Author's Note:

Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for sticking with me and this story! I look forward to reading your reviews/thoughts on this chapter!

ALSO-Important SoulMark information I forgot to add (I will go back to chapter 1 and add it for future readers).

When SoulMarks appear there are two different physical reactions, depending on the quality of the word. Negative words will appear with a burning sensation, while neutral or positive words appear in a much more subtle manner. The sensation of neutral or positive words appearing can be described as a warm tingling or itch (depending on who you ask). This adds another layer of division between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost since most of the words that litter the Isle residents are negative and most of the words on Auradonians are positive or neutral. Many Isle residents are bitter about this difference, believing it yet another unfair Auradon privilege.

Warning:

Panic attack (idk just covering my bases)

Chapter 4: No, no, no

"So it's true," she gave a deep sigh and frowned in mock-sympathy, "you really have no soulmate."

"It's no surprise really though," she stated as if it was obvious to everyone, "someone as broken as you wouldn't have a soulmate would they?"

"Who are you to me?"

"I don't know," she squeezed out of her throat.

~...~...~

Cassie roused from her nap, blinking at the late evening colors that flittered through the multiple-colored window panes of Mal's old room in Bargain Castle.

Last night, despite the adrenaline and fear that had plagued her, she had fallen asleep almost as soon as she had placed her head on the pillow.

Briefly she wondered if it was all just a bad dream. The cuts on her palms however proved that it had all been all too real. All the memories flooded back to her and the last bit of sleepiness was shocked out of her. She had almost died.

She had been so full of adrenaline last night that she hadn't even felt the glass digging into her palms as she pulled herself through that broken window. It made itself known to her now though as the stinging feeling sent prickles up and down her palm and forearm.

That took priority Cassie decided, pushing the creeping memories and thoughts about last night to the back of her mind. Anything to not have to think about last night. It was a distraction that wouldn't last but all the same she would grab at it. She was self-aware enough to know the feelings and emotions from last night were still too fresh. If she tried to recall last night's events now, that same fear would crawl up her spine again.

So it was with grim determination that Cassie went to Mal's private bathroom. It had seemed strange at first, one person getting a whole bathroom designated just to them. It had certainly taken some getting used to, but after a while Cassie had begun to see the benefit in it. The bathroom was spray-painted as well, just like the walls of the bedroom. Images and icons that represented the core four artfully covered the walls along with Mal's signature "long live evil."

Running her hands under the sink brought a hiss of pain from the small-framed girl. The cuts weren't terribly deep, they would heal in a week or so, which was one bright spot. Cassie turned to the cabinet with her trembling hands and fumbled around as she groped awkwardly for the large bandages or gauze, whichever she found first.

The water had re-opened her wounds and bright red, watered-down blood dripped down onto the white porcelain of the sink and slid back down her wrist and forearm as she searched. She would have to wipe that up—after the bandages though. It was awkward and a little clumsy, but Cassie got her hands properly bandaged up and then shifted her focus to the wet feeling under her jacket sleeves. She grabbed the damp rag she had used to clean up her palms.

Rag in hand, Cassie carefully pushed up the sleeves, mindful not to wipe the blood up with her jacket sleeves but to simply push the sleeves up to her elbow.

"Oh shit." Cassie's brown eyes zeroed in on her right forearm.

Stretching out from her inner elbow in dark blood red font was a new word, and she recognized it.

She heard her own words echo loudly, as if it was echoing off of the porcelain walls and tile floors.

"It's no surprise really though, someone as broken as you wouldn't have a soulmate would they?"

~...~...~

After hearing a full recount of the events of the previous night Uma pursed her lips thoughtfully as she mulled over the details in her head. A lot had been said, but nothing illuminated.

"So," the captain spoke in a nonchalant tone as she reiterated for clarity, "you didn't figure out what the connection between you and her is?"

A shake of her first mate's head affirmed what she had thought.

That left one question, "Did you see any SoulMarks?" Uma didn't know whether it would be better if Harry's mystery girl did have any or not. If the girl, Cassie apparently, did have any then a large part of her hoped that they indicated that her first mate was somehow her match—and if she didn't have any then maybe they were still a match. Two blank-slates were rare, but it could happen.

Another shake from her first mate's head though, "She was covered head to toe in black," the first mate rubbed at the back of his neck, having to reach his fingers under his jacket and shirt collar to massage at the place where his neck and back connected. Uma and Gil watched the tall brunette's eyebrows scrunch together in thought as he recalled her outfit, "She had some headband with cat ears on."

"Huh." Uma said thoughtfully. That was...interesting. This new detail, in addition to his earlier description of her general appearance, painted a pretty clear picture. Unfortunately the description didn't match anyone she had ever seen.

Still no answers found.

"Well," her patience was wearing thin with all these dead-ends, "What did you find out?"

Harry's face soured at her tone, but he let it glide past him instead of responding to it.

"I don' think she's doin' it on purpose, maybe she's not even doin' it at all," at his captain's and Gil's puzzled looks Harry elaborated, "She acted all surprised like she had no clue what I was talkin' about an' I got the sense she wasn't faking."

Uma didn't even know what to make of that, but she accepted it with a nod. Her first mate's instincts were sharp and he was rarely wrong when it came to this sort of thing.

This time Gil spoke his thoughts, "So, what are you going to do?" Gil's usually chipper attitude was weighed down by the possibly serious ramifications that Harry's answer could have, "Can we recruit her?" came his hopeful suggestion.

While Uma's eyebrow raised in thoughtful consideration, Harry's eyebrows drew together with troubled thoughts. Harry didn't get to voice his thoughts though as Uma spoke up first.

