“There is precious little time, period,” Wayne added, and Jo found herself silently agreeing.
“Then I suggest you all get to it.” Pan got to her feet with a languid stretch and a very bored-looking yawn. “I trust you all will not disappoint.” And with that, she turned to leave, no more helpful than she’d been during any other wish before.
Jo couldn’t hold back the rush of aggravation burning through her stomach. Whatever mysterious hold Pan had over everyone else, she was not about to have over Jo as well. Thankfully, it would seem she’d blissfully missed the meeting where they’d all sat down and agreed to fear the woman. “Classic Pan,” she scoffed. “Bowing out of all the heavy lifting as usual.” Jo half raised her voice. “Good thing none of us want you here anyway.”
With a slow and inhuman fluidity, Pan turned back towards the group. A smile curled from ear to ear, spreading like sizzling butter across her face. It reminded Jo of the Cheshire Cat from the long ago stories ofAlice in Wonderland. “Well, it looks like someone in this group has a bit of fight left in them. Aren’t you a gem who makes her mother proud?” Jo stood to meet her, awaiting her approach, another confrontation, but Pan didn’t make any motion toward her. Instead, she continued toward the doors. “I’ll leave you to it, Miss Savior, since you seem so ready for a challenge. Maybe, if you do a good job, I’ll even let you challengemesomeday.” Pan threw her head back and laughed, as if the idea was pure humor and little else.
Jo watched Pan’s every move as she sauntered out of the room. She couldn’t think of a comeback fast enough and the woman was gone in a blink. Jo curled her hands into fists.
“Sit down, doll, or you’re going to scare us all into submission.” Wayne’s voice startled Jo back to reality.
“If looks could kill,” Nico mumbled to himself.
“What, are we just supposed to sit here and take that?” Jo thrust her hand in the direction of the doors leading back to the innards of the mansion. “I don’t get it. I don’t get how you can let her act like thousands of lost lives are nothing.” Her question from before had gotten no answer, so maybe if she stated them as fact, demanded and begged even, she’d finally get one. And oh how she needed one.
“They’re not lost yet,” Eslar reminded her firmly, ignoring all remarks about Pan.
Jo snorted at the elf. “Yet?Like it’s possible for us to actually do this?”
“That is a matter I think we should all remain here to discuss.” Eslar, too, could rephrase his earlier statements. He had not moved from his chair, but Jo suddenly felt like the willowy man was towering over her. She wasn’t ready to back down yet. She was still seeing red.
Her eyes swung from Eslar to Snow. She didn’t know why she was bothering with the subordinate when the ruler was among them. “You are our leader. Stand up for us! Stand up for Takako. Dosomething.”
“I can stand up for myself.”
Jo froze, Takako’s tone sending ice up her spine; it almost pained her to move her neck and look at the woman. When she did, it was to find cold, dark eyes staring her down with an expression caught somewhere between insult and disappointment. “I do not need you or anyone else to do it for me.”
“Takako, I—” Jo began to plead softly. Her temper had walked her foot right into her mouth.
“What I want is for you to let go of this misplaced righteousness and do as Eslar says. That way, we can figure out a way to prevent the loss of all life—my family included. If you are truly my friend and ally, you will work toward this as well.”
Jo sank into her chair and wished the cushion would swallow her whole. Pan had been the asshole, so why did Jo suddenly feel so terrible?
She hated this, all of it. She didn’t want to let her anger at Pan go, nor her curiosity at why the woman had such a hold on all of the team.
“You’re right,” Jo mumbled, trying to swallow her pride and find a normal voice once more. “I’m sorry, I— Fighting amongst ourselves over some insensitive comments won’t help anyone. Let’s just. . . focus on the wish.” She’d never managed to figure out the whole “being the bigger person” thing that was meant to come with adulthood.
“Now that’s settled,” Snow spoke deliberately, as if trying to radiate his displeasure. Jo folded her arms over her chest; she wasn’t going to let him have the satisfaction. “I shall leave you all to it.”
The room was silent once more for the morning’s second departure. The clicking of the doors closed left just the usual six of them.
“Oh no, please. Let us handle it. Thank you for the help, Snow. We greatly appreciate it,” Wayne remarked snidely from Jo’s side. It seemed she wasn’t the only one rankled.
“Snow has done enough for us.” Eslar, ever the peacekeeper.
“Oh? Like getting us into this mess?”
“It’s not as if he chose this for us.” Eslar fired the statement with such certainty that Jo sat a bit straighter.
Snow didn’t choose the wishes? Was that true?
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Wayne continued, oblivious. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Or Pan, Jo added mentally. Between Snow and the candy-haired creature, Jo would put her money on Pan being the one who’d pick a wish like this.
“Isn’t picking the wish good, though?” Nico said softly.
“What?” Wayne balked.
