nightmare and realizing the world still existed.

Harlan stood at my side, close enough that I could feel the heat of him through his coat. He didn’t say anything at first, just leaned on the railing, his expression relaxed.

“Look,” he said quietly, nodding toward the horizon.

I drew a breath.

There, faint but real, was the curve of land.

Jagged cliffs interspersed with green hills.

Berkway. For a long time, Harlan and I watched hungrily as the shore grew closer and more distinguishable.

Enormous stone arches supporting massive aqueducts ran from the mountains to the villages below.

The capital gleamed in the distance, castle spires just catching the sun.

Flags fluttered from the highest turrets.

“We’re really almost there.” It all seemed so surreal.

Harlan followed my gaze, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he nodded. “We made it.”

A burst of angry shouting came from below deck. Korth had packed all the pirates into all his ship’s brigs more tightly than Father packed goods into his crates. The one time I’d peeked in, I’d seen arms and legs sticking out between the bars.

“Sounds like they aren’t enjoying their captivity very much,” I said with a small laugh.

“Good,” Harlan said with relish. “I hope they have the worst time of their lives. I hope Sugar and Blossom have their noses wedged into Steele’s armpits.”

A strange, distant sort of delicious satisfaction bloomed in my chest. “If we didn’t know what they’d done…”

“Then I still wouldn’t feel sorry for them,” he finished. “In fact, I feel sorry for any krakens that missed out on having them for a meal.”

We stood in silence for a while longer, watching the shore. I could make out tiny boats now, sails furled in the harbor, and the gleam of white stone roads winding down toward the sea.

“I’m going to miss the Duke and Duchess of Adjoining Cells, though,” Harlan said suddenly, his voice lighter.

A laugh bubbled out of me, surprised and warm. “They were a very dignified pair with their vast gardens and indoor waterfalls. ”

He smiled. “Shame Fritz isn’t here, though. He was an excellent butler and had quite the lovely baritone voice.”

I laughed harder and wiped my eyes. “We were ridiculous.”

“No,” he said gently. “We were hopeful.”

The words settled over me like a blanket, unexpected and comforting. I turned to look at him fully, his profile silhouetted by the rising sun.

“What do you think your family will say?” he asked.

I took a deep breath, heart thudding. “I don’t know. For the longest time, I didn’t trust myself to think about it at all because it was too painful. Now that I’m trying to picture it, it feels strange. They will be thrilled. I know how excited I am to see them again.”

His expression softened.

“There were days when I could barely remember their faces and thought I would forget them forever,” I admitted. “After a month, I gave up hope that Father would send anyone to rescue me.”

“I’m sure they haven’t given up hope,” he said firmly. “If you vanished, he wouldn’t stop looking. I know I wouldn’t.”

“I hope you’re right.” I looked at him. “I don’t think I could survive losing them again. I plan on talking to them every day when I get back, and I’ll never take any of them for granted ever again.”

He didn’t answer right away. Then, with a steady breath, he turned toward me, one hand gripping the rail beside mine.

“Would you consider something bold?” he asked.

I gave him a look. “I think I’ve filled my bold quota for the rest of my life.”

He smiled. “This doesn’t involve pirates or getting captured. ”

“Then I’m listening.”

“Stay in Berkway.”

My heart skipped. “For how long?”

“To live.”

The world narrowed to his eyes, serious and sure. I opened my mouth, but he kept going.

“When you floated away, when I thought I’d lost you for good, it was like something cracked open inside me. I knew, right then, that I didn’t want a life without you in it.”

He was saying everything I’d ever dreamed of, and yet… I was so close to being reunited with my family, and I didn’t want to think about being separated from them for longer. If I was away from Haven Harbor, years might pass between visits with my family.

“But your life is in Berkway,” I said, unsure. “And mine… My family…”

“I don’t want you to choose between us,” he said. “So don’t. Let me bring your family to Berkway. All of them. Your father’s shipping business, his employees, your home, your roots…anything you want. I’ll see to it personally.”

“That would be a massive undertaking, Harlan.”

“I know.”

“It would cost a fortune.”

He grinned. “Good thing I have one.” He reached into his coat and pulled something small from his pocket.

The cork.

My breath caught.

It looked just as I remembered—simple, weathered, a little frayed around the edges. The thing we’d passed between us when all we had was darkness and iron bars and the desperate dream of being freed.

He held it out to me .

“I’m still holding out hope for a future with you,” he said.

I closed my hand over it, tears springing to my eyes. “You really mean it.”

“I might not be able to move mountains, but I’d move ports, fleets, entire shipping empires,” he said. “If it means you’ll stay.”

I nodded slowly, emotion thick in my throat. “I would love that. Will you send for my family?”

“Of course. Or if you’d rather begin the voyage, we can leave as soon as tomorrow.”

“To be completely honest, once we reach land, I never want to step foot on another boat again.”

He laughed, full and bright.

“I’ll send a fleet for them,” he promised. “With multiple escorts so they don’t suffer our same fate. Plus, it will help that our captors will be rotting in jail cells for the foreseeable future. Your family will be safe coming over and staying here.”

I looked up at him, heart too full to hold still, and leaned forward. “I love you, Harlan.”

“I love you, too. I always will.” He kissed me—slowly, deeply, and full of everything we didn’t have words for.

Sunlight warmed my shoulders and the scent of sea spray clung to his collar.

The world spun around us, but I didn’t care, because I had never felt more grounded than in that moment, in his arms.

This wasn’t rescue.

This was freedom. This was love.

And it was just the beginning.