Peter by day, Pan by night

Chapter 28

I wait for sunrise. But it never comes.

And that is when I know...the darkness truly has won.

I climb up Neverland's steepest cliffs. I could simply fly, but I want to feel the burn in my legs. I want to feel sore and tired. I want to feel anything besides hopelessness.

Right before I reach the top, I trip. I scream and tumble backwards.

Fly! Fly!

The command bursts through my mind, but I am falling too fast. I flail my arms and wait for the impact of the rocky ground. It never comes.

Arms wrap around my waist and yank me into the sky. My scream dies as we soar away from the cliff. Adrenaline still pounds through me.

The person lets me go. I know who saved me. He's the only one who could have gotten there in time.

I turn around, my legs wobbling in the air. I meet Peter's eyes and bite my lip. Why is he always the one who saves me? Didn't I already figure out that it was my turn to save him?

The silence whistles around us. I smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. I touch the strap on my shoulder to ensure that my bag survived my fall. Fear slips away and I remember my wings. I can fly. I've done it before.

And I will do it again, so I can fly away from him.

"What? No thank you?"

I wince and float back towards him. "Thank you for saving me, although I'm not sure why you did."

"Why would I let you die? You are no threat to me. I've won."

"I know I cannot hurt you-" The dagger heats against my skin. Will not. "But that doesn't explain why you wouldn't kill me or let me die."

"I don't kill people." One corner of his mouth lifts. "I change them."

"Like the darkness changed you?"

Peter raises his eyebrow. "It has already touched you as well. You are not the same girl Felix found in an alley." He glances at my black outfit and shakes his head. "What happened to the dress?"

The smell of burning roses touches my memory. "I outgrew it."

"Really?" Peter folds his arms. "I guess you didn't realize that I can turn your clothes back into the blue dress. Or even into the rags you arrived in." He raises his hand. "But instead." He flicks his fingers and turns his own green outfit into a simple black shirt and pants that match mine. "Not bad...I like it. Very...comfortable."

I glare at him. He's mocking me. But that is nothing new. I close my eyes and imagine the clearing outside of the lost boys' hideout. Nothing happens.

"You learned the trick, so I changed the rules a bit. It won't work for you anymore."

I force a smile. "How thoughtful of you."

Peter laughs and stretches his arms. Pain twists his face.

I frown. His arrow wound must be bothering him. "She's good with the bow."

"Yep." He shakes his arm out. "She never misses. We used to practice ages ago. She was the only one who could beat me." He glances at me. "So, you've been busy. The spell, Tink's doing I imagine, prevented me from knowing that everyone had left. It was rather embarrassing."

"Sorry about that." I steady my voice. He seems fine about it now, but only a few hours ago he was angry.

Peter shrugs as he crosses his legs and fiddles with the pipe hung from his neck. "Ehh. No hard feelings. So you finally met the fairy queen."