Neverland: Appetite for Murder

It all began with the death of a mermaid centuries ago. An accident, surely. Her tail had gotten caught in the jagged reef below, trapping her. It had to be an accident, right? But as the years passed, the accidents turned into something darker: murders, sacrifices, with no one knowing what to do. This time, it started with the attempted murder of Smee. But Smee, being the man he was, fought for his life and escaped—after injuring her. Yes, her. He hadn’t seen her face, but he knew. It was a woman. Her next victim was Marina Pearlshine, a mermaid. These jealous creatures, the murderer mused with a smug smile. So possessive, so vain—and yet so easy to deceive. They were supposed to be smarter than this, weren’t they? Setting the bait was almost laughable, and with a little help, she dragged Marina beneath the surface and slashed her throat. At least, that’s what the whispers said. No two murders were ever the same. Next came Glimmer, a pixie. She was trapped in a glass container made of foloxumpixistem—a poison fatal to pixies. She suffered for hours, dying a slow, excruciating death. Her screams were muted, sealed behind the glass, but the agony etched into her tiny face told the whole story. Or so the tales went. Aeropex, the winged lion, was more of a challenge. He fought with every ounce of strength, but her accomplice—whoever they were—was stronger. They twisted his mind, clouded his senses, until Aeropex scribbled a final message intended for Peter and his Alpha, Arkeia. But when all was said and done, it appeared that Aeropex had taken his own life. Or at least, that’s what people were led to believe. Killing a faerie was even more difficult than slaying a Never Beast. Faeries were never alone, after all, so the plan required creativity. When Willow Mistywood was finally isolated, she was taken. The murderer waged war against her mind, unraveling her sanity. Once again, the victim tried to reach out to Pan and her queen, Piper Dewdrop. This time, a letter was sent—a single “W.” But Willow never finished her message. She was shot point-blank in the head, using a pirate’s gun. Not one of Hook’s, of course. The murder had been meticulously staged to frame another crew. Or so the rumors claimed. Finley McSweeney, a fresh recruit aboard the Jolly Roger, was next. His body was discovered ripped apart from the inside out, strewn across the deck. It was a grotesque sight, enough to make Hook and his men sick to their stomachs. They blamed it on why they were cleaning in the dead of winter. The natives, once confident in their invincibility, learned the hard way that no one was truly untouchable. Cheyenne Nightshade was found dead, a knife buried in her gut. She was hoisted onto a flagpole for all to see—a brutal message to her people. Or so Neverland whispered in fear. The final strike came for Cody, a Lost Boy. At 6’5”, lean, and built like a rugby player, with jet-black hair and piercing green eyes, he was the kind of boy who seemed impossible to take down. But somehow, he hadn’t seen it coming. Knocked out cold, Cody was strung high above the Lost Boys’ armory, a knife driven into his chest, his massive frame dangling lifelessly in the wind. And there he hung, a warning—bloody, motionless, and silent.