Flying

Chapter 5: Pirates

Swifly, I yank Peter's knife out of his belt and press it against his neck. His eyes widen as he stares down at the sharp edge digging into his skin.

"You lied to me," I say, my voice dangerously low. Anger is burning through my veins. "You did remember, didn't you? Back at my island. You remembered everything, but you told me you didn't."

"I...I...my..."

"Don't lie to me, Peter." I narrow my eyes. "I will know."

Peter swallows several times, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Gingerly, he turns his head and looks into my eyes.

"Okay, you're right. I did remember back at the island."

"My island," I interrupt.

"Your island," Peter concedes. "I did remember, but I didn't want to say anything because I didn't think you'd let me come, and I needed to come with you."

"You needed to come with me," I scoff.

"Yes, I did. I needed to protect you from him."

I want to laugh at his ridiculous statement. As if he could protect me from anything. But PEter's grave expression stops the laughter in my chest. Slowly, I pull the knife away from his neck. Peter places a protective hand over his throat.

"Thank you."

"Thank me by explaining." Leaning back against the wall of the roof, I keep the knife trained on Peter's body. "Now!"

Peter nods and settles back against the wall near me. Taking a deep breath, he launches into his story.

"My parents died when I was young, so it was just my older brother and I. James and I lived on the streets for years. We looked out for each other, but James started getting with the wrong crowd. He began with drugs and gang fights and things like that and then he moved on to some really weird stuff. James messed around with a group of people who said they could make him king of some place."

"I'm assuming not here in England," I cut in.

"No, they meant in another world. Not like another planet, but another world entirely. It was bizarre."

"Were they those guys at the tavern?"

"No, I never really met them." Peter looks away sheepishly. "I only found out about them because I was kind of eavesdropping."

"Why does that no surprise me?" I mutter.

"Anyway," Peter continues, "one day, I came into our house, and James was gone. He left a note saying that he was going to find this place where he could be a king. And I never saw him again."

"Then how did you...?" I begin, but Peter cuts me off.

"I'm getting there. Hold on, you impatient girl."

Naturally, I can't let him get away with calling me that, so I smack him over the head. Peter tosses his hair back and laughs.

"You know I'm right. You are not a patient person."

"Well, if I'm not a patient person, you better hurry up with your story."

"Right," Peter clears his throat and goes on. "I kept looking for James, but I could never find him. The guys he used to work with kept threatening me. They wanted me to be a drug mule and kidnap people for the fights, but I refused. They weren't too happy about that, so I ran. I changed my name and started a new life. The closest I ever came to finding James was when I met two of his employees, a pair of identical twins. They told me that they wanted to help me, but it was a trap. The twins captured me and took me out onto the ocean in a fishing boat. When we were out of sight from the shoreline, they threw me over the side. I thought I was going to die, but they threw some glittery powder after me, and a giant whirlpool opened underneath me. That was the last thing I remember."