Everland (29 page)

“Story time is over!” I shout.

N
o! No! No!” I scream as Pete drags me from the closet and into the infirmary.

Lily carefully shuts the steel door and follows us into the room along with everyone else.

I rip myself from Pete’s grasp. “I’m not leaving them!”

“Stop it!” he yells, a finger pointed into my face. “You’re going to get us all killed carrying on like that.”

“Pete, you can’t possibly believe my mother can save all of those kids on her own,” I protest. “My entire family is locked in that palace. We have to save them.”

Pete returns to the closet and leans against the door, his ear pressed up against the steel. “You’re absolutely right, and no offense, but I trust your mother about as much as I trust Hook. Anyone who aligns themselves with a Marauder is a traitor.”

The hair on the back of my neck bristles. “My mother is not a traitor! You heard what she said. She’s willing to risk her life and stay here to rescue the entire group of Lost Boys.”

Pete says nothing.

“Are you listening to me?” I ask, tugging his arm and pulling him around to face me.

“Not really,” he says, annoyed. “I’m trying to figure out if the soldiers have left yet.”

I lean my cheek against the cold metal. Holding my breath, I listen for the deep, husky voices belonging to the Marauders. Their words are nothing but murmurs behind the steel door. I strain to make sense of their muted voices. My mother responds in loud protest. Finally, a heavy door slams shut and the adjacent room is silent.

“They must have taken them from the lab,” Pete says.

“Pete, what are we going to do?” I ask.

“
We
are not doing anything,” he says, waving a hand in a gesture that appears to indicate he is speaking of the entire group. “Doc, Pickpocket, Mole, and I will rescue the boys. You and Bella are going with Lily.”

“What about my mother? Joanna and Mikey?” I protest.

“I’ll do my best to get them out, along with the rest of the Lost Boys, but she’s been sending kids north for months. She’ll find a way to get herself and your siblings to the safe lands,” Pete says. “But there’s no way she can get all of those Lost Kids out on her own, even if she isn’t conspiring with Hook. I’m not leaving without those boys.”

“And I’m not leaving my family behind,” I say, clenching my teeth. “Besides, even if you manage to rescue the Lost Boys, who knows what Hook will do to my family?”

“Look, if I can, I will try to get your family out, too. But I’m not going to risk
you
being captured. You are the key to curing the virus. We need you!” Pete shouts, startling me. His expression softens as he takes in my surprise. He reaches for both of my hands.
“I need you,”
he says, stumbling through those three words in a quiet voice. His eyes meet mine. “I’ve lost almost everything important to me. My parents, my sister—and I nearly lost Bella.” He glances at Bella, and she gives him a shy smile. His eyes turn back to me. They are marked with worry. “I can’t lose you, too.”

I ignore the tingle in my chest at the words
I need you
echoing in my mind. “You’re not leaving me behind. Pickpocket, you have to be the voice of reason here,” I object.

“Better get this door unlocked again,” Pickpocket says without looking at me. He struggles with the lock before it gives a distinct click. Opening the door, he peeks through the gap. He clears his throat. “The coast is clear,” he says, sliding the cabinet open.

Lily glances at me, grimaces, marches up to us, and paces. The bent metal chain on the pocket watch clinks with every stride. “Gwen is right. You would be outnumbered at least twofold even if the Lost Boys were capable of fighting for themselves. You’re going to need our help. It is unreasonable to believe that the Professor and a few Lost Boys can take on an entire army of Marauders and lead the escape of … how many Lost Boys did you say?” she asks, halting in place.

“A little more than a hundred,” Pete says.

Lily shakes her head. “Her Majesty’s train was meant only for her, her family, and her personal guards. Two dozen at most. The train will not hold all of the Lost Boys. It was constructed with a single car intended for a quick escape. They’d have to hunker down here too long. They’ll surely be caught. We will have to find another way to get everyone out of Everland,” she says, pacing again.

“Blast!” Pete says, kicking the steel door.

“Wait! What if … ?” I waver, thinking of the numerous things that could go wrong. Biting down on my lip, I weigh the pros and cons. It’ll be risky, but it’ll ensure that everyone escapes. Everyone … but me.

“You have an idea, Gwen?” Doc presses.

“It might be a crazy suggestion, but what about Hook’s zeppelins?” I ask.

“Yes!” Lily says excitedly. “The
Jolly Roger
is sitting at the far end of the royal gardens along with the rest of his fleet. His ship is certainly large enough to accommodate your group.”

“Won’t there be soldiers protecting it?” Mole asks, wringing his hands.

Pickpocket pulls his revolver from its holster and spins the chamber, checking to see if it is full. “Oh, we’ll take care of them.”

Pete places both of his palms on my cheeks and plants a wet kiss on my forehead. “You’re brilliant, Gwen Darling!” Pete exclaims. My face grows warm, but no one else seems uncomfortable about his public display of affection.

“If Hook’s intentions are to leave tonight, more than likely his men will be preparing the zeppelins for departure. That would be the optimal time to rescue the Lost Boys. They will be in the holding cells constructed within the ballroom. That’s where they took me when I was captured,” Lily says.

“We’ll head there straightaway,” Pete says.

“I’m going after my mother,” I say, placing my hands on the hilts of my daggers. “Can you get me into the courtyard?” I ask Lily.

Lily’s gaze flits from me to Pete and back. “Yes, but it could be dangerous. I have no idea how many soldiers will be accompanying Hook.”

“I don’t care,” I say. “I’m the one Hook wants. He won’t hurt me—he needs me alive.”

Doc regards me for a moment. “You’re up to something, aren’t you. What’s your plan?”

