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I growled at her possessiveness, and my cock stirred in appreciation. “Yes, it does. Shall we take it out and play with it?”
Katherine smiled. “I think we should deliver this mead to Peter before he consumes any more of our time together. When we return, I’ll remind you of why your cock loves me, too.”
It felt like I might wear a permanent path on the wooden floors of our cabin. My mind was racing, and the pacing gave me an outlet. My skin crawled as my thoughts darted from one thing to the next. The entirety of my life’s decisions flickered in my mind like bolts of lightning.
James had left at dawn, leaving me alone again to play victim to my overactive mind. His planning and plotting were barely enough to satiate his hunger for revenge. We were both nearing a breaking point. At least he’d finally slept solidly for the first time in days. Secure in the knowledge that his memories would never fade. It seemed more like a curse than a gift to me. Some things were meant to remain solidly in the dark corners of your psyche.
Yesterday’s meeting with the young princess had left a bad taste in my mouth. I saw the way she looked at him. Like James was her next great conquest. He was too consumed with his own vendetta to see it.
I stopped my pacing long enough to pull my wild hair into a messy bun on top of my head. Even the way it clung to me in the heat of the day was irritating. A rush of cool air on the back of my neck was a welcomed relief on my heated skin. It wasn’t the temperature that had me burning. It was that girl. Tiger Lily, a seemingly innocent young woman, radiated a nauseating power. I didn’t need to touch her to know that her destiny had the potential to upend everything in this realm. How James fit into her overarching plan is what worried me. Because simple favors now meant nothing to her in the scheme of things. The way her fingers had lingered too long on his body. Her coquettish smiles and suggestive looks had gotten under my skin. She looked no more than fifteen, but if she were like Peter, she could be several times my senior. The jealousy was irrational, but it existed, nonetheless.
James’ quest for vengeance was becoming increasingly complicated, tangling me into his ever-evolving web. As much as I tried to deny it, James had made it abundantly clear that no matter how much he loved me, that would never be enough. Not while Peter Pan still drew breath. And that undeniable truth broke my heart.
There had been no word, no news that the faerie mead had found its mark. For a poison that could take a life in a matter of moments, it was taking an awfully long time to produce any results. Were all my efforts wasted?
Against my will, my life now revolved around James’ vendetta, and this capricious child was at the center of it all. That was the crux I struggled with. A constant battle raged in my head. Could I be complicit in killing a child in the name of love? James insisted that despite his outward appearance, Peter had lived many lifetimes. But I couldn’t wipe the youthful sight of him from my conscience. All of this was wrong. I gnawed on my lower lip. Indecision eating me alive. My eyes caught on the tiny vial that contained the last remnants of the poison I’d made. It sat innocuously on the center table, like the essence of springtime captured in a bottle. Its bright, cheery color belying its deadly properties. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. A sinister elixir that had the potential to give me everything I ever wanted.
“Are you quite done sulking?” Meadow chimed in from her little cage. “I’m the melancholy one, remember? Besides, it doesn’t look good on you.”
“I’m fine, Meadow. I just need to think. I need to… I have to…” The answers still eluded me. I couldn’t see my next step forward, and the uncertainty left a knot in the pit of my stomach.
“Don’t think. Act. That’s how pixies do it.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Yes, it is. What are you feeling right now?”
“So many things.”
She gave me a questioning look. “That's your problem. Focus on one emotion. The one that takes up the most space.”
I searched within myself, letting my emotions run wild and waited to see which one came out the winner. “Anger,” I whispered.
“A useful emotion, that one. Do you like feeling that way?”
“Not particularly.”
“Well then, use it to make the change you want. It’s that despicable Captain, isn’t it? You want to make him happy?”
“He is a good man, Meadow. I know you cannot see it, but he is. And yes, I want to make him happy. Making him happy makes me happy.”
“So, stop thinking about things. Take all that bottled-up anger and do something with it.”
She was right. I could sit here and contemplate my future for an eternity; all the while, the present was passing me by. I wanted a life with James. Only one thing stood in my way. I grabbed the pistol James had given me. Fuck the poison. I was done waiting. It was time to take fate into my own hands.
Meadow proved invaluable. She was a wealth of knowledge from her little cage attached to my belt. Dictating directions and spouting off Neverland’s history. She helped me navigate the island with ease. She even knew all the spots where Peter and his Lost Boys frequented.
I got caught up in the beauty of Neverland. It was breathtaking. Far surpassing that of our realm. Likely because this place hadn’t been tainted with bad memories. At least not yet. For a time, I lost the edge of anger that had spurred me into leaving the Jolly Roger behind. I’d been ready to serve Peter’s head on a silver platter to my love. But now I hoped we never found him.
“What’s that place up there?” I asked, pointing to an ivory tower nestled on a lofty peak in the distance. The afternoon sun glinted off its pristine walls.
“Oh, that’s the Temple Mount.”
“Maybe you could elaborate a little?”
“It’s the house of the Divine. A sanctuary for all those who serve. A place of great power and knowledge.”
“What kind of knowledge? Things about the island?”
