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I had the sense he was goading me as a friend, but a possessive growl rolled through my chest all the same. I shut the door the rest of the way, a little harder than I’d intended with Leo’s words echoing off the walls.
The shower was easy enough to operate, and I was in and out in no time. When I stepped back out into the hallway wearing just my pants, droplets of water still clinging to my chest and back, it was just in time to run into Never coming out of her room.
She paused with her bedroom door open and watched me, not saying a word.
“I had a quick wash. I hope you don’t mind,” I said, running a hand over my chest to wipe away a little of the moisture. Yes, it was a deliberate move. I’d said something to turn her cold, and until I figured out what that thing was, I intended to find other ways of warming her back up.
She didn’t move even an inch, so I dropped her a quick wink and headed back into the living room. When she finally made her way back to the living room, Leo and I were deep in discussion on how to separate the shadow from the boy.
“The thing needs power to draw Petra into this realm,” he said.
“Correct,” I agreed. “A great deal of power. So, why hasn’t the creature come for Never?”
13
NEVER
I’d been wondering the same damned thing. If the shadow could figure out how to make the pendant work, it seemed like a logical choice. I mean, it had hauled four of us from one world to the other all at once. How much harder would it be to bring a demon through with it?
“I think Matty has something to do with that,” I chimed in.
They swiveled to look at me, both with a hungry look in their eyes. It was equal parts exciting and terrifying to have the two of them eyeing me like that.
Hook’s eyebrow winged up the way it did when his interest was piqued. “Please explain.”
“Matty stopped that thing when it came after me. I think it’s a safe bet that he would put up a hell of a fight if it tried to come here.”
Leo nodded, sucking air through his perfect teeth. “That makes sense.”
Hook shot him a look, but whatever meaning it carried was meant for just the two of them. “Let’s say that’s the way of it,” he said, turning his attention back to me. “Why not fight back when the demon was attacking those people yesterday?”
“I’ve given that some thought, too.” When I wasn’t agonizing over what to do about a certain pirate. “What if he’s not strong enough to fight all the time? Petra is wicked powerful, right?”
He tipped his head to the side.
“Okay, she’s powerful in the Nassa, at any rate. But does anyone know what her shadow is really capable of?” I asked.
“No,” Lily said from behind me. I jumped at the sound of her voice and whirled around.
“Not cool.” I damn near added “mutt” to the end of that statement, because it was something I’d called her a thousand times when she refused to listen or tracked mud inside from the park.
Her laugh was a balm to my frustration. How she could look so flipping relaxed, given everything she’d been through, was a mystery to me. “Don’t worry, I said the mutt part in my head for you.”
Heat flooded my neck. “I didn’t know.” I motioned up and down, encompassing her human form.
She shook her head. “Which is why we can laugh about it now, right?”
Except I wasn’t laughing. “Did my mom know? Or grandma?” That would be the icing on a super fucked up cake, wouldn’t it?
Lily stepped up beside me and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. “I don’t think so. Trapping me in that form was Wendy’s trick.”
“Why did you stay with the family?” Leo asked, genuine curiosity glittering in his eyes.
She winced, and her grip tightened. “I didn’t have a choice. That was part of the curse or hex. I’m not sure what it was exactly, but I’ve been tied to the Darlings since the day she yanked me through with her.”
“A curse?” Hook asked. “In this world?”
She squeezed my fingers again before letting go. “There’s coffee, right? I can smell it.”
