Voices waft up to us from below, and then I hear the violin kicking up in the back garden. Nessie is in the dining room, checking over the long table and making sure everything’s in place for dinner. I thought we’d be eating outside like we do for most meals, but I suppose it makes sense to have something a bit more formal for guests.
Widow gasps. “That’s her.”
I look toward the direction she’s turned. “Yes. Told you.”
Tiger Lily is wearing a light blue dress that reminds me of a sarong with the way it’s wrapped around her and leaves her midriff bare. Her Guardians are with her, all of them standing on the back porch and keeping close to each other. The only one I don’t see is Shiner.
“They don’t seem too friendly,” Widow says. “But we are enemies, more or less, so that makes sense.”
“I’m surprised they’d come to meet with Hook.”
“Allegiances change all the time. Same thing happened back when I was on the mainland.”
She has a point. It’s not as if opinions and beliefs can’t change. No one knows that better than I do.
“Moira?” Shiner sidles up to me, a wine glass already in her hand.
“Hey! I was looking for you.”
“You two know each other?” Widow asks.
“Yeah, she kidnapped me one time.”
Shiner nods and takes a big swig of her wine. “Good to see you again. We’d gotten word Hook had you, so we assumed the worst.” She mimes being hung in a disturbingly accurate way. “But here you are, safe and sound.” She squints a little as she surveys my face. “No worse off than when I found you.”
“So, you knew Peter was making me sick?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“I’m just going to go see if Tiger Lily wants a drink.” Widow backs away. “I’ll be back.”
Shiner comes around to stand in front of me. “I wasn’t sure.”
“You weren’t sure that I was starting to look like the crypt keeper?”
She cocks her head to the side, one of her braids falling in her face. She swipes it away. “The what?”
“Never mind.” I try to swallow my irritation, but a bit of it still leaks out. “You could’ve just told me he was using me. I needed help. I still do.”
“Sounded like you were getting plenty of help a little while ago.” She glances at the staircase.
“Ugh.” I turn and walk toward the dining room.
“Wait.” She takes my elbow, gently though. “Sorry. Look, I’m sorry.”
I meet her eyes again.
“We didn’t know what you knew and what you didn’t know. Of course, when Tiger Lily talked to you a bit more, we realized you were completely in the dark. And it’s not like we know anything for certain. Still don’t. We would’ve told you our suspicions, but Peter had already found you. There’s nothing we could’ve done without risking a fight.”
I try to think of it from her point of view. After all, Iwasa stranger to them, and it’s been made perfectly clear to me from Peter and Hook that Tiger Lily will do anything to protect her people.
“If I could go back, I would’ve warned you. All right?”
I try to read sincerity in her eyes. Staying mad would be easy, but Shiner seems earnest. I’m not going to trust easily. Not anymore. But I finally relent. “I understand.”
She seems to relax a little and lets go of my elbow, then looks around the room. “This is a nice place, if you’re into that sort of thing. You’re staying here, then? For good?”
“No.”
“So you’re going back to Peter?”
