Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
HOOK
I'm tossed into the back of a heart-shaped carriage, which might’ve been nice once—if it weren’t for the binds around my arms and the chain choking my throat. “Get the hell off me.” I shove at them, but it's useless. “I’m Captain Hook. Do you know who I am?”
I kick at the door, hoping to get some reaction, but they’re ignoring me.
Of course, they don’t care. Why would they?
No windows, no handles, just this prison box holding me in.
There's a small slit near the top, and I press my face against it to peer out.
The road beneath us is this eerie shade of orange, twisted and unnatural, like the sky threw up Halloween.
Flecks of orange and red swirl past—magic, no doubt—making the whole scene look like some kind of fever dream.
The ride drags on forever. Every click of the chain, every rattle of the wheels against the uneven ground grates on me.
I shout a few more choice words at the guards, but nothing.
I catch glimpses of them when I strain to the slit at the back—they're on horseback, marching us forward. Only, the horses... they’re not exactly normal.
These creatures look like they were stitched together in some madman’s lab, their eyes glowing a sinister red, and their hooves sparking against the dark ground. Their breath comes out in huffs of smoke, curling like fog as they trot along. Figures. Even the damn horses here have to be nightmarish.
I let out a frustrated sigh, leaning back against the hard, uncomfortable wall of the carriage. "Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant."
I keep watch through the slits as we go, my only connection to the world outside this cursed carriage.
The road is uneven, jerking me side to side like I’m some bloody sack of potatoes.
Suddenly, we stop. I listen closely. Sounds like gates.
Heavy ones. Chains clanking, gears rolling back into place.
The guards are barking orders at each other, like a well-oiled machine, all falling into line, moving in perfect sync. Great. Just great.
Then, without warning, we’re moving again, this time downhill. Steep. Too steep. The carriage lurches, and I slam face-first into the front with a hard thud. My forehead meets metal, and the sharp pain that follows is enough to make me see stars. “Watch what you’re doing, you bastards.”
My head throbs, the metal taste of blood faint in my mouth, but I manage to push myself up. The floor of this thing is as rocky and uneven as the road outside, making it damn near impossible to keep my balance.
“Let me see. Where are we?”
I peer through the slit again, squinting.
The landscape outside has shifted, darker now, more foreboding.
But I have to remind myself—don’t complain.
If Smee’s here, this is where I need to be.
And if the Queen has the amulet, well...
I’ll be thanking these guards soon enough for bringing me right to her doorstep.
Yes, thank them—after I get what I came for. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll remind them how lucky they are I didn’t tear them to pieces on the way here.
As soon as the carriage jerks to a stop, the door swings open, and I barely have time to take a breath before a pair of hands yank me out.
Hard. Real hard. I stumble, the chain around my neck tightening as I’m dragged forward.
"Oi, easy." I bark, but the guard just sneers, giving the chain another sharp tug that nearly sends me flat on my face.
They’re not gentle about it, either. One grabs my arm, twisting it behind my back in a grip that’s just shy of snapping something, while another digs his spear into my side, prodding me forward like I’m some animal. I’ve half a mind to kick them in the teeth, but I restrain myself. For now.
We march across the grounds, which are..
. well, let’s just say they’re fitting for a place run by the Queen of bloody Hearts.
Twisted, blackened trees line the path, their gnarled branches reaching out like claws.
The grass beneath my boots isn’t grass at all—it’s some sort of slick, slimy moss that squelches underfoot. Lovely.
And then, just when I think they’re content with hauling me like a sack of grain, one of the guards gets creative.
With a sly grin, he jabs his spear into the ground, and the earth beneath me shifts.
Before I know it, the ground itself is rising, pulling at my feet, trapping me up to my ankles in stone.
I snarl, yanking my feet free just as they’re about to solidify, but the guards chuckle.
"Come on, Captain," one of them hisses, his voice dripping with mockery. "Can’t keep up? Thought you were legendary."
I lunge at him, but another guard whips the chain around my neck, jerking me back. "Careful now," he purrs, his face so close I can smell the rot on his breath. "Wouldn’t want to make the Queen angry. She’s got... plans for you."
"Yeah? Bring it. I have plenty of my own."
The guard smirks.
As we near the palace, I spot the gates.
Heart-shaped, naturally. And beyond them, the palace looms, all crimson and black spires, like something out of a nightmare.
But just before we reach the entrance, one of the guards reaches into his pocket and pulls out.
.. what? A little jar? He pops it open, and I catch a glimpse of something wriggling inside—tiny, glittering, winged things. Fairies.
Without warning, he flicks them toward me. The moment they touch my skin, they explode into tiny sparks of fire, searing against my arms and neck. I grit my teeth, refusing to give them the satisfaction of hearing me scream, but it takes everything I’ve got not to.
The guards laugh, clearly pleased with themselves as I’m marched through the gates, smoke still curling off my skin from their little game.
"Welcome to the Queen’s domain," one of them sneers. "Hope you survive the night, Hook."