Checkmate

15. Kings and Queens

The next few weeks, Pan and I kept a slight distance, not to personal issues but because he was finalising parts of our plan. The ruses and lies were only just beginning. With Pan gone, the training and leadership fell to me and Felix, but with him avoiding me, it left me to pick up and do everything myself.

I taught the boys music, fighting, games, swimming, even maths and reading thanks to Pan, who made trips to the mainland for us. He even occasionally brought back sheet music for songs for us to play and sing to once I had learnt to manifest items myself. Pan would join us on some of our lessons and would even help us if we were standing in position wrong. Taking the time to adjust us slightly, or help the boys with words, or even help lead a few games. Felix, however, was nowhere to be found except at mealtimes.

Weeks rolled into months, months became a year, and soon I wondered whether I would ever speak to Felix ever again since he ended our secret meetings. My evenings had become tiresome, even my dreams without Pan coming and talking to me had become boring. But between all of that, I had become closer to the lost boys, to where they had become like brothers to me, to where I would have killed for them, or got stabbed for them all over again.

One morning, Pan left me training a new boy as the lost boys went with him to check up on areas around the island. The new boy had been doing well until his attention had flicked to something lurking between the trees. I looked up to our captive princess, Tiger Lily still floating above next to the camp in her cage. She acted as a lookout in return for longer toilet breaks and food, and wordlessly directed my attention to a rather sullen Felix at the sight of my gaze upon her.

My eyes flicked over to one tree in particular to see the older boy overlooking my one-on-one training session, after he had very clearly decided to stay back from scouting. I thanked the floating princess silently with a head nod before making a mental note of where Felix was lurking.

"Keep your sword up, Dev," I commanded the new boy, catching him slacking out of the corner of my eye.

"I told you to stop calling me that! Stupid girl. I could kill you with this and no one would miss you!" I stayed silent, understanding that he was in new surroundings and getting used to new things, but Felix grew furious. He stormed towards the boy, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck.

Felix growled, his club inches from the new boy's head. "Apologise to her!"

"Come now Felix, he's just playing, aren't you, Devin?"

The new boy snatched himself from Felix's grasp and fixed his shirt. "I don't wanna take orders from some girl. Girls were born to serve." He pointed up towards Tiger Lily. "She should be in a cage like her."

Felix all but growled at the boy as his gaze darkened. He reminded me slightly of Pan, but Pan was scarier. "You better say sorry to her, little boy."

"Or what? You gunna hit me?" Felix took a deep breath but turned his back on the bratty child. "You gunna go running to your precious Pan?"

Suddenly, Devin jolted forward, his stomach affecting him. Felix and I shared a smirking look. Our first communication that wasn't a glance or a stare in months. The last conversation having been about the boys and their feet positions.

A small throb in the scar on my neck told me Pan was nearby, causing me to twist my attention from Felix and back to Devin. I smirked, walking forward slightly. "What's the matter Dev, tummy ache? You wanna call out for your mummy to save you?" The boy groaned as I lifted his chin to look at me.

Pan's dark chuckle echoed from a tree branch above us. "You better apologise. I know I would." All eyes flicked to him to see a half-eaten apple in his hand.