“Loyal to a fault,” I hear Tinker Bell say as she lands on the deck of my ship. My eye catches movement in the shadows on the far side and I see Tiger Lily emerge, some of her men following close behind.

Tinker Bell is soon flanked by several other fae that fly to her side, and I hear the mermaids scream in the distance. They’re circling the ship, making it impossible for us to swim to shore if we needed to, in order to make it to safety. Rain begins to fall as the sky grows darker overhead. The mermaids wake starts to create large waves, the ship beginning to sway roughly back and forth, as I wait for my Darling to speak.

“My allegiance has always been to Peter,” she says, her spine stiffening when Tinker Bell takes a step forward in challenge. “Pity, I can’t say the same about the way he’s treated you.”

The fae laughs and shakes her golden locks, her eyes blaring bright red when she looks back Wendy’s way. “Peter was no good as a boy, and even more pathetic as a man. Hook I could deal with, when he was warming my bed.”

Wendy takes a step back as if what Tinker Bell just said struck her across her face. Figuratively I guess it did and I feel the sting of it as I stand nearby in the shadows, waiting for what’s coming next.

“He showed promise,” the fae sighs with annoyance. “For a while. Until I noticed pixie dust missing and assumed the worst.” She cocks her head to the side and smiles at Wendy. “Or should I say best? After all, he brought you back with him this time. And this time, I’m prepared to end what’s been standing in my way for the last seventeen years. This time, Darling, you won’t be escaping alive.”

“Peter will…”

“Hook!” She snaps, correcting Wendy as more fae hit the deck. Tiger Lily reaches her side and grins, challenging Wendy with an intimidating stance. “Hook, Darling. Peter was weak. A pathetic soul only believing in what we told him to. Make-believe, Wendy. We could shift his mind to whatever we wanted. Make him think about only things we told him to.”

“Even make him think about me?”

Tinker Bell’s eyes widen. Her face fills with rage. It’s a question she obviously wasn’t expecting. One she doesn’t want to answer. And suddenly, one I need to hear the truth about.

“No, Darling. Not you. You were the one thing we couldn’t control. The one thing that always kept complete control of his mind. Until we finally end you, that is.”