Panic

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

            Fonce flew away, and I couldn’t help but wonder why.  I looked around at the boys around me, and tried to silence the clamour around us.  “Shh, shh,” I said to the younger children.

            “Lost Boys!” Peter called, and the forest fell silent.  “Follow me.”

            We walked through the forest, twigs snapping as we stepped on the dirt path.  I stood at the end of the line of boys, and Peter led the line with James.  Edward stood behind me.

            “You alright?” he asked.

            “Yeah,” I whispered.  “Are you?”

            He shrugged.  “I’m not dead,” he said.

            “That’s good,” I said.  We walked in silence for the remaining half hour until we got to the lake.

            “Calder!” Peter called softly.  The water churned and a beautiful mermaid appeared in front of us.

            “Peter,” she said quietly.  “I was not aware that you were coming to the lake.  Surely you realize this is a dangerous time.”

            “That’s the reason I’ve come,” Peter whispered back.  “We need a place to stay.  Can we live in the cave?”

            Calder looked to the cave, and then sank into the water.  I sighed, disappointed.  Peter turned to face us.

            “Don’t give up,” he said.  “We’ll find another place to live.”

            The water churned again.  “Peter!” I exclaimed, and he turned around to face the lake in time to see Calder re-emerge with about seven other mermaids.

            “We have discussed your request,” Calder said, and she smiled serenely.  “Welcome to Mermaid Cove.”

            “Thank you,” Peter said.  “Alright boys, swim to the cave.”

            “But the girl,” Calder said.  “She cannot live here.”

            I whipped my head and studied her.  “Why not?” I asked.

            “It’s too dangerous,” she said.  “You’re the one Fonce wants.”

            “What?  No,” I said.  “Fonce wants the magic Peter has.”

            “Indeed,” Calder nodded her head.  “But you have an enormous power that he is only starting to understand.”

            “What are you talking about?” I asked.

            “There are several types of magic,” Calder responded.  “Being able to create, or to summon, or to destroy to name a few.  You have a summoning gift, Wendy Darling, and he can use that.”

            “I don’t understand,” I said.

            “You can make anything that you’ve seen come to you,” she said with a smile.  “Peter has something called elemental magic.  He can use the four elements in any way he deems fit.”

            “So that’s how you started the collapse in the cave,” I said, turning to Peter.

            “And I must have opened up the doors with wind or something,” he said.  “And I must have fixed James’ ankle with the water in his blood!  And you saw the pixie dust and weapons, so you could bring them to us.  And somewhere, a stone cottage has simply disappeared from existence.”