Wendy stops and turns, her hands on her hips. “First off, why is this even a discussion? We all know Atlas and Tink are dancing around each other. There’s no need to bring attention to it, especially since we danced around each other for years,” she growls to Hook. “And you two,” she turns to us. “We’re supposed to be moving quietly and paying attention.”
Her eyes narrow on us, and if it weren’t so amusing, I would have been annoyed at her chiding me like a child. Instead, I just shake my head and glance sideways at Atlas, my lips curling up. It is the wrong time, certainly, and I have no right to be happy about the fact that Atlas is still clearly interested even after I ran from our last encounter, but there’s something about the way he looks at me that I can’t ignore. The fact the others have noticed it isn’t lost on me. We haven’t been as discreet as we’ve been meaning to be, and the look on Cal’s face tells me that. She doesn’t approve, but she’s letting Atlas make his own decisions. I have no doubt she’ll gut me if she even thinks I’m harming her brother, but I don’t intend to do that. Everything in me revolts against such a thing, even if I still worry.
“If you were trying to be quiet, it’s a little late for that.”
As one unit, we all freeze with the new voice interrupting our conversation. Slowly, we turn, taking in the sight of the Crocodile standing on the Dark Side surrounded by Lost. There’s not as many as he usually brings, which tells me he isn’t really here for a fight so much as an attempt to seize an opportunity, but somehow, they had all moved close without us hearing.
The Crocodile is wearing his reptile skin as usual. I thought it a thing of pride until Tiger explained the deal her brother made with Neverland. It’s eerie to me that the same fate that drives us together drove Wolfbane to become the Crocodile, but I haven’t voiced that out loud.
The Crocodile’s eyes trail over our group, lingering on our newcomers briefly, before settling on Wendy and holding. “Hello, little bird,” he purrs. “Have you come to join me?”
“Not quite yet.” She lifts her chin and stares down the Crocodile, every inch the Daughter she was chosen to be.
“Ah.” His grin widens. “Just a stroll through the woods, then.”
There’s no warning. He must have given his Lost a signal of some kind because they swarm with his words, but we’re not weak. Atlas has his axe freed from his back a split second later and a Lost at his feet before I can blink. It’s another reminder that, even though Atlas is full of life and gives a sense of calm, he’s anything but on the battlefield.
We’d planned for this. If we couldn’t continue trying to find the door, we would switch to the second mission. Searching for Flam, I find him standing in the midst of the fighting, his eyes locked on the Crocodile. The Lost swarm around him, but when they get close, he reaches out razor sharp claws as long as my arm and drops them quickly, never turning his gaze away from his target.
A distraction. We need a distraction.
I lock eyes with Wendy, and she nods, before Tiger does the same. As one, we all circumvent the Lost swarming and aim right for Wolfbane. I lift into the air with my wings. We don’t intend to truly hurt the Crocodile, but he doesn’t know that. He’ll see this as an attempt to end his life, and that’s what we need. We need him to be completely focused on the three of us and not the Flamingo moving closer.
The Crocodile leaps to the side, attempting to dodge us, but we follow. Tiger draws a blade she doesn’t intend to use. Wendy doesn’t even draw a weapon, and though she doesn’t have true claws of her own, she nails the Croc in the face with her fist and sends him stumbling backwards. He snarls at her, snapping his teeth, even as I leap forward and rake my claws down his chest. We have to keep up appearances, and if he realizes we aren’t trying to kill him, he’ll notice. Tiger hasn’t made the decision for his fate yet.
But you should take advantage of the moment.
The voice whispers in my head as Flam moves closer, coming at the Croc from the back. We don’t know exactly how long he’ll have to hold on to know if Wolfbane is a World Breaker or not, only that it’s at least five seconds, but to give him the most time, wrapping his arms around him from behind is the best option.
I slice my claws across his chest again, drawing lines of blood that well and heal before our eyes.
Kill him, the voice whispers, but I force them back. Wolfbane isn’t my kill, not unless Flam reveals he’s a World Breaker. Only then will he become a danger that needs killing, no matter who lands the final blow. For now, he’s Tiger’s to kill or save.
