Neverland (21 page)

She sighs and dabs at her cheeks when I release her. “How will we get him to teach me?”

“Leave that to me.” I take her hand and walk to Peter’s mast. Right underneath, I tilt my head and shout, “Pan, you filthy little bastard! Get your ass down here!”

“Very subtle,” Angel grunts behind me.

“What? It’s the best way to catch his attention.” And it sure as hell works.

Peter stops midsentence and moves his gaze to me. “Is this your idea of a truce? Your pet pirate threatening to cut my fingers and toes one by one and your watchdog trying to shoot me?”

“A truce?” half of my crew blurt at once.

“Get a grip, men,” I snarl at them. “This is just temporary.” Then I call out to Peter, “No one’s going to touch you. Come down and we talk.”

“Ah, I don’t think so. I’m actually enjoying the view up here,” he counters. “Tell me what you want, Smellin’ Jim Hook, and it better be something good, or I’ll be off with the next breeze.”

Same old, same old. I’m tempted to pull Brant Skyler’s pistol and shoot the kid myself. For Angel’s sake I clamp down on my temper. “I—
We
need your help to send Angel back to her world.”

“Back to her world? What’s wrong with yours? Last time I saw her she was quite happy to be a pirate.”

“Last time you saw her, she was hanging over sharpened pikes and you just walked away, you nasty piece of shit!”

Peter clicks his tongue then he laughs dryly. “Why are you wasting my time, Hook?”

Angel squeezes my hand. Turning, I face her disapproving scowl. All right. I’ll try this differently then. “Listen,” I shout to Peter and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I know you think Angel betrayed you. But you’re wrong. I kidnapped her, took her to my ship and made her walk with me through the jungle to show me your den. She didn’t reveal where you lived nor where the treasure is hidden even though I threatened her with death.” I pause and clear my throat. Now comes the tricky part. “Angel needs to learn to fly to get home. You’re the only frea—” I cut myself off and quickly correct to, “The only
guy
I know who is able to fly without wings. I want you to teach her.” And then I add through gritted teeth,
“Please.”

Stunned, Peter hesitates a long moment. But something must have impressed him, because he slides down from the crosspiece then and lowers to the deck. Wary as always, he takes care to keep out of anybody’s reach and leaps on the railing.

His focus is only on Angel. “Why do you want to go back?” he asks her with a friendlier voice than when he was talking to me.

Angel steps around me, but she doesn’t release my hand. “Because I have a family, Peter. A mother and a father who are waiting for me. And two little sisters. It would break their hearts if I didn’t come back.”

It’s a smart thing to play the family card with Peter. It’ll remind him of how much he missed his mother when she left him behind. But for Angel it’s the truth after all. There are people waiting for her. People who care for her. They must be worried like hell.

Peter cocks his head. “And why do you need to fly to go back?”

“A fairy said I can only leave Neverland the way I came here.”

Nodding, he levitates a few feet up, crosses his legs like he’s sitting on invisible ground and steeples his fingers under his lips. “I know of a way to make you fly. But you’re with my enemy. Why should I help you?”

“Because I have something you want,” I answer for Angel.

Peter’s gaze slides to me and he drops lower. Taking a wide stance on the railing again, he places his hands to his hips. “And just what would that be, Hook?”

My jaw set, I reach under my collar and pull out the key. With a jerk, I tear the chain. The sun reflects in the metal as it’s lying in my open palm. A sly grin creeps to Peter’s lips. His fingers twitch and he flies closer, but I close my fist around the little key before he can grab it. “I want your word that you’ll help Angel.”

“What’s my word to you, pirate?” he spits.

I wait until he looks me in the eyes and finally say in a severe tone, “Give me your word as my brother and I’ll trust you.”

Indecision fights with avarice in his eyes. He wants the key, even if all this is still just a stupid game for him. But he also cares for Angel—so much that I can tell by his look. “All right. As your brother I promise to make Angel fly before night falls,” he says. “If she can’t go home then, I still get to keep the key.”

Angel throws an uneasy glance at me. Is she worried she won’t make it that fast? I close my fingers tighter around her hand, assuring her with a nod. She can do it. The only problem is I was hoping to get another day with her. One more night. Just a few hours where I could have her to myself and hold her.

But this is more important than what I want. We both nod at the same time, agreeing to Peter’s terms.

