“Whisper is nagging me about finding you and making sure you’re properly packed. I think she’s worried about you heading off on your own.” He slid his gaze over my body and the cropped shirt displaying my back, allowing my wings freedom to move. He pursed his lips. “Now, I know you’ll be fine, but I’m not thrilled you exist half-naked now. Who knows what exotic guys you’ll meet out there?”
“More ‘exotic’ than someone from Neverland?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Technically native to Skyla.”
Skye groaned on his shoulder, rolling his eyes. “If this is going to get flirty, I’m going to leave like I did last night.”
My cheeks heated.
“Nothing happened last night,” Bay protested, glaring at Skye.
“Ahuh.” The pixie rolled his eyes.
“Her feathers were caught on her shirt. I had to be a gentleman and help!”
Skye snickered. “Which was so graceful with your little stub hand, I’m sure.”
“Oh, absolutely.” Bay looked at me, smiling when he saw my lips had curved up slightly. “What was I saying again?”
I met him, brushing a straying strand of hair over his ear. “Whisper’s going to kill you.”
“Right. Because she’s worried. And I’m not.” He rubbed his neck, and his smile faltered a bit as he dropped his gaze to the ground. “But are you?”
“A little.”
“Because off the coast, it’s going to be really cold, and your back is wide open to any sneaky cold fronts who want to weasel their way into somewhere they shouldn’t be?” He quirked a serious brow, and I chuckled. It was a half-hearted laugh, but his eyes softened in response, none-the-less.
“I’m pretty sure I can manipulate the air around me and create a bubble of heat. Also, wings.” They were a portable, fluffable blanket. As we’d found out last night.
His smile turned sly, as though he was remembering the same thing. “Whisper is really going to kill me if we don’t get moving.”
I looked back at the distressed state of my former home and gripped my satchel. I had so little left of Peter now. Hook had stolen my knife, which I would get back soon, but aside from that, it was just memories and my pan flute. I slipped my fingers into my bag and touched the wooden instrument. “Tell her I’ll be there in a moment.”
“Okay.” He lifted into the air, pausing before going too far. “I love you.”
Tears pooled with those words. He’d said them to me so many times last night, but they never lost their force. Taking a deep breath, I whispered, “I love you, too.”
Silently, he returned to the now-grounded Aire, and I drew out my pan flute.
The warm notes filled the breeze, and I let tears rush down my cheeks as I played homage to Peter Pan. His name would forever be legend. I would never forget him. With every passing generation, I would teach them all the things he had taught me. Belief is never weakness. Hope is never foolish. Love is never wrong.
Even if all such things could be twisted and tainted, faith and trust were gifts worth giving. In the right hands, and with the right magic, they would almost always let you fly.
“You’re only bringing one change of clothes?” Whisper folded her arms and peered at me. “Are you only going to be gone for a day?”
“I can only hold one change in my bag. Besides, food is more important.”
Adam stood beside Whisper, doing his best to remain behind her wrath. Worry coursed through her gaze, spinning in it like a hurricane. “You better not trust every stranger you meet.”
“Yeah, I don’t need another boyfriend.”
Bay snickered, a giant moth perched on his finger. “I second that sentiment.”
Whisper shot daggers at him. “You better be on your best behavior while she’s gone. I still haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to forgive you.”
“Come now. I thought the plan was we’d have sass-castic babies together.” He delivered the moth to a flower and drifted over to us lazily. “Is now a good time to tell you Tiger Lily invited me over for dinner? I’m going to be helping reconstruct Skyla, starting with your mom’s house. I take atonement very seriously, and we really need to catch up.” He was lying upside down in the air, grinning ear to ear.
“Skye, you may want to move. I’m about to punch the pixie dust off his smug little face.” Whisper shook a fist.
Skye wordlessly bowed and flitted to my shoulder, gesturing for Whisper to proceed. Bay mumbled something about traitorous swine. My heart squeezed. I didn’t want to leave this behind.
Taking a shaky breath, and remembering one final thing I had to take care of before I left, I reached into my bag and drew out the vial of Fountain water. It gleamed in the sunlight, and I bit my lip.
Everyone focused on it, but I faced Bay. “Here. For Wendy.”
His brows furrowed, and he shook his head. “Keep it. I’ll wait until you’re back safe, then we can both greet my mom together. She’s better than my dad.” He drifted right side up, raised a hand, and crossed his heart with his wrist. “Promise.”
“But…” I looked at the vial. “This is what you’ve been searching for, for years.”
“Yeah. Pretty great incentive for you to come back as quickly as you can after saving the world. I know there’s a great big wonderful playground of adventures out there, but you’re not allowed to forget to pick me up before going on them.”
“The boy’s got a point.” Whisper folded her arms. “Even if we’re going to be apart for a little bit, you aren’t allowed to abandon me. We’re going to have our adventures like we always planned.”
“But it’s all we’ll ever have.” I asked, “What if I lose it?”
Bay and Whisper both cupped a hand over the water. “Don’t.”
I glanced at Adam, who smiled and shrugged. “Sounds like solid advice, but I’m just the fourth wing in your little trio.”
