Lori shrugged. ‘I don’t know what any of that is. Must be from your world.’
Wendy nodded. ‘Sorry, yes, it is. Well, he was handsome, cheeky, funny, that I just sort of liked him straight away. There was something so childlike, yet so familiar and mysterious about him. Naturally, I was more than happy to leave my world behind.’
Wendy fiddled with her chain. On it was a butterfly charm, blue and silver. ‘He said I had to forget my family and agree to never come back. They were the conditions.’ The butterfly on her necklace sparkled in the candlelight. ‘Alice gave me this,’ she said, showing Lori the necklace. ‘Sent from a far off country. I quickly gathered some of my stuff. He said I could say goodbye to my cat. When I was out of the room, I quickly wrote Alice a letter telling her about Peter and the place he called Neverland. In the letter, I put in my other necklace, so she’d know I would always love her. It was a frosted white rose. I was given it for my seventeenth birthday.’ Wendy sighed. ‘I stamped the letter, put on her latest address, and put it in Father’s post pile so he wouldn’t notice and would post it with his letters the next day. I probably shouldn’t have told her. But I hoped she would come looking and maybe join me in Neverland forever. I was so naïve.’
Lori pressed her lips together. ‘How did you get to Neverland?’
‘We flew,’ she admitted. ‘I don’t know how he did it. I haven’t seen him fly much since then. I think his powers have limits. He took me, and as I flew away with him, I could see my mother go into my room, looking for me.’ Wendy sobbed. Her hands were shaking as she took the glass of wine and took a sip. She scrunched up her mouth then put it back down. ‘When I was here, he took me to see the mermaids, the fairies, and the Lost Boys. They were all so welcoming to me and so loyal. They accepted me for who I was. I felt loved, accepted, and happy. Until,’ she said, closing her eyes, ‘I stuck up for what I believed in and tried to help. Until people started acting like they did before they came here. Then he hated me and the rest is history,’ she finished.
‘So,’ Lori pondered. ‘He doesn’t want to be alone. He must be capable of love, which means I’m right about him and Snow. How did the piper and you, well, you know?’
Wendy smiled. ‘He used to spend time on the island. We fell for each other. Peter banished him here. My piper would have done anything to break me out of that prison Peter had locked me in. Peter knew he would have to get rid of his brother somehow. The piper took the key to the fountain of youth and ran for the island we are going to. It’s the only place where Peter has little magic and the piper is stronger than he is.’
Lori got up and looked out of the small, circular window. ‘We’re here.’
DEATH TO NEVERLAND
Snow looked at Peter and smiled. ‘Looks like you dealt with the problems,’ Snow said approvingly. Red, who had somehow escaped, ran past the tree house in the middle of the night. Peter, who had been up with Snow planning his next move, had caught Red, knocked her out with a sleeping spell, and tied her up.
Rapunzel jumped down, looked at Red, and screamed. She tried to free Red, but they didn’t let her. Peter nodded at Snow. ‘It is time; use your powers on her.’ Snow looked at Rapunzel. Her eyes flamed green, and Rapunzel quickly went under Snow’s spell. Snow turned and smiled widely at Peter. ‘Why didn’t you let me do this before?’ she asked.
Bell and James appeared by the tree house, both looking as if they had been dragged through a swamp. ‘Because,’ Bell said. ‘Every time you use your powers, you lose your mind a little.’
‘What?’ Snow turned to Peter. ‘This makes me insane?’
He gulped. ‘She’s lying!’ He scorned.
Bell shook her head. ‘I am not, and I am no longer your fairy, Peter.’
Peter tilted his head, and James looked incredibly smug. ‘Oh, really?’
‘Really,’ Bell said, crossing her arms.
Peter turned to Snow. ‘Do it to them too.’
Snow hesitated. ‘How do I know I won’t lose my mind?’
‘Do you not trust me?’ he asked.
‘Should I?’ she asked.
He shrugged. ‘Up to you.’
She looked around and walked over to Bell. Her eyes flamed green. ‘You’re going to do whatever I want you to do,’ Snow said before her eyes returned to their normal colour.
She turned to James. Peter shuffled uncomfortably before he stopped Snow, putting his hand on her shoulder. ‘Wait.’
‘What is it?’ She asked.