The Croc shoves Wendy backwards, out of harm’s way, just before he sweeps his tail out. Both Tiger and I leap at the same time, avoiding the blow that would have knocked our breath from our lungs.
“Still after Wendy, I see,” I chide, flicking his blood from my claws.
“Still a raging bitch, I see,” Wolfbane snarls back, swiping his claws out. I’m a little too slow and they catch my arm, but they’re not serious enough to do damage. I’m spinning out of the way a second later, my wings tucked in tight to avoid a claw there. The wings are the most sensitive place on my body, and though I’d heal from a wound inflicted on them, they’re the most painful when injured. A torn wing can be debilitating.
“Stop this, Wolfbane,” Wendy grunts, joining back in. “You’re deluding yourself if you ever think I’ll willingly join you.”
“Eventually, you’re going to be so desperate, there will be no choice,” he growls.
As much as Wolfbane is an asshole, he’s still a talented fighter. He’d always been as good as Tiger, though we didn’t have many excuses to meet before we were all chosen. I’d seen the two fight once, long ago, and the sight stuck with me. It was like watching a mirror, two people with equal power dancing around each other. Though their powers turned down different paths, though one was chosen and the other given no choice, they’re still equally matched now. The Crocodile easily dances around us despite his large form. His scales shift in the light as he moves, almost like an oil effect. He’d almost be pretty in different circumstances.
The Crocodile has one major weakness, however. Pride. He’s so focused on us, thinking we’re the larger threats, he doesn’t even sense Flam coming up behind him. He doesn’t realize anything is amiss until the Flamingo wraps strong arms around his chest from behind and squeezes.
Wolfbane yells out in pain with the sudden bone crushing hug Flam gives him. Tiger grimaces but she doesn’t step forward. We’d agreed he needed to think we were attempting to capture him, so he doesn’t suspect our plan. If he turns out to be a World Breaker, we don’t want him to know his true power.
The Crocodile spins, no longer focusing on us as much as he is the Flamingo with locked arms around his chest, squeezing. In my head, I count to five, the amount of time Flam insisted he needed as a minimum to tell the difference. It’s the longest five seconds of my life.
One. . .two. . .three. . .four. . .five. . .
Flam lets go just as the Crocodile drops and rolls, just barely missing being crushed by the large beast. He dances out of the way, but the Croc’s tail catches him, sending him flying against the nearest tree. I wince at the crunching sound, but Flam stands quickly, moving to avoid any more blows. From what I understand, Flam and Doe aren’t Chosen like the others are and can be permanently injured, but they’re both built of harder stuff. Neither are so easily injured if it comes to it.
Wolfbane hisses at us, his eyes narrowed. No doubt, he’s confused as to what we’re doing as we all step back, Flam in the middle panting from his wild five second ride. Lost litter the ground around us, most of what he brought decimated by our group. As if she can’t help it, Jupiter mimics the sound of a clock with her tongue, taunting the Croc, before she giggles.
“Sorry. Sorry,” she says. “It seemed appropriate.”
“Seems you’re undermanned,” Cal murmurs, lifting her shining sword over her shoulder. Blood drips from it where she’s killed Lost, and in her blue armor, she looks far more a badass
than I ever could. Even with her short, shoulder-length hair wild around her chin, and black spots across her face, she looks like some warrior Goddess come to slaughter an army. I suddenly understand where Atlas gets it from.
Wolfbane looks between us and the few Lost he has left with him. “Another time then,” he growls. He doesn’t waste time. He turns and disappears back to his side of the island, leaving us standing in the midst of the small massacre.
“Well,” March says, staring after the Crocodile. “That was easier than I expected.”
And then as one, we all turn to look at Flam where he stands brushing blood from his leather jacket. He pauses at our gazes, raising his brow. Doe wipes a bit of blood from the back of his head where he hit the tree tenderly. When he doesn’t immediately say anything, I take a step closer to him.
“Is he a World Breaker or not?” I ask, frowning. I try not to rush him, but this anticipation sets my nerves on fire.