“Okay. Come here, Angel, and bring the key,” Peter orders, now wearing his stupid grin again. “I’ll take you to the jungle. We’ll train there.”

“What? No,” she protests and steps closer to me. “Why can’t we train here?”

“Because you need pixie dust to fly.” He reaches in his pockets and turns them from the inside out, making a wry face. “And I don’t have any on me.”

“Bring the pixie here then,” I growl. “I guarantee that no one on board will harm her.”

“Right. Tell us another!” Peter laughs and glides a few inches upward. “She’s young, but she’s not stupid. She’ll never come to your ship.”

“Then I’ll accompany Angel.”

The laugh ebbs out of Peter’s throat. “I’ll take
her
with me, not you.”

I wrap my arm around Angel’s shoulder and tuck her to my side. “If she goes, I go.”

Peter watches with hawk-like eyes as I slide the key into my pocket. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do about it. But if Tameeka comes, the Lost Boys will follow. You better take the ship back to the shore. Anchor at Mermaid Lagoon. We’ll be there in an hour.”

I don’t wait until Peter flits away but turn around and yell the command to berth the Jolly Roger at Mermaid Lagoon. If Peter really wants to put his fingers on the key to the chest, he’d better be punctual—and bring a pixie. I’m not giving up the chance to destroy this freaking watch and break the spell for nothing. I want Angel safely home by the end of the day. And afterward I just want to drown myself in the shark-polluted waters.

Chapter 12

JAMIE STANDS BY the railing, hands braced on the wood. Every few minutes, he glances at the sky then checks the coast for anyone approaching. I near him and stroke his back. He doesn’t turn, but he wraps his arm around my shoulders and tucks me to his side.

“What’s up with you?” I ask and tilt my head, searching his face.

“Nothing.”

“You seem restless.”

He releases a deep sigh. “I’m just trying to keep myself occupied so I don’t think of the end of today.” His eyes find mine. After a forced brief smile, he kisses my brow.

“Yes, me too,” I whisper. Even though I’m happy to have finally found a way to get home and see my sisters again, I know I’m going to miss Jamie on a level that’ll leave me hurting for a long time. But I’ve stayed here long enough. There’s a life outside Neverland waiting for me. I have to go.

The cry of an eagle in the distance makes us both turn east. Peter is coming. And with him, holding onto his hand, is Tameeka, the fair-haired pixie.

“Let the Lost Boys come on board,” Jamie calls out to Smee who then extends the gangplank together with Fin Flannigan. “Remember what I told you. These are exceptional circumstances. No one’s going to kill Peter or the boys…today.”

An agitated growl rumbles through the crew. They aren’t happy with the situation, but they’d never rebel against their captain. And since I’ve been officially called the captain’s girl since we returned from the lagoon this morning, they’re all willing and some of them even happy to help me. I know this because Jack Smee subtly nods at me as Jamie and I wait to see our guests aboard. He even gives me the hint of an encouraging smile.

I’m being social with pirates. Who would have ever thought?

Skippy, Toby, Loney, Stan and Sparky file on deck and huddle together with the gangway behind them. It must feel weird to be on a pirate ship of their own free will. However free that will really was, I’ll probably never know.

Stan runs the zipper of his bear-fur vest up and down. When I catch his eye, his cheeks flush pink. “Hey, Angel,” he mumbles. “It’s good to see you again. And alive too.”

“Hi, Stan,” I reply and give him a true smile.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he lowers his gaze to the floorboards. “I’m sorry I didn’t help you in the jungle.”

“Forget about it. There’s nothing you could have done.” And to assure him I really mean it, I close the two steps between us and hug him. When I pull away, he’s grinning like a raccoon. “What is it?” I demand.

The red in his cheeks intensifies. “You look like a girl.”

“Yeah,” Skippy seconds him, scratching his big left ear. “The dress looks much better on you than those fancy pants you wore last time.”

Behind me, Jamie laughs softly and I cast a glance over my shoulder. “You so agree with that, don’t you?” His laugh ebbs to a smirk. I’m totally in love with that devious half-smile.

When I turn back, Peter and Tami land by the boys. The sight of the pixie gives my heart a twinge. She reminds me so much of my little sisters. Longing overtakes me. I’m ready to start learning. I want to go home.