He bit his lip. ‘I don’t know! I’m finding it hard to lie to you. I’ve never had this before.’
James raised his eyebrow. ‘Oh, my God! You’re in love with her!’
‘You are?’ Snow asked.
Peter opened his mouth but closed it again and walked off into the forest’s depths. Snow turned to James. ‘You should go,’ she ordered.
‘Leave Neverland? Isn’t that the opposite of what you want?’ James asked.
Her smile faltered. ‘I still care for you,’ she admitted. ‘You should go. You don’t want to see what happens next.’
‘What happens next?’ he asked.
She looked up at him. ‘I take everything!’
***
Wendy, Hook, Lori, and Stilt walked the steep steps up the side of the mountain. Peg and the other crew stayed on board. Wendy heard the piper’s beautiful melody as they grew closer. It consumed her, but the dread of what would happen to them both once Peter found out what had happened killed her a little inside.
As they walked into the cage, the piper stepped out from the darkness, smiling widely. Tears fell down his cheeks as he ran forwards, dropping the flute. She embraced him with a hug; one she hoped would never end.
Wendy sobbed into his sweet smelling top. ‘Peter will kill us.’
He hugged her tighter. ‘I won’t let him hurt you. As for me, it’ll be worth it for just a moment spent with you.’
Lori pretended to gag ‘Touching. Now, where’s the key?’ she asked.
The Piper looked at the flute on the floor. ‘It’s that.’
‘I knew we should have just taken the flute!’ she shouted at Stilt.
Stilt grimaced. ‘You almost snapped the key to the fountain. You should be thanking me for taking it from you!’
‘Come on,’ Lori said to Hook. ‘Let’s go. Where is the entrance?’
‘Bottom of the mountain, but first,’ the piper said, ‘you promised to take her with you.’
Stilt looked back. ‘We will come back for her. Let her stay with you until your end.’
‘Your end?’ Wendy asked. ‘No! You’re going to let them destroy Neverland completely. You will die!’
‘I,’ the piper said, ‘will be free.’
***
As they made their way down the mountain, they saw the empty ship. ‘No!’ Hook shouted. The waters surrounding the ship were red. They saw from the distance strange looking merpeople splashing around in the water.
‘I don’t understand,’ Hook said. ‘They aren’t even on Peter’s side.’
Lori’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Luring your men from the ship, just like before,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Peter,’ Hook growled. ‘He must have found a way to get the merpeople on his side.’
Stilt stepped forward. ‘And now we kill him; we just need to find the entrance. It’ll be somewhere around here.’
Lori sighed. ‘The mountain goes on for miles. We’d best get looking. I’ll use my magic to reveal any enchantments once we are close. It’ll show us the door.’
The final scream from one of Hook’s men followed them as they searched for Neverland’s undoing.
***
Snow found Peter sat on a log in the middle of the forest. ‘Why did you run off?’ she asked, placing his hand on hers.
‘Love,’ he whispered, ‘is something that can make someone awfully vulnerable.’
‘And happy,’ she pointed out. ‘It means you will always have someone by your
side, a partner, a best friend, an eternal happiness.’
He sighed. ‘Bell was right. The gift I gave you does make you lose your mind. Bell said she wouldn’t have minded, but then she’s scarily insane anyway, even if she doesn’t seem it.’
Snow gasped. ‘Oh, well, thanks!’
‘Sorry,’ he said and lowered his head. ‘I guess I do love you. I love you, Snow.’ She smiled as did he. ‘How can I prove it you?’
‘It doesn’t matter, Peter. I love you too.’
He jumped up. ‘It does matter. Here,’ he said, unhooking a necklace from around his neck. He dangled it in front of him. On it was a beautiful pendant. A heart, just like on a deck of cards. ‘It’s my heart,’ he said, dropping it into her hand. ‘It’s everything of mine.’
She put it around her neck. ‘Why is it on a playing card?’
‘Because,’ he said. ‘It’s the King of Hearts. Life is a game, Snow, but love isn’t. I never thought I would be in love. It’s a game of chance. You never know what card you will draw in life. You happened to draw my heart.’
‘I guess,’ she said, grinning, ‘that makes me the Queen of Hearts.’
He nodded. ‘I love you,’ he whispered then kissed her.
