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She backed away a step, swiping a hand across the corner of her mouth. Her eyes narrowed on the smear of blood for a beat. Then she threw herself into my arms, burying her face in the hollow of my shoulder. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Healing me again. I was sure I was dead.” She pulled her head back, and those stormy blue eyes of hers were like a punch to the gut.
“Love, I didn’t—”
Her expression changed in a heartbeat. “Petra? Did you get her?”
The demon.How quickly I’d forgotten the whole damned reason for this mess.
“In the cage,” I said numbly. “We should get back.”
She nodded, and without another word, I pulled her in close and flashed us to the ship.
32
NEVER
Hook’s grip on me was like steel. In a different situation, I might have welcomed that controlling hold—reveled in it even—but I could feel about a thousand eyes on us the second we were back on his ship.
I squeezed him once and tried to pull away. Instead of reading my not-so-subtle cue, he held tight.
“I can stand on my own,” I said.
His response was an indelicate grunt.
I guess that means he’s not ready to let go?
“Am I missing something?” I twisted my head to try to see behind me.
“I need a minute.”
Um, okay? Either I’d scared him or the guy was just straight up glitching.
A warm breeze sifted over my neck, sending an unexpected shiver through me. Hook finally loosened his hold and eased back with a deep worry line etched in his brow.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I rubbed my hands over my upper arms to clear the wave of goosebumps that had risen there. “Probably a side effect of the adrenaline.” Or the healing.
How much did it cost him to heal me like that? Did it weaken him?
His eyes searched mine. I braced for more questions, but before he could use his relentless charm to pry more out of me, an angry, animalistic bay had us both turning toward the ship’s railing.
The demon was there, ugly as ever, and trapped in the cage dangling from the side of the ship. A collection of iron cannon balls wrapped in netting hung from the bottom of the contraption, swinging into one another with each of the monster’s violent attempts to smash its way free.
“I’m a little impressed.” I honestly didn’t think the thing would hold.
“Hang onto that thought,” he said without looking at me.
“How long until…” I let the question fade. It probably wasn’t a great idea to reveal the extent of our plan to the furious demon.
Hook’s gaze shifted up, and I followed its path. In the few seconds since we’d come back to the ship, the wind had started picking up. Now, it billowed the sails and lashed at the flags. My hair whipped around my head, and the warmth I’d felt just a moment earlier was replaced with an icy mist of saltwater pelting my skin.
“We’re close,” he said, though I could barely hear him over the rising howl of the squall. He grabbed my hand and squeezed, ducking his head to my ear. “If I tell you to go inside, I don’t suppose you’ll listen?”
Fat chance.I shook my head because there was no fucking way I was missing the opportunity to watch that wicked bitch sink into oblivion.
