The humming pulse of the Dark Ones is closer now. Louder still.
I clench my hands at my sides. “What do you want me to do?” I grind out as the rustling buzz of the Dark Ones begins to surround us. But Fiona doesn’t answer. “Whatever you want, I’ll do it. Please—”
In a flash, the light around Fiona returns to its original brightness, and the swelling buzz in the air falls silent as the Dark Ones retreat back into the darkened corners of the caverns. The Captain is still writhing in his sleep, unaware of what just happened. But Will is huddled back against the wall, his hands up as though ready for a fight.
Fiona’s mouth is already curved into a viciously satisfied smile, her sharp teeth glinting. “I thought you would see it my way.”
I glare at her, wishing I could argue. Wishing I had Pan’s dagger.
“You will get the Captain to safety,” she tells me, as though this is already an established fact. “Rowan knows the way through these tunnels, and with you as his hostage, the one who calls himself Pan will be more cautious.”
“And then what? There’s nowhere to go,” I say, remembering the monster-filled sea, the dangers that lurk on the ever-changing island.
Fiona’s eyes go dark, the pupils glossy and fathomless. “And then, Young One, you will free my Queen.”
I gape at her. “Your Queen is gone. She was defeated by the Dark Ones.”
“Defeated, yes, but not yet destroyed,” Fiona says, her voice buzzing with a dangerous satisfaction. “My Queen created this world, and is the source of all within it. Without her, this world—the island, the seas, and everything in them—would have already ceased to be. The one who calls himself Pan knew this.
“When he and his Dark Ones rose up against her, they did not destroy her. Until now the one who calls himself Pan has been able to do no more than hold my Queen as his prisoner, keeping my people hostage to his demands and the dagger he stole from her. But she grows weak, and as her power fades, so does this world. Find where Pan has hidden her and free her, or you shall die along with Neverland.”
“Find her?” I ask Fiona. “You’re not going to tell me where she is, at least?”
“She don’t know,” Will says with a smirk.
Fiona glares at him, but doesn’t dispute what he said. “You will have all you need once the Captain is free. He knows more about the one who calls himself Pan than any other.” Fiona smiles her sharp-toothed sneer. “They are great friends, you see.”
“Were,” Will corrects quickly, glaring at the Fey. “They were friends. Before.”
“And they’re not now?” I ask, glancing between Fiona and Will, trying to determine who is telling me the truth.
“No,” the two answer almost in unison. At least they agree on that much. . . . Not that it makes me feel any better. But at least now I understand why Fiona was so anxious for me to free the Captain.
Fiona lets out an angry hiss. “I may need your Captain, but do not forget you are expendable, boy.”
“You only need him because he knows where your fairy godmother is,” Will says with a sneer. “The Cap’n knows well enough that the minute he tells you, there won’t be a single reason for you to keep any of us alive. It’s the only thing that’s kept you honest with him.” He scowls. “Well, as honest as any of your kind can be.”
Fiona gives Will a disgusted look before she turns to me again. “The time has come for action, Young One. As long as you are in this world, there is the risk that Pan could take what power you possess and destroy the Queen. If that happens, nothing would be able to stop him from doing or taking what he wants—not even the boundaries between the worlds.” Fiona stalks toward me, letting the implications of an unstoppable Pan sink in. “You will go from this place, and you will free my Queen.”
“And then what?” I ask, my skin crawling as she advances.
Fiona’s mouth curves back into a dangerous smile. “And then I will kill the one who calls himself Pan and free my people.”
“But what about us?”
Her lip curls. “I’m sure my Queen will show favor on the ones who have freed her.” She tosses the bag at my feet. “You will have need of these.”
I bend down to look in the package, and find it contains a couple of blades and the Captain’s mechanical arm. I narrow my eyes as I look up at her. “That’s it? I’m just supposed to take your word for it?”
Will snorts and, for once, we’re in agreement.
“You no longer have a choice, Young One. Pan knows what you’ve seen, and if he discovers you here, the time for pretty stories will be over.”
“You told me yourself that he can’t take my power, whatever power that may be.”