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Chapter Twenty-Nine

Peter

Present Day

I waited for a few heartbeats. Captain Hook was right in front of me, holding a silver sword, one I was sure had seen much action and countless battles. How was I to compete against him? Against such a weapon?

Where is Dominick?

“Ah, the little man is afraid.” He mocked me with a laugh.

I didn’t know who he was calling small, for I was much taller than he was. It must have just been to irritate me.

I wouldn’t let that foul excuse for a man get to me. My body started to drop.

Think happy thoughts: Gwen—When I get out of here—Marry her—Kiss her for all of my days—

The captain raised his hand, and I got a better view of his hooked hand. It was rather a crude addition to his arm. The hook was rusted, and although sharp, it looked as if it was painful for him to hold it up. Perhaps, that was why it was usually kept at his side.

How did he add a hook to his hand? Why would anyone do that?

I flew right above him, waving his sword back and forth as he cursed in frustration. He tried to hit me, but of course, I was faster than the old captain.

“Nice fish hook. What happened to your hand?” I said, moving about, waiting to see Dominick on the horizon.

“Won it in a fight with a shark after a shipwreck. I am sure if ye were to meet a shark, ye would not survive.”

“Alas, I would, Hookie.”

“You would run away! Like a schoolboy!”

“Better to run than to have my hand eaten and end up looking like you.”

Finally, like an answered prayer from the Creator, I saw the billowing sails of Dominick’s ship.

It seemed to come out of nowhere, though just in the nick of time, for I was getting tired of being the distraction.

I could sword fight but not with a dagger against a wicked, vile pirate.

There were rules in my swordplay, and I did not know what pirates would stoop to.

Dominick, having been a pirate most of his life, was better suited to duel with him without any rules.

Soon, Dominick would arrive to relieve me and fight Hook, pirate to pirate–Dominick’s words not mine. He still considered himself a pirate.

“Veeto!” I heard Dominick bellow. Hatred dripped from his mouth. He looked incredibly terrifying.

I flew back a bit to look at Captain Hook—wait– Veeto?

— I turned back toward my brother, who was on the prow of the ship, holding onto a rope connected to the top of the forward mast. He swung with that rope onto the deck of the ship, and whispers moved about the crew, everyone onboard moving to give him space.

“The Cruel Hand,” were the words they muttered.

“Ah, my nephew,” the captain said.

“No, your enemy. There is no relation between us, and if there ever had been, it would have been severed long ago,” Dominick said before pulling out his sword and attacking the man who had kidnapped him from his family and took away his life for so many years.

Captain Veeto was one of the most vile humans ever to exist, right up there with King Falcon, may he rot in the mountain .

And may Captain Veeto rot down within the depths of the sea .

I moved to the leeward railing of the ship, looking into the water, and I saw that Meria and the boys were far enough off that they couldn’t be caught.

I looked back at Dominick, who had a scratch on his face, but Veeto was slowing down.

I walked over to assist when Veeto dropped his sword, and Dominick held a sword to Veeto’s throat.

Seeing my brother in action as a wicked pirate was incredible.

He seemed to be a hero right out of one of the storybooks Gwen had read to me.

“You finally bested me, my boy—”

“Do not call me that,” Dominick sneered.

“I gave you great power. I made you who you are—powerful. Show this crew your great strength.”

“I am who I am, despite you !” Dominick spit at him.

I watched as Dominick slowly removed his gloves from his hands.

He still wore his gloves at times, even though Meria had broken his curse–the curse that caused pain to whomever he touched–a curse Veeto had extorted from Dominick.

Veeto had seen my brother torture hundreds of men at his direction.

He knew what a touch could do—and the look in Veeto’s eyes as Dominick removed his gloves fully, and walked closer to the vile pirate was that of incredible fear.

Dominick smiled as he walked closer and closer to him.

Veeto had no idea that his touch no longer brought pain–but that did not matter.

Sometimes, fear or belief is stronger than the truth if you let it take you.

“No!” Veeto shouted, collapsing in a heap on the deck as Dominick brought his hand closer to him. “Let me be, and I will leave these seas and seek no more for the treasures of the stars or the gems’ magic. I will leave them, and I will never return.”

“Mercy? You beg me for mercy? What a codfish you are,” Dominick scoffed.

He looked at the crew. “The dreadful Captain Veeto asks for mercy! How do you feel about your cowardly captain?” There were mumbles, but mostly the crew members kept silent.

“Oh, your Captain Hook, as he has most recently renamed himself, I see.” Dominick kicked the hook with his boot.

“Wait–” Veeto whined.

“Do not worry. I have an even worse fate waiting for you than that of torture,” Dominick said, turning back to Captain Veeto.

“You may have taken my life from me, tried to manipulate me, use me as a tool, but I am not you, and I do not torture or kill, even though it is incredibly warranted in this case.”

“Still weak,” Veeto spat. He seemed to have lost his need for self-preservation.

“Still strong,” Dominick said. Dominick then called out to his ship, which drifted alongside Veeto’s, and his crew came aboard and began tying up the pirates.

Before I could stop it, Captain Veeto pulled a knife from his boot and moved to stab Dominick. As I flew over to help, Dominick was even quicker. He turned and slid his sword straight through Veeto’s chest.

“Or I will end you here,” he growled, picking Veeto up and throwing him over the side of the ship. “So be it then. ”

“Dominick!” I said, landing beside him. His chest rose and fell quickly as he stared into the water. Bubbles floated up, and after a few moments, we were sure. The wretched man had met his end once and for all.

“I did not wish to—I tried–not to–” Dominick said with heavy breaths.

“You offered him mercy. I saw it. But you cannot force mercy on someone if they will not take it. He deserves his fate.”

“Were you able to get all the lost boys off the ship?” Dominick asked, still looking into the sea.

“Yes, Meria and all the boys left a while ago. They are all safe.”

He nodded and wiped his sword on the railing of the ship.

“Are you well, brother?” I asked.

“As long as he can never hurt anyone again, I am well enough,” Dominick answered.

“It is over. He is gone,” I said, patting him on the back. “I just have to find that one pesky pixie aboard this ship, and I will meet you back on Pixie Isle.”

“Well done, brother,” Dominick said, placing his arm over my shoulder, giving me a squeeze.

“Well done to you, too. I only annoyed him for a time,” I said, bumping into his shoulder.

“You are really good at that.”

“I am not sure if that is meant as a compliment.”

“In this instance, it is,” he said.