Panic welled in my heart as he closed his eyes and—
All breath left my body when everything disappeared except for Bay. Frozen in place, he stood, his empty hands positioned before his chest. The spirit of the temple stood before him, its faces shifting constantly. “So,” they said, “this is the path he has found.” A sigh breathed through them, and they turned, smiling at me.
I looked myself over and found I had returned to normal. Steeling myself, I met its gaze. “He passed. I told you.”
“Yes, he is capable. But such dramatics don’t surround the real Fountain. It is only hidden. When found, he must not drink it. Hook, once, was like Bay. The years on Neverland have made him what he is now. Bay’s core is still good, but his father’s blood runs through him. He would not wear the time well either.”
“What are you saying?” The words burned in my mouth.
“Some die heroes. Others become villains.”
“Bay’s not like that!”
The being approached and cupped my cheek. It sent a chill through me. “Your belief is a virtue; it may just be enough. Peter was young; he avoided the venomous effects of the Fountain when he took it in ignorance because he was innocent. The true terror of everlasting life through the Fountain is that the power eats away at you, again and again. What it would leave behind for those out of their innocence is nothing short of monstrous. We would all be like that.”
“I won’t let him drink it then.” I swallowed.
“You must be certain.” They nodded. “The Fountain rests on Skyla, just beneath your nose. You will not need its power. Allow Bay only what he requires for his mother, then destroy it.”
“How?” I asked.
“All wind that rises must fall.” They lifted their hand, and a vial appeared as they morphed into the eldest siren. The gentle woman’s voice did not match her grave expression. “This. Only this. You must be certain.” She clamped it against my palm, and I looked over her shoulder at Bay.
He remained frozen, his eyes closed and his hands at his chest. “How do I explain what happened here?”
“You will not have to.” She released the vial and flicked her wrist. Bay vanished. “He failed. He will not remember anything past that. It has been important for him to know his failure and you to know his redemption.”
The being morphed again, this time into the youngest sister. She smiled. “Protect our Bay. Good luck.”
When I blinked, I stood at the temple exit. The Nixies turned as one to face me from their puddles, their eyes all aglow in the night, and my stomach clenched. Darkness swallowed the cove in evening. How long had we been in there…?
“Lyly!” Whisper came from the air, slamming into me with a hug that nearly knocked me back into the temple. Involuntarily, I called a rush of air to me, pushing me back to safety. It didn’t get past her, and she gasped. “Did you just freak wind?”
Outside the temple, it felt more real. I lifted off the ground, effortlessly, without dust, and grinned. “I think I did.”
“Ah! This is incredible!” She laughed, squeezing me.
“Did you get the location?” No joy touched that voice.
My heart skipped, and I looked at Bay. Skye hovered near him, his eyes downcast until he glanced at Whisper. Silently, the pixie provided her fresh dust, then returned dutifully to Bay’s side. Shadows bled in the corners of Bay’s usually bright eyes, and I winced, nodding. “I have an idea where the Fountain is, but we can only take this much.” Lifting the vial still in my hand, I held Bay’s gaze. “It’s just enough for Wendy. No more. No less. Then we have to destroy it.”
“What?” His brows shot high, and I was glad he appeared surprised more than angry. “Won’t you need its power to save the world?”
I shook my head. “Worse things will happen if we don’t do as the temple spirits said. Promise me, you three.” I divided my attention between Bay, Skye, and Whisper, only so it wouldn’t seem like I was calling him out.
Confusion muddled Whisper’s face. “Of course. I don’t have any use for the Fountain anyway. I’d rather not Peter-ify myself, thank you.”
Some stray thought flickered in Bay’s gaze, but he ran his fingers through his loose hair and nodded. “If that’s what you were told…”
“It was.” I landed, suddenly exhausted, and slipped the vial into my satchel. The bed of moss we had slept on the night before called to me, and I offered Whisper half a smile before I passed Bay, heading for it. “I think we should rest now. Tomorrow, we meet up with Tiger Lily, then we’re heading home.”
27th November
“W ind Song.” My heart responded immediately when Bay’s voice hit me, but I didn’t face him. The sun rose above the trees in the cove, showering me in a golden light. A soft breeze touched my skin, and I breathed it in.
Ocean brine.
A hint of magic.
Bay floated to my side, concern filling his eyes. His lips parted, but he looked away before words came out. “I’m sorry.”
Heat crept up my neck. “For what?”
“I failed in the temple. That…” He rubbed his jaw. “It was really you in there, wasn’t it? I almost—”
“It’s all right.” I laced my fingers together and tried to remember he had passed in the end. It wasn’t easier. All I could see was a dagger plunging for his heart. “There’s no way you could have known for sure.”
“Still, I was so blinded by what I wanted. I thought it made so much sense. The only places in Neverland I haven’t picked apart are the temples. For the longest time, I’ve had a hunch that the Fountain was in one, but I grew up surrounded by lore of how dangerous they were. I was too scared to enter.”
“Until you met Peter’s daughter and thought if Neverland loved him so much, you’d be safe if you brought her along.” The clearer things became with him, the less I wanted to know. There were so many lies and plots. Why couldn’t we have just stayed in his treehouse, talking about silly adventures?
“I’m sorry. My mom, she…” His voice cracked, and I glanced at him. He had brought a leg to his chest. His hair fell like a curtain over his face, blocking it from view. “She’s the only family I have left other than Skye. You know what happened.”
“I know a lot.” A lot more than I wanted to. “And I understand. You were desperate.”
“Yeah.” He exhaled, and the air from his breath shook. “For the longest time, I’ve been living for her. Now, she’s not all I have anymore. I used to only be able to see my life up until the point she woke up. Now, I can imagine something after that.” He didn’t look at me. “I meant what I said in the temple, and what I did.”
