“Peter’s coming!” I scream.
Hook jumps to his feet and takes off toward the village at a dead run. I cling to him as he races toward the shelter of the trees and the buildings. The crew is waiting for us, all of them lined up with weapons in their hands, as if they were already primed for trouble. I suppose they were. The full moon is almost at its zenith.
When Hook reaches the safety of his crew, he veers to the left and kicks in the door to one of the cottages along the road. He takes me inside and lays me down on a sofa that smells musty but is comfortable, all the same.
“Where’d you go, lass?” He cups my cheeks. “I feared you were—” He stops himself. “Where’d you go?”
“I found the Spinner. I think she hides in dreams. Peter came and drained her people. There are still fae, though, in the mountains.”
“Why didn’t she help you?” His eyes search mine.
“She can’t. I mean, shecan, but …” I trail off. I don’t want to tell him the truth. If I do, I know he’ll volunteer to die for me. I won’t let him do that.
“But what, lass? What did she ask for in return?”
He knows. He knows more about the fae than most, so he’s probably already aware of the cost and the balancing. His gaze darkens. “I’ll give her whatever she needs to save you.” He turns and yells, “Spinner! Show yourself!”
“No!” I grab his arm. “No! That’s not the way. I won’t lose you. Do you understand? I can’t lose you.” I lean up and kiss him. A stolen kiss, one that I know should belong to another. But I don’t care. Not when death is right around the corner for me. Because even if he isn’t mine, I love him. I love him as if he was always meant for me.
He pulls back. “How about Anne? I’ll put her on the chopping block, no questions asked.”
“That’s horrible.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “You know that, right?”
“I know, but I’m happy to do it.”
I squeeze him as hard as I can, but I know he can barely feel it. I’m growing weaker by the second. “No, you wouldn’t be. The Spinner told me what you had to give up to make your wish.”
He pulls back and looks into my eyes. “She did?”
I nod. “You got your soul.” I press my palm to his chest. “Youfeltwhat you’d done. All those horrible things you told me about—that’s when you realized you were a villain, wasn’t it? When you made the bargain for love?”
He stills, his heart racing beneath my touch. With a quick dip of his head, he says, “Aye. It is as you say. I made my bargain, and in return, I got the full weight of my sins on my shoulders. I carry that burden still. I’ll carry it forever.” He presses his forehead to mine. “But it’s worth it, lass. For you.”
Forme. My throat closes as I try to tell him the truth—that I’m not his. That I never was. I have to tell him, but the emotion that rises inside me prevents anything from leaving but a whimper.
A scream cuts through the silence, then a sickly thud as a body hits the ground.
“I have to face him.” Hook slides a blade into my palm. “I’ll come back for you, lass. Sit tight.”
He runs out into the night and pulls his sword free as the cottage door swings closed again.
More screams and the sound of swords clashing gets me on my feet. I press myself to the wall by the window and peek out.
There are a handful of Lost Boys fighting with the pirates. Hook is after Peter, the two of them already locked in their never-ending combat. They duel with a ferocity that drips hate like venom from fangs. Each one wants to destroy the other, and I can only hope that Hook makes it out alive.
When a shadow passes in front of the window, I hold my breath. The chill of dread creeps along my skin when I realize it’s not justanyshadow. It’s Peter’s.
Slowly, I back away from the window and tuck myself between a wardrobe and the wall.
Something moves near the back of the room, and a cold sweat breaks out along my forehead. But when I turn my head just enough to get a look at it, I see it’s not Peter’s shadow. It’s another, one with bright red eyes and pointed ears. One of the fae that Peter drained. It has to be. It prowls from the house, and once outside, it lets out a scream that turns my stomach and makes my mouth go dry.
More screams answer it, dozens of them from all over the Fairy Village. Will they attack Peter, or will they kill anyone in their path?
My knees shake as I try to stay upright. I want to fight, to do something other than hide. But I can’t, not without being a liability for my friends. I’m too weak.
But I’ve realized something in the moments since I spoke with the Spinner: I’m not giving up. I can’t. My mother gave everything so that I could survive Peter. I won’t let her sacrifice be in vain. The pity party is officially over. I may not be able to kick any ass, but I’m not going to lay down and die, either. If this island wants me dead, it’s going to have to work for it.
With a new resolve, I take a deep breath and peer out from around the wardrobe again. Nothing moves in the house, and the shadow is gone from the window. That cursed version of Peter hasn’t caught me … yet. The sounds of battle continue, and I try to get a glimpse of Hook. He and Peter are past the arch now, the fight meandering back toward the sea. I can barely make them out, and something terrifying roars from the farmlands to my right.
