Hook had not moved from the prow of his ship. The lanterns swayed above him, casting gold across his haunted face. He was thinking of Ivory again—her last words still ringing in his ears, her presence still ghosting across his chest like the touch of a tide he could never return to.
"Hook."
The voice cut through his thoughts like a blade. He turned to see Peter standing at the edge of the dock, half in shadow, the Everflame canopy glowing behind him.
"You'd better come," Peter said. His voice was calm, too calm. "Something's happened."
Hook hesitated, then jumped ashore. The sand crunched under his boots as he followed the boy through the grove.
And then he saw them.
The clearing was silent. Too silent. Every man of the Nocti tribe—every warrior, every hunter—stood frozen where they had been last night, their faces twisted in confusion or fear. Not a single one breathed. Not a single one blinked.
Stone.
Their bodies had turned to stone.
Even the Chief, his hand still half-raised as if reaching for his bow, was a cold statue under the canopy's glow.
Hook swore under his breath.
"They were like this when we woke," Tiger Lily said, her voice tight with rage. She stood with her spear in hand; her jaw clenched so hard her teeth might crack.
Elder Muniya's voice rang sharp across the grove. "This is what comes of letting the sailor step foot in our sacred ground. He brought this curse upon us!"
Hook's jaw tightened. "I didn't do this."
"Liar!" Tiger Lily spat. "You bring death and ruin wherever you go. First my mother, and now this!"
Before Hook could reply, a calm voice cut through the argument.
"No."
It was Thaliena. The sea-priestess glided into the circle, her luminous hair trailing behind her like moonlit foam. She placed a hand against the Chief's stone chest, her expression grave.
"This is not the sailor's doing."
"Then whose?" Muniya demanded.
Thaliena lifted her eyes to the canopy, which now glowed with a sickly green light.
"This looks like the work of Nagini."
At the name, the grove seemed to darken, the leaves rustling as though in dread.
Tinker Bell frowned. "Nagini?"
"The serpent queen," Thaliena said. "Favored of Selene, sworn to her will. When the sailor broke faith with the moon goddess and so, she has sent her pet to punish the tribe. The men are turned to stone as warning."
"And the women?" Peter asked, his voice sharp.
Thaliena's eyes flickered toward the distant sea.
"They are meant for Nerissa," she said softly. "Selene's siren-child builds her army, and she will take what remains. Unless we act."
A hush fell over the clearing.
Then Thaliena turned, her voice suddenly sharp as a breaking wave.
"Peter. Hook. Moonchild."
Tinker Bell's wings trembled. "Me?"
"All three of you," Thaliena said. "You must find Nagini's lair. Somewhere in the Serpent's Hollow lies the Charm Stone. Bring it back before the next moonrise. If you fail—"
She glanced at the statues, her expression hardening.
"These men will crumble to dust. Their spirits will be lost forever."
The Everflame flared, casting everything in red-gold light.
Hook crossed his arms. "Serpent's Hollow. Of course it would be there. Half the maps say it doesn't exist."
"It exists," Thaliena said. "But the Hollow moves with the tides. You will need a guide."
"I'll guide myself," Hook muttered.
"Not this time," Thaliena said. "Without the blessing of the Everflame, the Hollow will devour you. I will give you that blessing—but it will cost you."
Hook met her gaze. "Name the price."
"You must swear," Thaliena said, "that if you find Nagini, you will not kill her. The stone must be taken by cunning, not by blood. If her blood is spilled, the curse will become eternal."
Hook grimaced but nodded. "Fine."
Peter said nothing, but his golden eyes gleamed.
Thaliena stepped closer to him. "And you, boy. Whatever you are—you must not lose yourself when you face her. Nagini feeds on the anger of men. She will try to twist you."
Peter's lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. "Let her try."
The priestess did not smile back. "If you fall, we all fall."
The blessing was given. The path was named.
Before dawn, Peter, Hook, and Tink prepared to leave for the Hollow. The women of the tribe watched in silence, some with fear, some with hope.
And in the shadows, unseen, one of those women slipped away. She walked with measured steps, making sure no one was trailing her. Past the glowing roots, past the reach of the firelight, until she stood at the edge of the canopy where the shadows grew deep.
A low hoot broke the silence.
From the branches above, a great white owl descended — its wings soundless, its golden eyes glowing like twin moons.
"My lord," she whispered, bowing low.
Khansuki, Selene's owl, tilted his head.
"They are going after Nagini," she said softly. "The boy with golden eyes, that sailor, and the fairy. They plan to take the charm stone before Goddess Selene takes her full form. If they succeed…"
Khansuki's wings flared, and his shadow stretched long over the forest floor.
The owl gave a low, approving hiss before lifting silently into the night sky.
She stood there for a long time after he vanished, her face lit only by moonlight.
Then, with the faintest smile, she turned back toward the canopy — toward the women she had sworn to protect.
Tiger lily approached her, a bit disappointed. Where were you? I have been looking for you, but you were nowhere to be found. They left without your blessing," she snapped.
Where were you, Grandma?
"I was praying for them," Elder Muniya murmured, fingers still dusted with ash. she said, with her eyes gleaming... "To our deity, of course. For their success and protection for our women from that siren.
All will unfold as it must," Elder Muniya whispered. "You fret too easily, child. Your grandmother will restore the balance." Her smile was slow, deliberate—like a spell being cast