Neverland

Chapter Seven

It is official. I have power of Neverland. No one comes in or out without my permission. When I fly to the Dark Ridge, I see that the island is completely covered with the darkness. I am more powerful than Tinkerbell ever was. She was never able to cover Neverland in darkness.

I decide that my favorite place of the island is the part a little ways off. Skull Rock, as I now call it. Though I have been in Neverland the shortest amount of time, my Lost Boys seem to have not discovered Skull Rock. Not even Lyam, and I don't plan on telling him. It is my own retreat, and I will protect it. I fly to Skull Rock, strategically skimming over the mermaids. I've never tested their ability to trance me, but I am not taking any chances with my life.

Skull Rock has two floors of stone. The top one has two openings that from a distance look like the eyes of a skull. I used to stare out of the eyes and wish for a little change. Now I've realized that change is happening. I am changing Neverland for the better. I'm making it better than it ever was before.

The sun hits me in the spot that makes me see my shadow the clearest. There was a time I used to be scared of my own shadow. My parents had just been killed. I was in charge of taking care of my brother, Jack, and making sure we weren't separated. We were the only family we had left. Things scared me badly. I sometimes wished it would all end. We were starving, and hiding out in strange places. One time we were in the sewer. I never slept most of those nights, but that night I listened to the constant drip. After a year, I developed an ability of smuggling. Not one I'm proud of, but it prolonged mine and Jack's death. I wonder where he is now.

No. I have to stop these thoughts, to block them. Love makes me weak. Magic makes me great. I am the leader of the Lost Boys. Neverland is my home.

The sun sets, turning the sky blood-red. Tonight is a good night. I step off the edge of the eye unafraid. I fly at a leisurely pace, giving myself time to think. So much time has gone by since the death of Tinkerbell, and I haven't given much thought to her last words. "Everything will fall. I give my gift to you."

At the time I thought of it as some kind of curse, but now I'm not so sure. To me, it sounds like a warning. Why would Tinkerbell want to warn me? What could she possibly care about. Then it hits me. There was one thing she cared about: Neverland.

Before I have time to comprehend this, I look down and see the Lost Boys camp. The bonfire burns high and bright, which signifies that they are in a good mood.

The reason why tonight will be a good night is because I get to have a little fun. What my Lost Boys don't know, is that I can see them when they don't think I can't. For weeks they have been whispering about and are acting shady. It's high time to find the reason why.

Lyam stands in front of the fire, arms crossed. His dark hair glints with the flames reflecting. He doesn't join in with the Lost Boys dancing around the fire. I wonder if he knows what I am about to do, but that's ridiculous. I am very slow to trust. Trusting is something I have learned to be cautious with, it is not something to be thrown around.

"Hello boys," I say, touching the ground. The Lost Boys yell and cheer. Smiling, I walk through them to Lyam."Quiet them," I whisper. Lyam gives a solemn nod. Standing on the raised platform, he holds up his arms. Just the sight of Lyam doing this silences three boys, but the rest continue dancing around the fire. I sit on the edge of a boulder and watch.

"Silence!" Lyam says forcefully. It occurs to me that Lyam is older than most of the Lost Boys. He seems to be around eighteen, whereas the rest were about my age or younger when they stopped aging. My Lost Boys turn to me. It is their automatic response. Instead of speaking, I raise a set of reed pipes to my lips. I fashioned them after I found myself a new weapon: a knife. A longer one, too, about twelve centimeters. The end is dangerously sharp, so I keep it wrapped in leaves and tie it to my waist with a vine. The blade is actual steel.  None of the Lost Boys have a weapon like mine.

I cover and uncover the pipes as I blow, creating a simple, but powerful tune. The Lost Boys gather around me in a half circle. Only Lyam remains standing, but that is because of his stronger will. I will not use more magic than required. I have all of them in a trance. I play a few final notes, then set the reed pipes on my lap. The magic of the pipes is unreliable, so I have no idea how much time I have. Question and torture, my favorite game.