Tami’s gaze meets mine for a long moment. Last time we met, she ran screaming from me because she thought I was a pirate. What does she think now that I’m holding Captain Hook’s hand? Slowly, the corners of her mouth curl up. “Hello, Angel,” she says in her bell-like voice. “I didn’t think we would meet again. Peter was driving us all crazy talking about nothing but you. Well, Peter and Stan that is.” She cuts a look to the boys and everyone laughs. I didn’t think Stan could blush even more, but I was totally wrong. He’s glowing like a tomato right now.

I tilt my head and send Peter a puzzled glance. He shrugs. It’s good to see he wasn’t so mad as to
not
talk about me. “Thanks for coming,” I tell them all.

Peter nods. Then he holds out his hand to Jamie, and I almost think he wants him to shake it. But of course, Jamie pulls the key from his pocket and places it on Peter’s palm. “You better stick to your word, little brother,” he says.

“And you better find a crew that doesn’t stink so bad,” Peter replies with a mocking grimace.

I giggle but stop immediately at Jamie’s low growl. “What?” I whisper. “He has a point.”

Peter claps his hands, drawing our attention. “Now that everyone is here and all is settled, shall we begin?”

A rush of excitement comes over me. “I’m ready.”

“Good. First you need to know the basics.” He grabs Tami and me by the wrists and leads us to the middle of the deck, shooing a couple of mean-faced pirates away. “It takes two things to fly. First, you have to find the happiest thought in your mind and concentrate on it. I’m warning you, hold on to it at all times. If you lose it, you’ll fall.”

“Happy thought, got it,” I say and already know what it’ll be for me, cutting a brief glance over Tami’s head to Jamie. Nervously, I clasp my hands in front of my stomach. “What’s the other thing?”

Peter waggles his brows. “Pixie dust.” When he ruffles Tami’s hair, a soft gold rain powders her shoulders and the floorboards at her feet. He catches some in his cupped hands and pours it over me. It smells of blackberries and honey and the dust makes me sneeze twice.

“All right. Now try to fly!”

I stare at his expectant eyes. “Just like that?”

“Yeah,” he assures me. “Just like that.” With a small push of his legs, he lifts up in the air. It looks so easy when he does it.

Full of enthusiasm and thinking of the last time Jamie kissed me, I bend my knees slightly and push, taking a small jump forward. But instead of sailing up to the sky, I land on my feet again. I try flapping my arms up with the next little jump, again, and again, skipping around the Lost Boys until I’m back in my original position.

My shoulders slump and my mouth curls to a pout.

“Maybe you need more pixie dust,” Peter suggests and ruffles Tami’s hair again. When this still seems too little for him, he scoops the pixie up by her feet and flies with her over me. He shakes her face-down over my head. Shrieking and laughing at the same time, Tami protests, but he ignores her until her dress of ivy leaves falls down to her chest, revealing her white panties. The crew and the Lost Boys laugh and whistle.

“Put me down, Peter!” Tami scolds and he sets her back to her feet.

I catch Jamie’s grin behind her. “You look like a marigold,” he tells me. With all the pixie dust on my dress I do indeed.

I try another jump, but when that doesn’t work either, Peter takes both my hands and lifts me up with him. “Now if this isn’t enough, I don’t know what to do with you.”

There’s no time for me to say anything, because the next instant he releases my wrists. A gasp escapes me as I plummet six feet down. Jamie catches me, holding me flush to his body. He gazes into my eyes and teases, “You wanna do that again?”

“No!”

With a thump, Peter lands beside us. “Seriously, Angel. With all that pixie dust you should be able to fly to the moon and back.”

I grimace. “You think something is wrong with me?”

“Not with you, but maybe with your happy thought. What did you pick?”

Heat creeps to my cheeks. I’d rather not tell in front of them all. But the smirk on Jamie’s face confirms
he
knows. “Maybe thinking of me doesn’t make you happy enough?” he purrs in my ear.

He was only joking, but there’s something true about what he said. My face falls. “You’re right,” I whisper. Whenever I looked at Jamie in the past hour, my heart ached with longing for him. “Soon I’ll be leaving Neverland, and then I’ll never see you again. How can that be a happy thought?”

His eyes narrow, but I know he understands me. “Maybe you should pick something that you can look forward to then. Like your home. Or—”