Checkmate

9. The Needle

After a free morning on the ship, spending the time with the pirates and my father, the lookout mentioned a small boat making its way to the ship. A few minutes later, Felix had climbed up onto the ship and waited for me, hand outstretched. Pan had obviously and possibly reluctantly selected Felix to come and collect me from the ship, the king unable to hold me around the waist in order to fly. His own fault, really.

Father packed me a bag with the strict instructions to change my bandage daily using the fresh cloths in the pockets. I filled the rest of my bag with the shells and other gifts the pirates had given me in an attempt to make me feel better. Mr Starkey returned to me my bow and quiver, along with my knives, all except one. Wordlessly, we packed the knives together before he helped me don my bow and quiver.

"Only things missing are my dagger and my sword wherever Pan hid them," I said as I made my way towards the lost boy and his rowboat.

Felix silently took the bag from me in a second, the boy freezing tightly when I used my free arms to hug him, elated that it was him and not Pan. Despite the agreement the night before, I remained unsure of Pan's actions regarding hurting me, understandable after he was the one that stabbed me.

Felix didn't hug back but gave me a smile that went from ear to ear, his emotions clear. I waved goodbye to the pirates after an extra-long goodbye from my father and Killian, both reluctant to see me go, but respecting my wishes to return to the island.

During the journey, Felix remained quiet, as if Pan had ordered him to do so. He wasn't sullen in his silence, not until we were almost at the shore. His demeanour changing at the sight of Pan waiting for us upon the sand. Almost five minutes after leaving my father, Pan helped me out of the little rowboat, the boy taking extra care not to touch my waist.

He leaned in closer to my left ear, his breath tickling the damaged skin of my neck where he had left his mark. "Do you remember our discussion last night, princess?"

"Of course I do."

He pulled away as soon as I appeared steady on my feet. "Well then, training begins tomorrow. But, for now, dinner. I don't expect you to join us."

"No, I will be there." I smiled warmly, feeling it fade as Pan waved his hand over Felix, removing the spell that he had used on the boy. "What did you do?" I asked, hiding my anger to make my question seem more out of curiosity.

"Felix and I had an arrangement too, didn't we, Felix?" Pan said, the meaning being his words and his tone making me worried for the lost boy. Felix only nodded, still under some sort of spell. "After that minor disagreement, I think we can safely say that I won."

Once again Felix only nodded, but as Pan vanished back to camp, the blond turned to briefly pull me toward him. Quickly, his lips grazed my right cheek before he hurried away, gesturing for me to follow. I felt myself smile, my hand resting on the cheek he had ever so softly grazed with his lips, before following him into the woods.

That evening was one of celebration. After I had dropped my belongings, including my bow and quiver, off at my treehouse. I returned to the campfire, surrounded by dancing lost boys, whooping and hollering once again to the silent music.

Dinner was a delectable buffet of food, brought into the world with a wave of Pan's hand, the smells alone enough to fill one up. We all ate loudly, many discussing the different flavours of the foods. Slowly, all the boys introduced themselves to me. It seemed I had won most of them over after almost dying to defend them. One of the smaller ones had told me that Pan had come back to camp covered in blood after dropping me off with the pirates. The boys had taken turns speculating until Felix had finally pulled the truth out of the king.