Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
“Ileft the neverberries out this time.” Slightly slides a plate of pancakes in front of me. “Want some syrup?”
“Please.” I inhale deeply. “These look amazing.”
“Eat up. Now that you can see the food, I’m going to really start showing off what I can do.” He winks and returns to the stove.
I take a bite, chewing the springy pancake. They’re sweet, the syrup still warm as it hits my tongue.
“Did you sleep well?” Peter pours me a glass of some sort of juice.
“I did.” I offer him a bite of my pancakes and don’t mention my headache. It’s not like he can do anything about it, and I don’t want to seem whiny. He hates it when I whine. “Want some?”
He smiles, that boyish charm rolling off him in waves. “Sure.” He opens his mouth for me, and I slide the pancake in. He takes it and chews, his brown eyes on mine. “Delicious.”
I can’t stop the blush that creeps into my cheeks.
Nibs clears his throat. “We’ve made all the changes you asked for, Peter. I’d be happy to take you around to do an inspection later.” He grabs a pancake-filled plate from Slightly.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“Changes?” I eat more of the delicious pancakes. “I thought the cave was perfect already.”
“That’s sweet of you, Moira.” Peter runs his finger around the edge of my pancakes and licks the syrup from the tip. “But we can’t have pirates or anyone else sneaking up on us, not when you’re here. I promised to keep you safe, remember?”
“Right.” I put my fork down and wipe my mouth with my napkin. “I’m stuffed.”
“Good.” Peter smiles, his youthful face absolutely adorable.
Wait, did he say pirates? I look down at my plate. Pirates. My head begins to throb, and I rub my temples. There’s something about pirates I need to tell him. But what? I don’t know anything about them. Just that they’re vicious and cruel.
“What is it?” Peter reaches out and takes my hand. “Something wrong?”
I blink hard a few times. “No. I guess I’m just too full to think straight. Don’t worry about it.”
He squeezes my hand and lets go. “I want you full and happy.”
“Done and done.”
“I can’t wait for your story tonight.” He rises from his spot at the table. “Can you tell one of your own? Those are my favorite.”
“Sure.” I’m beyond flattered that he likes my stories, but I try not to preen too much about it.
“Great. Come on, Nibs. Show me the fortifications.” Peter claps him on the shoulder.
Nibs takes a final huge bite of his pancakes and follows Peter out of the kitchen.
I look around the table. “Where are Coy and Foy?”
Slightly pauses what he’s doing at the stove, and Curly rises abruptly.
“I’m going to the lagoon.” Curly hurries from the kitchen, leaving only Slightly and me.
“Weird.” I finish my juice and take my dishes to the sink. “What’s gotten into Curly?”
“Nothing.” Slightly keeps his back to me as he flips his pancake. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
“I’ll wash these.” I grab the dish cloth, but Slightly turns and puts his hand on mine. “You already do plenty, Moira. It’s all right.” His tone is soft, almost sad.
“Are you okay?”
He meets my eyes, and I realize he has dark half-moons beneath his.
“Oh, Slightly. You look sick. Are you getting enough rest? I can tell Peter to go easy on—”
“No.” He takes my hands in his. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Moira. I don’t deserve it.” He squeezes my hands. “Go on now. I’ll handle the dishes.”
“What do you mean? Of course you deserve it.” I smile up at him.
His eyes water, and he clears his throat. “Just go, Moira. Please. I’ll clean up. I just need a little space is all.”
I don’t understand, and I want to dig deeper, but I’m not going to ignore his request for space. “Okay. I’m around if you change your mind.”
He nods. “Thanks.”
I walk out of the kitchen and toward the room with the waterfall. It feels like I haven’t been here in ages, but of course I have. I’ve been here for … Well, now that I come to think about it, I don’t remember how long I’ve been with Peter. Long enough to know this is where I belong, I suppose.
I keep going, passing through the room with all the tree trunks and farther until I double back. When I get to our bedroom, I lean against the doorframe.
Where is Coy? I was hoping I could talk him into taking me back to the town today. And if that doesn’t work, I suppose I could try to trick Tootles again.
Tootles.
Why does that thought fill me with icy cold dread?
Tootles is harmless. I rub my temples again, the ache beginning anew.
I try to think back to when I woke up. Was Tootles in his usual bunk?
But I can’t remember waking up at all. The last thing I remember is—I get a flash of something dark, some sort of a … A shadow or a—
“There you are.” Peter embraces me from behind, his arms going around my waist.
“Hey.” I can’t help but smile. “Did you and Nibs get everything straightened out?”
“We did.” He nuzzles my neck, sending goosebumps down my back. When he grazes his lips against me, I sigh.
Wait. Is this a thing we’re doing now? When did we start?
