“Yes. It was doing that whole kidnap thing—which I’m so flippin’over, by the way—but it pretty much dropped me and headed back this way.”
Hook turns and strides away as if we hadn’t just been having a conversation.
“Hey!” I cock my head to the side. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to the Jolly Roger where you’ll be safe. We have to get to the Fairy Village.” His eyes search my face. “Now.”
“But where’s Peter? What happened?” I wriggle in his hold. “Wait!”
He stops. “Wait for what? That bellend to take you again?” He shakes his head. “No, Moira. I won’t let him lay another finger on you. I can’t bear it.”
The Lost Boys have all but vanished now, retreated to the forest.
“Peter fled.” Tiger Lily catches up. “The moment his shadow had you, he turned tail.”
“And ran right into me.” Hook smirks, a look of malice in his midnight eyes. “I suppose that’s why his shadow let you loose. His master needed him. I had him beat, my sword through his gut, but his fucking shadow pulled him free and flew away with him.”
“You fought him again?”
“That’s all I seem to do, lass. Fight that cocky little shit over and over again. But no more.” He pulls me against him, squeezing me like he wants to meld our bodies together. “He’s going to die for what he’s done.” He begins walking again, carrying me away.
I don’t deny the relief I feel, the simple joy of knowing he’s alive. But I haven’t forgotten what Peter said about my mother. I realize Peter has been poisoning my mind ever since we first met, but that part has stuck with me. A thorn in my paw that I can’t remove. Only one person can.
“Go ahead and ask me.” Hook stares into my eyes. “I can hear all that machinery clanking in there, lass.”
Tiger Lily and the others are still walking along with us, escorting us back to the Jolly Roger. More pirates join, and I realize Hook brought the entire crew with him. For me. He brought the entire force of his pirate army to bear because he was trying to get tome.
“Do you want me to rut you in front of all these Guardians, lass? Is that your cup of tea? Because I will if you keep eye-fucking me like that.”
Starkey snickers, and Widow elbows him as they trail behind us.
“Stop threatening me with a good time.” I’m stalling. I have to ask him, but do I want to know the answer? If it’s bad, then maybe I don’t. Because … Because I’ve fallen in love with this villain, this man of myth who is anything but one-dimensional. He has more facets than one of his stolen jewels, and I want to see every one of them—those that shine and those that don’t.
He jumps down a short drop, and I yelp and grab onto him more tightly.
“I’ve got you, lass. Don’t you worry.” He keeps going, trudging through the forest like he’d know the path to the sea even if he were blindfolded.
“What Peter said,” I start haltingly. “What he said about my mother?” I look into his eyes and imagine I’ll know if he’s telling the truth or lying. Or maybe it’s not my imagination. Maybe Icanread him. Maybe my heart knows his so well that a lie would make a hollow-sounding beat instead of the constant snare that rat-a-tats through me whenever he’s near.
“Is that your question, lass?”
“Don’t make it harder than it has to be,” I scold.
“Oh, it’s already plenty hard.”
Tiger Lily clears her throat. “Guardians, fan out. They could still be hiding in the trees. If you see a Lost Boy, you know what must be done.”
Several of the Guardians break off from our main group and disappear into the thickets and behind the thick trunks that mark this section of the island. The fantastical flowers bloom here, their petals reaching for the elusive moon.
I try to steel myself as best I can, but I know I’m one wrong word away from crumbling. “Did you … did you visit her?”
“Yes.” His answer makes a yawning pit open in my stomach, a swirling black hole that threatens to turn me inside out and swallow me whole. My mouth goes dry, my hands sweaty.
“Did you drive her mad?”
He sighs. “I don’t think so, no. But how can I be sure?”
A reprieve, one that saves me from falling apart … for now. “Tell me what happened.”
