Wicked Game
By: Darkest Ember
Chapter 5: Risk
Upon reaching a clearing in the trees, Henry and I threw our last bits of energy into a final sprint before collapsing onto the hot sand. Despite the pain from my aching muscles and oxygen-deprived lungs, a tremendous rush of relief passed through me. We did it – we escaped from Pan's camp, trapped his second-in-command, and made it to the beach. Needless to say, the sight of the Jolly Roger rocking gently in the distance was truly a sight for sore eyes.
Even after our exciting journey through the woods, Henry seemed to still be bursting with energy. While I brushed all the sand off my clothes, Henry started tearing off low-hanging branches. "What are planning on doing with those?" I asked.
"I'm going to build a fire! We can use it to send smoke signals to my mom and the others," he grinned. I smiled back, but didn't immediately help him with his endeavor. I felt a little dejected. Did he think me incapable of getting him back to his family? Would he rather us sit here and wait to see who would reach us first – them or Pan?
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Neither of those seemed truly likely; rather, it was just manifested frustrations and fears. Henry was only a boy who wanted to find his family and get off this accursed island. I'm beginning to understand how that feels…
I walked over to where he was and drew my sword. "If you want a truly marvelous fire," I said with a little laugh, "you're going to need some bigger pieces of wood."
Once we had assembled a steady stack of wood, I began the painstaking process of rubbing two sticks together to produce a flame. "Too bad we don't have some of those…what were they called? Oh, matches! Those would certainly come in handy now," I mumbled, glaring at the slightly smoking sticks.
After a little more effort, a small fire started within the teepee of wood, and billows of smoke drifted upward. Henry sat by the fire for a few minutes longer before finally falling asleep. I shrugged out of my now tattered jacket and placed it over him as a makeshift blanket.
Now left alone with my thoughts, I reconsidered what would happen should they find us here. In all honesty, it would probably be most efficient for everyone if that were to happen. Once we reconvene, all we have to do is swim to the ship and get the bloody hell off this island. I didn't care whether we returned to Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest, so long as I never had to see a Lost Boy ever again.
I tried to keep myself busy with thoughts of going home, but I could've sworn someone was watching me – I felt their insistent gaze on my back. Yet, each time I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that suspicion, I saw nothing but swaying leaves and vines.
Refusing to get caught up in this paranoia, I refocused my attention on the Jolly Roger. So many happy memories aboard that ship…tainted by a handful of awful moments. A shiver rattled down my spine as I recalled that nightmare I had yesterday regarding my mother's death. Her death changed everything...
+ Third Person POV +
A young woman stumbled down the cobblestone street. Her white blouse was stained with horrible crimson splotches seeping from her side and leaking out between her shaking fingers. With a few more determined steps, she came across a watchman standing guard in front of one of the village's only mansions.
"Please, sir," she gasped, collapsing in front of him. "I've been injured."
The guard looked down at her and paled at the sight of all that blood. "W-what has happened to you?"
"Pirates," she breathed. "They're terrorizing people near the docks."
He glanced between the wounded woman and the path that led to the docks, clearly debating which action held a greater priority. While he pondered his choices, several figures crept past the gate behind him.
The woman stood up and clutched the man with her bloody hand. "If you don't act quickly, I'll surely bleed out, right on the pavement in front of your master's residence. Please, I won't be able to make it to the doctor in time," she cried.
Disgusted with the stranger's blood now staining his uniform, the man pulled out of her grip, though didn't look entirely unwilling to help. Before he could lead her into the estate, the sound of shattered glass and shouting caught his attention. He spun around and was horrified to find that in this short while, there had been a break-in.
He turned back to the woman and was about to turn her away; however, she no longer looked on the verge of death. She looked at her fingers in bemusement and sucked the crimson substance off one of them. "Monster," he spat.
"Don't be foolish," she laughed. "It's only tomato juice."
Before he could do anything else, she stomped down on his foot and punched his face. She was quite sure based upon the resulting pop! that she had unhinged his jaw. She smirked in satisfaction before running up the driveway leading to the mansion. Now the real fun would begin.
