Red Rebellion

Chapter 7

Elizabeth felt her head pulsate in hot aching waves. She sighed out a pained breath as she awoke from what felt like a clouded dream. At first, the figures in the room were just hazed shapes. She winced at them until her vision slowly sharpened to identify them as Lost Boys. The four of them came down the wooden stairwell in line. They walked across the room to hang up their weapons on the wooden pegs sticking out of the walls. The younger one first noticed Elizabeth's consciousness, prompting him to tug on the back of Felix's cloak to get his attention.

"Well well," Felix smiled at Elizabeth, "looks like the Princess has woken up."

She fluttered her eyes, "What happened?"

"What, you mean after you drugged us?" The three other boys looked at her with betrayed frowns.

Elizabeth unremorsefully glared up at Felix, "If you're looking for an apology, you're not going to get one. I did what I had to do to get away. It's not like you've treated me with any more grace."

"Keep up that attitude, girl," Felix raised the end of his club towards the side of her head. "Just consider yourself lucky that Pan saw to your survival. The amount of blood you lost would have killed anyone in normal circumstances."

Elizabeth struggled to recall the last moments of her consciousness. A moment passed before she hastily brought a hand down to the back of her leg, remembering where there was once an unbearable stabbing penetration. "Yeah," Felix grinned, "He took care of that too."

She grimaced, "What do you mean, he took care of it? It wasn't just a stab wound; it felt like...-"

"Poison," Peter answered from the back of the room. The Lost Boys turned abruptly and moved to the side. It was clear by his furrowed brow and pursed lips that Peter wasn't in the best of moods. "Boys, rally the group upstairs," he softly muttered. It took them all a moment to register his light tone as an order before obeying the command and departing up the staircase. Elizabeth sat up and stared at him with distrust. He tilted his head with a solemn frown.

She blinked, giving herself a second to think before she answered. "Peter...-"

"You were poisoned, Lizzie." He stared flatly at her, throwing her no bone of remorse.

She shook her head in disbelief, "What do you mean 'poisoned?'"

"I think you know."

Elizabeth winced and shook her head. "No," she muttered. "It couldn't have been... that. There's only one cure for that," her eyes began to water, "and I'm all better."

Peter swallowed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I had to save you, Lizzie."

"No!" She pushed him away from her, feeling the ball curl up in her throat and the heat burning beneath her eyes. "You planned this! You wanted me to get poisoned!" Peter glared at her though made no attempt to move back closer. "You sick asswhole!" Her voice cracked into a whimper when she finally caught the sight of the water by her bedside table.

"I've orchestrated many things to happen, Lizzie, but believe me poisoning you was not among them."

"Stay away from me, Peter! I'm serious, just get out!"

Peter took a frustrated breath, "I vowed never to harm you, Lizzie. Remember? I'd never go back on my word."

Elizabeth scoffed with wincing tear-filled eyes. She stared up at the ceiling with a disturbing expression of anguish before looking back at Peter. "You know what my problem is? I trust too easily. I want to see the good in people when no one else does. I swear, I thought there was something there." She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing more hot tears down her blushing cheeks. "I swear to God, you seemed- I thought there was something deep down that I could hold onto, Peter." She huffed out a choked sob before burying her head into the pillow. Peter glared in utter silence, his stare was filled with unreadable distraught. "Serves me right," she whimpered through the blankets.