“Mmhmm.” Shiner grins. “You don’t care if we call him the nastiest son of a bitch under the moon?”
I scrape my fork across my plate. “Nope. Don’t care.”
Cobweb leans forward. “What if I said he was a whoreson’s whoreson with a cowardly streak a mile wide?”
“That … that wouldn’t matter to me.” I run my tongue along the front of my teeth.
Shiner nods. “What if I said Hook is the worst, lily-livered—”
“Okay, look.” I slam my fork down. “I don’t know how I feel about Hook right now, but I do know that he is one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. He protected me, took care of me, and put me first at all times when we were together.” I clamp my mouth shut and feel my cheeks begin to heat. Why can’t I just play it cool? Not to mention, why am I defending the monster who hurt my mother?
They all smile, and Shiner shakes her head at me. “You’re too easy to goad, Moira. Takes all the fun out of it.”
“Like I said, I don’t knowwhatI feel for him.” I give up on my food and set my plate down. “I can’t tell what he is—a villain or a …”
“A lover. Maybe he can be both.” Shiner grabs my plate and hands it back to me. “Eat. Valinx will feel bad if he sees you only ate a little.”
“Ugh.” I take the plate back. She’s right. I don’t want to upset Valinx. Now I’m irritated with myself for being so readable—Shiner knew just what to say to get me eating again. I’m a creature of guilt, always have been, and I never want to put anyone else out. I’ve always thought of that as a good part of my personality, but maybe it’s actually holding me back.
“Stop doing introspection. It makes everything weird,” Wraith intones.
“I’m not,” I say a little too sharply.
Cobweb snickers.
“You all don’t know me.” I keep eating, taking a big bite of what reminds me of fried tofu. “Don’t act like you can read me like a book. I have tons of mystery.”
“Sure, sure.” Shiner nods, clearly trying to pacify me.
“I mean it!” I finish my berries.
“Yes, very mysterious.” Wraith smirks.
I’m surrounded by assholes.
“I’ll have you know—”
A scream cuts through my oncoming tirade, and Bunk runs into the round house, a sword in his hand. “Lost Boys!”
My body goes cold, and I whip my head around to stare at the doorway, fully expecting Peter to stride through it.
Shiner, Cobweb, and Wraith are already moving, following Bunk out into the night. There’s barely a moon, the sky full of clouds after raining on and off for the past few hours.
“Stay put.” Tiger Lily rushes from the dark hallway, a bow in her hand and a sword strapped across her back. “We’ll handle this.”
I want to curl into the fetal position, become small and hide. The thought of Peter makes my skin prickle, like a million spiders racing all over my body. My stomach churns and I rise to my feet on wobbly knees.
Hurrying to the back wall, I pull out a short sword I’d stowed behind one of the barrels. I don’t think Tiger Lily would’ve taken it from me, but I didn’t want to test that theory.
Pressing my back against the wall, I just try to breathe, to push down the rising terror. It doesn’t work, and my stomach lurches, threatening to spill its contents. I swallow hard and focus on the sounds outside. No more screams. Only silence. But I see shadows roaming outside in the dark.
I can’t move. Peter’s shadow could come for me at any second. My breath catches, and I can’t seem to think. I can only stare, dread rising inside me like the tide carrying a body ashore.
A yell pulls my attention to the left, and I see two shapes fighting. The ring of metal-on-metal cuts through the stillness as they duel. More figures appear, all of them fighting as the sound grows. Grunts and yells, the clang of weapons, the screams of the injured.
“Don’t give up!” Peter’s voice hits me like a slap across the face. “Find my boon!”
The moon finally breaks through the clouds, and I see Peter dueling with Tiger Lily, the two of them bloodied as they dance back and forth, their swords cutting through the air with wicked intent.