Not too surprisingly, most of the staff and guards had been rendered unconscious. She followed the sound of commotion and debauchery, which led her to the library. Captain Hook had cornered a man, who was on his knees before him. The infamous hook rested uncomfortably against the man's Adam's apple.
"I have something far more valuable than gold or jewels," the man said, his voice surprisingly calm for someone in his position.
Hook scoffed. "If you're going to pathetically plea for your life, the least you could do is create a grander distraction."
"I speak the truth. I have information regarding the Dark One's whereabouts."
"What did you say?"
Something prevented the woman from entering the room. She watched as he bent down and pressed the tip of his hook harder against the man's throat, drawing a thin trail of blood. "Speak now, or I will tear your head off. Do you understand?"
The man did in fact respond, but she could not make out his answer through his nervous stuttering and sobbing. Regardless, it seemed to be satisfactory to Hook, as he let the man go without much more injury. The other pirates had already bagged most of the gold and began carrying it back to the ship. Only one item remained in the safe – a necklace made of rubies and diamonds.
The captain used his hook to unlatch the necklace. Without turning around, he said, "You can come in now, Katie. I've a gift for you."
A small blush crept across her face as she stepped out of the shadows, wondering how long he knew she had been standing there. "It's beautiful," she murmured, pulling her hair back so he could attach it. She backed away and looked at him. "Was it true?" she asked. "Was that man's information more valuable than what we came here for?"
"Aye," he said softly. "I've been searching for the Dark One for quite a while. Now, I have my next destination."
The thought of a new journey so soon excited her. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"Not us," he replied. "This is something I must do alone."
"You don't have to protect me, Papa. I can help you. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to sneak in tonight–."
"The answer is no, Katelyn," he said, perhaps a bit harsher than he intended.
Blinking away tears, Katelyn bolted out of the room and ran all the way through the village until she reached the ship. Everyone aboard was far too engrossed in examining the spoils to notice just how upset she was.
She locked herself in her sleeping chambers as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. She ripped the necklace off and threw it at the wall, watching as the diamonds and rubies detached and fell to the floor.
+ Hook's POV +
After a few copious sips of rum, I had almost forgotten about David altogether, which would explain why I was slightly startled to see him crawling up the side of the mountain. He stood up, panting, and narrowed his eyes at me. I suspected he would've criticized me for drinking when I should've been assisting him, but that wasn't what he seemed to care about.
"Whom were you talking to?" he asked.
"Uh – myself, of course. It's an old habit from many long nights alone at sea."
"What about your crew? What about Katelyn?"
"Well, as it turned out, one of my last adventures in Neverland resulted in the death of nearly my entire crew at the hands of the Lost Boys. As for my daughter, there were some journeys that were too dangerous for her to accompany me."
His hardened gaze softened for a moment. "I know you were talking to Pan. Then you wonder why we can't trust you…"
"Emma trusts me," I retorted, unable to stop the words from spilling out.
"Don't fool yourself. She could never fall for someone like you."
If this conversation continued any longer, I knew that Pan's offer would become irresistible. Attempting to be the bigger man, I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and focused on the mission at hand – saving his miserable life.
"The spring is just this way," I said, heading toward it without pausing to see if he would follow. His intentional stomping and muttered remarks indicated his compliance, at the very least.
Waves of nostalgia began rushing through me as I caught sight of the moss-covered entrance to the spring. Despite it being years and years ago, it felt like just yesterday when Liam and I stumbled upon the dream shade and required this spring's healing powers.
"There's something you should know, mate," I said slowly. "Something I must disclaim before you drink this water."
David sighed. "You wait until now to tell me this? How bad could it be?"
"My brother and I first came to this island many years ago when it was far more desolate than this with only one sole inhabitant – Peter Pan. Believe it or not, Pan tried to warn us about the poisonous properties of dream shade, but my headstrong brother didn't believe him and ended up getting poisoned. He drank from this spring and we thought all was well as we set sail. But here's the catch – this water will only be effective so long as you're on this island. The moment you leave, you're as good as dead."
