AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, sir,” he mumbled.
“Made that mead myself,” Smee announced, cutting off Jukes. It was all he needed to fade back into the shadows of the firelight.
I took a hearty pull from the jug. The harsh liquid warmed my gut instantly. That would be the only time I indulged tonight. I needed my wits about me.
“I appreciate the hospitality, Smee. But to be honest, I am here for more than pleasantries and polite conversation,” I said quickly. I needed answers before I showed my cards. “Tell me, how is it that a mortal man finds himself in Neverland without the aid of Peter Pan?”
“And what makes you think he didn’t help?”
“Peter has no interest in grown men.”
“I wasn’t always this way. I’ve been on the island a long time.”
“Do you take me for a simple man, Smee?” I asked as I pulled my knife from my belt and began cleaning my nails. “Might I remind you that allies don’t lie to one another, and I expect you need this alliance more desperately than I do. Maybe you’d like to try again?”
Tension spread over the group, thick and suffocating. Their eyes flicked around the campfire, lingering mostly on Cecco, who looked strangely feral in the firelight.
Smee grunted, “You’re an intriguing man, Mr. James. Why do I get the feeling that you’re more entrenched in this than even I can fathom?”
“Then I’d say you’re more astute than I gave you credit for. Give me your story, and if I find you to be valuable, I’ll give you mine.”
“He took my son.”
His words brought me up short. That was a scenario I’d never considered. I masked my shock as quickly as it graced my face.
“Your son?”
“Aye. My boy was only eleven when Pan darkened our window and stole him from me.”
“How did you manage to find your way across the veil?” I asked, smothering the swell of jealousy that tried to bubble up from my dark soul. This seemingly ordinary man found a way to Neverland in a much shorter order than I had.
“Sold my soul to the devil. Well, at least he may as well have been. At the time, I was naïve to the worlds beyond our own. But stories of the fae run deep in the borough. I tracked one down and wagered a price for my passage across the veil.”
“And your son, where is he now?”
Smee held my gaze, his jaw working as he wrangled the emotion that showed clearly on his face. “I ain’t found him as of yet.”
“All these years you’ve been on the island, and you still haven’t found him. Are you sure he’s even still here?”
Smee broke my stare. His jaw worked as he digested my words. I hadn’t meant to be harsh, but I was in no mood to entertain sob stories. “If your son isn’t on the island, why haven’t you returned home?” I pressed.
“Home to what? My son was my home. Without him, I have nothing. Besides, when I arrived, I realized it was more than just my son who needed help. And I’ve been doing my best to save these boys from the same fate as…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t admit openly that his son was likely long dead. “Maybe I was waiting for you? Because I believe you’re about to change all that for me.”
The rest of the evening was full of stories that poured out of them just as freely as the mead. Each one with a slightly different version from the previous, but they all ended the same. Neverland had begun to rob the older boys of their memories, but they still retained enough to paint a clear picture. Peter had been busy, and the sheer number of boys he discarded over the years had my demon flexing in my chest.
I listened in rapt interest to every word they said. The alcohol freed their minds and loosened their tongues. While I made mental notes of their stories, my old memories began to resurface. I wondered idly how long it would take for Neverland to dull them, which only ignited my sense of urgency. If I was doomed to forget my past, I needed to be sure I killed Pan with a clear conscience. While my hatred for him remained intact.
“I am knackered,” Smee yawned. “About time to get some shuteye, boys. We’ll continue this in the morning. Mr. James,” he bade me goodnight and ambled off into a darkened corner of the camp.
It was late, but my mind was racing. And there was no way I’d let my guard down here. Katherine had long since fallen asleep. I’d tucked her into one of the lean-tos and excused myself. Finding a dark spot just far enough to keep an eye on Kat but not disturb her with my fidgeting.
I was lost in thought as the night shifted into the early morning hours. That’s when the shadows caught my attention. I almost ignored it. The fire had been casting eerie shadows over the camp all night. I rubbed my tired eyes, but this was no trick of light. A shadow was coming for my girl. I watched carefully, clutching my dagger so tightly the hilt dug painfully into my palm. I moved silently, cloaked in darkness, until I was close enough that the dying embers of the fire illuminated the threat.
I stopped in my tracks. Apparently, my warnings had fallen on deaf ears. That little fucker, Brix, was kneeling by Kat, pulling her blanket down with one hand while the other was moving obscenely inside his pants.
My vision turned red, and my self-control evaporated into the ether. I pulled a cigar from my pouch, and before he could lay his filthy hands on my girl, I struck a match. The scrape and splutter of the fire sounded unusually loud in the quiet of the camp. Brix jumped at the sound, his eyes going wide as the flame illuminated my face in the darkness.
“You’ve been quite a naughty boy, haven’t you, Brix?” I drolled, my voice deadly calm.
