Without You (Book 2 of The Blue Star) OUAT

Brown Hair

Chapter 23

*Solstice*

"It's just up ahead." Archer pointed into the distance. Torchlight flickered through the forest; a beacon lighting the way to Baelfire.

Archer told me Baelfire and Cyrus were being led to the prison site. He explained to me that patrols treaded around Neverland's forest, eyeing for stragglers.

We crept our way through the greenery, step by step, paying close attention to our surroundings. Suddenly, Archer pulled on my arm, dragging me to a nearby bolder. We ducked behind it. Archer placed his finger against his lips, telling me to be silent. Archer must've heard a patrol passing by.

I cocked my head, straining to hear. I heard footsteps, which came closer with every footfall. Voices mimicked their steps as they walked.

"I can't believe we have patrol duty. Again." A boy grumbled, irritation stung his words.

"Whatever." Another boy piped up, obviously annoyed. His voice almost seemed to have a hint of a southern accent. "Pan can't see us complainin' or else we're gunna get shanked. So suck it up and keep movin'. I'm tired of your grumblin'."

The other boy scoffed, "Pan isn't so tough. I doubt he could even hold a knife, let alone use one."

There was a long pause. Archer and I listened intensely. My back began to ache from crouching, I wanted to move but I didn't dare to. I knew if I did I'd somehow give us away.

"Listen here you spike headed ninny," the southern boy growled, "you better watch you say, or your gunna find your hand separated from that weak little arm of yours. Do you understand me? Pan is not someone you wanna backstab. You know those stories Felix tells? The stories of those Stars that came here? Those stories of how Pan used Dreamshade to kill one of em? How he killed that traitor Cale? Those  stories are true. Dustin, Archer, Felix, and Wendy are proof of that. Regardless of what you may think, Pan ain't no fool. Get your head straight, or Pan might just take it off."

My eyes widened at what this boy was saying. I looked at Archer with shocked eyes. My mind raced. Peter killed Dylan. He used Dreamshade. Tears pricked the back of my eyes but I would not let them fall. I had to think about this later. What mattered now was that I stay quiet.

"You don't wanna get on his bad side. Or else you might be the one who's dead. Pan killed the Queen of the Stars. He tore her heart and—"

I gasped.

Instantly Archer shot out and pulled me against him with his hand over my mouth. The two boys stopped talking at the sound of my squeak.

"Hey Devin, did you hear that?" The boy asked the one with the southern accent.

"Hush up." Devin hissed, "I heard it. Where'd it come from?"

"I have no idea." Said the other boy. "It was probably nothing. Let's go."

There was a slight pause from Devin, but he finally sighed; "alright. Our shifts are almost done anyway. I gotta get back to my little brother."

The other boy snickered as their footsteps began to fade away until we could hear nothing but the wind. Archer shushed me, removing his hand from my lips as he heard my sniffles.

"It's okay Sol," he hugged me from behind as I sank down to the ground; My back against his chest. "Don't cry Solstice, I hate to see you cry."

I shook my head. No tears had escaped my eyes; it was torture to keep them contained, but I did what I had to do.

Archer moved in front of me so he could look into my eyes. His expression was concerned and grief stricken. "I'm so sorry Sol that you had to hear the truth like that. But it had to happen. Now you believe that Pan is murder. That's one step in the right direction. You can't trust him. We need to get Baelfire out of his cage and figure out how we're going to stop Pan."

I bit my bottom lip and nodded. When I was about to stand up, Archer locked his hand with mine. I stopped. My eyes rested on our linked hands then trailed up into his blue eyes.

"Solstice, are you alright?" He questioned me softly.

I inhaled sharply. I didn't want to cry. I was tired of being emotional. I wanted to be strong like Shine was. She was my mentor; the one who taught me about life and death; that each has its reasons. She taught me how to use magic and how to be a lady—a strong woman. But being tough wasn't what I was good at, yet now the situation demanded it.

I lifted my chin up and held back my tears. I stared Archer in the eyes; "I'm fine. Let's get Baelfire." I removed my hand from his and stood up.

Archer nodded and got to his feet. I caught sight of disappointment in his eyes but it soon vanished. We started jogging again, straight toward the prison site.

Finally, the cages came into view. My feet began to move faster and faster with each bounding step. Archer hissed at me to slow down, but I didn't listen. I raced through the brush; stepping over rocks and twigs, careful not to trip over them.

I burst through the bushes and into the clearing of metal cages and I suddenly caught sight of brown hair.