His usual look of distrust softened into something more pitiful than anything else. It was obvious that, despite knowing me to be an unconventional family man, he hadn't thought I had any other familial relations or anything that may have resembled a normal, non-pirate life. Normally, I would've taken offense, but I suppose this attitude could benefit me.
After a few fleeting moments of silence, he stepped in front of me and pulled back the mossy curtain. "That's it?" I asked in disbelief. "You don't need more time to consider the–."
"What is there to consider?" he said, voice strained. "After everything my family has been through, I can't just give up on them now. We're here to save Henry, and that's what we're going to do – all of us."
His determination and fearlessness in the face of a bleak future was certainly inspirational. It took a mere two sips for the water to begin the healing process.
"Well then, now that that's been taking care of, shall we gather some firewood and return to camp?" I asked with a small chuckle.
+ Katelyn's POV +
Henry was still sound asleep. Flames continued to burn and summon our loved ones with tall clouds of smoke. And then there was me.
I neither wanted to slip into any more recollections, nor did I want to consider whatever feud there was between the Dark One and my father. So, basically, all I could do was take a walk. The beach stretched for miles, but I had to stay close enough to Henry in case some deluded Lost Boy tried to re-kidnap him.
Not wanting to get more sand in my boots, I left them by the fire and walked barefoot. The feeling of the warm sand crunching between my toes was relaxing to a certain extent, but my mind was still on edge. I could still feel those eyes…
Right on cue, I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me. My mind spiraled into full panic as I realized I was standing out in the open, with absolutely nothing to hide behind. A hooded figure emerged between the branches and shot an arrow directly at me. I tried to dodge it, but it was if my legs were rooted to the ground.
Tears had already started dripping down my cheeks before I fell to my knees. A poisoned arrow stuck crudely out of my thigh; the familiar black, swirling veins crept from the insertion point. Through my blurred vision, I saw the retreating wave of a brown cloak.
Wait a minute…was that Felix?
+Felix's POV+
I cursed loudly as I grew frustrated with these impossibly strong vines that composed this trap. When my initial attempts failed, I recalled that I still had that girl's dagger on me. It was coated in a thick layer of my blood, which further deepened my hatred for her.
Each sawing motion wiped more blood off the blade. With just a little more effort, I managed to break free and hit the ground with an anticipated thud. The pain was easy to walk off; however, something else stopped me in my tracks.
The blade had been wiped clean, yet it was still littered with scratches and rustic stains. She hardly looks like any sort of threat, but could it be possible that she's actually killed before?
This was nothing more than mild intrigue. I didn't care what kind of life she had or what life she hopes to have, because it's all going to end here in Neverland.
Pan ordered me to keep them from reaching the beach, but what's the point of me even pursuing them right now? I know they've made it there, and I'm sure Pan's already waiting to strike. In fact, it's for the best if he gets to her before me.
The sooner he finishes using her for his plans, the sooner I can destroy her.
+ Katelyn's POV +
Aside from tearing off some cloth to wrap around the wound, I wasn't sure what to do. Should I wake Henry, or would this only cause him to worry? The situation involving that Lost Boy I shot played back in my mind. They said that Pan was the only one who could heal a dream shade injury. Go figure.
"That looks rather nasty."
The sudden sound of his voice caused me to nearly leap upward. "Speak of the devil…" I mumbled.
The way he smirked in response made me regret saying that. It was as if he considered himself to actually be the devil, though I suppose that wouldn't be a very surprising revelation.
When he didn't say anything in response, I forced myself to my feet, disliking how he towered over me when I was on the ground. Some of the sand around me had clumped together, coated in my blood. "So what happens now?" I asked with a cold edge. "Have you come to watch me die?"
His devilish expression turned into confusion, and dare I say a bit of hurt. "Of course not. I came here because I sensed that you had been injured. I can help you."
I scoffed. "Why would you want to help me? I escaped with Henry and almost killed one of your Lost Boys."
He laughed. "Haven't you figured it out yet? So long as you're on this island, you can't hide from me. Actually, I'm glad you did what you did. It makes the game far more interesting."
"Not everything is a game, especially when it involves people's lives," I said, glancing over at Henry.
