29. Hook
The shifter had a death wish. That was the only reasonable explanation.
“No,” I repeated, with just as much gusto as the first three times I’d said it. I was tempted to slam my fist on my desk to make my point.
Leo shrugged, eyeing me with a kind of endless patience he’d undoubtedly mastered working for Petra. “This is our best bet.”
I shook my head. “Using yourself as bait is a suicide mission.”
Never, bless her feisty little heart, was unhelpfully silent during the discussion that had us holed up in my war room, arguing over whether to send Leo back to the island as a sacrificial lamb. He’d crossed Petra and the demon would want revenge.
The problem was the creature knew I had my power back. I’d shown her as much by flashing into its camp. That meant she knew I could flash just about anywhere in the realm, save for a certain slow swirling vortex.
Petra could be single-minded at times, but she might not be foolish enough to be drawn out, even for a target as juicy as Leo. She would, however, send the Lost to fetch him, and that would divide her forces.
“I could use a third opinion here.” I looked to Never for support and was greeted with instant defeat when I felt her reaction rolling through our connection.
“What if I went to the opposite side of the island to draw the glitter bitch out?” she asked. “That would get her out of your way for a little bit.”
“No.” The dual declaration came from Leo and me in unison.
“I don’t want you going anywhere near her,” I added, not bothering to temper the command in my voice.
Never bristled. “Try that again, pirate. Only this time, ask nicely.”
Like hell. “I’m not asking. Anya is a formidable opponent, even for me.”
“I can handle myself.” Her gaze shifted to the open door where my sailors were crossing back and forth, busy gathering and stowing supplies. “I did it before.”
That was a different situation. “The moment Leo’s feet touch ground on the island, Petra will know he’s there. The demon has eyes everywhere. If we add you to the mix, she’ll know we’re setting a trap.”
The plan was way too obvious.
“Not if you wound me first,” Leo said, sparing a quick glance for the cutlass hanging from my hip.
“Absolutely not.”
“Hold on.” Never held up her hands. “You heal faster here, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“Only so long as he hasn’t lost too much blood to shift safely,” I reminded him.
“I won’t, but they don’t need to know that. If we can mimic my earlier injuries, just less severe, it’ll look like you dumped me on the island.”
“And why would I do such a thing?” I asked coldly.
“Because I attacked Never.” The statement came out with a hint of regret, an emotion that lingered as he glanced her way.
Never met his eyes. “It wasn’t me you were attacking. We all know that.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “He’s right. I was ready to kill him when I flashed back to the island after you shattered the pendant.”
Her attention snapped to me. “You wouldn’t have.”
Leo and I shared a look, eyebrows raised. “He definitely would have. Luckily, my tiger came to his senses before it went that far.”
“How long have you two been friends?” When we both remained silent, she continued. “Longer than I’ve been alive, right? I don’t even...” She rolled her eyes and uttered what sounded like several curses strung together into a single colorful word. “You know what? Whatever. Can you get to Petra and flash her to your ship or not?”
Even when she was huffy and difficult, I adored this woman’s fire.
“I can.” It would, admittedly, go much smoother if Anya was out of the way. That didn’t mean I was willing to let Never be that distraction.
“Nuh uh.” She pointed an accusing finger at me. “I saw that look. Even if Petra and the glitter bitch figure out we’re up to something, do you really think she’ll be able to resist coming after me?”
“Anya? Unlikely.” I’d seen the way she looked at Never the first time they met, with enough jealousy to put a feuding harem to shame. If we dangled Never in front of her, the pixie was certainly petty enough to take the bait.
“That’s what I thought. And if she’s having her fun with me, she can’t get in your way,” she said confidently.
“She can also kill you,” I said flatly.
She pushed up out of the soft leather chair. “I took her on once.”
“When Petra still wanted you alive. Things have changed.” I cast a pleading look at Leo.
“Sorry, bud. I’m on her side.”
Traitor. Even as I thought the word, a note of affection bled through it. He wasn’t wrong. Neither of them was, technically. I just didn’t like the options or the odds. I didn’t like the idea of the three of us separating, or of Never facing Anya on her own. And for as strong as Leo was, if Petra sent enough of the Lost to deal with him, they could kill him too. The Nassa’s magic didn’t protect shifters the same way it did humans.
“I did not heal you to lose you in a fight less than a day later,” I said firmly, shifting my gaze between them. “That goes for both of you.”
She closed the distance between us, her boots thumping softly against the wood floor as she moved. When she pressed her palm to my chest, I sucked in a sharp inhale. Her touch had always had an effect on me, but now it was so much more.
