Shadows of Neverland (Second Star Book 3)

by Josh Hayes

  "It is not time!" the female Elder blurted out.

  "It is time," Lily shot back. "We must fight. Fight now or risk losing everything."

  The Council erupted into a cacophony of conversations, everyone trying to talk over the others. Brycin stepped forward, calling for the Elders to listen, as Lily continued to berate them for their cowardice.

  "Enough!" the Chief Elder shouted, raising his hands. He waited until the commotion died down, then spoke, his voice even but stern. "Lilliana, I know what you are feeling, I sympathize. But Elder Saris is right. It's not yet time for our fight, there is much work still to be done. We—"

  "There is always work to be done," Lily said, cutting him off. "The work goes on and on and on, and for years it goes on. We are not workers, we are warriors. Our world is dying around us, you must see that."

  "There is a war coming," he said. "That fact is not in dispute here. However, as of yet, the war is not upon us and we still have time. We must continue our preparations. I will not let my people charge into battle unprepared and ill-equipped."

  "You are wrong," Lily said. "The war is here."

  "Your passion is admired and respected, Lilliana. A trait long sought after for the Talfar."

  An abrupt silence fell over the chamber. The crowd seemed surprised by the Chief's statement. Several exchanged shocked glances, some shared quick whispers.

  Lily hesitated for a moment, almost as if she was confused by the Chief Elder's statement. Then she laughed. "You've got to be joking."

  "The Talfar is no laughing matter, Lilliana."

  "Let me get this straight," Lily said, stepping forward. "I come to this Council, asking that we do nothing more than stand up to defend our world. And you bribe me to stay home?"

  The Chief stuttered. "Bribe? This is no—"

  "You say war is not upon us, yet you would raise me to the warrior elite? An honor which should have been bestowed well before this day?" Lily turned and eyed Brycin.

  "Are you refusing the Talfar?"

  "If there is no need for war, then there is no need for warriors."

  Brycin stepped up next to Lily, taking her arm. "Don't do this."

  The female Elder stood. "No one has every refused the call of the Talfar! Chief Elder, you can't allow this to stand!"

  The elders around her nodded agreement.

  "Can't allow?" Lily shouted back, pulling free of Brycin. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves. What good is the sharpest blade if no one is allowed to use it? I see now that this Council has no intention of ever defending our world, and I can no longer tie myself to it."

  "Heresy!" an Elder shouted.

  "You dare stand against the Council?" the woman demanded, standing.

  Lily spun in a blur of motion, hand flicking out. John caught a glimpse of metal flashing through the air. A loud thwack echoed through the chamber, followed by tense silence. A long double-edged knife stuck out of the wooden front of the dais, bone handle quivering.

  "If you will not fight," Lily told the group of shocked elders, "I will find those who will. I will not stand idle while Nevaris is torn apart. When this war is over, the histories will say that I fought bravely for our world. Something, I fear, they will not say about this Council."

  A roar went up through the chamber as Lily turned her back on the Elders, all of whom rose to their feet, shouting and arguing among themselves.

  "What are you doing?" Brycin asked, his voice raised to be heard over the commotion.

  "I must do something," Lily told him. "If not me, who?"

  "This is not your responsibility."

  "It is, Brycin," Lily said. "And it's yours as well."

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Now

  As the cacophony of angry shouting died away behind them, John leaned close to Michael. "Not exactly what she was expecting."

  Wendy and Lily walked ahead of them, neither speaking. John could practically smell the animosity exuding from Lily. The Redleen woman's jaw hadn't stopped working back and forth since she'd turned away from the Council.

  Michael rubbed his wrist, red from where the restraints had been. Lily had removed their restraints even before they'd left the Elder Chamber. No one moved to stop them, not even Brycin, who'd hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside and allowed Lily to escort them from the chamber.

  "In Neverland, I've come to expect nothing," Michael said.

