The Captive (First Book in the Neverland Bound Series)

Chapter 8 (Peter)

I once again find myself pacing angrily around in my private sanctuary within Hangman's Tree, my frustration threatening to boil over.  She is just so irritating.

Card tricks, ha!  We'll see whose performing card tricks.

And that smirk!  Just thinking about that cocky grin on her face makes me want to hex her.  But I have to keep my cool.  Hexing her isn't going to improve her already withering opinion of me, and I need her on my side if I'm going to try and convince her to perform the Shift for me.

Every hundred years, the Shift occurs, changing the entire layout of Neverland and renewing the magic that allows all those who call it home to remain young forever.  But just like all other forms of magic, especially magic as powerful as the Shift, it comes at a price.  If the Shift fails to obtain enough strength to occur, the island will fall into destruction and cease to exist.

And as ruler of Neverland, it is my job to make sure that doesn't happen.  This is why every hundred years I am forced to select a new individual to perform the spell needed to enact the Shift.  The person I select has to be exceptionally powerful; otherwise they won't be able to successfully perform the spell.  This time unfortunately, the only person I could find other than myself who is strong enough to take on this incantation was Catherine.

I know she has the ability to pull it off.  I can feel the magic flowing through her every time I get in close proximity to her.  She just needs to find a way to strengthen her powers and develop them into something much more reliable than they currently are.  That way, the next time she decides to hurl herself over the side of a boat, she'll be able to save herself from getting eaten by a crocodile.

I smirk at the thought, but quickly sober when I think about the task ahead of us.  The night of the Shift is vastly approaching, and unfortunately, she has so much to learn before it arrives.  I'm starting to worry that I made a grave mistake by bringing her here.

In three weeks' time, the moon will be in perfect position and the Shift will have to begin, with or without a castor.  The only problem is that we're running out of time.

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I can feel her eyes following me as I maneuver my way through camp.  I try to avoid eye contact as much as possible because her gaze is beginning to unnerve me.  If looks could kill, I'm pretty positive that I would have been turned to smoldering ashes long before now.  Her anger is completely understandable considering I left her in the middle of a clearing with nothing more than a sneer and a declaration that we would begin her lessons tomorrow.  Once again, I failed to specify a time, but right now I don't really care.  It serves her right for causing me to boil over.

"You lost it again, didn't you?" a voice asks from behind me.

Sensing his aura and recognizing his voice, I acknowledge my right-hand's presence.  "Lost what, Curly?" I ask, feigning ignorance.

"Your temper," he replies calmly.

After a long silence he says, "Well?" and I sigh.

"Yes, Curly, I did," I reply much harsher than I intend.

"You know she's never going to warm up to you if you continue to treat her like you are.  And if I know my sister, she won't take kindly to being treated like a pet," he advises, ignoring my sharp tone.

"What do you mean 'like a pet'?" I ask, turning my head slightly to face him.

"Well, you know, things like being forced to come and bend to your will at every beck and call and having to submissively be objected to any criticism you throw her way without comment.  She won't subject herself to those kinds of things without a fight.  And if you continue treating her that way she will continue to resent you for it.  She isn't exactly one who takes to authority," he explains, with a chuckle.