Another brazen laugh rips from me, the sound shot-through with tears. “Look around, Spinner! Do you see any powerful people lining up to die for me?”
She directs a pointed glance at Hook.
“No!” I get to my feet. “No way.”
“You said it yourself. He’s in love with you. He’d do anything to save you.”
I glare at her. Tinker Bell’s demeanor makes more and more sense to me as I speak to the Spinner. The cold, calculating way of the fae isn’t particular to just Tink. Though it’s not malicious. If anything, it’s the soul of practicality. Transactional.Tit for tat. Balance the scales.
She bows her head. “I’m sorry. I’m only trying to help.” She turns to the side quickly, as if she’s heard something. Her pointed ear seems to vibrate as she listens.
“What?”
“He’s coming for you.” She looks up toward the moon that’s almost directly overhead. “Peter will be here any moment.” She bares her fangs.
“I have to wake up.” I look at my body still huddled in Hook’s arms. “Wake me up!” I yell at the Spinner.
She darts forward and presses her thumb to my forehead.
I jolt awake.
“Moira!” Hook yells.
“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 gazedarkens. “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.
