I come back to reality when the cool night air tickles the fine hair along my temple. I’m swaying, ropes creaking. And not far off to my right is the ocean. It’s so close, I can feel the dampness of the spray on my exposed skin, can taste the saltiness on the tip of my tongue.
“You with us, Darling?” Kas’s voice rumbles behind me and it takes me a second to realize we’re in the rope hammocks down by the water’s edge and Kas is beneath me, holding me to him.
He’s warm and solid and real.
He brings his hand up and is gentle with his touch as he runs his fingers through my hair.
“I’m here,” I mutter, voice still muzzy with sleep.
Was I sleeping?
I can’t remember, but the last stretch of time is foggy in my head.
It’s the dull ache in my foot that reminds me of what happened.
Vane. The cut. The twins giving me an illusion to ease the pain as Pan stitched me up.
“Why are we in the hammocks?” I ask as it sways beneath me.
“Fresh air will do you good,” Bash says from the second hammock. “And it was getting stuffy in the house. Much cooler down here.”
Maybe too cool. If it wasn’t for Kas wrapped around me, I might be covered in goosebumps. As it is, my legs are chilled, so I readjust, twining mine in his. He’s wearing shorts, like usual, so his heat is close and immediately soothing.
I’m happy here in his arms. Content.
“Pan and Vane?” I ask and stare up at the moon.
“Pan went to check on Vane,” Bash answers. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
I get a flash of Vane dominating me, his hand wrapped around my throat, and I clench up, the muscles tightening along my inner thighs.
My foot is aching from the cut, but my throat is throbbing more. I’m sure I’m bruised. Vane wanted to give in to his desires. I could see it in his black, black eyes.
So why didn’t he? And am I glad he didn’t? Or disappointed?
I should be glad.
I must be glad.
Right?
“How are you, Darling?” Kas asks and lets his fingers tickle up my forearm. I shiver beneath his attention.
The feeling I have right now reminds me of early winter mornings when the world is dark and cold, but you’re sitting fireside, a cup of cocoa in hand and a blanket wrapped around your shoulders.
I’ve had that just once in my life and it is the most vivid memory I have because it ached, how good it felt.
“I’m okay,” I answer.
“Vane shouldn’t have come at you like that,” Bash says.
“It’s okay. Really.”
Kas sighs into my hair. “No, it’s not.”
I’m starting to see the lines drawn between the boys. Pan and Vane are a lot alike. Both brutal and unforgiving and so vicious it makes your teeth hurt.
The twins are more merciful, but intentionally devilish because they enjoy it.
I like them all for different reasons, in different ways.
And yes, even Vane.
Even the Dark One with his brutality.
When I finally get him all to myself, I’m absolutely sure it will be an event I will not soon forget.
Beyond our little grove, I hear footsteps crack a few fallen twigs on the path. The twins don’t seem concerned, so neither am I.
It’s Cherry who comes up a few seconds later.
“Hi,” she says.
“What do you want?” Bash asks.
“I haven’t seen you guys in a while. Is everything all right?”
Kas tenses up beneath me.
Maybe she’s fishing for details? I honestly don’t know the Cherry story, but I’m definitely curious about it. I get the impression none of them want her here, but they can’t get rid of her either, despite their lack of care when it comes to the lives of those around them.
Why is that?
“I heard Pan yelling earlier,” she goes on. “And then I saw all the broken glass. What happened?”
“Pan lost his—” I start, but Bash cuts me off.
“Lost his shit. You know how he gets.”
Cherry crosses her arms over her chest and glances at me. I try not to look like I know more than I should.
“Winnie?” she says.
“I’m just here for the ride,” I mutter.
Kas’s hand wraps around my bicep and gives me an appreciative squeeze.
So they don’t want her to know the details of what happened?
“Where’s Vane?” she asks next, keeping her voice intentionally level.
Bash lifts his hand, pointing a finger at the sky.
Cherry takes several steps down to the beach and stops, gaze pointed toward the clouds.
“What is she—” And that’s when I see it, a dark shape flying through the clouds.
“Is that Vane?” I disentangle myself from Kas and the hammock wobbles.
“Christ,” Kas says and quickly plants his feet to the sand to steady us. “Give me a warning next time, Darling.”
“Sorry.” Once I’m out of the rope hammock, I hurry down the beach to Cherry’s side.
“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” she says, never taking her eyes off the dark figure darting through the clouds.
“Is that really him?” I ask.
“Mmmhmmm. He’s one of the only ones on the island, other than the royal fae, who can fly.”
I’m entranced by him, by his nimble flight, the way he dips and turns and then disappears into a tall, fluffy cloud only to burst out the other side.
“He flies when he’s angry,” Cherry explains, pride leaking into her voice. She knows something I don’t and she’s happy to rub it in.
“If I could fly, I’d use any excuse to do it.”
The twins join us on the beach, one on either side of us. They watch Vane too, but I catch a different emotion on Bash’s face—jealousy.
They had wings once. Just like their sister. I don’t know how they lost them, but I can tell it cost them something.
Both of the boys are shirtless, their straight-lined tattoos standing out against their dark skin. But when I lean back and inspect their shoulders, there’s no trace of wings there. No scars or stumps. Nothing to hint that they once had fairy wings and could fly like Vane.
Several seagulls cry from the shore, but our attention is still locked on Vane.
He zips in front of the full moon then turns on his back. His body goes limp and he starts to fall.
“Hey,” I say and take a step forward. “Is that normal? Should he be doing that?”
His arms and legs are held out as he falls.
The closer he gets to the ground, the faster he seems to fall.
“Kas? Bash? Shouldn’t he be doing something?”
Kas hooks his arm around my shoulder and tugs me into his side. “Just watch, Darling.”
My heart kicks up as Vane falls and falls, the ground rushing up to greet him. I hold my breath. What the hell is he doing? If he hits the ground, he’ll—
At the last second, he rolls and darts back up, taking off like a rocket.
I exhale in a rush. “Goddamn him.”
“He knew we were watching,” Cherry says, her voice lilting. “He was just showing off.”
Bash snorts. “For you, maybe. I don’t have a hard-on for the Dark One.”
Checking Cherry beside me, it’s hard not to miss the glitter in her eyes. Her hands are clasped at her chest as she watches Vane and I’m all of a sudden envious of her. She’s had him. I haven’t.
Vane sails for the ground once again, but he’s very clearly in control this time and lands with a soft thud ten yards off from us.
He is a dark figure as he makes his way up the beach.
Cherry is giddy.
When Vane comes into a slant of moonlight, his cheeks are ruddy, his hair windswept. Somehow, he’s sexier than he’s ever been.
Maybe it’s because he looks relaxed. Happy even.
And then he opens his mouth. “The fuck are you all looking at?”
“As if you don’t know,” Bash says and turns away, climbs back into a hammock.
“That was so awesome.” Cherry bounces on the pads of her feet. “Like absolutely amazing.”
Vane runs his hand through his hair, raking it back. “I have a job for you, Cherry.”
“Okay! Sure. What is it?”
He pushes past us and doesn’t even look at me and my stomach hits my feet.
“I need to speak to your brother,” he says, “and I want you with me.”
Cherry deflates. “I’d really rather not—”
“It wasn’t a suggestion,” he says over his shoulder. “We’ll leave in fifteen minutes.”
“Wait…” I sidle up next to Cherry. “Who’s your brother?”
All of her excitement has drained away as she watches Vane stalk up the hill to the house.
“Hook,” she tells me with a bite to her words. “Captain James Hook.”
