Weakness

Chapter 18 The Letter

"I know your the Ace of Spades!"

Pan laid Ace down on her small bed gently. He swiped a strand of her fiery locks behind her ear. A gentle smile crossed his lips as he glanced down at her. She looked so peaceful sleeping.
"You scarred me there for a minute, Love." He whispered to her, "what are you hiding from me?" His hand softly caressed her cheek as the girl slept quietly. He heard footsteps coming from behind him and he retracted his hand quickly. He spun on his heel to see Slightly enter the tent.
"I'd like to check her vitals." He stated shuffling nervously. Glancing over to Ace in a mix of awe and fear. A look that if Pan recognized didn't comment on. He just nodded.
"Let me know when she wakes up." He responded and with that Pan left to go to his own tent. He was going to track down that magic because no one enters Neverland without his permission. His anger that a sorcerer was able to penetrate into his realm and hurt his lost girl had his angered kindled. His first suspect the newly dubbed Dark One.
Meanwhile Slightly got to work on Ace checking her pulse to find it steady and taking notes in a notebook of her condition. The ordeal seemed to take a tole on her body and she should probably rest for a few days, but beside that she should make a full recovery. Curiosity got the best of him and he had to see the A for himself. His hand reached towards her sleeve his finger ghosting over the fabric as he lifted the end towards her shoulder seeing the tips of the A carved into her skin. The infinity symbol running through it just like in his Father's stories. Ace's hand shot out grabbing a hold of his wrist making him gulp as he looked down at her. Her cold brown eyes looking into his own Before they softened in recognition.
"Slightly?" She questioned confused as she let go of his wrist, "what are you doing in here?" She asked noticing the familiar details of her tent. She sat up a throbbing pain rushed to her head causing her to lift her hand to it rubbing her palm into her forehead, "and what happened?" She questioned looking into the cocoa colored eyes of the boy in front of her.
"You passed out. Pan said it was a tracking spell." Ace's head snapped to attention eyes widening in horror, "Pan was able to block it." Slightly reassured, "and I offered to check your vitals then tell him when you woke up." Ace was standing now as she paced across the small area of the tent. Muttering to herself.
"This is not good." She whispered, "he found me. I have to leave." Slightly clears his throat as Ace's head snapped to him seeming to have forgotten he was still there. He was certain if she kept doing that she'd get whiplash.
"Thank you, Slightly. You can tell Pan I'm fine." She stated as she went to leave the tent hoping to escape into the forest and find a way off this island because she knew there was no way she'd find one staying in here. She was seconds from the flap when Slightly said something that stoped her dead in her tracks.
"I know your the Ace of Spades!" He blurted out all in one breath. Ace spun on her heals turning to look at him with cold calculating eyes.
"I don't know what your talking about." She stated coldly.
"We had to take off your shirt to block the spell. I saw your brand and the scar that marks you in rank." Slightly explained. That statement made her eyes narrow in concentration.
"Jonas." She said simply after doing a once over of him, "I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner." She muttered.
"H..How do you know my last name?" He gulped as he toke a step back.
"Your father is Doctor Jonas. I served with him. He patched me up more than a few times. I thought that stitching pattern looked familiar. But most importantly he's the only one who knew the assains bore scars to mark our rank." Ace supplied. Slightly gulped as he watched her warily make her way back over to the bed and kneel down next to her satchel. She pulled something out and Slightly gulped as she stood back up.
"I swear I won't tell anyone! Please." Slightly began but stopped as Ace began to giggle. She passed him what she had pulled out of her bag and to his great surprise it was a small white envelope.
"Your father told me if anything happened to him to give this to you." She said handing him the envelope. Slightly toke it from her hand hesitantly.
"You knew him." Slightly asked amazed. His father never told him that story. She shook her head yes.
"He was a good man." She whispered, "I'm sorry for your loss." With that she left the tent. Rethinking her escape plan. She thought she'd leave Slightly alone to read the letter. A small piece of her wanted to stay and hear what was on it, but she knew that would be an invasion of privacy. She had carried it this long without reading it. She could wait till Slightly was ready to talk about it to know what it said. She made her way to Pan's tent. Her vision began to blur and she stumbled a little. Pausing in her step to regain her balance. She felt a hand on her back supporting her.
"Easy there, lost girl." The deep voice causing her to look into the familiar grey eyes of Felix. She gave him a tight smile as he kept his arm around her letting her lean into his side as the world slowly began to stop spinning.
"Thank you." She whispered as her eyes squeezed shut trying to banish the dark spots from clouding her vision.
"Yeah, can't have you go dieing on us. Your our very first lost girl." He replied trying to play it off like he wasn't worried about her. Everyone was, but not everyone had seen the long scars that ran the length of her back. His concern shown through his eyes as he still was trying to steady her. Ace sighed as she recognized the look.
"You saw me shirtless didn't you." She breathed out. She had hoped that when they toke her shirt off she had been in her tent not out in the open where everyone could see her.
"No, well sort of. Jacks and I ushered everyone else away so they couldn't see. We came back too early and saw your lower back as they were slipping your shirt back on." He gulped remembering the long crisscrossed scars that ran down her back that would haunt his memory.
"They being?" Ace continued her interrogation.
"Pan, Slightly, And Rufio." Felix filled in as she began to pull away trying to stand on her own now that the dizziness subsided. She nodded in acknowledgement at what he said. His hands remained on her back just in case she stumbled again.
"What's The hurry anyway?" He asked subtly trying to change the subject.
"Slightly said Pan wanted to know when I was awake." Ace responded and this time it was Felix's turn to nod, "I think I can make it now. Thank you again." Ace finished smiling up at the taller boy.
"Anytime, lost girl." He responded nodding his head and sticking the toothpick back in his mouth as he walked away. Ace slowly made her way to Pan tent. Her mind reeling for an acceptable lie to tell him. Then a thought hit her. The best lies are the ones based on truth.

Dear Slightly,
If you are reading this my son, I am dead. I am so proud of you. Take care of your mother for me. There are a lot of things in my life I could not tell you while I was alive, but I can now. Starting with Ace. The girl who gave you this letter in whatever form she may have come to you in is the Ace of Spades. Her real name is Acelin, and she is the only one you can trust. Ace is loyal almost unreasonably so. She will protect you, listen to her. She knows what she's doing. I must warn you, don't trust the King. He may be Ace's authority, but he is nothing like her. Should he find out how much you know he will silence you. Beware of him and the other assassins. I wish I had more time to tell you more, but I don't. I love you, son, and I'm so proud of you.
Good Luck,
Father

Slightly sat back on the bed. Tears escaped from his eyes as he read and re-read the letter he didn't completely understand. How could he trust Ace, but not the King she served? Why would Ace be loyal to his father? He was just a common village physician that was recruited by the King of Spades. Right? The letter seemed to have left him with more questions then answers and the only person he had who could answer them was Ace. He had to talk to her. Now! Only then did he realize she wasn't in the tent anymore. A thought hit him from before when she mumbled she had to leave. His eyes widened. She ran!

Author's Note
Sorry this is so late. I hope you are all enjoying the story. I hope that it is alright I haven't had a chance to really go through and edit it to make sure it fits together. I hope it is making sense. Just make a note for me if you see something you don't understand or seems confusing. Thanks for reading!
-Becca