Flying

Chapter 23: Playtime

"Where is she?"

Anxiously, I finger the hilts of my jian swords. The silver sand shimmers in the grey light of dawn. I can barely see Hook's ship in the distance – a small speck on the waves. Over the past day, the crew sailed us towards Neverland. Thanks to their senseless captain, I couldn't sleep so I helped the crew by summoning ocean currents and winds. In the early hours of the dawn, I flew Merlin and Hook to the shore while Flicker vanished into the sky.

I should be exhausted by my sleepless night, but for some reason, I can feel energy coursing through my body. My forehead still tingles from last night. It's utterly ridiculous. It was one small stupid kiss that meant absolutely nothing to me. I should be spending my time thinking about tactical information or battle plans or people who are actually useful. Instead, my mind keeps focusing on the softness of Hook's lips and the light touch of his callused hand on my waist.

Shaking my hair back, I glance over at Hook. He hasn't looked at me at all since we landed at the Iridescent Shores. His jaw is tight as he paces on the sandy beach. Clearly, he is not thinking about me at all. I'm sure that he's already forgotten about last night. He's probably told hundreds of other girls the same things. He is a pirate after all. Biting my lip, I turn away. It doesn't matter.

"Where is she?" I mutter again.

"Impatient, Stormy?" Hook kicks at the sand. "Can't wait to get your island back to yourself?"

"Yes, I'll have to cleanse every tree, sanitize every grain of sand and scrub out the ocean with soap to get rid of every trace of piratical stench," I reply caustically.

I will never understand Hook's rapid mood swings, and I don't have time or inclination to try to figure out his ridiculous behavior. He goes from gazing at the stars with me last night to avoiding me in the morning. Thrusting my chin out, I glare at his back. I can be just as stubborn and cold as he can. From now on, I'm just going to ignore him no matter what he says or does.

"The sun is going to rise soon." I turn to Merlin. "Where is she?"

"She'll be here soon." He places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will be back to normal very soon."

"It better be." I smack his hand off my shoulder. "I'm holding you personally responsible."

"What? Why me?" Merlin protests.

"Because you're the one that planned this whole thing. You're the genius mastermind, right?"

"No, I'm just..."

"So you're not the mastermind of this plan?" I interrupt.

"I didn't mean that. I meant that I'm just...I'm not..."

"Oh, I get it," I cut him off again. "You're not a genius."

Merlin throws his hands up in the air with a groan as I laugh at him. Bowing gracefully, he takes my hand.

"I surrender to you, my lady. I never could keep up with your verbal sparring."

"Or physical sparring either," I counter.

"If we fail, I will be your humble servant for life." Merlin kisses my hand dramatically. "I will rinse off every shell on your shores and polish every pebble of your mountains and dust every star in your sky."

"I suppose that will begin to suffice." I dip into a clumsy curtsy. "My munificence astounds even myself occasionally."

Tossing back his head, Merlin laughs. The gold flecks in his eyes shine brightly as he looks at me. "So, you've forgiven me now?" he asks.

"I forgave you when you got me my favorite tea," I admit. "No one knows me like you except Flicker. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You would be just fine." Merlin places his arm around my shoulders. "You don't need any of us. We're the ones who need you."

Gratefully, I squeeze Merlin's smooth hand. He pats my back before drawing back and scanning the skyline.

"All right, we're about at time. We should prepare ourselves."

"Do you think they're watching us now?" I whisper.

Merlin nods and crosses to his position. Walking over to my place, I glance at Hook. He is already in his spot with his backsword drawn. His fist is gripping the hilt so tightly that his knuckles are white. He is staring at Merlin unhappily. When he catches my eye, Hook looks down at the waves lapping on the sand with his face set firmly. Exasperated, I turn away. Merlin raises his eyebrows at me. He knows me well enough to see that something is wrong. Furrowing his brow, Merlin frowns at Hook, who notices his disapproving look. Defiantly, he shakes back his long hair back and raises his face to meet Merlin's eyes. I feel almost forgotten as the two men glare at each other. There is an unspoken conversation in their gazes. Finally, Hook breaks eye contact, lowering his head.

What was that? I silently mouth to Merlin.

He shakes his head and shrugs, which does nothing to reassure me. Hard knots start twisting into my stomach. A dark sense of dread starts to fall on me. The foreboding becomes stronger as I see a streak of light fall from the sky. Unfurling her fiery wings, Flicker shoots towards us from above. With an elegant sweep of her dress, she lands on the beach. The flames from her wings curl around her shoulders and onto her ivory skin.

"Jimmy, there's not much time!" she calls to me as she runs across the sand. "I found it."

Taking the chain from around her neck, Flicker places the battered pocket watch into my hands. As my fingers close around the cold metal, I feel a surge of power rush through my body. A bright glow emanates from my hands for a moment before Flicker thrusts the chain over my head and shoves the pocket watch under my tunic. I can see a flash of alarm pass through her eyes briefly.

"I have to go now," she announces loudly. "There's a desperate situation in Avalon that I must attend to. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll keep it safe," I reply.

"We'll meet back here when I return." Flicker strokes my hair gently. "Be careful."

"You as well," I return.

Stepping back, Flicker raises her hands and claps them together. A gleaming translucent orb forms around her body. There is a dazzling burst of light inside the sphere. Raising my hand, I shield my eyes from the blinding blaze. Suddenly, the light fades away, and Flicker vanishes.

"If that didn't get their attention, I guess we'll have to try hosting a tea party," I mutter under my breath.

Hook snorts. Clearing his throat, he quickly changes his laugh into a cough.

"Now!" a voice shouts from the forest.

Instantly, Peter's gang dashes out of the woods and forms a semicircle in front of us. With the ocean at our backs, we are now trapped on the beach.

"I guess you don't have to worry about learning my favorite tea now," I comment drily to Hook.

Drawing my one of my swords, I summon a current of purple electricity in my other hand. The streak of energy weaves through my fingers, sparking dangerously. Wolfishly, I grin at the group of fighters in front of us.

"Okay boys, let's play."

Hey sailors,

Thanks so much for reading the next chapter of Flying! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your views, comments and votes. Please continue clicking on the star before you leave.

Dedication:

I would like to take a moment and dedicate this chapter to Chl0eandRisk for regularly shipping out with Jimmy and Hook. She has been an amazing reader and is also an amazing author! Check out her profile and stories!

Tune in next week for an update! There will be a huge reveal that may change many things for Jimmy!

I remain yours ever,

Commodore Caroline