I blinked at him, and my arm lowered.
“If you’re speechless, may I suggest ‘Thank you’?” Skye frowned at me, his tiny arms folded as he landed on Bay’s shoulder.
Bay shook his head and dragged his fingers through his hair. “Actually, I’d be happy if you consider it the beginning of an apology. I want to help make things right because you were right. I was selfish. Just like my father, I convinced myself I meant well, but I didn’t want to risk forfeiting the Fountain or getting what I needed for my mother, even if it meant sacrificing yours…” He winced, moving his gaze to Whisper. “Not even. She isn’t just your mother; she was my friend. And I threw that away.”
Remorse touched his lips, plucking the strings of my heart. Swallowing, I murmured, “You didn’t take any of the water?”
“Just the vial.”
“Didn’t you hear the temptations?” Even now, doubts floated in my ears, beckoning me to turn back. If Whisper weren’t holding me upright, I didn’t know if I’d obey them or not.
He shrugged, scuffing his hair a final time and dropping his arm. “Sure. But I was a bit too worried about you to listen to them. They promised useless things anyway.” A secret hid beneath the pain in his smile, and I wanted to know what it was, but I couldn’t find the words to ask.
“You two can talk after we confirm my mother is safe. Before then, you’re still on probation, and I refuse to give Lyric my blessing. That is to say, I’m still not convinced you won’t hurt her like your father hurt Wendy.”
His fists clenched, and his gaze blackened, but he steadied his breaths and turned on his heel. “Fine. That’s fair. If I can prove it to you, then maybe I’ll be able to prove it to myself, too. And if I can prove it to myself, maybe I’ll finally be free of his shadow.”
I reached for him, clutching his shirt.
He jerked away before looking over his shoulder. His eyes widened, then softened. “How are you feeling?”
“Awake.” And very, very reluctant to be.
“It’s a start.” His feet left the ground, and he focused on the path ahead. “We’ve been in here for a day and a half. Magic stretches the tunnel, making it difficult to get in or out, but we should be getting close. The flowers are thinning.”
I squinted at the ceiling. He was right. I hadn’t even noticed.
“Do you think you can walk?” Whisper asked.
“Maybe?” Leaning off her support, I found my balance, and my head settled some. “Yeah. I’m all right.” I wiped my forehead, but it was dry. Why did I feel so hot? “I didn’t drink any of that stuff, right?”
Whisper paled, looking at Bay.
He shook his head. “No, I made it in time.”
A wash of ice hit me. “I never destroyed it. We have to go back. I’m supposed to destroy it.”
“There is no way we’re going back there.” Whisper folded her arms and glared at me.
I turned, starting back. “But I promised.”
Bay landed in front of me, arms folded. His mouth opened, but he never got a chance to speak. Reverberating thuds vibrated down the walls, hammering into my skull, and shaking the Fountain’s grip free at last.
Clarity shot through my veins like adrenaline.
“The warning gong…” Whisper’s hair rose on her arms. “That has to mean they’re here. This is it.”
“We don’t have a second to waste.” Bay nodded at Skye, and he doused Whisper in fresh dust before stopping in front of me. I was already off the ground. Panic, determination, and fear wound so tight in my stomach, I could hardly catch a breath. Bay grabbed my arm before I had the chance to move. “Here,” he said, offering me one of his knives. “You’re not going up there defenseless.”
I looked at the gleaming metal. It shone blue in the flower light. Wind touched my skin, and I held onto it, curling it around all of us. I wasn’t defenseless, but I wouldn’t turn down a weapon. “Thank you.” Taking it, I delivered the blade to my sheath. It didn’t fit quite right, but that mattered little.
“This is it,” I echoed. A hypnotic whisper touched my thoughts, calling me back to the Fountain, claiming I had to destroy it, but I didn’t have time to dwell on the alluring voice. I would destroy it. But that would have to wait.
We crawled out of the cave into the blaring notes of the gong. Night surrounded us, and I paled, seeing that the purple hint of twilight still cradled the sky. We had been trapped in there far longer than we’d thought.
The pirates came under the guise of night. But, of course, they did. If they came from the sky using some sort of magic to fly, they had to. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breaths wouldn’t settle. This was it . The battle. The one I had failed to prevent. Things had gotten so out of hand since I left for Neverland.
Mouth dry, I soared above the trees, Whisper and Bay at my sides. Ships. Not one. Not two. Dozens. Dozens of ships speckled the sky, glowing like stars with the magic that held them afloat. I shuffled through my bag and drew out my spyglass. Peering through it, I went deathly still.
Tiger Lily stood beside Hook at the helm of the largest sloop. His metal hand stroked her cheek.
“What do you see?” Whisper choked, clutching my sleeve.
“Tiger Lily is okay. She’s alive, and she doesn’t look hurt.”
“Oh, thank the airwoman,” she breathed, and some tension around Bay eased as well.
I looked at him, pinpointing Skye on his shoulder. “We’ll need all hands on deck. Even the small ones.”
He nodded stiffly. “I’m running on empty, and Bay’s low on dust; don’t let him fall. I’ll be back.”
Habitually, Bay began braiding his hair, freezing when he seemed to remember he didn’t have anything to hold it back.
“What is it?” Whisper asked.
“I lost my tie somewhere a few days ago.” His lips pursed. “I can’t fight well if it’s loose.”
“Don’t you have a backup?” Whisper sneered.
