“It’s all right.” Hook takes my hand in his. “Once we find the Spinner, this will all be handled.”
“But what if we can’t find her? My mother never could.” I still can’t believe she’d been here, living a million lives, but all the while chained to the mainland in her physical body.
Though I’ve feared turning out like her, I realize that isn’t the case. I’ve never once lapsed back to the mainland, never found myself staring at a cinderblock wall, never felt the pull to some other place and time. I’mhere. Body and soul, I’m right here. I share my mother’s ailment to a degree, but I don’t suffer as she did. I’m not torn in two, only reuniting with the other half of myself for stolen moments here and there. I’m fully involved, every bit of me attuned to Neverland.
“Heart is still all right. Not as strong as it should be, but it’s still kicking.” Skylights puts the metal horn on the desk and drops to one knee to inspect the mermaid bite. “This looks really good.” He presses his fingers along it. “Healed well, even if it took a while.” Looking up, he peers into my eyes, one after the other. “Good. May I?” He takes my free hand and inspects the healing wounds along my palm. “How’d you get these?”
“I had to climb out of the cave. Some of the rocks were sharp, and there were roots, too. They cut me. My feet too—they took a beating.”
“Let me see.” He inspects one foot, then the other. “I can still see some remnants of the Guardian’s salve on these. They aren’t too bad.”
“They don’t hurt like they used to.” I sigh as Hook pulls me to his side. I rest my head on his shoulder.
“You’ve been through a lot.” Skylights stands up, his gaze lingering on my face.
I don’t hide this time. What’s the point? He already knows what Peter’s done to me. I suppose I’m glad there isn’t a mirror in here, at least not one I’ve found.
“Does anything hurt, lass?” Hook kisses my hair. “Tell me.”
“No more than usual.” I sound tired. No, more than tired, I sound utterly worn out.
“I’ve already set a course for the Fairy Village. It’ll take us a few days to get there with the winds this time of the season, but we’ll get there. I promise you, Moira. We’ll get there, and we’ll find the Spinner. You’re going to be all right.” He gently takes my chin and turns my face toward his. “Say you believe me, lass.”
I want to believe him. Isn’t that how fairy tales end? Everything working out and the heroine sailing off into the sunset with her youth in one hand and her love in the other? But I can’t see that future. Not when I live in the shadow of Neverland, of Peter.
“She needs rest.” Sky gives Hook a pointed look.
“I suppose I’ll need your permission before I ravish her then?” Hook gives Sky a pointed look right back.
“Apologies, Captain.” Skylights grabs his bag and heads for the door. “Call me if her condition … changes.”
“You were going to say ‘worsens’.” My voice is still streaked with hoarseness from where Peter’s shadow strangled me.
“Sleep well” is all Skylights adds as he hurries out and closes the door behind him.
“No ravishing then?” I give Hook a half smile. “What sort of pirate are you?”
“The sort who will do any number of heinous, highly suspect, and seriously illicit things to you the moment you’re feeling better.” He kisses me, still fierce, but also with an underlying tenderness.
I run my hands along his sandpaper cheeks and into his impossibly soft hair. “I’ve missed you so much,” I murmur against his lips.
“I’ll never be parted from you again, lass.” He lays me down, then settles in next to me, pulling the blanket over us as he nestles me against his chest. “Rest now. We’ll sail her smooth and easy all the way up the island.”
“Has any voyage of yours ever been ‘smooth and easy’?”
“Now that you mention it …” He chuckles, the sound low and so damn sexy.
I may be worn out, but I’m not dead. Not yet. I push up and kiss him. He answers, his tongue sweeping against mine as he pulls me fully on top of him. Moving against him, I feel how hard he is, and I want it. All of him.
“You came for me,” I breathe and look down at him. “I mean, it took you a while, but—” I squeal as he turns me over and pins me onto my back.
“Do you have any idea what it felt like when I realized you’d run off?” His sexy growl vibrates through me.
“I—”
“Rhetorical, lass. Because I’ll tell you. I wasafraid.” He kisses me again, as if he can’t bear not to. “I’ve known fear on the sea plenty of times. Worry for my crew. But what I felt when I took off after you—that sort of terror …” He shakes his head, his dark hair tickling along my forehead. “It’s not something I recognize. It was like you had my heart in your hand, and you were squeezing it, lass. Squeezing the blood from it and killing me slowly, painfully, the way I deserve.”
“You always get so dark so fast,” I whisper.