  They continued on in silence for several minutes, following Lily on a twisting path of corridors cut out of the depths of the mountain. Eventually, they came to another arched doorway opening onto a small terrace, overlooking the canyon they'd flown through to get here. John stepped up to the chest-high rail and saw their skiff, resting on a larger platform across the wide chasm.

  Lights from the other terraces cast a dull yellow hue across the length of the canyon, and glowed off the blanket of clouds above. John could hear echoes of distant conversations in the still air, but couldn't discern the words. A loud screech echoed down the canyon, catching the attention of everyone in their small group.

  "Something's hungry," Michael said.

  "Actually," Lily said, leaning against the railing, "they're angry."

  "What's that?"

  "The serpas," Lily explained, turning to face them.

  "The flying snake monsters that tried to eat us?" Michael asked. "What could they possibly have to be angry about? They're at the top of the food chain out here, they have to be."

  John stepped up to the edge of the terrace, looking over the railing. "We killed one of them."

  "That's right," Lily said. "It'll be weeks until they're calmed down again."

  "Remind me to stay on the ground for a couple weeks," Michael said.

  "You and me both," John said.

  "Who cares about the damn snakes," Wendy said. "Lily, what in the hell is going on here? You said your people were ready for a fight. You said they were ready for war. You never came back."

  Lily turned and leaned back against the balcony's rail. "I'm sorry, Wendy. I tried, truly, I did, but no one would listen. There was nothing I could do."

  "What happened?" Wendy repeated.

  "After Rendlee's betrayal, and knowing Black had at least one Graft warship, the Council decided that our forces weren't enough to mount an effective campaign against him. They refused to risk our people in a fight we might have lost. It was a unanimous decision."

  "I don't understand. You said that you were all warriors, that the Redleen would fight 'til the end."

  Lily grunted. "Old soldiers are hesitant fighters. I was able to win several over, but it was never enough to push a majority. Eventually their taste for war soured, and they became complacent." She motioned at the mountain canyon around them. "Accepting this prison as our life." "And what happens when Hook decides that your presence threatens his power?"

  "He doesn't know we're out here," Lily said. She motioned to the clouds above. "Our friends keep most scouting missions away, and those stupid enough to entire the spire forest don't last long."

  Michael laughed. "Your friends tried to eat us."

  "I'm surprised they didn't."

  "Not for lack of trying," John said, the skysnake's enormous gaping maw still fresh in his memory.

  Lily gave him a sideways look. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're alive at all. The fact that you were able to kill one all by yourself is unheard of."

  "In all fairness, I had little help. And if it hadn't been for your brother, we'd definitely have been snake food."

  As if on cue, another serpa screeched in the distance. They all turned, looking toward the sound. A second serpa's call echoed through the still canyon, then a third.

  "It's a good thing it's not mating season," Lily said.

  "So they don't bother you down here?" John asked.

  "We have an understanding with each other."

  John had the feeling it wasn't a simple as Lily let on, but he didn't press the issue, and the Redleen woman didn't offer any
thing further. Though when Wendy spoke, he wished he had.

  "So," Wendy said. "You're content with hiding out here while the rest of us fight and die."

  For the briefest moment, John saw Lily's calm and collected exterior fade, replaced by a pained mask of sadness. Almost immediately, however, her expression turned to one of stone-faced determination, anger flashing in her eyes.

  "I have been fighting this battle longer than I can remember," Lily said. "I have bled more and sacrificed more than you can imagine."

  "Don't talk to me about sacrifice," Wendy said, stepping forward. "We never stopped fighting. Never stopped sacrificing. You have no idea what we've lost during this war. Hiding out here in the middle of nowhere, safe and away from the fighting, isn't an option for the rest of us."

  Lily opened her mouth to retort, then shut it without saying a word. She regarded Wendy for a moment, then her shoulders visibly slumped.

  "My people are forgetful," Lily said, her voice heavy with regret. "Many haven't been outside our walls their entire lives. Most of them have forgotten that there is another world out there."

