Blood in the Water: The Lost Tale of Captain Hook (M.A. Kersh Series Book 1)

Long before they were legends, they were two boys hidden away in the cold halls of the Moore Orphanage in Wales—Peter, the older child with a smile too sharp to trust, and James, the abandoned infant who grew into a lonely dreamer wishing for a life beyond the gray walls.But in Wales, every whispered wish is heard… and answered.When a Scarlet Fairy sets her hungry eyes on James’s soul, the boy discovers the terrible truth behind fae magic—deals that demand blood, and promises that always cost more than they offer. Only the sacrifice of a loving nun spares James from the fairy’s grasp, binding him forever to vengeance.Peter knows none of mercy and all of cruelty. His wicked cleverness twists James’s plan for revenge into something far more monstrous. Summoning a Green Fairy of his own, Peter forges a deal no child ever should: eternal youth, the power of the fae, and a new purpose—stealing souls for the Ninth Realm, the Lost Island long known as Neverland.Years later, James—now Hook—has mastered the sea, the sword, and every dark corner of magic the world tries to hide. When Pan returns, unchanged and unholy, James learns the truth: every stolen child, every lost soul, every enchanted horror is because of him.To right that wrong, Hook must cut through the veils between worlds, hunt the fae that ruined him, and bring war to Neverland itself.But in a realm where time fractures, where fairies lie beautifully, and where wishes become curses, even a pirate seeking redemption may not make it out whole.In this dark and dazzling reimagining, truths are twisted, heroes are not what they seem, and every wish—no matter how innocent—demands a price. Read more