The Lost Boy (Sequel to The Lost Realm)

Chapter Twenty-five

"You ready?" Peter asks me.

He had just taught me what magic really was. How much of it flows through me.
How all I need to do is focus, to let the light seep out of me.
In short, he taught me how to shoot lasers out of my hand, and it was amazing.
For the first time in my life I feel powerful, not just reading minds, but doing something to help them.

We stand outside the castle, the sun now peering over the horizon. Troops surround us, my mother and father stand with their arms wrapped around each other saying their goodbyes, tears rolling down their cheeks.

Before I could respond to Peter, Sylvia was in front of me, "We've come a long way haven't we?" She says, forcing a smile.

Our old school, our old life feels so far away. Within months our entire reality was warped, and I'm about to go battle a war unlike anything my old humanity could conjure.

"We have."

Tears begin to fill her eyes, "I don't plan on becoming an only child anytime soon."

"I don't either," Tears were gathering in my eyes now.

We hug, no more words needed. I let the tears fall, while I compose myself.
I can't allow anyone to see my fear.
No one can know the hesitation resting inside me.
The thing that could get me and my sisters killed.

I move from Sylvia to my mother.
This time there are no words, only a hug.
She holds me tight, like a mother holding her newborn child.
I can only imagine her fear.
She didn't have her daughters for almost their entire childhood, didn't see them grow and learn. Now, just when she had got them back, two of them were gone, and a third was about to leave.
I hug her tighter.

"I'm sorry, we have to go," Graham says, my mother and I pull apart, and she wipes a tear from my cheek.

"Go kill that bastard," She says, venom spilling from her voice and eyes.

I give her a confident smile, and the fear inside me dies for a moment.

My mother steps back, joins hands with Sylvia, then the two join Hook, away from the troops, who wait desperately for the portals to open, and for the action to begin.

"Alright!" My father's voice booms, everyone immediately silences. "You have all been briefed on what your duty is, and who, or what, your opponent is. These creatures and their creator will stop at nothing to kill you. We stand for light, and all the beautiful things in the world, Rumpelstiltskin threatens them," Conviction pulses through his words and his voice rises to a shout, "We fight for Anastasia! We fight for Sam!"

Cheers shake the atmosphere, harmonizing into a robust battle cry.
Blue lights begin to appear from various regions of the troops.
I watch as individuals jump in.
My stomach churns.
I read the minds of those I can.
They're scared too.

"You never answered me," Peter says, gently grasping my hand, shaking me out of my daze, "Are you ready?"

"Of course," I force my voice to sound powerful.

He gives me a warm smile, one that matched the dawn surrounding us.
He knows I'm lying.

"I'm not either. But let's go kill that demon."

// hi guys!! Sorry, I stepped away from this story for a bit, a mix of writer's block and life stuff, but I'm back now!! Hope everyone is doing well, and as usual, thank you so much for reading!  I also apologize for this chapter being so short. I promise the action is coming.