Lost Girl || Complete

Chapter 26: Infatuation

    The camp was abuzz when we arrived. Of course, the boys shot some sideways glances at the two of us wandering in unaccompanied, but Pan walked with that air of authority that, like always, demands unquestioned respect.

    As he made his way through the hoard, shouting for reports and patting scouts on the back, the smallest feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach. It was like he'd flipped a switch - the one that went from the soft Peter I'd seen to the strategic warlord the boys knew so well. It's getting hard to tell which is the real him, I thought, hoping that, somehow, a person could be both.

    "We're glad at your safe arrival, sir."

    "Ah, Felix," Pan exclaimed. "Did you expect anything less?" Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, he nodded in my direction. "We got a bit hung up at the Echo Caves. Tell me, how did we fare with the Renegades?"

    "The scouts fought valiantly," Felix reported. "Any survivors fled for the shoreline within the hour."

    "And that," Pan announced, "is what I call a successful mission. Well done, general."

    Hand on shoulder, the two walked toward the town hall for further deliberation.

    That's it? I thought, watching him leave without a word. I'm not sure what I expected, but...

    "Ma'am," spoke a nervous voice. Glen's familiar smile softened my surprise. "Pan says that I'm to help you get settled in after your trek."

    "Of course. Thank you, Glen."

    After getting a change of clothes and washing up in my hut, I headed to the dining hall where I was to meet Glen and some others (who were eager to hear about our adventure). For a moment, I allowed myself to breathe and relish in a break from the chaos.

    Breakfast with the boys, as always, was full of entertainment. While some ate, others danced and laughed at our startled amazement. "Tell us more, Leona!" they'd shout. "Tell us about your adventure in the Echo Caves!"

    I'd laugh and hint to another detail.

    "Come now," little Rueben insisted, "you're teasing us!"

    "I'm sure we're stumbling upon details she couldn't provide," said an older dark-haired boy. "Considering what could've conspired between her and Pan in a whole night."

    "Oooh!" Boys smirked and scanned me for any sign of admittance.

    I simply rolled my eyes. Great. Just what I need.

    "Bunch of scallywags." Barosa's deep voice echoed from the sidelines.

    "Hey, what did ya call us?"

    "You all know better," the warrior stated. "Pan's focus is the good of Neverland, and any who think otherwise can hang in a cell."

    Pausing at his comment, I asked, "Would he actually punish you?"

    Barosa snickered. "Questioning him implies room for doubt. Peter Pan never fails."

    If I had a nickel for everytime I heard that...

    The arrival of two scouts returning from patrol interrupted our conversation. Something about their hushed tones peaked my curiosity.

    "What was that?"

    Rather than acknowledge me, the pair turned to Barosa. "Did you hear? The Indians found 'em - they caught themselves a fairy!"

    All conversation instantly ceased.

    "Fairies aren't supposed to exist anymore."

    "Yeah, well, they do," one scout insisted. "They split up 'tween Mermaid Cove and the mountains near Neverpeak. The first group found nothin', but the second... they found one hiding in the hills, no wings or nothin'."

    Tinkerbell. My heart caught in my throat.

    "If she had no wings, how did they know she was a fairy?"

    "Oh they knew alright," one scout laughed. "The little princess recognized her magic and confirmed it for 'em."

    How could Tiger Lily do that?! I wondered, angrily. Trying to track her loyalties was becoming as hard as deciphering his...

    "I thought it was supposed to be a peaceful negotiation," I butted in.

    "Fairies listen to no-one on their own terms," one scout finally acknowledged. "The Chief had her taken back to camp for... the sake of her undivided attention."

    "And that's why I wanted no part in it." Every boy's back straightened as Pan entered the room. I merely looked down at my plate and tried not to blush from eye contact.

    Ignoring my attempt to be casual, however, the boy walked over to the bench and plopped down beside me. I strove to remain indifferent, so he simply leaned his elbows on the table and kept talking. "The fairies have made their stance on Neverland's demise perfectly clear; cold and indifferent. Forcing them to revisit an alliance will only add to bad history."

    Every boy's expression turned a little grave, and, for the first time, I understood why.

    "I will not risk any Lost Boys for that. The Indians' quest is over, and our hands will remain clean of that fairy's fate." Standing to face his audience with purpose, Pan added, "We don't kill for sport; we defend when necessary. Our mission is now, as always, to defend Neverland."

    Everyone nodded, and light conversation resumed as Pan rose to leave.

    "It's all a game to him," Tink had warned me. "Pan controls every piece of this island like pawns on a board."

    Now look at what had become of her.

    "You think his boyish ways are charming, that his ferocity is intriguing, and his eyes and voice could melt you from the inside out."

    How could I have been so foolish as to get distracted? I wondered how many he'd cast that spell upon to gain such control.

    Thinking back now, I realized that what I felt for him was merely infatuation. Yes, his ways were charming, and yes,... every part of him intrigued me. But he was also unpredictable, chaotic, and dangerous. There was no real substance to what was between us, if there was anything at all - I had nothing to prove that it wasn't another trick.

    Except, there would always be the Echo Caves...

    A voice from the crowd of retiring boys interrupted my musings. Pan had paused at the doorway, said my name, and now given a half-bow that I returned with a smile. With that, he was off to his daily duties.

    Rather than continue my train of thought there, I rose to prepare for my own mission for the day.

    I had an appointment with Captain Hook.