“There. Now you understand,” she says from the dark.
I stare at the gloom for a while, then realize I’m not going to get through to her. At least, not today. But I’ll keep trying. I grab her cup and plate, then climb back up, stop by the galley, and peek in on Cecco. He’s lying on his stomach reading a book, the wounds on his back covered with some sort of salve that Skylights cooked up.
“Ciao.” He waggles his fingers at me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a chewed-up piece of gristle, but it could be worse. At least my new tattoo remains untouched.” He glances over his shoulder at the skull Bill did for him. It barely escaped being stripped away, because a large swath of his back is still in tatters. “Sky found some special ingredients at the village, put a few in his pack. He made me a magic pill, andpresto, I’m feeling just fine.”
“I know the pills you mean. I’m glad he was able to whip something up for you, because I’m going to be honest, it looks really painful.”
“Oh, it is.” He sighs. “I hope this stuff doesn’t wear off for a long time.”
“What are you reading?” I point at the book.
“Just some novel I found stuffed under Bill’s mattress. I skipped to the good part.” He holds it up, and I catch the words ‘torn bodice’ and ‘turgid rod’ before my cheeks begin to heat.
“Looks like a classic.” I give him a thumbs up.
“I’ll let you borrow it when I’m done.” He turns to the next page. “Thanks for coming to see me.”
“No problem. You want water or anything?”
“I’ve got Clarita and Dom Antonio, star-crossed lovers who were never meant to fall in love, especially not when their parents forbade it. They’re all I need. Them and their fiery love affair.Molto caldo.” He focuses on the book, and I close his door.
I head to the upper deck. The breeze is a relief as it caresses my skin. I’m not particularly claustrophobic, but any time spent below decks can change that rather quickly.
It’s darker now, the moon hidden behind roiling clouds overhead. A rough wind blows past, pushing my hair back from my face and snapping the sail above me tight. The sea is an inky black, no stray light glinting off the tips of waves.
“Batten down the hatches!” Skylights yells as the crew rush around and tighten everything up even more. They’d been working steadily ever since we set sail from the Fairy Village, and the deck looks clearer than I’ve ever seen it. Even the rowboats are lashed securely to the deck with enough rope to make them look like spider meals, saved for later.
“Into the cabin, lass!” Hook cries over the sudden boom of thunder.
I climb the stairs and stand at the railing, watching as the waves begin to grow almost exponentially.
“We’re just teasing the edge of it now. We’ll be in the thick of it in no time. I need you safe.” He walks me to his quarters and pulls me inside.
“How bad is it going to be? Bill said it’s like passing through the eyewall of a hurricane.”
“It’s that, but it lasts far longer than any hurricane I’ve ever known. We have to navigate it as if it’s a piece of land jutting from the water, sharp rocks and submerged dangers all throughout.”
My mouth goes dry. “It’s a minefield.”
“Stay here. It’s going to be a rough time, so I brought some lines in here for you.” He points to rope tied to the desk that’s already bolted into the deck. “They’ll hold. I can tie you?—”
“I’m all right.” I grab onto one of the ropes. “See? No need to tie me up. I’ll be good. I promise.”
“Lass, you haven’t been good for a single moment from the second I met you.” He gives me his devilish smirk, the one that melts my insides. “Just another reason to love you, I suppose.” With that he’s back out the door and slamming it shut.
My heart fractures a little at his words, the crack running deep. He onlythinkshe loves me. I sit heavily on the desk. Why does this have to hurt so much? I rub my temples. It’s a habit now, from the constant ache I’d felt for so long. But the ache inside me is a million times worse, because it’s one that can never be repaired.
I love James Hook. There’s no way around it. Not now. But his love for me isn’t the same; it isn’treal. There’s that word again, the one that’s haunted me from the moment I left my dorm room. It’s still a thorn in my side, one that’s being twisted slowly and surely by the knowledge that I was never meant to be Hook’s love.
The ship rocks more violently, a wave crashing against the hull and splashing along the back windows. I take one of the ropes and wrap it around my waist, then tie it in what Widow calls a “square knot,” though Starkey refers to it as an “idiot’s knot.” Some pirates are knot snobs, I’ve learned.
I leave enough slack so I can go to the door and peek out. Only Smee and Hook are visible as fat drops of rain begin to fall and lightning streaks the sky.
Smee glances back at me, and for the first time, I see worry in his eyes.