"No," came her surprising answer, followed swiftly by, "not until we know more about her." The two boys could see the gears grinding away in her expression.

"An' how are we supposed to do that?" Harry was the first to challenge that idea, "I followed that little kitty all around the inner isle, she's impossible to track." Uma didn't miss the slight tinge of pride in Harry's voice when he said that last bit.

"So we don't try to follow her." Uma countered, "Someone on the Isle has to know her." understanding crossed the two males' features and it was with a sense of pride at her own plan that Uma continued, "We'll start sending word out, asking around, until we find whoever knows something about this 'kitty' of yours."

~...~...~

The panic developed gradually and almost imperceptibly.

The more she stared at the new addition to her upper forearm the more she could feel the panic growing, until finally it spilled out.

"No, no, no, no" she shook her head, her eyes locked onto the word. Her word.

Broken

Every detail about him and last night overwhelmed her in a surge of scattered thoughts and memories. The first memory to come to her had the strongest emotional imprint. It was with a shiver down her spine that she remembered the panic of running away, hearing him roar her name furiously. Scary.

He had threatened to hook her. She remembered the SoulMark on her right shoulder; Murderer.

He had hunted her and when he found her in that storage building he had even seemed to have enjoyed the hunt. Sadistic.

Hades, he was Captain Hook's son. Pirate.

'No, no, no, no, no,' her mind chanted. This didn't make any sense. He was known for not having any SoulMarks. The evidence was stacking up though, beyond coincidence.

Cassie tried recalling her SoulMarks looking for some discrepancy.

Handsome. Even in her panic she couldn't deny that.

Flirt. Man-whore. He had flirted with her, like a cat playing with its food. If she wasn't so panicked Cassie might have had enough humor to snort at that. Her soulmate had flirted with her.

With shame she realized she had liked it. The attention had felt good and she had been drawn to him for some reason she didn't understand at the time. Well now she understood.

Her mind came to the SoulMarks that wrapped around her upper arm like a tribal tattoo and stretched from her ribs to her hip respectively: First Mate and Second Best. Did those match him? She clenched her eyes shut against the nausea that circled around her head. Cassie recalled the first night she had seen him. He was standing beside the female captain. He wasn't the captain but someone in her inner circle. Would that be a first mate? That sounded right. It made sense. If he wasn't the captain then he was the second closest thing to captain.

Her soulmate was a madman. The Captain Hook's son. She could feel all the heat drain from her body at that thought.

Oh Hades, her father was right. Soulmates were dangerous.

"No, no, no." she began scrubbing at her right forearm with the damp, bloodied rag, willing the word to be erased by her frantic movements. This couldn't be real. She added more pressure to her scrubbing, ignoring the burning rubs.

Her breath was becoming erratic and short, nearing hyperventilation. Cassie's heart was racing so much her chest hurt. Her heart pounded against her eardrums until that was all she could hear. It felt like the room was warping and twisting around her. Her head was spinning and felt light. It didn't even feel like she was attached to the floor anymore. Was she swaying? She certainly didn't feel like she was standing still. Cassie couldn't tell anymore.

It was with sickening nausea that Cassie realized she was having a panic attack. Her short breathes were becoming full-blown hyperventilation.

Oh Hades. Her eyes raced to the word that was still on her right forearm. She gripped at it with her left hand, covering and squeezing where the word was.

It felt like she was being smothered.

She couldn't breathe.

Cassie hunched over, quickly crumbling to her knees as she gasped for air. Panic gripped at her, trembling her core and nauseating her whole self. She was so dizzy, Cassie was on her side now, her temple against the cool tile floor. The whole room was spinning still, it was somehow even more nauseating from this angle. The tile and porcelain swirled together and swam in her vision.

The thought that she couldn't breathe gripped her and ran on repeat as she felt pain burn through her lungs.

Even as she took rapid, shallow breathes she could only think how she was being suffocated.

Black dots began to appear in her vision, stark against the white porcelain, they were tiny at first but quickly grew until darkness filled her entire vision.

With her vision gone, Cassie's other senses were heightened. The rapid intake and exhale of her breath filled her ears. Cassie tried to ignore that. Instead she focused on the feel of the cool tile under her. Slowly, in what felt like a lifetime, her symptoms began to gradually fade away. First her physical symptoms. Slowly her vision unclouded and her nausea passed. Her breath began to change from full-blown hyperventilation to ragged, sloppy breathes. Her chest and abdomen ached, but she could feel her breathes reaching all the way to her lungs. Every part of her body and soul felt both tired and tense.

Her whole face felt moist from her ragged breathes and what she assumed were tears.

The fear and anxiety did not go away though. It lingered and floated above her exhausted form. It was controlled for the time being, but by no means conquered.

Author's Note:

As someone who has had a panic attack or two, I felt the need to warn you ahead of time since I described it in detail. I know for a fact that if I hadn't been so lucky as to of had someone nearby snap me out of my attacks each time, I probably would have passed out. We're going to say Cassie is made of tougher stuff than me.

Review recognition time:

Lottielue1: I'm so glad you find my story so interesting! She is definitely an enigma-one he plans to unravel. Also! Coincidentally she has just figured it out~ Though I think it is safe to say she did not take the news well.

SARITA1998: Thank you for being a repeat commenter! I'm glad that my explanation cleared up any confusion that there might have been around that subject.

Historic Soldier: Ooooh, I really want to answer your question but I can't without giving spoilers-but it is safe to say that at some point Harry will get a SoulMark.

GreatBigBookofEverything: Thank you so much! I really do love hearing what people think of my story, thank you for reviewing~

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