Flying

Chapter 15: Enigmatic Eyes

"Well?"

"Give me a second."

Stretching his legs out in front of him, Hook settles back against the rock behind him. I can tell he is taking his time to annoy me, so I smack him on the top of his head. Patience is not one of my virtues as Flicker continually points out.

"Your second's up!"

"Are you always so violent?" Quickly, he blocks my hand before it whacks his head again. "All right, Stormy. I'll get on with it. It's quite a long story though."

"We have plenty of time," I reply firmly.

I'm determined to get the truth out of him this time although I'm not sure how I'll know if he's lying. Flicker says that my honesty blinds me to deceit. She pushed me to be independent and strong so I wouldn't need to rely on others. Her methods can be harsh but effective. My natural confidence in myself usually keeps me from believing in the wrong people, but I am at a loss when it comes to these brothers. For the first time, I can feel doubts creeping into my mind. Especially regarding the elder brother with his enigmatic eyes that make me feel as though I'm flying through the sky. 

Reaching up, I release my hair. The thick strands fall over my face. I run my fingers through the tangled knots. The repetitive motion of my fingers ground my thoughts. Turning to Hook, I raise an eyebrow.

"Well? Are you a man of your word or not?"

Hook rubs his jaw where a dark bruise is beginning to form and heaves a loud sigh. "You're relentless, lovey. Can't this wait until morning?"

"Peter may kill us before then, so no."

"True." Hook gazes up at the entrance hole where a few moon rays trickle down. "How to begin?"

"Talking is usually a good start," I reply drily.

"All right then." Hook clears his throat and shifts his body, so he is sitting closer to me. "Well, Peter and I grew up on Earth over a millennium ago when the land still coursed with magic. After my mother died, my father and I roved through many lands until he met Peter's mother and married her. Peter was born five years after me."

"So you two are actually half brothers," I clarify.

Hook nods. "Yes, but Peter and I were raised together. We grew up in a small house in the woods as a family until Peter's mother left. She wrote a note saying that she was tired of taking care of us and wanted to find her own life. My father never completely recovered from her loss. He wasted away to a hollow shell of a man and died the next year."

"How old were you?"

"I was fifteen at the time, and Peter was ten."

"Fifteen and ten?" I exclaim, surprised. "You were so young. How did you survive?"

"Much the same way I imagine you have." Hook turns to face me. "I took care of myself and Peter by foraging for nuts and berries and tending to our small garden. I already knew how to fish, hunt, and trap. I taught Peter everything, so we had extra pelts and skins to take into town and trade for shoes, clothes, and other necessary items. I hated going into town because of the stares and snobbery, but Peter loved it. His favorite part was passing the castle with its nobles in their finery and servants. It was always his dream to rule over a kingdom one day."

"And you?" I can't stop myself from asking. "What was your dream?"

Hook flashes me his usual sardonic smile. "To be spending the night stuck in an underground prison with a beautiful woman."