I shake my head. If they knew, they’d never agree to let me go. I turn to Lily. “When can we leave?”

“No, Gwen, it’s too risky,” Pete says, worry creasing his forehead.

I face him, unblinking. “I am not leaving Everland without my family.”

Pete steps toward me, his stare holding mine. “I promised to get your family back to you unharmed. You’ve held up your end of the bargain and helped Bella; now it’s my turn to hold up mine.”

I fold my arms, indignant and attempting to be unmoved by his show of regard.

“Technically, you already held up your end of the bargain. You helped get Joanna back,” I say, raising my brows. “It wasn’t your fault she refused to come with us. My mother and brother were never part of the deal.”

“I’ll go with her,” Bella says, joining me on my right and wrapping her gloved fingers in mine. I wait for her to wince, expecting the sores on her hand to send shooting pain through her, but she only smiles.

Bella has already risked her life for me once. This time, I cannot guarantee her safety. I start to object, shaking my head in protest, but Bella’s warning expression forces me to reconsider. If I deny her, she’ll follow me anyway. As stubborn as she is, I make a silent vow to get her to safety the first chance I get, or die trying.

“There’s a tunnel entrance not far from the
Jolly Roger
. It won’t be easy, but it will give us access to the palace courtyard,” Lily says. She glances down at Bella. “I think with Bella’s help we can get you in there. Once you have your family, we’ll leave Everland … for good.”

Suddenly, the weight of jealousy slips as I am filled with gratitude.

“Perfect!” I say with feigned enthusiasm, knowing my feet will never board the zeppelin. “You boys search for the holding cells. When you find the Lost Boys, meet Lily at the
Jolly Roger
. She may need Pickpocket’s help to jimmy the lock.”

Pickpocket replaces the revolver in his holster and laces his fingers, cracking every knuckle. “Piece of cake.”

Pete shakes his head. “I don’t like it. I won’t let you face Hook without me.”

“Pete’s right,” Doc says. “One of us should go with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” I say. I turn to Pete. “You be careful. And don’t get caught.”

Pete takes both of my hands in his. He hesitates, gazing into my eyes, and for a moment I’m certain he’s going to kiss me. My pulse beats wildly and my breath quickens. I don’t know if my racing heartbeat is because of anticipation or fright. The pause seems to last forever, and just when I’m sure his lips are going to touch mine, he gives me a playful nudge.

“You and I, we’re Lost Kids. Neither of us will be caught,” he says, staring at his boots.

My heart shrinks and I feel my smile slip.

A hand rests on my shoulder. I turn to see Doc’s resigned expression. “Be careful,” he says, patting me on the shoulder.

Trying to shake my disappointment, I wrap my arms around Doc’s neck. “Thank you for helping me save Joanna,” I whisper into his ear. I feel the muscles in his face pull up into a smile against my cheek before he releases me.

“It’s my pleasure,” Doc says. “Saving people, it’s what I do, and I will always be there when you need me.”

I release him, grateful for his offer. I’ve grown fond of Doc and feel indebted to him for his help. I know I’ll never be able to repay him or any of the Lost Boys.

“We should get going,” I say.

Bella follows Lily as Pickpocket, Doc, and Mole step through the opening and into the lab. I start to turn, but Pete grabs my elbow and pulls me into a bear hug.

“Please, Gwen. I need to know you will be safe. Promise me you’re not going to do anything dangerous,” he says quietly into my ear.

Safe
is a word I have not known in a very long time. The weight of responsibility, the burden of being the one in charge, threatens to drop from my shoulders, and the little girl within me fights to break free of the bonds I’ve placed upon her. My eyes well up with tears as I rest my cheek against his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. Silently, I admonish myself for being so childish, so easily moved to tears, when Pete pulls back from me to look me in the eye.

“Gwen, I—” He stops himself abruptly.

“Yes, Pete?” I ask, trying to steady my own pulse.

He purses his lips, as if struggling with what to say next. “You’re the bravest girl … no, you’re the bravest woman I know.”

The word
woman
settles over me like a brand-new coat: unfamiliar but comfortable, soft, and warm.

With my sixteenth birthday coming, I consider the implied sophistication that comes with being referred to as a woman. Suddenly, I feel self-conscious. I consider that it’s still been too long since I’ve last bathed. And that my hair is one tangled knot these days. My dirt-stained hand rests on Pete’s chest with fingernails that are broken, cracked, and filthy. Briefly, I wonder if Pete is right, if a woman does lie beneath the mask of grime that covers me; grime that belongs to Everland.

“Pete, any day now,” Pickpocket says from inside the lab.

I drop my hand from Pete’s chest, but before it falls, he places his on mine. “Be happy, Gwen. Only think happy thoughts. If things don’t go right, if something happens to me, get out of Everland. Forget about today, forget about me. Just … just be happy.”

Wiping away a tear from my cheek, I give him a disingenuous nod. I struggle with Pete’s words.
Be happy.
Finding Joanna and my mother made me happy, but now … now the prospect of having my family together does not seem to be enough. Without Pete and the other Lost Boys, it’ll never be enough.

Pete briskly turns and steps inside the lab, pulling the steel door shut behind him. My pulse races and the world seems to slow down. My heart feels as if it is spiraling, a bomb plummeting to earth, uncertainty eating a hole in my gut.

“Wait!” I call, forcing the words out as a heavy sensation chokes me. Pete stares through the cracked door with piercing green eyes. Eyes I know I will never see again if I go through with my plan.

“Pete?” I say, my voice cracking. “Please don’t die.”

Pete gives me a dazzling smile and bows. “To die will be an awfully big adventure.” He blows me a kiss and pulls the heavy door shut with a metallic clank, leaving me alone in the dark.