The boys raced to the window. One leaned out so far, Tink reached for him on instinct. Not that she could move her arms or get there in time to pull him back.
“He looks angry,” Freckles said.
“That a hook?” Blondie asked.
“Cool!”
“Kids?” The disbelief in Hook’s voice was impossible to miss. “Is there a young woman up there with you?”
“No,” Red said, “but there’s a pixie.”
Durin’s beard. Can these kids not shut up?
“Well, now.” Hook’s tone shifted to one of pleasant surprise. “How about you hand her over to me?”
“Don’t talk to him,” she said quickly. “He’s—”
“She’s our pixie!” Red shouted back.
Well, okay fine, maybe it wasn’t so bad if they talked to him. At least they were all distracted. Tink twisted her arms and flexed her wings, wincing at the pain. If she could just get free, she could fly away and leave this all behind.
“I could pay you,” he called.
The boys looked at each other. “How much?” Red asked.
“But the dust…” the little one whined.
The skinniest kid—who’d yet to utter a word—grabbed at his stomach as it let out a loud rumble.
They were hungry. Even if she had dust to give them, they needed Hook’s offer.Damn him.
“Catch,” Hook called.
Blondie grabbed at the small object, nearly dropping it back out the window before he pulled it in and held it up to the light. A gold coin sparkled and glittered. The other kids leaned in. Freckle’s mouth gaped open.
“It real?” Blondie asked.
Red took the coin and bit it. “Real enough.”
“I’ve got more where that came from,” Hook called.
Red called the other boys together. They whispered in a huddle, though the words were loud enough to know they spelled her doom. She nearly screamed in frustration when the ropes refused to budge. If only she had some dust left, maybe she could buy her way out of this. She tried to stand but slipped and tumbled to the ground.
“Well?” Hook asked.
Red nodded and broke away from the huddle.
“Wait,” Tink said, craning her neck up to look at the lead boy. “I can get you dust. Not this minute, but I’ll get some and come back.”
He looked between her and the window.
“You can sell it,” she added. “It’s worth a lot to the right buyer.”
Red knelt in front of Tink and held up the gold. “Maybe you’re a pixie, maybe you’re not. And maybe you’re telling the truth, but maybe not. This. This is real.” He turned to the window. “You’ll have to come up and get her.”
“Let me in then, mates.”
Rope dug into Tink’s side as she wiggled on the floor. “Don’t. Please.”
