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“Some of it, yes. But there’s so much more. An entire library of arcane books. Hidden mysteries of the realms. Magic and prophecies.”
This piqued my interest. There was so much that I didn’t know about this realm and those beyond. My knowledge of the cosmos was infantile, and I was eager to learn. Possibly, there were books about the Heart of the Divine kept in their collection. James had chosen to stash it away and use it as little as possible. Starkey’s warnings of retribution and maintaining balance hadn’t sat well with him. But if I had access to those books, I could look for a way to skirt around the rules.
“Can you take me there sometime?”
“You’re a funny mortal,” she giggled.
“I’m serious. Maybe we could arrange a deal. A little flying time outside the cage, perhaps?”
“Hmm,” she hummed to herself as she thoroughly contemplated my offer. “Throw in some Lush tea, and you have a deal.”
“Lush tea?”
“Yes. Porthos loves— I mean, loved Lush tea,” she said, a slight hitch in her voice as she mentioned her lost mate.
“Whatever it is, I’ll get some for you.”
“You’ll owe me much more than that by the time we’re done today. Listen, can’t you hear them?”
I hadn’t heard anything over the sound of my own feet. I stilled, focusing until the laughter of children drifted in on the breeze.
“We’re nearing the Lagoon. The Lost Boys can’t resist pestering the mermaids. They make a sport of it.” Meadow informed me, but I was barely paying attention. I’d finally found the Lost Boys, and unlike Meadow and her single emotion, fear and excitement were warring within me. My resolve was the only thing that kept me placing one foot in front of the other. I needed to move forward—my conscience be damned.
I hid behind the last wayward palm tree at the edge of the pristine beach. Three young boys swam in the lagoon. All of them focused on whatever rambunctious game they were playing. They all seemed accounted for, except the one I was looking for.
“I don’t see Peter. These are his Lost Boys, so he can’t be far, right?”
“His pixie told me there’s a hidden grotto he likes to visit to get away from the others.”
“Yes, yes, I know the place. You think he’s there?”
“Would be a perfect coincidence if he is. Peter Pan without his Lost Boys—that would make your job much easier.”
“You do realize that I intend to kill him, right?”
“Just because I’m a pixie doesn’t mean that I’m simple. It’s not like you’ve tried to hide your intentions.”
“And you’re okay with this?”
She shrugged her shoulders in response. “Pixies die all the time. It’s the natural way of things. You live for a time and then return to the Divine. Unless you’re Porthos… my poor, sweet Porthos.” Her beautiful tinkling of bells became a soft weeping. Now was not the time to deal with Meadow's heartache, and I took it as my sign to quit stalling and get on with it.
“Wait here, Meadow. I’ll come back for you.”
“Not like I’m going anywhere,” she snorted, wiping away her tears and motioning at her cage. Her words were thick with emotion, laced with some clear indignation. I brushed her off. Her imprisonment was yet another decision that I was still trying to justify to myself. But I could only deal with one lapse in judgment at a time. I hid her cage among the foliage before I took a shaky step toward fulfilling my destiny.
I pulled the pistol from the belt at my waist and did my best to remain hidden as I made my way to the cliffs. Luck was on my side. I managed to arrive at the small crevice in the rock wall without attracting attention from Peter’s Lost Boys.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the grotto. But there, resting before the pristine pool, was Peter. Curled up on a fur. A lock of auburn hair fell across cheeks dotted with freckles. He looked every bit the innocent child as he slept. A tear escaped from the corner of my eye as I brought the pistol up, aiming at the slight rise and fall of his chest. My hand shook violently. My whole body was at war with itself. One flinch of a muscle and the trigger would be pulled. And I wouldn’t have to share James with this boy anymore.
But I couldn’t do it.
I sank to my knees, a sob escaping my lips, echoing off the cavern walls. I’d been so close to achieving my destiny, and I couldn’t do it. The sound of my breakdown had the boy instantly on his feet with his sword drawn.
He cocked his head as intelligent eyes took me in. “I remember you. You’re awfully pretty to be Jas’ mother.”
“No, I’m not his mother. I’m his, err… wife.” I’m not sure why I referred to myself as his wife. I tried to reason that it was easier than describing the intricacies of our relationship to a child. But saying it aloud brought a flush to my cheeks and a longing in my heart.
“Only old men have wives—I suppose it makes sense for Jas. But are you sure you really want to be a wife? That’s just another name for a housemaid. Do the laundry, cook the meals, and clean the house. That doesn’t sound like much fun,” he said as he sheathed his sword, obviously deeming that I was no threat to him, even with my pistol hanging useless in my hand. “But I’ve got an idea! Come and be our mother,” he said, a spark of light flickering in his brown eyes. “You could tell us stories, sing us to sleep at night, and in return, we’d build you a house and bring you flowers all the time.”
