Chapter Five
I slammed my hand against my chest where my heart was located as I tried to regain the breath that was knocked out of me.
"Connor." I hissed. "What are you doing here?!"
I had to whisper so that Pan doesn't take note of our presence near his hut.
"Saving your ass, that's what." Connor snapped in a harsh whisper before grasping my arm and pulling me away from the Danger Zone.
Connor dragged me away from camp and towards one of the paths.
After several protests from me and him ignoring my angry attempts to escape his grasp, I started to grow wary but I didn't make it evident.
"I swear to god I'll kick you in the balls if you don't let go of me right now, Connor, I don't want to fucking hurt you." I warned him.
Connor released my arm exasperatedly. "I'm not kidnapping you, Elisa, I just ..." He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose as he fluttered his eyes shut. "I want to show you something."
He started walking ahead of me and I watched him for a couple of seconds before curiously following him.
"Where are we going?" I asked quietly as we walked side by side.
Connor didn't look at me as he spoke and I had to look up at him due to the difference in our height. His caramel eyes darkened slightly, mirroring the darkness around us, but he knew where he was leading us.
"Some place that's beautiful during the day, but even more breathtaking at night." He spoke in wonder as he finally pushed away the bushes to reveal the beach.
I stood in awe as I absorbed in the scene before my eyes. Connor is right. This place is breathtaking - it knocked the breath out of my system.
The starts littered the sky, taking up every available space on the black carpet above us. The moon was situated on the side, brightening up the sky further and illuminating the beach. The dark coloured waves rippled as they washed the shore gently as the sand yearned for it's next connection with the water. The sound of the waves and the soft wind blowing around us was enough to make every cell in my wellbeing to relax. My legs pulled me towards the water and I carelessly dipped my bare feet into the water and found myself grinning uncontrollably.
Connor walked up behind me and whispered, "it's beautiful, isn't it?"
I craned my neck to look at him while grinning. "It's flawless." I said.
Connor shifted his eyes from the water to my face, and he had the smallest smile on his face that caused my heart to well up with warmth and contentment.
"Why'd you take me here?" I murmured.
"Well," he started and pressed his chest against my back gently as I stared at the waves crashing against the shore and wetting my feet.
Connor placed his hand delicately on my hip while his other hand played with a strand of my hair. "First of all, to save your sorry ass."
I laughed and leaned my body against him. "Second?" I asked.
"Second, I wanted to share something memorable with you." He spoke in a low tone and I turned around to face him.
His hands dropped and pulled away from me as I gazed up at him curiously. "But why?" I whispered.
"You had a rough day. Must've been frustrating to lose against Pan, but what'd you expect?" My eyes narrowed to slits at the mention of Pan's name and I clenched my fists. "That guy is a bastard. He manipulated me to win."
Connor then had an amused grin on his face as he tilted his head to the side. "How so?"
I crossed my arms over my chest. "He made me think I was winning, and when I started to believe that, he twisted things around and suddenly he was the one who had the upper hand."
Connor threw his head back and laughed before smiling at me. "You must admit that it's a clever tactic."
I scowled. "It is, but I'm smarter; I should've seen it coming."
"Hey, you're one of us now. Cheers to that." Connor spoke with a small grin as he sat on the dry sand and I followed his actions.
"How is that a good thing? I'm stuck on an island that I don't belong in. This isn't my home." I said with a sigh and rubbed my hands together to keep myself warm.
Connor glanced at me before he looked up at the sky. "You have no idea how well you will fit in here, Elisa. All of us mean something big to Pan, otherwise we wouldn't be here."
"What makes you say that?" I queried.
Connor ran a hand through his hair nervously and tugged on the ends before pulling his hand back.
"Pan only comes for the kids who feel lost, alone, hopeless and unhappy. That is a known fact. So, you must have felt all that, Elisa, no matter how many times you deny that. The Lost Boys and I all felt that way before Pan took us with him to Neverland."
Connor licked his lips hastily before speaking again.
"He took us all in and made us feel welcomed and protected. He made us feel like we are his family. He may seem brutal and like a monster, and he is feared by everyone, including the Lost Boys and I, but that is what makes him the King of Neverland. We respect him and obey him because we are indebted to him for rescuing us from our previously shattered lives. He rescued you from dying, Elisa. Don't answer this, but I want you to think about it - aren't you at least a little grateful that he convinced your king to banish you to Neverland instead of killing you?"