When they broke apart, she smiled. ‘I love you too,’ she lied.
They headed back to the tree house. Rapunzel, under Snow’s spell, whipped Red until she bled. James was trying to stop her, but she whipped him whenever he came close.
‘I thought I said leave!’ she shouted at James.
‘No,’ Peter said. ‘Let him stay, enjoy the festivities. He is no threat to me.’
‘Croon,’ Snow shouted. He emerged from the tree house. ‘Coming to the beach. I fancy some tea.’
Peter seemed displeased, but he didn’t care much anymore. He had Snow. His Snow.
***
Gallisa saw each of her friends slowly turn from good too bad. Each of them trapped in Neverland forever. Snow had turned evil, helping Peter trap his victims.
She walked over to Snow who was sat on the beach with Croon, both drinking tea. ‘You make the most delicious tea,’ Snow complimented Croon. ‘Always has been a speciality of mine.’
‘And your hat is beautiful,’ Snow said, smiling.
Croon sighed. ‘Before I came to Neverland, I was a tailor.’
Snow grinned. ‘You’ll have to make me one someday.’
He shook his head. ‘As you know, Peter doesn’t let us do anything that links us to our lives before him.’
‘Well,’ Snow said, ‘like I said before, one day Peter may not be in charge.’
‘What do you mean?’ he asked.
Snow pointed at her necklace. ‘I have his heart.’ She looked up and saw Gallisa.
‘Can I help you?’ Snow raised an eyebrow.
Gallisa gestured to the pool at the far side of the beach. ‘May I talk to you in private?’
Snow nodded and stood up, putting down her teacup. When they reached the pool, Gallisa sat on a log. ‘You’re like a sister to me. I can’t watch as you walk down this path of destruction. I want my sword back.’
‘It is mine,’ Snow said, holding onto the sword. ‘If I were able to use it on you, I would.’
‘But you can’t,’ Gallisa said. ‘Nor can you or Peter manipulate me with your magic. That means I will always be here to guide you to good, and to protect those who need protecting. I am begging you to stop.’
Snow glowered at Gallisa. ‘You are the Good Queen, aren’t you? You think you are so amazing.’
Gallisa teared up. ‘I do not. I just don’t like seeing my friends hurt.’
Snow rolled her eyes. ‘Go home, Gallisa. You’re not wanted here!’ She walked back to Croon’s tea party and left Gallisa crying.
Red, one of the last who hadn’t been spelled by Peter and Snow, ran over to water’s edge where Gallisa was standing. ‘Can I come with you?’ she asked breathlessly.
‘You got free?’ she asked.
Red nodded. ‘When Rapunzel’s back was turned, James cut me free. I asked him to come with me, but he insisted on staying. To help Snow.’
‘Let’s go,’ Gallisa said.
‘Where?’ asked Red.
Gallisa pointed at the ship. ‘It’s empty. We go on there for now, it is spelled, then we go to the only island where Peter can’t get to us.’
***
When Snow returned with Croon, she saw Rapunzel crying. ‘What happened?’
‘Red,’ Rapunzel cried. ‘I’m so sorry she got free. He cut her free,’ she said, pointing at James. ‘I have failed you.’
Snow pulled out her sword and pointed it at James. ‘I thought I told you to leave.’
‘Not until you’re you again. I know you still love me,’ he said.
Peter looked at him and laughed. ‘She loves me.’
Without warning, James pushed himself onto the blade. ‘I guess we will find out,’ he spluttered. Peter watched on, laughing. Snow’s eyes flamed green as she caught James’s gaze. He knelt to the floor, evaporating into a gold mist. The mist circled its way into the mahogany box, which grew bigger with each new soul.
As the last of James’s existence flew into the box, a piece of Snow died. Slowly, snowdrops fell, hitting each leaf, each branch, and each grain of sand until Neverland was captured in a snow-filled wonderland.
Peter’s eyes widened. Snow looked up at the rock where he sat. Red flashed across her gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, but her tear-filled eyes told him to run.
Peter jumped off the rock and ran into the forest, pushing his way through the foliage. His breaths quickened as he headed to the dead part of the forest. Snow followed behind, the box tucked under one arm and the sword in the other. Still, with the weight, she ran faster than she ever had. Adrenaline pumped through her veins.
