Pan's Redemption

Chapter 15 ~Magic*

Pan was shook awake by Felix. Black soot on his face, Felix looked like he had just come back from a war zone.

"Felix what-?"

"The camp is on fire." Felix's eyes were crazed. Panic because nothing dangerous ever happens to Lost Boys.

"That's impossible!" Pan ran outside the hut onto the wooden balcony. The forest was set a blaze. When Felix said the camp was on fire, he pictured the bonfire catching a couple of tents on fire. The fire had licked up the tallest of the jungle trees. Pan was surprised his hut wasn't on fire.

He nearly fell off the ladder getting to the center of the camp. He gathered all of the Lost Boys and counted to make sure no one was left behind.

"Get to the beach!" He hollered over the roaring fires.

They took off. It was only halfway there Pan remembered the dream. Wendy curled up against him in a meadow. Picking flowers and naming shapes in the clouds. Laughing and smiling a perfect smile.

He forgot her.

He spun on his heel into the opposite direction ignoring Felix's calls. He reached the tree and lifted off the ground. He levitated in front of her cage and swung it open.

She was sitting there. A blank stare full of tears. Her cheeks were coated in them. Her eyes were raw and puffy. It made him remember the reason for her sorrow. Guilt stabbed him in the gut like a knife.

"Wendy, come here." He pleaded with her. She looked at him crazed.

"No, I can't." She was shaking. Pan's brow furrowed in confusion. Something was wrong with her.

"Yes, you can. Come on, we have to get you to the beach."

"No! I did this! I don't know what happened, I just looked at the fire and then it caught. I don't know how to stop it!"

Pan looked at her. Really looked at her. The Shadow was right. She was powerful. She had magic! No one on the island had magic except for Pan and his Shadow. Wendy was scared, he could see that. He reached out and touched her hand.

"I can stop it, you just have to come with me. You have to trust me." He said carefully.

"Why should I trust you with anything? You're going to take my brothers." Her voice broke and she looked away from him so she wouldn't cry.

"I won't."

"What?" She looked at him in surprise. Her brown eyes widened, but she wasn't convinced. She could never be sure of him again.

"If you come with me right now, I will leave your brothers be." As he said this, the tree next to Wendy's crashed down and burst into flames. Wendy gasped and looked at him with wild eyes.

"Wendy, please." She hesitated at first. He could see her fear. But then she scooted forward toward the cage door. Toward him. He felt his chest tighten in satisfaction.

Wendy rapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to hold on to her waist tightly. He clutched her against him to make sure she wouldn't fall and then together they flew to the beach.

Wendy had carefully tucked her chin in the crook of Pan's neck. The air was icy cold and it stung her when she lifted her head. She found the that the only warmth was Pan's throat. When she couldn't take the cold anymore, She had placed her cheek there. She felt him tense from how cold she was, but let her rest her cheek there. It surprised her that he didn't say anything.

The question Wendy wanted to know almost came out then. But she restrained herself. Instead she thought it to herself.

Why do you hurt me, but then protect me?