The last thing she would smell is a mixture of rotten fish and a decaying corpses. The teeth came closer, its wet nose almost touching her. Her heart pounded, the bow being her only comfort.
It happened so fast, that even today when she told the story to Mary-Margaret and Emma she couldn't entirely describe what exactly happened. One second she was lying there, heart pounding, her grip on her bow tightening. Readying herself for death. The next she was miles away, soaring high in the air above Neverland.
"Shut up!" Peter snapped, the harsh air whipping though his hair. "Or I'll drop you." he threatened. Artemis covered her mouth, only then realizing she had screaming the entire time, the bow had also vanished from her hand, though she was sure she heard a light slash from below. "Thank you." Pan said, adjusting his hold on her.
"We're flying." she mumbled, glancing down instantly regretting it. The ground or better yet the ocean never seemed so far, if Pan dropped her, it looked like she could be falling for hours instead of a few seconds. "I'm aware." Pan said dryly.
"How? Pe-Pan, how are we flying?" Pan didn't answer, his sharp eyes, flickering around his island. "Hold on. Don't scream." he said, shooting her a look. Artemis nodded, swallowing hard, shutting her eyes tight.
It was like falling, falling from a cliff again. Her heart seemed to fall into her stomach, the only thing that told her Pan hadn't decided to simply let her fall was his firm, but not tight grip giving just the right amount of reassurance.
"You can let go now." Pan said, shaking her a bit. Opening her eyes, Artemis let out a sigh of relief, as Pan set her down. Desperately trying to ignore her shaking legs. Sadly her legs seemed to have another idea. As the second he let go, she promptly fell onto the soft grass.
"Owww." Artemis groaned from the fall, rolling her eyes at Pan's chuckles. "Oh, shut up." she mumbled. "Now Artie, is that the way you thank someone for saving your life?"
"Yes." Artemis snapped, jumping up, staggering before landing back down on the ground. "You left me there."
"I saved your life." Pan said innocently. "You endangered it." Artemis corrected, crossing her legs and folding her arms. "And for what? What were you trying to do? Coz you sure as hell didn't need me to kill that stupid Aeddfeen!"
"Aaedfal." Pan corrected, folding his arms. "Whatever!" Artemis shouted, jumping up (silently thanking her legs that didn't decided to drop her) "So? What was your real reason?"
Once again, Pan didn't answered, simply looking her over, with his odd expression that Artemis couldn't understand. An odd mixture of understanding, confusion and something else, she couldn't quite name. After a few seconds of silence, Pan looked away walking away from the small clearing and gazing into the forest.
"Come on. Camp's this way." he said, trudging off into the forest. Artemis stared after him scowling as she debated her choices. "Ugh, stupid magic elf." she grumbled under her breath, jogging after him.
Music. Loud, almost cheeky music rang throughout the camp site as Artemis watched the Lost Boys from her log. The bright blue sky alive with colour as day was dripping into night. The boys were screeching like wild birds, waving their hands about as they did a series of strange dances all mashed up as one.
The music sent shivers down her spine, yet at the same time was like being embraced by a warm hug. Letting out a breath, she found her shoulders slump. "Enjoying the show?" came the familiar drawled voice from behind her.
Artemis shrugged. "Not really, you boys dancing like wild monkeys isn't exactly entertaining. But they seem to be having fun." she said, glancing at Felix. "What about you?"
"Not in the mood." Felix said shortly, sitting down her next to her. "Heard about you and the Aaedfal." Artemis groaned. "No, I do not want to talk about that. Especially not to you."
"Why not?" Felix asked. Artemis snorted. "Seriously? I know you're in Pan's pocket. The entire island is in Pan's pocket. Everything, except for me. Right?" Felix smirked, shrugging. "Maybe, but he likes you."
"Huh, yeah right." Artemis replied. "He hates my guts, the only reason I'm alive is because I may or may not know about his 'precious cargo'" she said, making a face as she leaning back slightly.
"Maybe, but Pan's got ways of getting information out of people. Pan's got his shadow-"
"His shadow?" Artemis asked, Felix waved her off. "Another time. My point is, Pan could have hurt you, tortured you, thrown to the mermaids-"
"Mermaids?" Artemis interrupted. "Another time," Felix said, leaning against his club. "He didn't." Artemis leaned forward, furrowing her eyebrows. "So you're saying?"
"Pan's not getting you to talk." Felix confirmed, nodding his head. "He's testing you." Felix said ominously, getting up and walking away.
Artemis swallowed hard, ignore the small poke of fear that entered her system. "Testing what my patience?" she mumbled, under her breath.
"Not sleeping?" asked Pan, sitting next to her. The boys had finally settled, deciding to sleep right out in the open, under the stars. The fire was dying, but let off a mellow light. Artemis shook her head. "Believe it or not, I'm not going to kill you in your sleep." Pan said, running his hands up and down on his pants.
"Believe it or not, that's not a worry of mine." Artemis replied, watching the dying fire. "Time passes differently here, right?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.
Peter nodded. "It does. Much slower and faster compared to other realms. Currently, every 2 hours that pass in the World Without Magic is one day on Neverland. But every 2 hours on Neverland is 1 day in the Enchanted Forest. Artemis nodded slowly. "Wait, currently?" Peter raised an eyebrow. "It changes occasionally."
Artemis glanced over at him, a cheeky light in her eyes. "You mean when you get bored." Peter smirked. "Maybe."
Artemis smiled. "You should smile more," Peter said. "You look much nicer when you smile."
Artemis shrugged, her word flying out of her mouth, before she could stop herself. "Never had much reasons to smile."
"Why's that?" he asked, leaning closer seeming interested. Artemis bit the inside of her cheek, hoping the pain might keep her alert. "No reason."
"Oh, come on Artie, I don't bite." "Well I do." she replied, glancing over at him, the fire illuminated her grey eyes, looking as if they had flames in them. Peter raised his hands in a surrender.
"So, Peter Pan plays the pan pipes?" Artemis asked, glancing at the instrument on his belt. "Trying saying that 5 times fast." she teased. Peter shrugged, pulling out the instrument, running his fingers over it. "The boys like it." he said.
"Wait, you were playing?" she asked, sitting up straighter, unconsciously moving closer to him. "You could hear it?" Peter asked, once again giving her his look. Artemis furrowed her eyebrows. "Course I could hear it."
Peter stared at her before raising his pipes to his lips, he blew into them. Instantly the music drifted out, slightly different form before, this one was lighter, softer, luring music ringing out through the silent campsite like a haunted lullaby. Pulling her in deeper and deeper and deeper and-
"Artemis." Peter said sharply. Her eyes snapped, open blinking rapidly for reason trying to hold back tears. "You can hear it." Peter said, softly, setting down the pipes. "Interesting."
Just then another sound filled the campsite, a wailing as if hundreds of children were crying, screaming all at once. "What is that?" Artemis whispered, glancing around the trees, as if expecting an Aaedfal or some other crazy Neverland creature to jump out.
"Nothing. Nothing you can help anyway." Peter said, lightly. "Get some sleep, Artie."
"But that sound-" "Go to sleep." "But Pan-" she started, just as he leaned forward blowing dust into her face. Catching her just she fell, Pan picked her up and walked away.
Sorry, this was so late! I've been playing with this a lot and then I had some writers block, but anyway-What do you guys think? As always I accept comments, criticism and really anything. Thank you guys for being so awesome! Till next time…