Each memory of her and James flashed in front of her like old Polaroids. His voice filled her mind, and the strong feelings from when they had met pushed her to run faster.
Peter stopped between two trees and turned around. It was pointless to run from her; she’d catch up to him sooner or later.
She halted a couple of metres in front of him, raising her sword upward. ‘You know’—she smiled thinly—‘that you gave up the one thing protecting your power.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t regret it.’
She laughed mirthlessly. ‘You should.’ She pulled out the box and showed it to him. ‘This is an eternal prison filled with suffering and prison.’
He eyed the box and smiled. ‘Do what you must. The one lesson you taught me is that a life without love is no life at all.’
The sword glowed a bright blue, just as it had when she was near Jackie. ‘The sword wants you. You must be one the world’s evils.’
He laughed mirthlessly. ‘Oh, silly Snow. It was glowing when you were on the beach, alone. It’s glowing because it wants you. Evil is made; you’re living proof of that.’
She looked at her reflection in the sword, and her expression faltered. She was looking more and more like Lori each day. Peter saw this and walked over to her, lowering the sword. ‘You’re not bad, Snow. You just lost yourself a little. It’s my fault really. You don’t need to do this.’
Snow looked at him with teary eyes. ‘I have to. If I don’t-’ Her voice broke.
Peter closed his eyes. ‘If you don’t, then you just pushed someone you love into an eternity of pain.’ He lowered his head. ‘Do you love me?’
She stayed still as the tears ran down her cheeks. She just about managed a nod. He touched her hand briefly and pushed himself onto the sword. ‘Then I cannot watch as you live a life of pain and suffering. Thank you for helping me find myself.’
Peter disappeared into a green mist and swirled into the box, leaving Snow standing alone in the cold, snow covered forest.
***
Snow made her way to Pirate’s Cove, taking Croon, Tide, and an enchanted Bell and Rapunzel with her. Snow was losing her mind. She laughed for no r
eason as they journeyed across the ocean. They reached the island and Snow nodded to the merpeople who had clearly done their job and got rid of that pesky crew.
They finally found Lori, Stilt, and Hook. Lori laughed sardonically. ‘Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Now what do we have here?’ Lori circled Snow. ‘It looks like Snow’s come for her revenge.’
Snow pointed her sword at Lori. ‘Scared?’
Lori shook her head. ‘Hardly.’ She tilted her head and looked over at Hook. ‘It turned out that I found out what love is. I finally got my happy ending. If you wish to kill me, I’d rather you do it now. I’d much rather die a happy woman than an unhappy queen.’
‘No,’ Snow screamed. ‘You must fight me! You cannot turn good now. Not after everything I have sacrificed.’ Snow’s words were drying out, and her hands were trembling.
Hook edged his way to Lori and stood next to her. ‘If you try to kill her, you’ll have to go through me. I do not know you, but I can tell you from experience. Snow, if you do this, if you remove everything you care about, if you carry out your revenge fantasies, you will end up with an emptiness that no—’
‘Enough talking,’ Snow shouted.
Lori raised her eyebrows. ‘What about James and Peter? Do you think they’d want you to kill anyone? They love you. That much is obvious.’
Snow gulped. ‘They can’t think anything anymore.’
Lori gasped and shook her head slowly. ‘You didn’t.’
Snow nodded and gritted her teeth. ‘You have no idea what I’m capable of.’
‘Wouldn’t want to,’ Lori admitted. ‘Even I wouldn’t kill someone I love. That’s just a whole new level of evil.’
‘You’re lying,’ Snow screamed. ‘You would kill someone you love. You did. You killed Edward!’
‘He hurt me,’ Lori said. ‘I’ll be straight with you. I’ve regretted it ever since.’
Snow shook her head vigorously. ‘No. Watching you, I learnt that love holds one back from power,’ she cried.
‘I think,’ Lori said, stepping forward, ‘you have just made the worst mistake of your life. I feel sor—’
Snow pushed her sword forward. ‘You do not pity me. The Evil Queen does not pity me!’ Snow’s eyes flamed red. Anger took over her being. ‘Off with your head!’
Journey to Neverland (Haunting Fairytales Series Book 2) Page 14
