Peter by day, Pan by night

Chapter 34

        “Where is Pan?” Felix bounds past me. “Pan!”

        “What is it? What’s wrong?” I drop my half eaten apple.

        Felix glances at me. “Peter Pan!” He yells again.

        Is something wrong with Peter Pan? Or is Felix just ignoring me like usual?

        Peter drops next to us. I haven’t seen him since our conversation hours ago. I’d fallen asleep on my cliff that overlooks the ocean.

        “Felix?” Peter asks, his eyes avoiding me.

        “It’s Kelvin. He’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere.”

        I gasp. I should have checked on him after the fight. I completely forgot.

        Peter frowns. “Are you sure? No one has left Neverland.”

        “He isn’t here.” Felix folds his arms. “How can you be sure he hasn’t left? A spell tricked you before.”

        Anger flashes in his words. “The fairies are gone.”

        Felix swings his scythe over his shoulder. “They have a powerful queen.” His remark surprises me, since he never did seem to care about the fairy queen.

        I step away from Felix. He knew her name wasn’t Marie-I am sure of it. Has he connected the two of us? Surely not, if he had he would have told Peter.

        The tall boy leans over and whispers something to Peter.

        Peter nods. “Agreed. We leave as soon as the lost boys are ready. Send the message along.”

        “What message?” I interrupt.

        Felix frowns at me. “What about her? What if she follows us? She might contact the fairies again.”

        “She’s harmless.” Peter shrugs and starts to rise into the air. He still hasn’t looked at me.

        “Harmless or not, it wouldn’t do to have her wandering around. She might distract you.” Felix adds quickly. “Or some of the other lost boys who she has befriended.”

        Peter sighs. “I suppose so. But it seems rather unnecessary.”

        “What is unnecessary?!” My heart drops. All this strange talk…the time has come. They are finally going to attack our world. How does he even expect to shift the darkness from this island to Earth?

        Felix’s words are casual, but his eyes shift around eagerly, and a strange excitement coils through him. “It won’t be hard to lock her up.”

        “All right,” Peter’s eyes finally touch mine. “This is only to keep you safe and out of the way.” Suddenly a vine lashes out from one of the trees and jerks me back. Before I can run, two more vines wrap around my waist, pulling me against the tree.

        “Peter!” I strain against the vines, but they only tighten.

        Peter flicks his gaze toward me. “Don’t bother any of the lost boys. We’ll be busy. Besides-” he laughs-the sound cold and hard. “I am the only one who can free you. Well, a pirate could too, but you’re out luck since I banished them all.”

        “Very good, Pan.” Felix’s grin hangs crookedly, falling before it can reach his eyes.

        They turn away and leave me locked against a tree, watching as hope slips away.

**

        Something is wrong. 

        I groan and keep my eyes closed. It took me long enough to fall asleep in this uncomfortable position-I don’t want to wake up yet.

        Too late.

        I look around the forest, dread pushes away the last tendrils of sleep. Something is wrong, but what?   

        I take a deep breath and gag. Smoke. It hangs in the air, but isn’t visible yet. I wiggle against the vines, but they dig deeper into my waist.

        Distant shouts push through the darkness. “Fire!”

        “Peter! Help!” I struggle against my bonds. It is no good. I squint. Where is the fire coming from?

        Suddenly flames shoot out above the trees to my right. It is far away, which gives me a moment of relief. But then I realize where the fire is.

        Neverland’s tree. The oldest, largest tree that houses both Peter and his lost boys. How could this have happened? It must have started with the campfire that is always burning in the clearing.

        Being tied to a tree during a forest fire…not a good idea.

        Felix materializes from the shadows. “Wendy! Pan told me to get you.”

        “Is anyone hurt? What happened?”

        “It was an accident. But we must hurry.” Something about him is strange, off. His eyes glitter under his long blond hair.

        I still don’t trust him, but Peter always has trusted him.

        The hooked curve of his scythe slashes the vines. I fall forward, but he catches me. His arms tighten around my waist.

        “What are you doing?” I try to pull away, but he ignores me and clamps his hand over my mouth.

        The forest falls away.

        When I open my eyes, I find myself on a ledge in a strange cave. I step away from Felix and press my back against the cold, slippery rock.

        Water pools at the bottom of the cave. Moonlight squeezes through a few oddly shaped openings.

        “Did your precious Peter Pan ever mention this place?” Felix snarls. He waves his hand around. “Welcome to Skull Rock.”

        Why am I here? What about the fire? What’s going on?

        I frown and tangle my fingers together nervously. “Felix?”

        “Actually-that’s not my name.”

        Horror twists inside me.

        This is a pirate’s cave. And Peter said that only a pirate could free me from that tree.

        A pirate.