Pan followed my gaze and seemed to connect the dots. "Oh, I see," he murmured. "You dislike me because you fear what I have planned for Henry."
"Don't be so nonchalant!" I said, hating that my emotions were seeping very obviously into my voice. "You're going to tear his heart out."
"This," he said with an unexpected grin, "this is why I'm so very glad you came to Neverland, Katelyn. You have a remarkable imagination."
I rolled my eyes. "If that's not what you plan on doing to him, then why don't you enlighten me?"
"I can't tell you much now, for that would ruin all the fun. But I assure you, no one will be tearing hearts."
Although he sounded sincere, I didn't exactly feel comfortable trusting him. He tried to appear more serious, but there was still that mischievous glint in his eyes that told me I should run very, very far away.
+ Peter Pan's POV +
With any luck, Hook and his newfound friend will still be near the spring. All I had to do was convince Katelyn to go there, but this is proving to be more challenging than expected. Evidently, the resulting silence of being lost in my own thoughts made Katelyn uncomfortable enough to take control of the conversation.
"You really should consider who you have working for you," she muttered, continuing to wrap more cloth around her wound as blood percolated through the previous layer.
"The Lost Boys don't work for me," I laughed. "They simply follow my command."
She shot me a dirty look. "Did you command Felix to shoot me with a dream shade arrow?"
It took considerable restraint to retain the smirk that wanted to form at the realization of what she was saying. I don't know what Felix did to lead her to believe that he would've targeted her, but I must remember to thank him later.
Wearing a concerned expression, I crept a little closer to her. "Of course not," I breathed. "Why do you suspect he would attack you like this?"
She laughed sarcastically. "This is just a stretch – but it might have something to do with me stabbing him, then luring him into a trap…"
I shared in her laughter. "I'd consider you two even, in that case."
"Are you kidding? He'll survive a little bloodshed, and obviously he escaped from the trap. I've been poisoned."
"And in case you've forgotten, I can help you."
"All magic comes with a price," she said softly.
"Admittedly, the healing process does have a payment. It is not detrimental, though it is life altering. Can I be completely honest with you for a moment?" When she nodded in response, I continued. "I've made the connection between you and Captain Hook. I know he's your father, Katelyn."
I had anticipated some sort of shocked response, but it didn't come. Instead, she closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. "I guess I should've seen this coming. I'm so stupid!" she said, tugging at her hair.
"To be fair, very little secrets remain such on this island," I replied. "I don't want you to worry. Your relation to the captain is of little concern. I only mention it because I think it would be wise to inform him of your injury. He's familiar with the cost associated with using the spring water."
Her eyes shot up and met mine. "Has this happened to him before?"
"Not him, but his brother. They came to Neverland before it was as thriving as it is now."
"Wait a minute, he had a brother? And he's been here before?"
"This was many years ago…well before you were born. I'm willing to bet there are many things you didn't know about your father. Perhaps I can share some stories when we go in search of him–."
"No," she said firmly. "He can't know about this, he just can't. If he sees me injured like this, he'll think me weak and that will defeat the entire point of me coming here!"
"I don't want to see any more lives destroyed, Katelyn," I said, an extra dosage of distress laced into my words. "He needs to know."
She shook her head as tears crawled to the corners of her eyes. "Please," she whispered. "Please don't tell him about this. It's my life; I can make my own decisions."
I conveyed a sense of confliction and avoided eye contact for a moment longer. "If you expect me to keep such a thing from your father, I'd like to ask a favor in return."
She didn't take much time to consider. "I'll do anything," she replied, with a slight quiver. "Thank you, Peter." She reached over and pulled me into an embrace. I vaguely returned the gesture, all while grinning behind her back.
I should be thanking you, Katelyn.
Little does she know I have every intention of telling Hook that his precious daughter, who is indebted to me, is about to become a permanent resident of Neverland.
A/N: Poor Katelyn...this has not been a good day for her. Now both Peter Pan and Felix have it out for her. Once Pan asks for his favor, will she uphold her end of the deal? Find out in the next chapter!
Thanks to everyone who's following and reading this story. Leave a review and I'll be sure to update sooner ^_^
XoXo Amber