Flam straightens out his jacket and stands a little taller, his unusual eyes that are the closest thing to mine I’ve ever seen focusing on my face, before he speaks. “No,” he says. “The Crocodile is no World Breaker.” He pauses. “He’s just an asshole.”
The happy thoughts slam into me all at the same time, everyone’s relief at the news overwhelming. I stumble, the red slamming down on my vision immediately, and I frantically try to push it back. Atlas grabs me, holding me up when I would have sunk to my knees.
“Pixie?” There’s worry in his voice, and almost immediately, he starts hissing at the others. “Close your minds off! Close them off now!”
But he’s too late. The adrenaline of the fight combined with the force of the pure happy thoughts slamming into me from people so close, no matter how hard I push against it, I transform.
My claws lengthen, my teeth sharpen in my mouth, and my vision morphs to the color of blood. I shove Atlas away from me, too hard, and he flies against the nearest tree, but he’s on his feet a split second later, advancing on me again, but a roar tears from my lips. There’s only a shred of humanity left in my mind, and with it, I’m able to turn away from the people I don’t want to hurt even as I hear them call out to me. I’m desperate not to hurt them.
But after that, I’m as lost as the creatures we just massacred.
I disappear into the trees with a violent snarl, ignoring the shouts of Atlas behind me.
Chapter Fifteen
The Choosing
There was no warning. . .
One minute, I was sitting in my green room, absorbing the life around me, and the next, everything shifted. There’d been a lot more attacks lately from various creatures, the Lost, the Vespers, the mermaids when we drew too close to the ocean. It’s exhausting, as if everything in Neverland is moving towards a goal I haven’t been privy to. I can no longer function under it, and retreated to my safe haven, the one place I can let down my guard. None of my people will dare come near me while I’m in my green room.
I’m just closing my eyes, feeling the life wash over me from my plants, when I sense a new presence in the room. Immediately, I’m on guard, but when I open my eyes to face the threat, the overwhelming power suddenly around me, bright light burns my retinas. I keep my eyes open regardless. I’m no weak pixie. I’m the Queen, and so I look at the light until tears run down my face from the effort, but I keep them focused on the vaguely human-shaped form in front of me. Pain drills into my veins, but I dare not look away, not when I can sense the danger.
“Wicked Pixie Queen,” a voice echoes both out loud between us and inside my mind, making me flinch. There’s so much power in the voice, power I can never hope to match, and for the first time, I feel the urge to flee. I don’t, but I want to. “The time has come where you must become more than a monarch pretending at being nothing more. You have been Chosen.”
“Chosen for what?” I rasp, desperately blinking but the spots the bright light causes don’t go away. I’m probably damaging my eyes beyond repair, but I don’t care. Something in my chest squeezes.
“You are the third of the Daughters and you will join your sisters in protecting Neverland. Wendy Darling, the Captain of the Seas and so much more. Tiger Lily, who speaks for the land, who will be tasked with protecting it. And you, Tink. You will be the Keeper of the Heart. Its life force will be tied to you, and you will always know how the heart fares.”
“What if I say no?” I ask, tears running down my face from the brightness. “What if I refuse?”
“There is no choice.” The light begins to fade. “You must face your new responsibility. You must fight the weight that rests on your shoulders. And when the link snaps into place, you will face a new threat.” The light fades, but before the presence disappears completely, it speaks one last time. “Beware the happy thoughts, Pixie Queen, for they’re the most dangerous.”
Something inside my body expands and snaps into place and my back bows under the sudden influx of power filling my body, a scream tearing from my throat. And then red slams down over my vision, squeezing my chest, claws ripping from the tips of my fingers. I taste blood as my teeth sharpen in my mouth and cut into my tongue, far longer points than they’ve ever been. I can’t think; I can’t breathe. There are too many happy thoughts slamming inside my mind, so many more than when we shared them among the fae and pixies equally. I never knew there were so many, never knew what they would taste like.
With a running start, I burst from the window of my green room and dart into the trees, shredding through anything that gets in my way. My people stay away from me, sensing something is wrong. Only Swift dares follow but I run faster, because I know if he steps before me, I’ll bleed him dry and destroy him. I know it in my bones.
