The Ring

Chapter 41

   "Come on, there's someone who wants to meet you." He says with a soft smile.

        I give him a confused look. "Who?"

        "You'll see." He grins in that adorable, boyish way and darts down toward the ground again. As soon as out feet touch the ground, I can tell something is different. I look around with my eyebrows knitted together, trying to figure it out.

        "Where is everyone?" I ask, finally figuring it out. Barely five minutes ago, this place had been bustling with hundreds of fairies. Now, there was not a fairy in sight. 

        "Waiting for us." His grin grows wider, which I didn't realize was possible.

        "Wait." I stop us from walking again and look down at our hands. "What happened? What happened after I dropped my ring- MY RING!" I look down at my opposite hand and find a bare finger. "Peter, where is it?" I ask with wide eyes.

        "Shhh." He cups my cheek gently. "She'll explain everything." He was hiding guilt in his eyes, very poorly, but I decided not to point it out. We walk hand in hand back to the tree. "Take a look." He whispers, the grin back, and gently guides my head to look inside one of the many holes.

        Somehow, every last fairy was inside the tree, though they were smaller than usual. The humming was louder than every, and the light coming out of the tree was almost blinding. 

        "Ready to go in?"

        I whip around to face him with raised eyebrows. "What? Go in where? THERE?" I ask, pointing to the tree in disbelief. Then again, this was Neverland. Things like this shouldn't surprise me anymore.

        He laughs. "Yes, in there." He pulls a small pouch of silver-looking fairy dust and gently blows it in my face. I squeeze my eyes shut to avoid the dust and hold my breath. Though he had just been standing in front of me, Peter's hands were now resting on my shoulders. "Open your eyes, beautiful." He whispers in my ear.

        I open them to yet another breath-taking sight. Not only was I as small as a fairy, but the interior of the tree was just as marvelous as the Hollow itself, if not more. There were what seemed to be tiny apartments scattered all over the walls of the tree, and where there wasn't a house, there was a small bench. Thousands of eyes were staring down at me from these benches and tiny windows, and all of the fluttering had suddenly ceased.

        A brilliant flash of color blinds me for a second before settling down to the normal golden haze. At the very top of the tree, which I can somehow see perfectly even from down here, there was a castle which I can only assume belongs to the Queen. 

        Everyone around us, including Peter, Aanadi, Jaz and Zee, deeply bow, and I quickly do the same. "Adelaide Bell." A soft but powerful voice rings out in the silence. I raise my head and see a  fairy with long brown hair, bright golden eyes, and fair skin. She was dressed as any other fairy, but the gold eyes were what clearly set her apart as royalty. 

        My mouth goes dry as I just stare up at her. Say something! "Umm, hi." I wave pathetically and smile softly. "You can call me Addie, if you want." 

        She laughs, causing my nerves to vanish. Everyone finally stands up again, but the Queen's eyes were on me alone. "Words cannot describe our undying gratutide for your bravery and sacrifice." She says with a proud and motherly expression.

        "You don't need to thank-sacrifice?" I look at Peter, and that guilty expression was back. I try to catch someone else's eyes, but they all just look down.