Cookson swims even better than he cooks. I learn this as he pulls me to the surface and drags me onto the upper deck.
Hook is already there to grab my hand and pull me the rest of the way up, as if he was about to come get me, and knowing him—he definitely was. “Are you hurt?” He swipes the water from my face. His shirt has blotches of purple blood on it, and there’s angry red marks at his throat with an imprint of small circles.
“No. But I shot a cannon.” I grin.
“I told you to stay put.” He gives me a rough kiss, then turns and yells, “Smee, beach her! Straight ahead, but steady as she goes.”
“Are we careening, Captain?” Smee calls, his voice a fearful warble.
“It’s either that or sink!” Hook sits beside me and pulls me into his lap. “Are you certain you weren’t hurt?” He inspects my cheek.
Cookson tosses Shiner onto the deck beside me, then disappears into the dark water again. She coughs and takes a deep breath.
“Lass, eyes on me.” Hook keeps searching me for injuries and focuses on my cheek.
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch from when a cannonball went sailing past my face. Did you say we’re ‘careening’? Does that mean something in sailor-talk?”
“Aye, lass. Luckily, it’s high tide. We can beach the Jolly Roger, fix her up with some scrap timber that will soon be available—” He glances at Anne’s destroyed ship. “Once we’ve got it patched and pitched, we can set sail.”
“How long will that take?”
“Two moonrises.” He tries not to glower.
That’s when I realize he’s putting on a brave face. He’s worried about the ship or me. Maybe both.
“Will the Jolly Roger be all right?” I can’t imagine all the water filling the lower decks is a good thing. In fact, I don’t know why we haven’t sunk yet. I’m not going to ask him that, though. Things are bleak enough already.
“This is a temporary fix. Once we’re out of this mess with the island, I can dry dock her at Blackbeard’s Cay and give her the attention she deserves.” He pushes my wet hair from my forehead and looks into my eyes. “We have to make some quick repairs and get back to sea, lass. The sooner we get you to the Spinner, the sooner I’ll be able to breathe.”
He’s not concerned about the ship he’s devoted his entire life to. It’smehe’s worried about. It strikes a chord deep within me, one that sings out with a passionate note. I kiss him, just a soft pressof my lips to his. Because he’s mine. Because I’m his. Because I’ve finally found someone who feels like home.
“Shiner?” Skylights appears from the water that’s filling the lower deck. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” She gives him a ‘fuck off’ look.
“Guess the pill worked?” He sounds cocky. Interesting. Sky’s never struck me as the cocky sort, but I see Shiner brings out a different side in him. Afeistyside.
“Don’t cream yourself over it.” Shiner stands and stalks away to the front of the ship, probably secretly happy that we’re about to be on land again.
“Is there anyone else below?” I sit up. “Cecco?”
“I’m here, Miss Moira.” He’s turning a large crank that seems to be dropping the biggest sail.
“All my crew can swim as well as any mermaid. You don’t need to worry about them.”
“Mermaids.” I shiver.
“My pirates bite just as much, too.” He squeezes me.
“We’re almost aground!” Starkey yells from his spot in the crow’s nest, and I’m surprised he’s still hanging on up there.
“Hand me a line!” Hook yells.
Widow runs up with a coil of rope in her hands. “Captain.”
Hook scoots back until he’s against the smaller mast, then straps the rope around both of us. “Lower the mainsail!” He yells hisorder, and the crew moves into action, all of them pulling and hauling to do exactly what Hook wants.
The ship slows even more, the island looming large ahead of us.
