“Peter’s up there.” I shiver.
“No, the current is carrying you from the cave.” She strokes my wet hair from my forehead. “I don’t have long. I wanted to say I’m sorry.” She takes my cold hand and grips it between her warm ones. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come back to you.”
“You did it to save me. You made a deal with the island to keep me safe. I understand.”
“I wanted so badly to be the mother you needed.”
“You were. Youare.”
Her eyes well with golden tears. “I love you, my sweet darling.” She looks up. “You’re almost free of the cave. I can’t stay. Take my love with you.” She kisses me again.
“I love you.”
She shimmers and fades, a golden tear dropping onto my hand before she’s completely gone.
The barrier around me disappears, and water surges in, surrounding me. The pain in my chest intensifies, and I kick toward the surface, though I’m not sure which way is up. I follow the bubbles, kicking and move my right arm to push through the water. It hurts too much to raise my left one, but I fight.
I’m brave.
I’m not going to give up. Not until my lungs burst and my heart stops. I will always fight. Maybe I’m just like my mother, after all.
When I breach the surface, I suck in a watery breath, then plunge beneath the waves again. With another hard kick, I surface and breathe again, my chest burning even more as I try to catch my breath. I can’t seem to get enough air.
“Moira, there you are!” The sound sends a tremor of panic through me.
Spinning in the water, I see Peter flying toward me, sinking lower over the surface of the sea as he opens his arms. His neck is still bleeding, but he doesn’t seem deterred.
“Get away from me!” I scream and try to swim away from him, but my left arm doesn’t work, and I’m flailing badly with my right.
“I’ll save you.” He’s close now, almost on me.
I spin again and find him only a few feet away, a grin on his face and his eyes burning into me as he reaches for me.
I scream and throw my right hand out to ward him off.
The water ahead of me bursts upward in a geyser, and a golden trident flies from it and hits Peter in the chest so hard it knocks him back several feet.
I can barely kick now, my body going numb.
Then I see a pair of eyes bluer than the sea and smirk that can only be truly worn by a filthy pirate.
“Lass, there you are. I’ve been looking all over.”
The cry I let out might be more beast than human, the sound of a soul finding its mate.
He pulls me into his arms, holding me up as he kisses me, the familiar taste of him shocking my system.
“Are you hurt, lass?” He stares into my eyes, not even giving Peter a glance.
“I-I …” I can’t speak. No thoughts coalesce onto my tongue as I watch Peter.
The boy who never wanted to grow up sinks slowly into the water, his eyes on me as the water around him plumes with his blood.
More movement catches my eye, and as Hook swims away with me, I see the fins and scales of mermaids. The water grows even darker, and Peter surfaces once more, half his face ripped away as he screams and is dragged under, never to be seen again.
“Lass?” I startle.
Hook kneels beside me, and I realize I’m lying on the beach. He lets out a sharp sigh. “There you are. Thought I’d lost you.” He keeps his hand on my chest, then turns his head and whistles so loudly it’s a wonder my eardrums don’t pop. “That’ll bring them running, make no mistake.”