I am a monster, and I’m out for blood.
I don’t know how long I rampage across Neverland, attacking the creatures that have dared attack me. I tear through the Vespers quickly, and when I’m done, none remain to cause any more trouble, not that there’d been many before. The Lost are safely on the Dark Side of the island and though I’m tempted to go after them, I instead make my way towards the ocean, roaring my challenge across the water. The mermaids show up moments later, their dark vicious eyes peeking above the water. Their glamour has never worked on me, but then again, neither has mine ever worked on them. A few hesitate when I step thigh deep into the water, a challenge, but most seize the opportunity for an easy meal.
Too bad I’ll be the one devouring.
My claws rip through their thick skin, screams filling the air, but I continue to slice and slice and slice until I’m standing in the center of a ring of red. The small inlet I stand in is painted with the new color, as red as the spots in my eyes. From somewhere behind me, I hear clapping. Only then do I pause and turn.
The red haze remains even as I fix my eyes on Peter Pan, on the way he sparkles.
“It’s suffocating, isn’t it?” he asks, lounging on a large rock as if attempting to tan under the darkened sky. He’s still as boyishly handsome as the day we met so long ago, when we’d violently tried to conquer each other only for neither to win. But now blood sings in my veins. Now, the fury coats my tongue.
“What?” I growl, and my voice comes out garbled by the sharp teeth in my mouth and the monstrous thing I’ve become.
“Being Chosen. Having tasks forced upon you.” His blue eyes study me where I stand drenched in blood, my claws curled around the head of a fallen mermaid. Her eyes are still open in horror. Even the monsters of Neverland fear me now. “If you don’t break out of it soon, you’ll never return to normal.”
I drop the head with a splash and start slowly walking towards the boy lounging before me, a growl low in my throat. I’ve run out of things to hurt and he’s conveniently sitting there, not moving, ripe for mutilation. I wonder if his blood will sparkle like his aura.
“I owe you a debt,” Peter murmurs. “That’s the only reason I’m here. You helped me get rid of my Shadow, helped me clear that from my mind, so I’m going
to help you. We’ll be even, the debt paid, and we can go back to ignoring each other.”
I don’t slow in my steps, the blood drip, drip, dripping from my claws into the water. Still, even with the horrifying picture I must make, Peter doesn’t run. He leans back on his elbows and sighs.
“I’m doing this is because I know how painful it was for you to rip the Shadow from me, and when you come through this, you’re going to hate what you’ve done. That’s the only reason I’m okay with what’s about to happen next. When you snap out of this, I’ll carry you back to your green room so you can heal.”
“You’ll die where you sit,” I hiss, leaping forward. He doesn’t move as I dig my claws into his sides, piercing his skin. He grunts in pain but doesn’t fight back. Instead, he presses his hand against my forehead and green light flares beneath his palm. Agony the likes I’ve never felt slam into me so hard, it makes me angry. I dig my claws in deeper, before pulling them out and slamming them into him again. I add my teeth to the fray when he doesn’t push me off, when he doesn’t fight back, biting into his chest. His heart. I want his heart. Horror fills me with that realization, but I can’t stop myself as he shoves in more of his magic.
“The best part of being Chosen is not dying,” Peter grunts in pain even as I shred his body, but his wounds are healing as fast as I’m making them.
The green light flares again, and my body seizes under the power. I gasp, my claws disappearing, my heart throbbing to the point of bursting in my chest.
“Push it out!” Peter snarls, pushing more power beneath my skin. “Push it out now, Tink!”
I do as he says, picturing the monster in my veins clearly in my mind before imagining shoving it from my body. I know it doesn’t destroy it—that would be too easy—but the red fades from my vision and my teeth return to normal. I collapse backwards a second later, splashing into the knee-deep water weightlessly.
Peter pants on the bolder, his body smeared with blood both from his healing wounds and from what coats me. Exhaustion slams into my body, but still, I choke on a sob, trying desperately to hold it back. Images ricochet inside my mind, gruesome images, and my mouth goes dry. Horror fills me.
Wicked as a Pixie (Daughters of Neverland Book 3) Page 11