I do as she says, and I can feel my face going hot with embarrassment. The last thing I need is to be checking out my captor, especially when his goal is my murder. I don’t care what he says; I know what he’s capable of. I’ve seen it. I shouldn’t have to keep reminding myself that Hook is an evil man. Not after what he did to Coy. It’s just so jarring—he’s taken care of me, and now he’s letting me learn to fight. I have no illusions about his power on this ship and over everyone around him. If he said the word, I’d be tossed below decks somewhere and chained to the wall. But he hasn’t done that. His kindness is a pebble in my shoe, and I feel it with every step I take.
The men are in terse conversation, their voices low and impossible to make out over the hiss of the wind and water.
When they finally seem to come to some sort of agreement, Hook steps back and turns to me. “He’ll spar with you.”
“Good.” I look up at the now scowling Bill Jukes. “I think.”
“He won’t go easy on you, lass.” Hook scratches the ever-present 5 o’clock shadow on his cheek. “I told him you’re fair game during sparring.”
My insides twist at that. Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. In fact, IknowI have. I’m not athletic. I get winded when I have to climb the stairs in the dorm quickly—which I only do when a regularly athletic person is behind me, and I’m trying not to embarrass myself.
Hook smirks. “No going back now, lass. After all, you’ll need to defend yourself when I come for your head. Isn’t that right?” He strides away and barks orders at two of the deckhands.
“Did … Did he just tease me about my eventual murder?” I ask Widow.
She shrugs. “Pirates live on gallows humor. Don’t worry … too much.” Then she moves more quickly than I ever have in my entire life and knocks me on my ass with a sweep of her leg.
“Hey! I wasn’t ready!” I reach for the wooden sword I dropped.
“Stay on your feet.” She hauls me up. “That’s the most important lesson of all the ones you’ll learn from me. If you’re on your feet, you have a chance. If he gets you on the ground, your options narrow.”
“You didn’t even give me a chance to get set.”
“You think Hook will give you a chance to get set if he’s coming for your life?” She tsks. “Think again.” She whirls, knocking meon my ass yet again. “I’ve seen him kill half a ship full of pirates. Alone. Just him and his sword.”
“Really?” I swallow hard and get back to my feet.
“Really.” She nods. “And if he so much as thinks there’s a Lost Boy nearby …” She whistles and swings her sword at me.
I fling my wooden blade up and block her strike, the impact vibrating down my fingers and into my wrist. “I know what he does to Lost Boys,” I say quietly. God, I wish I didn’t. But I can’t say that out loud.
She steps back and lowers her blade, her gaze softening. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I clear my throat. “No. Just teach me how not to die.”
“I can do that.” She thrusts her blade toward me, and I stumble backward, trip over my own feet, and wind up on the deck yet again. It hurts. But I can take it. I have to, because I’ve decided I’m going to survive this nightmare.
I refuse to end up staring at that goddamn cinderblock wall. If I have to fight my way out of this delusion, then I will.
Climbing to my feet, I wave Widow toward me. “I want all the smoke.”
She smiles and raises her sword. “Then let’s go, little darling.”
I spend much of the next hour on my ass or on the way to being on my ass. Widow is skilled in all sorts of combat, not just the sword. She’s lethal and clever, and I’m … well, I’m slow and somewhat bumbling. But when we’re done, Widow pulls me to my feet again and pats me on the back. “Well done for your first day. We’ll practice more tomorrow.”
“Bill!” she yells.
“Hang on.” I gulp in the salty air. “Hang on a second. I just need to catch my breath is all.”
“You’ve got this.”
The large pirate climbs up from below decks and gives me a long-suffering look. “You’re already beaten.”
“I saved some for you.” I hold my sword in front of me the way Widow taught me, while also trying not to breathe as loudly as a wounded wildebeest.
“Good. Always keep them guessing. Maybe you look fuck-all tired, but they don’t know you’ve still got some pep left underneath.” She leans back on the ship’s rail, the island looming large behind her.
We seem to be skirting the coast and heading inland between two cliffs. Widow said we’re going to Hook’s Hideaway. Catchy. All I know is that I’ll be back on Neverland, which means I’m close to Peter. He has to know by now that his plan with Calico Jack didn’t work out. Will he find out I’m at the hideaway and come find me? A lot of raw emotions wrap around that question.
