“Peter.” I choke on his name.
“Has he touched you?” He looks down my body. “Has he taken what’s mine?”
My vision begins to fade, and I fight harder, slapping at him and trying to break his hold.
He grabs my hair and pulls until I scream, then turns me around and shoves me face-first into the tree. Pain blooms on my cheek as his other hand returns to my throat.
“You are mine.” His hot breath is against my ear. “Every part of you. The island gave you tome. Not him. Now you are coming back to the cave. You are going to do what I say. You are going to tell stories. Do you understand?”
“No!” I yell.
“Yes, Moira.” His grip tightens on my aching throat again. “When I say that you are mine, I mean it. It means I can do what I want with you.Anything.” He licks the shell of my ear, and I try to break away. I get nowhere. “That includes killing you if I want to.” He turns me around and forces me to look down at Geo’s corpse. His face is sunken, the bones showing through.
“I could do that to you, Moira. Maybe I should have.” He pushes me closer to the body. “Is that what you want?”
“Stop!” I try for my cutlass again.
He grips my wrist and wrenches it behind me. “I won’t. Not until I get what I need from you.”
“Let her go.”
“James!” I scream his name at the sound of his voice.
“James?” Peter growls and twists my arm even farther up my back until my shoulder screams with pain. “You two are on a first name basis now?” He wheels me around to where Hook is standing, his blade drawn and fire in his eyes.
“Let her go.”
“Why would I? She’s mine.” He backs away, dragging me with him.
“Moira—”
“DidJamestell you all sorts of lies about me?” Peter’s tone is gleeful. “I bet he did. Did he make himself out to be the real hero?” He shouts at Hook. “Did you?”
“Just let the girl go, and you and I can finally finish this.” Hook steps closer.
Peter only drags me back farther until we’re under the lantern. “You want me to let go of my boon? No. I’d rather tell her the truth about you, Captain Hook.”
“You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you in your lying ass.”
“I’m not the liar, though, am I? You are. Did you tell her about her mother?” Peter giggles. “Did you?”
I meet Hook’s eyes. “What’s he talking about?” I barely push the words past Peter’s grip.
“Did he tell you how he’s the one who drove her mad? When he came looking for you again and again, poisoning her mind with Neverland magic because he thought you were meant to be his? Isn’t that right,Captain?” Peter snarls.
“James?” I don’t want to believe it.
“He can’t deny it. When Wendy left, he realized his life of fighting and murdering wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He asked the island for love, and then he got it into his head that one of Wendy’s descendants was meant for him. He fixated on you. And then he drove your mother mad over it.”
My head begins to pound, my heart hammering in my chest. “James?” I demand.
“I did visit your mother, but—”
“What?” I fight against Peter’s hold, but he doesn’t let up.
“That’s how he knew all about you. Your mother,” Peter whispers in my ear. “He even sent spies.”
“Lass, you have to listen to me.” Hook moves closer, his eyes on Peter. “Peter will say anything to convince you he’s good. Anything at all. You mustn’t believe a word he says.”
