"You sure about this? You know you can st-
"Yes, thank you, Hawk."she cut gently
"But I'll be fine.
'Well at least come and visit. And if you need to get away a little, the village will always be welcoming you.
"Thank you very much for your kindness. Goodbye."
She walked away. Olivia felt a little anxious but she had missed Felix, scared like she had been the other night.
She recognized camp a few meters away, and felt relieved, besides, she had so much to tell Felix and Jacskon.
When she stepped forward again branches suddenly grabbed both her wrists, tackling her against a tree and knocking the air out of her. She struggled, the branches hurting her. Pan suddenly blinked in front of her looking dark and cold.
"Look who came back. Our running lost girl. Always trying to escape. But no one leaves my island without my permission."
"Ow, Peter let me go! I didn't try to run! I can explain!
"Oh I bet you will, Little one" he said, cold as ice. "You should stop struggling though, unless you want to have your bones crushed."
She stopped fighting the magic and looked up to his face.
"You tried to leave, so you broke the rules. And now you will pay."
He motioned for a boy with a sign of the head. Felix stood beside him, emotionless. Olivia watched as two boys brought another boy, all bruised and bloodied. Hunter.
She shot Pan a questioning look . The boys left him facing Pan who extended his arms before her
"See what it does, witch?! You broke the rule, you get punished, but so does he.
"Wha- Why?! What has he-
"Hunter here,"pan motioned for the boy who looked down. "was the one supposed to look after you, to make sure you stayed safe here. But he failed. And now he is paying the price."
Olivia felt dizzy, she had never thought of that. And now he was punished because of her.
"Peter please, this is my fault, he had nothing to do with this. Punish me. Just me."
The young boy ignored her and turned to Hunter who stared at Olivia confused, and shaking his head like this was a bad idea.
"You are lucky she's alive. Your torture ends here. I would've made your death a long and painful one. But seeing she's here...
Olivia wondered if he was going to let him go.
"I'lll just make it quicker" Pan added, plunging his hand in Hunter's chest and taking out the pumping heart.
Olivia shook her head, desperate
"No please don't do this, Pan please. Don't..."
"Please don't do this"she breathed out, struggling ignoring the branches slowly crushing her wrists which were bleeding and purple. Pan turned to her with a dark look.
"It's all on you, love. All of this. Hunter was supposed to make sure you broke no rules. But he failed. You did . Now he gets punished.
"No please, punish me instead-
"Let this be a lesson."he growled before crushing the heart with his hand.
Olivia screamed her guts out, as Hunter's body collapsed to the floor. She stared at it in shock and turned her eyes towards the killer. But this time, her eyes were dry.
She was strong she wasn't going to cry .
Breathing in, she let out a breath of frustration, disgust and disappointment. Was she wrong about him?
"Now, your punishment."he said and she noticed his eyes were completely black. "You stay here until I decide it's over."
She locked eyes with him until he stepped forward and his eyes still dark he whispered in her ear
"Look at you. Trying to be the brave girl. Do you see it now? Come on say it."he added looking then straight into her eyes. But she stared at him dead in the eye. He smirked and vanished. When he disappeared, Olivia let out a breath and leant her head against the tree trunk. She was still covered in dirt and blood. The poor girl was exhausted, hungry and thirsty, plus, Pan had left the body before her. Olivia lay her eyes on it.
"I'm sorry, Hunter. I truly am."
Lifting her eyes to the sky she noticed the new shining star there, not far from Nil's.
Night passed, and a day, then another day and another night. The poor girl lost track of time, losing consciousness here and there. Hunger burning her stomach and thirst drying thickly her throat. The feeling of numbness, and loneliness crept in her heart once more.
Three days and two nights passed like that until during the third night, someone came to her, his face hidden under a large dark hood from his big thick cloak.
Her whole body felt numb, whenever she tried to move, something seemed to tear apart, her lips were dried and torn. And the hunger and the thirst had her plunged into a state of semi consciousness. Her mind was going blank when she became suddenly aware of a presence before her. Numbness. Nothing. If he was back she didn't even let him know she could sense it. She was too tired. No energy.
But then she felt something fresh on her lips... and slowly sliding down her throat...water! A wave of energy rushed through her veins and she began gulping it, taking in as much as she could, until it was taken away from her. She groaned but a low voice whispered "You need to go easy on it, Liv. You're highly dehydrated your body needs to get used to it again. She nodded and motioned for him to give some more. He did, slowly. Then he began to feed her. Tiny bit by tiny bit.
The young girl lost track of time, sometimes losing consciousness and then regaining it. He would patiently feed her that way. The stranger went away for a time, she couldn't make up how long, but he came back and did it all over again. All this until colours slowly came back to her face and she regained strength. He tried then to treat her wounded wrists but when he so much as touched them she bit her lip with a muffled cry. They were bloodied and purple. He let it be, not wanting to add to her pain. When he was done she looked up to him, her eyebrows knitted together, trying to make up who he was.