  "Well, we don't have the option to forget. We can't forget. Too many people have already fought and died, are still fighting now, to save our world. We owe it to them to remember them, to keep fighting. I refuse to give up when there are still people we can save."

  "Tell me," Lily said. "What happened to him?"

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Then

  The skiff shook violently as another explosion rocked their craft. Wendy grabbed hold of one of the metal frame rails above her, cursing as they flew through a black cloud of smoke.

  "Relax," Tim said, "I don't think they're shooting at—oh shit!"

  Another airburst tossed the skiff's passenger sideways, almost knocking Wendy off her feet. "Damn it, Tim, stop screwing around and get us down there now!"

  "What exactly do you think—" He jerked the skiff to the left, dodging another explosion. "—I'm doing here?"

  The skiff banked again, and finally their destination came in sight. The Skyward Fortress loomed like a massive guardian angel over the city several thousand feet below. Swarms of skiffs from several factions battled fiercely in the sky, all vying for control of the old alien headquarters. The battle had been in full swing for almost five minutes before they had been able to get the skiff into the air and into the fray.

  "According to this, Portal Control is on the northern end of Tier Three," Carter shouted from the passenger cabin. He sat in the middle of the rear bench, typing furiously on his terminal. "Should be right in the middle of the complex."

  "And how exactly does that help me?" Tim yelled back to him. "I have no idea what the hell a Tier-anything looks like."

  "For shit's sake, look for the tall towers in the center and head to the middle one, there should be two landing platforms just outside the main processing room."

  Another airburst exploded outside. Fragments of shrapnel hit the windshield, pinging off the glass. A larger piece put a small spider-web crack in the right side, sending small pieces of glass spraying into the cockpit.

  "Damn it!" Tim yelled through gritted teeth. "That was close."

  In the cabin behind them, Maggie screamed.

  "Just get us to that damn station," Wendy said, moving to check on her sister.

  "This was a really horrible idea!" Tom shouted over the explosions.

  "Shut up, Tom!" Bella told her brother.

  Maggie's face was filled with terror, tears running down her cheeks. She had her feet up on the seat, knees tucked under her chin, arms wrapped around her legs.

  Wendy squatted down in front of her sister, taking one of Maggie's small hands in her own. "Shhh, it's okay, sis. We're almost there, everything is going to be okay. We're going home, where we'll be safe."

  "I'm scared, Wendy!" Maggie said between sobs. "Please, don't leave me, okay? Please!"

  "I'm not going anywhere. It's just me and you, kiddo. I'm scared too, but I won't leave you."

  "You're scared too?"

  Wendy nodded. "Being scared is okay. Everyone gets scared sometimes. You have to be brave for me, okay?"

  "Okay."

  "All right, heads up," Tim called from the cockpit. "I've got the pad in sight."

  Wendy glanced over her shoulder briefly, then turned back to her sister. "We're almost home."

  "Open the door!" Peter shouted, unclasping his harness.

  Carter shot him a shocked looked. "Are you crazy?"

  Peter stood, pressing his hands against the ceiling to keep his balance. "Do it."

  "You're crazy," Carter said, but yanked on the door.

  Air rushed into the cabin, whipping Wendy's hair around her face. "Peter!" She reached out, grabbing his wrist. He turned, bringing his beautiful green eyes to meet hers. "I love you."

  He smiled. "I love you."

  Without another word, Peter ran forward and jumped from the skiff. He spread his arms wide as his feet left the deck, Bella's harness already glowing a bright green. Wendy laughed as, instead of falling, Peter actually flew away from them, wind buffeting against his arms and legs as if he were a soaring bird.

  "Hang on back there," Tim called back.

  The skiff's engines roared as it flared above the rectangular landing platform. Exhaust pounded against the surface, throwing up a cloud of dust around them. They bounced once, then touched down hard, skidding across the platform.

  "Come on, you son of a bitch!" Tim yelled.

  The skiff rocked as it came to a stop, pistons hissing as they settled down.