He turns me around and pulls me to him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
He kisses me, his lips warm and firm. I let my eyes fall closed as he cups my cheek and delves his tongue into my mouth. There’s no urgency in him, no burning need to claim me. Nothing like Hook.
That thought shakes me, and I open my eyes and pull away.
“What?” He runs his fingers along my jaw. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I try to wriggle out of his hold, but he only grips me more tightly.
“Don’t lie to me, Moira.” His jaw goes tight.
“I’m not. I just had this weird thought is all. It’s nothing.” The ache in my head moves between my eyebrows, like a drill pressing into my skull.
“What was it?” His tone has dropped, the intensity in him swirling like an approaching hurricane.
“I-I …” I’m afraid. I don’t know why. I shouldn’t be afraid of Peter. After all, he’s never harmed me. What’s wrong with me?
“Moira. I’m going to ask you one more time for the truth. If you don’t give it to me—” His grip on my cheek tightens painfully. “Then I’ll be very disappointed.”
“You’re hurting me.” I whimper and try to break from his hold, but I can’t.
“Tell me what you were thinking of.” He leans closer, his eyes flashing with a wild sort of rage. “Who you were thinking of.”
“No one. Just you.”
He smiles slowly, his gaze flitting to my mouth before returning to my eyes. “I see.” With a hard shove, he sends me flying backwards onto the bed.
Before I can scramble away, he’s on top of me, his hands around my wrists as he holds me down.
“Peter, stop!” I scream, and when I close my eyes, I see someone else. A pirate. One with dirty blond hair and a gold tooth. Calico Jack. But I see more. So much more. I see Hook. And Coy. And Tootles. And Peter. The real Peter.
He turns and yells over his shoulder. “Tink, get in here!”
“Let me go!” I try to buck him off, but he’s so much stronger now. Or maybe I’m so much weaker. Have I told more stories? How long have I been here? My traitorous heart jumps to another question—is Hook all right?
“I told you, Moira. You’re mine. You’re staying here.” He snarls in my face. “You’re going to tell stories and do whatever else I want.” He leans down and fastens his perfect teeth to my throat.
I scream again, the sting of his bite bringing tears to my eyes.
“Stop fighting,” he murmurs against my aching skin. “I could rip your throat out, Moira. I could, but I don’t want to. I want you to give in. Just give me what I want.”
“Never.” I struggle to get him off me, but it’s no use. I’m tired. So damn tired. Because of him. That memory is a gut punch, one that knocks the wind out of me and then spurs me to fight harder.
“You’re only hurting yourself.” He pulls back and stares down at me. A stranger, that’s what he is. Someone who wants to hurt me. A monster.
The tinkle of a discordant bell reaches my ears as a small gold orb floats into the room.
“I need more of the potion,” he snaps at her.
She pops into her full form, her face in a severe scowl. “I only have a little left.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.” She puts her hands on her hips. “You don’t have to drug her. Just drain her.”
“What?” I scream. “No!”
“Don’t start with that. You know I can’t. Quit playing games and hand over the rest of the potion.” He lets go of one of my wrists to reach out to her.
I slap him as hard as I can, my palm stinging from the impact.
He roars and grips my wrist again, this time so hard I fear my bones might crack.
A scream of pain rips from me.
“Ugh!” Tinker Bell reaches behind her and pulls out a small vial. “Here. Give it to her. I can’t stand to hear her ugly voice.”
Peter yanks my wrists above my head and pins them in place with one of his hands. Then he grabs the vial from Tinker Bell and pulls the stopper with his teeth.
“Drink it.” He presses it to my lips.
I turn my head as far as I can.
“Moira, drink it.” He squeezes my wrists against each other, his pressure increasing until tears swim in my vision. “I’ll hurt you so much worse than this if you keep disobeying me.” He bares his teeth. “Is that what you want?”
My wrists hurt so badly, but I keep my lips shut tight.
“Fuck!” Peter takes the vial and drinks it.
Tinker Bell gasps.
I do too.
That’s when I realize he didn’t swallow whatever is in his mouth. He kisses me hard, his tongue swiping into my mouth and delivering the poison onto my lips and deeper.
I fight him and try to spit, but he pulls back and clamps a hand over my mouth and nose. “Swallow, Moira.”
My breath is caught in my chest, and I can taste the syrupy sweetness of the potion. It seems to grow, filling my mouth until there’s nothing I can do. I have to swallow. It’s the only way for me to breathe again.
It rolls down my throat, coating it like a spoonful of cough syrup.
Peter removes his hand, and I sputter and cough to try and get rid of the potion. But it’s too late.
My head goes hazy, my body relaxing.
I stare up at Peter. Peter. Funny name for a person. Sort of like Dick. Or Johnson. A slight giggle escapes me.