Checkmate

5. The Bite

Trigger warning for self harm mentions, abuse, and rape (but no actual rape, it just may trigger.)

Stay safe out there besties

By the time I got back to the camp, after thankfully remembering the way, my hair had dried, but my feet were near black. I brushed them off as best I could before putting my boots on, leaving my socks on a stick near the fire to dry. I took out all my hidden weapons and ensured they too were dry before putting them back where they belonged.

The socks and my hair were finally dry as soon as the first lost boy made it back to camp, meaning I could braid my hair and put my socks on to regain some sort of normality. The rest of the boys made their way back slowly, no one looking at or even speaking to me. They all just went about their regular business as if I wasn't there. They spoke amongst themselves, using names that seemed strange to me at the time. Nibs, Slightly, Curly, Tootles, and even a pair of boys called "The twins".

A few minutes after the one called Nibs dropped to a log and poured water out of his boot, Pan arrived near the fire in a puff of green smoke. He effortlessly leaned forward to grab my arm and lift me from the log. He pulled me out of camp and up a random set of stairs into a little treehouse.

As easily as throwing a piece of paper, he threw me onto a rather dusty bed and glared at me. "Everything in Neverland is mine, including you. You are never to touch or even... kiss anyone else without my permission."

I twisted to stand and dust myself off, suppressing the urge to cough. "Possessive much," I muttered as I wafted the floating dust from my face.

"Excuse me?"

I ignored the obvious switch of emotion in the room and continued. "He tried to kill me, and you were doing nothing about it. I had to save myself somehow. Besides, what if someone touches me, or even kisses me without my permission?"

"They will die."

"By your hand?"

"Maybe." He raised a hand and studied it for a second. "Or maybe I'll feed them to the mermaids."

I maintained my composure as Pan glared, visibly awaiting my reaction. The pirates had told me about the mermaids and their capabilities. The way they had described them were similar to piranhas, sharp teeth, and a deep craving for blood. Deciding that would be one of the worst ways to go, I still preferred it over a life with the demon. "And what about me? You going to feed me to man-eating mermaids?"

"I'll kill you myself."

I stared him down, our eyes locked on each other. "I'm not afraid of death."

He was quick to answer, his lip curling into the smirk that never seemed to leave his face. "Your father is."

My face dropped to be devoid of any emotion other than rage as I lunged at the demon, pushing us to once again be in the same position as a few days before, his back against something, my dagger to his throat. Only this time, my other hand had another weapon, one of my hidden knives. The two were criss-crossed against his windpipe, but his face remained stoic. We both knew he could heal in seconds.

A low chuckle rumbled against my weapons and suddenly they both flew out of my hands, across both sides of the room. In the distraction, I lost focus, allowing his hand to fly to my throat as he pushed me to the ground. His knees rested on either side of my thighs as he leaned over, his face calm yet serious as his fingers pressed deeper into my throat.

Just as I started to lose consciousness, I punched an area of him that always leaves a guy gasping for air. His hands flew off me as he doubled over in pain, his groans satisfying to hear. I choked for my breath, coughing from the dusty room. I rolled over and crawled to reach for the glint of my dagger from under the bed, but felt my hair pulled back. He was once again on top of me, but I was belly down, in the worst defence position. His cheek pressed against my left ear as his lips grazed my neck, my head unable to move. I felt cold as I realised myself to be completely incapacitated.