Flying

Chapter 32: Home

After a few minutes of silence, Peter turns to me. His eyes are clear and bright again. The effect of the sirens has worn off.

"Jimmy, what happened?" he asks, bewildered. "Why am I here?"

"You were being an idiot and I saved your life as usual," I reply caustically.

"Where are Wind and my men?"

"Men," I scoff. "Don't you mean boys?"

"Whatever. Where are they?"

Pulling a large leaf from a nearby tree, I scribble a message onto it with a sharp stick. Gently, I throw it into the air and exhale underneath it. The leaf floats through the forest away from us.

"They'll be on their way once they receive my message."

"Good." Peter pulls out a small leather pouch. "It'll be time to pay the boys soon, and I'm not sure if Wind has any."

"Any what? How much money do you have to pay those kids?"

"None of your business," Peter snaps.

Without a word, I flick my wrist. The pouch flies out of Peter's hand and over to me. Quickly, I open the pouch and dump its contents out. Several crystal vials fall into my palm. They are filled with a shimmering dark powder.

"What is this?" I hold up one of the vials to the light. "How do you pay the boys with these?"

"It's medicine."

"Really?" I uncork the small bottle and smell the powder.

"It's just a small recompense for their services." Rising, Peter walks over to me and snatches the vials. "It's not as powerful as the magic founts, but it keeps them young if they continue to take it."

Tilting my head to the side, I study Peter's face. His cheeks flush slightly, and he glances down at the ground.

"There's something else, isn't there?" I tap my finger against my arm. "What's wrong with it? Your "medicine" has problems, doesn't it?"

"It's not exactly perfect," Peter admits. "It's made from pixie powder that I have adjusted slightly with a spell, but the boys have become dependent on it."

"They're addicts. That's how you control them so easily," I say.

Peter rubs his forehead and looks away.

"I'll take your ashamed silence as a yes." Crossing my arms over my chest, I stare at Peter. "Okay, here's the deal I'll offer you. I will take you and Wind to Neverland's fount, so you can go back to your times."

"Really? Jimmy, thank you so..."

"I'm not finished," I cut Peter off. "I will send the two of you back only after your boys have been returned to their lands."

"Why after? Can't you return them when Wind and I have left?"

"I could, but I won't for one very simple reason."

"What's that?"

"I don't trust you." I toss the leather pouch back at Peter. "I don't want to be outnumbered by you. Once we send your boys back, it'll just be you and Wind, and your magic won't work because of the cuff your brother put on you."

"What about Wind?"

"I can take her if needs be," I say confidently.

"Glad to hear it." Striding into the clearing, Wind glares at me. She snaps her fingers, and the boys swiftly start setting up camp. Wind turns her attention back to me. "If you force us to divest ourselves of the protection in numbers, we will keep the timepiece until you hold up your end of the deal."

"Fine." I cross my arms over my chest.

The two of us fiercely glare at each other while the boys continue to arrange the camp. Once they finish, Peter tosses Nibs the vials, and the boys immediately snort the powder up their nostrils.

"So do we have an accord or should we part ways now?" I demand.

Peter glances over at Wind. She purses her lips tightly and then nods.

'ello mates,

Sorry for the late update today, but graduate school! You know how it goes! It's awesome though learning from so many amazing professors who have trained under Amy Poehler and been on TV shows like Phil of the Future, Criminal Minds, Switched at Birth, and more. So worth the crazy schedule, homework, and money!

Fun Fact:

The truth is always written on the body even when we try to hide it. There are tells, physical behavior, and micro-expressions that tell our emotions. For instance, some people look down and away when they are ashamed or lift their hand towards their forehead. Look up Dr. Paul Ekman and his work on micro-expressions if you're interested in learning more. It's great research especially for authors who want realistic characters. It busts a lot of myths about human behavior. Many think that people will break eye contact when lying. In reality, most people keep their gaze on the other person to see if they believe their lie. We tend to break eye contact and look away when we are actually recalling a real memory.

Have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you next week!

Au revoir!

Commodore Caroline