Zinnia had accused him of “having it bad.” Stu even seemed to think there was more than just friendship to our relationship.
I’d run to him when they took Kyrie. His steady calm and strength helped to balance me as my world had turned upside down. Here, in this realm, that balance evaporated under the glamour of a pirate. My heart hurt thinking he intended to leave Steelshore. As far as the operation was concerned, we didn’t need him. But I needed him in a way that was very difficult to explain.
I heard a light tapping on the window and turned to see a familiar face.
“Pallas!” I exclaimed.
I’d met Pallas, the Chimera, on a girl’s night that turned into a bar fight in Neverland. She had skills, and when she shifted, she was enough to knock any man off his feet.
“I don’t think the spell will stop me,” she said.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“I’m sort of an enigma, and it confuses the magic,” she replied.
“Please don’t get hurt,” I said.
She whipped her snake tail around, and with one strike, it busted the glass of the window. I felt the magic of the ward drop. I threw open the window and looked down.
“You can swim, right?” Pallas asked.
“I’d rather fly, but I’m pretty sure I’d draw too much attention,” I replied, climbing out on to the edge of the window.
“Jump, you ninny,” Zinnia urged. “He is probably on his way back.”
I jumped into the dark waters below and found myself being led by the twinkling golden light of my new pixie friend as I swam. She stopped, and I came up for air. We were behind another boat.
“You can probably swim on the surface from here. Head toward the shore over there,” she pointed across the backs of two more boats to where I saw Pallas standing on the shore waiting for me.
I swam as hard as I could. I’d been swimming plenty of times while living in Shady Grove. This reminded me of that and of how much I missed home. I missed the carefree days. I’d chosen this life and this job. It suited me and my abilities. But there were days when what I really needed was home.
When I reached the shore, I turned up my fire magic, drying off my body and clothes quickly.
“Where are we going? I’ve got to figure out how to get to Wonderland from here,” I said.
“We know who can help you. Come on,” Zinnia said, darting into the jungle. Behind me I heard shouts back at the boat. I knew Seamus’ voice. He was demanding that his men find me. I ran and didn’t look back.
We reached a clearing where Zinnia and Pallas paused.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“He will meet us here,” Pallas said.
A figure moved out of the darkness. The first thing I saw were his brilliant green eyes in the darkness. A smile formed on his face, and I knew who they had brought me to meet.
He bowed. “Lady Phoenix.”
“Peter,” I replied.
“I would very much like to get to know you better,” he removed his hat and stepped into the light that Zinnia provided. His boyish features had faded from the last time I’d seen him.
“You look older,” I commented.
“Like you, I have many forms. This is not my original form, but it is appealing and fitting for the moment. Come with me. I have somewhere we can sit and talk,” he said, holding his arm out to me.
I linked mine with his and allowed Peter Pan to guide me through the forest.
“Shouldn’t you be looking after some lost boys or something?” I teased.
“Most of the boys and girls are asleep. And yes, I look after them. Not everyone in Neverland is a pirate. Some of our kind are returned to Neverland to make a choice. Those who choose to remain lost, and those who choose to be found,” he said.
“Are the pirates the found ones?” I asked.
“No, they are just pirates. But not all of them are bad.”
“I’m not so sure,” I replied.
“Seamus saved you the last time you were here,” he said.
“I remember you walking into the bar with him and his brother. Have you turned me into them now?” I asked.
“No,” he replied.
“Pallas, he said you worked for him,” I pressed.
“I do jobs for him, but he does not own me. And you are not a job,” she said.
I wasn’t sure why, but I believed both of them. We approached a clearing where a fire built of logs burned. A hut stood just beyond the fire and a figure stood in the doorway. The woman glided out of the hut as if she walked on air. Her golden skin glistened in the firelight. A tight braid hung from her head to her knees.
She wore a simple brown dress with tassels. As I moved closer, I could see the intricate beading around the neck.
“Lady Phoenix, Wynonna Riggs, I’d like to introduce you to Tiger Lily,” Peter said.
My mouth dropped open. “Is there anything inaccurate about the Peter Pan tale?”
“There are details that aren’t correct, but overall, it is fairly truthful,” Tiger Lily responded.
Peter released my arm and kissed her on the cheek.
“Please sit,” she said while smiling wistfully at my escort.
I took a seat on a log near the fire, and she sat next to me. Her eyes focused on the fire. She sat with her back straight and her chin held high. She was magnificent and fierce.
Suddenly, I realized that the others had disappeared. “Wait! What is going on?” I jumped up from the seat and looked at her.
She patted the log. “We have things to discuss.”
“Can you help me get to Wonderland?” I asked.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
“I suppose I am. I’m in Neverland, but I don’t know how to get home without going back to Seamus, and I don’t have a clue how to get to Wonderland,” I huffed.
“Have a seat and I’ll see if I can help you find your way,” she said, motioning toward me. The compass rose at my neck glowed for a moment. Reluctantly, I sat back down next to her.
“Are you and Peter an item?” I asked.
“We are,” she replied. “Are you and Seamus an item?”
“No. My boyfriend, Kyrie, was taken from me, and I’m afraid that when he returns that he…” my voice broke.
“He won’t remember you,” she finished.
“Yes. And my brother is missing. My mother is about to have a baby. I can’t find the key to the trafficking ring. I feel pretty useless at the moment. This trip was a mistake,” I said.
“I don’t believe it was. May I call you Wynonna?” she asked.
“My friends call me Winnie,” I answered.
She smiled. “Winnie, we specialize in helping those who are lost find their way. Now, you might not belong to this realm, but you are most certainly lost.”
I allowed her words to sink into me. I needed to admit to myself that I was lost. I’d been going through the motions since Kyrie left. My emotions had run from one end to the other. My friends had endured my mood swings. I’d pushed them all away, except Seamus.
“I am lost,” I replied.
“I know your Kyrie.”
“What?” I asked.
“I know him. I am a member of our high council. Many know me as the First Woman. The Cherokee call me Selu. Here, I’m just Tiger Lily. My friends call me Lily.” She gave me a sweet wink. “Kyrie was brought to us for healing. I provided what I could to restore his mind, then returned here to my duties. I do not know what the outcome of his treatment was. The siren had embedded her magic deep within his heart. It was the only way for her to flush you out of it, so that he would turn on you. And even then, he fought her control. I know without a doubt that he loved you greatly.”