"Thank you" she croaked and the figure nodded, its face still shaded by the hood. When he started walking away she let out
"Tell me your name"
He walked back to her and replied carefully "I think it'd be safer for both of us if I don't.
But, please stay strong. Don't let him defeat you. You're stronger than he thinks...
He's not worth your breaking. Please stay alive."He added before discretely and quietly walking away.
Soon, but it felt like forever, the first rays of dawn stroke the earth. Being herself, Olivia got bored of being restrained like a dog and went back to fighting the restrains slicing her wrists to the bone. The pain was such she felt like her nerves were dead. But she continued and called out annoyed
"Let me go Pan!"
When nothing happent she struggled even more.
"You know this is useless right? Fighting these is only making it worse."
He was there. Standing mockingly before her. She didn't even bother to look at him, eventhough she knew this was something he highly disliked, continuing to struggle.
He rolled his eyes "I forgot how stubborn you were." His eyes landed on Hunter's corpse on the floor and with a wave of the hand it faded in green smoke. Olivia saw that, and she swallowed. Anger ached in he heart. She felt something new, more than just pain for the dead boy. Something like disgust towards the other one, the living one just standing in front of her and watching her every move, something like defeat and she quickly pushed it away.
Pan flicked his wrist and the branches crawled away . With a hiss, Olivia kept her hands against her chest, suddenly aware of the pain.
"Now. You and I need to have that little chat you seemed so eager to start the other day."
With a look of pure disgust she muttered stating at him dead in the eye
"How can you do this... How can you be so cruel?!" She went on. " You... I don't understand. I don't, none of it actually makes sense."
She then said quickly "I got lost and found the Indians who graciously welcomed me." She turned her eyes to him again "But you don't know the best part, I... They offered me to stay and live with them... "
Peter lifted his head with interest and slight annoyance at the news but his eyes had not left hers the whole time.
"I refused. Because... after getting lost and being scared to death, I... had only one thought in mind. Come back here. To my family."She trailed off. " This is the only place where I feel safe, where I feel like I belong. They even insisted, saying it wasn't like that, but I was so sure it was. Hell I knew it was. I had missed everyone so much, Felix, Jackson, Hunter, even...certain people." She had almost said "you"
but she refused.
Bitterly she said as though to herself
"How naive can I be? Believing that anyone actually cares about me?! I was wrong. I'm still the orphan I've been ever since..."She stopped and shook her head annoyed with herself. Looking back to him "And you killed him without a blink...
The worst about all this is that I KNOW you cared about him. I KNOW you care about all of them . You're just too much of a coward to admit it."
Pan raised an eyebrow but she did not take it back.
"You don't really get how the game goes do you, witch? I make the rules. And YOU follow them. How hard can it be?
"Then please,"She said mockingly and coldly "Tell me what I have to do to please you! Just don't expect me to kneel before you.
You may be powerful but when power is the only thing you rely on, then you're just weak.
"Well, looks like a few days of punishment simply sharpens your tongue and darkens your thoughts, good to know"he said darkly. Ignoring her confused expression he said
"Meet me at the beach in a minute. We have some lessons to catch up on. We don't want to miss that, now do we?"
He vanished leaving her frustrated and in pain.
**************
Peter had no intention to let her waste her power, and he trained her so hard she could hardly stay awake afterwards. During these lessons, the young girl was completely focused and forgot about any other stuff. She simply wanted to gain control over that magic of hers and defeat the people who had made an intrusion on the island, trying to harm her people. She likes to consider the lost boys and Pan as her people and she was theirs. They were their own free kingdom.
"Now catch the arrow do not dodge it like all the other times!"He repeated patiently but when he did she dodged it once more. Frustrated she threw it back at him but he avoided it swiftly and she giggled at her own helplessness at the moment. She then sighed
"I'll never be able to do this! I can shoot all right but no one's supposed to catch my arrows!
"Maybe but you are!"
He seemed to let this exercise flop so she relaxed when suddenly he took a shot at her out of the blue. With a gasp Olivia reacted and let out a breath, the arrow in her hand, inches before her chest.
Nailed it! She thought when suddenly she turned to him, standing there with a smirk on his face
"What the hell Peter?!!!??" She threw the arrow at him annoyingly.
The reason why Olivia had refused to tell Pan about the creepy soldiers on the other side of the invisible walls was because she wanted first to know why they were there And what he had done to have them trying to kill him.
She told Felix though, who admitted how worried he had been when they realise she had gone missing.
Soon enough life came back to normal, well almost, she still stiffened whenever Pan was around and didn't talk to her brother. She spent all the time she could with Felix. He showed her new technics for hunting and fighting even wrestling. Jackson was still around, running around with her.
She had her training sessions with Pan half the day but the other half he left her alone. She usually spent it with Felix, and they would go to the woods, to hunt or simply talk about stuff.
Pan was slowly initiating her to the dark magic, but he told her none of it, saying it was absolutely necessary to defend herself better. One day she went back to the force field and hesitated to cross it. But Tiger Lily appeared of nowhere with Hawk at her side and they both persuaded her against it. She followed their advice and did not go beyond the invisible wall. When she turned back and got deeper into the forest she heard a twig snap and instantly stiffened, looking around. Her eyes fell on a man who had just crossed the force field.
