Page 44 of The Last Lost Girl

The mermaid presses her eyes closed for a moment while I study the nails and debate which ones to remove first, settling on the ones that appear to be more superficial. “This is going to hurt.”

She chatters quietly.

I ease the hammer’s claw around the first nail and try to gently work it free, when she shrieks and takes the tool from me, ripping the nail from her arm.

She cries as teal blood trickles into the water beneath us, melding into the ocean she calls home, and hands the hammer back to me with a sad plea.

She just wants it to be over with.

So, I tear them from her as quickly as she and I can stand.

When her fins, arms, and tail are free, only the ones in her sides remain. These are the ones that’ll cause the most damage and bleeding. Her webbed fingers fall over mine as they clench the hammer’s handle.

Hook hisses at her to release me and starts to climb over the rail toward us, but I stop him. “It’s okay.”

The mermaid chatters for a moment, her tone low and words steady, until her head snaps sharply to one side. She leans forward, looking at something in the deep water, and a smile slowly spreads over her lips.

“Get back up here, Ava,” he orders. “Now!”

I ignore him as she helps me position the claw onto one of the last two nail heads.

“Ava,” Hook growls.

Guess he’s used to obedience. Guess he’ll have to get used to dealing with someone who isn’t part of his crew…

I tear the nail away. The board rocks under the motion, but I cling to the rope. The mermaid gasps so long and hard I can almost feel it in my chest. “I’m sorry.”

Hook barks at Smee and whomever else is nearby and didn’t immediately take off into town to keep watch for another of her kind. The men spread out along the rail, weapons ready in case she climbs the hull.

It takes a few long moments for the mermaid I’m trying to save to catch her breath and calm her heart. I see it pounding beneath the thin sheen of scales covering her chest. She points to the second spike, and I hook the claw and swiftly yank at the hammer, but the nail doesn’t give. I try again. And a third time. She cries out at every attempt, but I can’t get it free.

I put my feet against the hull for leverage and try again. She cries out, but the stupid nail doesn’t budge even an inch. Did Smee hammer it in? If so, I might never get it out. He’s Hulk strong.

Hook is there, tense on the rail, ready to leap over if she tries to take me into the blue with her. I have a request he’s not going to like. His chest rises and falls like he’s calm, but his eyes are wide and sharp. Ready.

“Hey,” I call up to him. “Question. Did you get the golden salve from Belle?” It matched her eyes perfectly, a golden shimmering swirl.

“One of the few parting gifts she left us with,” he admits. “She couldn’t take us with her, so she left it for us to help when we were injured.”

“I want the last of it.”

I see the moment he realizes why I’m asking for it. His eyes widen. “For her?”

“For her,” I confirm.

“Not part of the negotiations,” he says brusquely, crossing his arms over his chest.

But I won’t be thwarted that easily. “Then I want to reopen them.”

“Ava, I won’t waste what precious little we have left on—”

“Please. I’ll ask Belle to give you more.”

He looks taken aback. “Why?”

Frustrated tears form in my eyes. Why am I so emotional here? I never cry. Never. But my heart just keeps shattering. Like the first blow on Neverland’s shore wasn’t enough and the hits won’t stop coming until all that’s left is heart dust. “I don’t know why. I just know that I need it. Right now.”

Smee steps closer to Hook. “There’s barely a swipe left – if that. That little amount won’t help us much anyway.”

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