“If this is the way to ensure my brother stays safe in our world—his world—then I need to do it. And I can’t do it without your help.” Her voice was calm, and reassuring, and threaded with just the right amount of persuasion. “Hook, please?”
Just like that, I lost the argument.
I hated the plan. Putting either of them in danger rankled. Putting them both in harm’s way? It was far too great of a risk.
Looking into her deep blue eyes, I offered a middle ground. “I will only agree to this if you take a contingent of my men.”
The first hint of a smile graced her lips before she shook her head. “They can go with Leo.”
“Do I get a say in this?” he asked from where he was sprawled in the low leather chair.
I ignored his question, keeping my attention squarely on Never. “They’ll go with you.”
“So that winged wretch can spot them as she flies by? I don’t think so.”
“She has a point,” Leo added.
I ground my teeth, unsure whether I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her to shut her up, or admit she was right. A powerful craving pulsed through our connection, and my eyes dropped to her lips, now twisted in a knowing smirk.
Yes, kissing sounded like a much better option.
“Don’t even think about it, pirate,” she said, her voice taking on a husky note that made my blood sing.
Leaning down, I whispered, “If you want me to keep my hands to myself, then I suggest you work a little harder to keep your emotions to yourself.”
The flush that rose from her neck to her cheeks was uniquely satisfying, even after she put up a mental wall between us. Once the connection was muffled, my thoughts cleared.
“Fine,” I said, tearing my gaze away from her. “Leo, I’ll send a few of the others to scout ahead of you. If you truly wish to arrive injured, I would feel better about you having backup.”
One strong eyebrow lifted. “Careful there, Atlas. I might start thinking you actually care.”
I did, and we both knew it. “Just try not to die.”
He pulled himself up out of his chair with a leisurely, feline grace. “Easy enough.” His attention drifted to Never, and whether he meant to show it or not, the longing in that look was enough to have me swallowing back a possessive growl. “When do you want to put everything in motion?”
“The sooner the better,” I responded.
He pulled in a bracing breath. “Let me know when it’s time. I’ll go help the guys with the box.”
I tipped my head as he made his exit.
The box my men were building would be fashioned from the Jolly Roger itself. After the sea witch’s vague warning about a coming storm, I’d loaded up on extra supplies. But I’d also taken things a step further and had the protective wards on my ship reinforced.
Because a storm could mean weather, or it could mean trouble.
The original warding was only meant to keep Anya away. The new work packed a bit more of a punch. Every plank, board, and brace carried the power of those enhanced wards, and if we played it right, those pieces could be used to contain the demon. At least in theory.
All I would have to do was flash her into the cage. That would be the tricky part.
Well, one of the tricky parts.
Getting my hands on Petra was another. As was sinking the cage in the eddy with the demon trapped inside.
That was another part of the plan where we were working with theory.
The eddy was a void. It was the only area I’d found in the Nassa where magic didn’t work. Whether that magic was absorbed or neutralized was a point of debate, but the result was the same. Healing didn’t work. Flashing didn’t work. And the only way in or out of that slow swirling vortex was in the water.
The cruelty of damning the creature to an eternity trapped at the bottom of the sea was not lost on me.
Would it drown over and over? Or would it be crushed beneath the weight of the water, never to be resurrected again?
There was no way to know.
Either way, if it kept Never safe, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
I caught her by the back of the neck and pulled her close, pressing our foreheads together as I breathed in her heavenly scent. It wasn’t the kind of thing I could make a tangible comparison of because she didn’t smell of strawberries or lilacs or even my own soap. Never’s scent was earthy and raw—rare—and being close to her always evoked a wildness inside me.
I gave into that wildness, our lips crashing together, teeth clashing, tongues tangling. If we could truly do what we were setting out to do, we might just have a future together. Short, though it may be.
Shoving the thought away, I broke our kiss long enough to stride over and kick the door shut. When I turned, it was to find her leaning back against my desk, fingers curled over the lip of polished wood. Clad in a soft t-shirt and blue jeans that hugged her curves, she was a vision unlike any I’d ever expected to fall for. And I had fallen. Hard.
“You can help by letting me back in,” I said, my voice dipping into a lower register.
It wasn’t hard to tell what Never was thinking. Her desire was clear from her heated expression and the way she bit her plump bottom lip, but I wanted to feel what she was feeling.
“You’re going to have to earn it, pirate.”
I’d suspected the truth the very first moment I’d seen her laying on the beach—that this woman was all kinds of trouble. Little did I know just how much I would come to crave her special brand of mischief.