Peter's Flame

Part 53

In the time that I had been gone, either while fighting, trying to talk to anyone, trying for Pan, I don't think that the prisoners were ever on my mind during that time.

When I entered, a bucket of apples was sitting there, green specks slowly appearing and sliding arose their squishing surface. Mold had already shown its face and come to destroy the prisoners food.

Regina and Emma were both slouched against the bars of the cage, their arms folded over their stomachs as a way to suppress the small growls of food that escaped from their clutches.

As the leaves crunched underneath my feet, they turned their head to give a harsh glance at me and then returned to their old position.

I sighed, quickly throwing two apples in each cage, turning over the bucket and sitting down on it.

I watched as Snow shoved the apples in her mouth and how David, golden boy, tried his best to hide his hunger by taking slow, calculating bites, probably thinking that I had poisoned the apples to kill them.

I sighed. "If you think that it was time for me to kill you, you're solely mistaken by-" I counted my fingers, trying to figure out how many months it's been since they've been here, "- roughly three months."

"If you're not here to kill us," Regina drawled, still not facing me, "then why are you here? Alina, was it?"

"Yeah. It is. I am here to make a deal with you."

This had gotten Emma's attention, her head swiveling to face me.

"What's your conditions," she asked, her voice hoarse.

I reached into my backpack and tossed all of them a bottle of water. "Drink. We can have a normal conversation after you sound normal and healthy."

Emma cautiously took the water from the floor of her cage, unscrewing the lid, checking for any sign of tempering.

"You are going to waste your time, Emma," I sighed, bored with how long she was taking to just take a sip of water. "You're not helping yourself or the others by dragging this out."

Emma shot me a scowl but ripped off the cap and chugged the water bottle clean down to the drop.

I exhaled a much needed breath, the tightness in my chest loosening just a bit.

"Now," Charming boy said, I think David was his name, "what is it that you which to discuss and why should we be interested?"

I scowled. "If your in such a hurry Charming," I sneered, "you should inform me so that I can leave already back to the camp and allow you to continue your busy schedule."

I stood up.

"Wait!"

I turned around to see Snow peeking through the bamboo bars of her cage.

"Please," she begged. "Please just wait."

I stilled and made a move to sit back down when another voice called me from a different direction.

"Stop."

I easily recognized the voice of my lovely brother, but I was not going to lose precious time arguing with him.

I created a simple wind barrier, uttering a few short words, but understanding my thoughts and purpose perfectly as it created a sound proof barrier, blocking out whatever Felix was trying to say or do, seeing as he was outside.

He pounded against an invisible shield but it did not break away.

I looked back into Snow, a small look of fear shingling in her eyes but I ignored it, careful not to lose my temper on something as small as a look of fear.

"Okay," I complied. "Would you care to explain why you want to here my offer?"

"Because you don't seem so bad," she answered, her eyes glossy and fogging, in a daze. "Not like the others that grew up here."

"The others that grew up here? They're just like me." A wicked smile graced my lips. "Expect, they are not the ones cursed by her own mother."

Snow gasped while Regina gave me a curious glance.

"Who was your mother," Regina demanded, her tone of authority still there but weakened by her exhaustion.

"'Was?' Who was my mother?" I paused. "I don't know really but I don't really care. She was a weird case, especially with my father, the humiliating son of a bitch who couldn't even admit who had a daughter." I stopped myself. "But that is not what I am here for. I am here to make a deal that will get you off of Neverland."

They stilled. "What's the catch," asked Emma, the first person to get over the initial shock.

"You need to bring me with you."

"And?"

"I will need a new heart."

James or was it David, spluttered out his water, spraying it towards me but it avoided me with a single thought in my mind.

"Excuse me," he coughed, still choking on his own spit.

"As I said, I will need a new heart," I repeated. "I heated a rumor from a friend of mine that you," I pointed at Regina, "keep an exceptional amount of stored hearts."

Regina nodded. "But why would I help you?"

"Because I'm the only one able to get you out of this mess and I can secure your future with one thought in my mind."

She nodded. "Okay. I'm in."

Emma's jaw dropped. "What about Henry?"

I blinked. "He was already coming with me. Did you really think that I would leave him alone here?"

Her mouth snapped shut. "No," she grumbled. "I'm in."

"I'm in," Snow agreed.

"I'm in," followed Charming without a single breath of hesitation after Snow decided.

"Glad to hear it," I cheered. I clapped my hands together. "Now. In order for this to work, I need to have each of swear on your life not to betray me or my mission."

Regina paused. "How would you like to seal this oath? Blood payment? Demonic binding? A simple pinky promise will suffice?"

I laughed. "I will conduct a spell that will seek out my own form of payment if I either end up dead by your hands or if the promise that you have agreed to does not come to pass within a certain time limit."

"Understandable," she nodded and stuck out her wrist to me.

I was about to grab her wrist when she grabbed mine first.

"I will also be performing a spell that if you don't keep your end of the bargain, you will die and your spell with mean nothing."

I kept in my laughter and nodded politely.

"So as you wish but understand this. You have five days and we leave in one. Get ready."

With one final nod, the spell was sealed and placed and soon, I would be able to save Pan with the cost of myself as the price.

That's it!! I'm sorry that I haven't been posting!  It's been a long couple of weeks and I haven't been feeling so good! I hope that you guys are enjoying this story and I can't wait to see you guys later! I will see you all in the next part! Ily!! Ta taaaaaaaaa!!!