I stayed silent as I took in his words and I pursed my lips. As much as I hated to admit it, I was grateful. I was more than grateful, actually, but I was never going to admit it.
"Pan took us all in, including you, not just because we felt hopeless, but because he knew we could help him. With what? None of us have a clue, but we know that we all have a purpose." He stated then sighed and resumed speaking.
"We're all a family, Elisa, including Pan. He built this family. And you're part of our family now. Don't try to escape Neverland, Elisa, because there's no way you could. The only way out of Neverland is through Pan, and he never lets any of us leave."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why not? What if we convince him -"
"He wants to maintain this family. He's worked hard to build it, and sending us back to the realms we came from will jeopardise his family. Besides, none of us want to go back. We hate where we came from, Elisa, and I'm sure you do too."
I shrugged. "Of course I hate it there, but I want to go back for vengeance. I want to burn down Snow White and Charming's pathetic kingdom - and then I want them to watch their friends burn to death, and then I'll end them both." I said my plot out loud to Connor as he eyed me in wonder.
"I don't believe this facade, Elisa."
I looked at him confusedly. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I don't believe it. You act ruthless but here you are right now, allowing me to sit close to you and also allowed me to bring you somewhere."
I looked away from him immediately and glared at the sea. "You haven't given me a reason to hate you, and that's that."
"You could have killed me just like you have vowed to kill the rulers of your kingdom, but you didn't. You aren't who you claim to be, Elisa Emerson."
I stood up and glared harshly at him. "You better take me back to camp right now or I will definitely show you how deadly I can be." I spat and Connor raised his arms up in defence as he stood up and wordlessly walked ahead of me back to camp.
*****
Connor went straight to his hut while I stood burning holes through the put out bonfire. I was outraged. Infuriated. Aggravated.
Who did he think he was to accuse me of putting up a facade. This is who I am - a thief with an cold heart, and nothing is going to change that.
The moment I was about to walk over to my hut, I heard the sound of an instrument playing.It sounded like a flute, and boy did it sound mesmerising. My ears perked up as I tried to figure out the source of where this melodic music was being played and my eyes landed on Pan's hut, which still had the lights on.
Not hesitating at all, I walked over to his hut as the melody of the flute got louder with each step I took towards Peter's hut.
I made it to his door and I listened to Pan's unique music. I sat and rested against his door as I shut my eyes and savoured the lulling music. It was beautiful.
I emitted a quiet sigh and rested there for a while. I didn't even realise the music had stopped playing until I heard the demon's voice talk to me.
"You can hear it?"
I opened my eyes and found Pan's head sticking out of his window as he eyed me curiously and cautiously.
Wordlessly, I nodded and Pan disappeared back into his hut and I stood up.
The door to his hut opened and Pan quickly stood out and shut the door behind him.
"How can you hear it? How is that possible?" He asked, but it felt like he was asking himself.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Uhm, I have ears...?"
Pan shot me an irritated look and I rolled my eyes.
"The Lost Boys can't hear it. It used to be just me that could hear it, and now you can hear it too." He said as he looked at me. He was worried, but why? Why was he so apprehensive?
"That means ..." He spoke hesitantly as he eyed me extremely cautiously now and that's when I started getting worried myself.
"What? Means what, Pan? What does that mean?" I urged him to speak as he avoided eye contact.
Pan very slowly reached his hand out to me and gently and carefully placed it on my forearm, but he only placed it for a second before pulling his hand away quickly as he looked at me with wide eyes.
"How could that be ..." He asked in disbelief.
"Pan." I warned him but he did exactly what I feared he would do.
"Go sleep, Elisa." He spoke, still shocked by whatever it was that he had discovered about me.
"Are you kidding me?! No, I won't fucking go to sleep, Pan - not until you tell me what on earth is going on! Why can I hear this music when no one but you can also hear?" I demanded answers.
Pan glared at me and without saying another word, he stepped back into his hut and slammed the door shut behind him.
"Go to fucking sleep, Elisa. We're all playing swords tomorrow at Training." He said and I groaned loudly as I fumed with anger, but stormed to my hut anyway.
I will find out what Pan is hiding from me. I will find out whether he likes it or not.