“Talking to Iniq,” he said, then buried his face in an excessively ripe mango that had originally come from Farrah.
James held her hand as they waited. The rest of the crew was getting antsy, as well. There was only so much they could do to prepare the yawl, and standing around aimlessly could give away their subterfuge if Peter sent spies ahead.
So many tiny pieces had to come together perfectly for their plan to work. The sheeries had to play their part well. Peter had to believe and follow them. Then he had to feel safe enough to board their boat. The Lost Boys needed to be convinced not to aid Peter. They were banking on Peter’s pride to separate him from the Lost Boys. He wouldn’t bring them in if he felt safe taking out Hook on his own.
Wendy pulled the iron amulet around her neck out from under her collar. She rubbed her fingers along its pitted surface. It was more scrap than amulet, really. Farrah had told them to search through her bits box for protection. Every member of theJolly Roger’s crew had iron somewhere on their person. James instructed them to hide the iron and keep it against their skin. Wendy had gone one step further and filled her pockets with iron filings.
She resisted the temptation to have Leq update them every minute. James gave in first.
“Leq, please tell us where Iniq and Disa are.”
Having finished more mango than should have fit within his petite frame, Leq wiped his hands down his front and closed his eyes. “With Peter near the top of the hill.” He pointed helpfully.
James silently directed the men to get in place. “Are the Lost Boys with him?”
“Yup.”
The crew scurried to get into position. Now that they were meant to be seen, they could take their time lowering the boatand rowing it toward the cave. Nobody was supposed to look at the top of the hill, where they expected Peter. They made a show of scanning the water and rocks for threats, but ignored the top. Wendy saw Peter’s light-brown hair duck beneath the tall grasses growing there, a good distance from the thin waterfall that trickled down the side.
“I see him,” she breathed to James, who nodded almost imperceptibly.
The pair had positioned themselves near the railing opposite the trapdoor. The cargo had been redistributed to leave most of the deck open and, they hoped, make it appear nonthreatening. Tam lay hidden under a tarp draped across an empty crate. Wendy sent a quick prayer to Cosmas or Fortuna to keep him safe.
Smee, Kalaakaar, and Maaka waited in the brig. Wendy’s things had been cleared out in the pre-dawn hours this morning. They stood armed, ready to ensure the trap worked smoothly, or to provide backup if it failed. Davi and Phillip were in the yawl with Mücahit, Raghu, Cooper, and Gharza. Davi was hidden under another tarp to prevent Peter from seeing him as easy pickings.
From their place at the railing, Wendy and James watched the yawl creep toward the dark opening. When the boat passed through, Peter made his entrance. He stood from the grass and instructed his Lost Boys to throw rocks at the boat if it tried to emerge.
Seven little faces poked through the grass. One boy shifted, perhaps wiggling to lie in a more comfortable position, and a rock fell to the water. Small enough for the boys to carry, it would still ruin someone’s day if it hit their noggin.
“See! There’s more where that came from,” Peter crowed. Then he literally crowed, and the Lost Boys cheered.
Wendy had forgotten how annoying that sound was. She stepped to the side to get the mast out of her view of the clifftop. She scanned the faces for her brothers. James moved closer when she gasped.
“I see them,” she whispered. Needing comfort, she reached back for James.
This enraged the Boy Who Would Never Grow Up. His feet left the ground as he gave a wordless yell. He slammed his hands on his hips and hollered, “You’re with him?!”
Hearing the vitriol in a young boy’s voice made the whole thing a sick farce. A smile from Peter was a lovely, mischief-tainted sight to behold; one knew it was time for a wholesome adventure. There was no memory of that smile now. The absolute fury coating his features turned Wendy’s stomach.
“How could you, Wendy Mother?! You’re supposed to love me! Only me!” Peter stomped his foot in the air.
Wendy flicked a glance toward James. They hadn’t predicted this reaction.
Then Peter dove for the Lost Boy closest to him and flew into the air. He swooped toward theJolly Roger, clasping a screaming boy to his side. They landed on the deck with a jolt.
Wendy’s stomach turned to lead, and her temperature plummeted. She could no longer feel the fabric of James’ jacket beneath her fingers. Peter had Michael. That was not in the plan at all. His feet were in the perfect position to employ the trapdoor, but they couldn’t risk sending Michael into the brig with him.
“Let him go, Pan.” James commanded. He broke away from Wendy and set his hand on his sword. “You don’t want him; you want me.”
Wendy stayed back, desperate to run to her brother but knowing that James couldn’t fight effectively if he was worried about hurting her.
“You?” Peter looked thoroughly confused. “I don’t care about you. You’re supposed to be dead.”
Again, Peter wasn’t conforming to their expectations. A shout from the water tore Wendy’s gaze away from Michael for a second. The crew of the yawl had tried to leave the cave, and the Lost Boys had acted on Peter’s orders.
James stalked a step forward. Peter reacted by pulling out a knife and holding it to Michael’s throat. James froze. Wendy watched as a single tear escaped Michael’s closed eyes and left a trail on his grubby face.
“I guess I’ll kill you myself,” Peter said, calming down. He looked at Wendy with wide eyes. “Are you coming home, Wendy?”