  Tom was out first, rifle in hand. Carter followed him out, both heading for the door at the far edge of the platform. They took up positions on either side of the door. Carter pulled it open and Tom swung inside, rifle up, disappearing through the opening. Carter followed him through, and a second later emerged, giving the girls a thumbs-up.

  Bella hopped out, flinching at the sound of a distant explosion. She turned back and nodded to Wendy and her sister. "You want help with her?"

  Wendy helped Maggs out of her harness to the edge of the skiff's cabin, and Bella helped her out. Wendy went back for her rifle, then joined them on the platform. She stopped at the door, keying her radio. "We're clear, Tim."

  "Copy that."

  "Stay close!" she shouted over the roar of the skiff's engines flaring as it lifted off the platform.

  Gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance as they made their way through the Garrison's superstructure. The maze of gantries and semi-enclosed walkways had Wendy lost in a matter of minutes. She whispered encouragements to her sister, hoping Carter's map was accurate.

  "We're almost there," Carter called back over his shoulder as he rounded a corner ahead. He cried out as he disappeared, falling back into the corridor, landing on his rear. He cursed, scrambling backward.

  Wendy reached him a second later and saw another man pushing himself off the floor.

  Still cursing, Carter pulled his pistol free, leveling it at the man. Tom pushed past Wendy, bringing his rifle up.

  "Wait!" Wendy cried, seeing the man was unarmed.

  The blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his head had slipped in his fall, revealing mangled and scarred flesh on the right side of his face. His ear was little more than a scarred hole on the side of his head.

  "What are you waiting for, Carter?" Tom asked. "Shoot him."

  "No!" Wendy cried. "Don't shoot."

  Tom shot her an angry glance. "He'll give away our position. We have to kill him."

  "Please," the man said. "I'm no threat to you." His accent seemed slightly familiar to Wendy, but she couldn't place it.

  "He's hurt," Wendy said.

  "Then we should put him out of his misery," Tom said. "It'll be doing us a favor."

  The man sat up, frowning. "Wait a minute, you're not Enforcement."

  "No," Wendy said. She frowned, looking over his clothes. "Neither are you."

  He finished securing his
makeshift bandage and pushed himself off the floor. "No, no, I'm most definitely not. However," he reached up and gingerly touched what remained of his right ear, "in retrospect, they might have been the safer option. Damn, that smarts."

  Carter got to his feet. "If you're not Enforcement, who are you with?"

  The man laughed. "That, my friend, is a question of much debate of late."

  "I don't understand. What happened to you?"

  Distant cannon fire reverberated through the corridor, making them all jump.

  "That is a story for another day, my dear. I think the first order of business now is to vacate these premises, post haste. But, suffice it to say, I've just recently become a free agent, so to speak."

  Bella motioned to the man's bandaged head. "Don't look so good, mister."

  "Ah, yes, well, unfortunately my free agency came with some setbacks. However, it looks rather worse than it is."

  "You're one of Black's men," Wendy told him.

  He grunted. "Actually no, not really. I mean I was…" He trailed off and laughed. "There have been some changes in leadership in the Blackhand, and not for the better, I'm sorry to say."

  "What's your name?" Bella asked.

  "Irving Smithe is my name," he said. "And that's Smithe with an 'e,' mind you, not that bastardized spelling."

  Wendy couldn't help but smile.

  "Pardon me for saying so, but I'll be damned to know what you kids are doing up here in the middle of this cluster. This battleground is not one for children."

  "We're not children," Bella told him, crossing her arms.

  Irving's eyebrows went up. "Oh?" He looked over all of them, his eyes falling on Maggie, standing behind Wendy. "I'd beg to differ, my child."

  Bella took a step forward. "I told you, I'm not a kid."

  Irving held up his hands placating. "My apologies, miss. I stand corrected."

  "We're going home," Maggie blurted out, poking her head around Wendy.

  "Maggie," Wendy scolded.

  Irving frowned, then changed as he seemed to realize what they were here to do. "You're here for the Portal."