Curious, she followed him through the forest and along paths she had never seen. Her hood on her face they both got to a clearing Olivia knew too well. And seeing how cautious the man was being, using a protection spell on himself in order not to be seen, Olivia decided to stop him right now. She raised her hand and stopped him with magic. He was frozen in place with eyes staring in the void. She walked to him and careful not to show her face she stated coldly
"You know you shouldn't be here alone and even less going where you are going. "
She eyed him curiously, and somehting struck her: he was not looking at her.
"What is it you want??
"..."
And it seemed like he couldn't even hear her. She raised an eyebrow "what the hell are you up to?"she mumbled and then it hit her.
She glanced around her before narrowing her eyes at him. This was a tricky thing but somehow she knew it.
With a sigh her eyes became orange and she waved a hand over his face and then snapped her fingers and he disappeared. He reappeared in front of the invisible wall and went back in.
She frowned deep in her thoughts. The man... And what did he want in Skullrock ?! Pan would be so mad if he knew. In fact she was rather surprised he hadn't notice. Maybe he had but it didn't look like he had.
But then again she remembered the cloaking spell he had on him.
"Everything all right there miss?"
She snapped her head in the direction of Seb, one of the lost boys who had got the habit of calling her miss.
"Please tell me you're not my new babysitter" she mumbled.
"Um yeah I'm supposed to look after you so..."
She rolled her eyes "Well then I suggest you just follow." She muttered before walking away. Towards Skullrock.
Seb shook his head "you're not supposed to go that way, you know?
Skullrock's where-
"-Peter's shadow lives, yes I heard. I just need to take a look.
"No come one, we should get back to camp.
"Seb, it's either you follow or you stay here but I'm going. Trust me it's important. "She went on stubbornly, Seb following right behind.
At one point he jogged to where she stood, on a cliff,staring at the small piece of island in wonder and awe.
As she began walking towards it Seb gripped her arm firmly.
"You shouldn't. It's a bad idea. And I need to keep you safe. You have to trust me, Olivia. I don't mean you any harm. But you have to listen at some point.
"Seb you don't get this, I understand, but I know what I'm doing!
"Believe me I don't think you do. Now come on.
But Olivia didn't listen. Seb then yanked her back, and she had to look up to look at him in the eyes, he was way taller than her and quite muscular.
"Miss listen to me! I believe you, and I'm sure you have a good reason for wanting to go there, but NOW is not an option.
Listen,"He said with a low voice "In two days, Pan leaves to the Realm with no magic to get new lost boys, he won't be back before a few days. That would be a proper time to investigate.
Do you trust me?"He asked gravely and she waited a few seconds before nodding.
"Good that. Now, let's head back and we'll prepare that. Right now let's just pretend like we were going for a walk, all right?"
Somehow she felt disappointed but also admitted he was right. And it felt good to have someone on her side. When they approached camp the cloaking spell wore off and they both pretended like nothing happent. She quickly walked away from him though and plopped down next to Felix.
"Do you ever feel like everything's suddenly going wrong and it all goes so tricky there's nothing you can do about it?"
When she was in that mood, Felix would patiently listen to her and try to find a few words that would calm her down. He stayed extremely quiet and she knew it and respected it, not expecting any answers at all. He just listened but found it funny how she could get really mad, pacing around and then sitting back down with a frown, keeping quiet for a moment, frowning, deep in her thoughts before suddenly speaking really quickly. He knew her by heart now, and vice versa. An unbreakable bond had settled between those two.
This time he simply nodded and she leant her head on his shoulder, staring at the flames a frown on her face.
"You're thinking too much. Might hurt that poor little brain of yours" Felix grumbled and she rolled her eyes
"At least I've got one, Ow!"she yelped as he pinched her playfully. They laughed, shoving each other playfully until she actually pushed him off the log and he fell on the floor on his Bach with a thud. Olivia burst out laughing as he climbed back on the log.
"You know one day this is just going to get back at you.
"Mmh. Sure. I'd like to see that."
Her eyes suddenly met a pair of dark brown ones. She quickly looked away and so did he, looking down and then turning back to his neighbour.
"You know you'll have to talk to him one day right?"
Felix said quietly turning his head to the side to look at her. Olivia stared at the flames, putting a hard face on.
"You can't be mad at him if you don't even want him to know why. At least explain. As far as I know, he has no idea what happent. No one does. Except you. He's your brother, Livy. You, unlike everybody else here, still have someone from your family who loves you.
"Not sure I own that luck anymore.
"Whatever happent back at that time... he has a right to know."
Olivia did not answer and simply shrugged, but she knew deep down, he was right.
She looked at her brother who immediatly turned to her, filled with hope, but she looked away meeting with Seb's eyes, a protective look in them.
Not many were talking but there was no need for it.
Sometimes a look holds greater expression than a thousand words.
What she didn't notice was a pair of forest green eyes piercing the darkness, and staring right at her.