Chapter 7 #3
“The indigenous peoples of the island. Hook slaughtered them one after another.” Bitterness seeps into his tone.
“Eventually, only Tiger Lily and a handful of her warriors remained. She’s a fierce leader.
We fought together many times. We fought against each other sometimes, too.
” He smiles wistfully, but then his gaze darkens.
“Hook is saving her for last. He’ll drain her magic and sever her connection to Neverland if I don’t stop him. ”
“You can stop him, Peter. You have to.” My words aren’t enough, not even scratching the surface of how much weight rests on Peter’s shoulders.
“I’ve heard of Tiger Lily from Wendy’s stories.
She said Tiger Lily tried to kill Hook once, even climbed onto his ship with a blade in her mouth, but she was caught. ”
“I saved her that day. On Marooner’s Rock where Hook had sent her to die when the high tide rolled in.” Peter rubs his forehead. “At least I think I did. The island’s magic does strange things to memory. Sometimes I remember. Sometimes I don’t. It’s hard to explain.”
I make the mistake of glancing away. That’s when I see the wisp of a cloud below us. Gripping the vines for dear life, I sway on my feet.
“You okay?” Peter places his hand at my lower back.
“It’s just so high, you know?” I clench my eyes shut.
“Let’s go into the house.” He takes my hand and pulls me along.
My instincts yell at me to hang onto the tree and never let go, but Peter’s grip is certain.
I go with him, sticking close to his side as we walk along the wooden slats and finally enter a building set into a crook where several branches meet.
It may just be optics, but having walls around me relieves some of the anxiety about the long way down.
“Boys, this is Moira.” Peter announces as soon as we get inside.
Several sets of eyes lock onto me as I scoot along the wall, grabbing onto the safety of it. The room is large and rectangular with chairs and tables scattered throughout. It’s like their living room, or more like a hangout, I suppose.
“Hi,” I say, my voice small in the space.
“She’s pretty.” One of the men at a table smiles at me.
“Um, thanks—Oh!” I yelp when Peter lashes out and slaps the man hard in the side of the head.
“Apologize,” Peter growls.
I shrink even further against the wall, and embarrassment makes me wonder if being outside isn’t so bad after all.
“Sorry, Miss Moira,” the man says, one of his hands at his ear.
Peter returns to me. “They aren’t used to having a girl around. I’m sorry if he offended you.”
“Saying I’m pretty isn’t offensive.” I study my filthy shoes, unwilling to meet the gaze of the man who just got smacked on my account.
“It is when one of my boys speaks out of turn.” He rounds on them. “I’ve brought her here so we can keep her safe from Hook and his men. If we lose her, we lose the island. Keep that in mind, all of you. Understood?”
“Understood,” they reply in unison.
“No one is to touch her. No one is to bother her. She’s our guest. If I hear that a single one of you has looked at her askance—” His glower bears down on the man he struck. “I’ll have to enact real discipline, and you all know how much I hate to do that.”
Some of them share uncomfortable looks and others shift in their seats, but no one objects.
One of the men toward the back strides forward, his eyes on Peter.
Something in his walk, in the way the other men look at him, tells me he’s a leader to them.
He wears a beard, a streak of gray striping down the left side of it, and he has an unspoken fierceness that almost matches Peter’s. Almost, but not quite.
“What about the shadows, Peter? Last full moon, they took seven of us. You said you’d handle it. Did you?”
“Are you challenging my word, Geo?” Peter steps to the man.
“No, Peter. I’d never do a thing like that.” His tone drips with venom. “But the full moon will be here in ten more nights. If the shadows come again—” His gaze flicks to me. “We can’t guarantee anyone’s safety.”
I can feel the air go taut, as if it’s tinged with electrical current between the two men. The others watch, none of them moving, maybe not even breathing.
“The shadows are taken care of,” Peter bites out. “I suggest you focus on the pirates. They’re more likely to take you out than any so-called shadow.”
“Yes, Peter.” The man finally relents, dropping his chin just a hair before backing away. The men seem to ease at the mention of their greatest enemies, as if talk of fighting pirates is more in their comfort zone.
Peter seems pleased with Geo’s answer and once again offers me his hand. His usual demeanor is back—warm and playful.
I take it, and he leads me from the room. “What was that about?” I hiss as soon as we’re on the platform that’s now foggy and damp. “First, you hit that guy for no reason. Second, what are the shadows?”
He sighs. “Moira, I did that for your protection.”
“I thought you said the Lost Boys would never hurt me.”
“The boys wouldn’t.” He steps into my space, towering over me as I press my back against the wall. “But ever since the magic began drying up and we’ve become men—” He almost spits the word. “I have to be more careful. Especially now that you’re here. You’re the key to fixing this.”
“How?”