Peter gasped, sucking air back into his lungs. His eyes shot wide open, darting around the clearing before locking onto Wendy’s. They danced with their luster of starlike pinpricks in a sea of deep, dreamy blue. “Wendy?” he breathed, reaching a hand for her. “You…” He squinted as if trying to decide if she was a dream.

Relief knocked the air out of her.

Peter plucked a twig from her hair. “You look awful,” he told her, laughter already bubbling in his throat.

Wendy shoved his face. “You—!”

Peter caught her hand and stood up. He scooped her into his arms and spun her around in the air. Wendy gripped his shoulders, scared that she might fall, but then Peter was kissing her and all she could do was melt into it.

Shaky laughs shook through her tears. She wrapped her arms around his neck, savoring the tightness of his arms around her waist, the warmth of his skin, and the softness of his lips.

Peter leaned his forehead against hers. “Hey, no explosion this time,” he said quietly. His wide smile was unabashed and cut deep dimples into his cheeks.

Wendy grinned. “So help me, Peter Pan,” she said, gently shaking her head, “if you start this whole thing all over again, I will kill you myself.”

He laughed and it sounded like music. “Noted,” he said.

They landed on solid ground. When Peter leaned back to look her in the face, it was hard not to chase after him, to burrow back into his warmth.

“You did it!” Peter beamed.

Wendy could only nod and laugh, rubbing her blurry eyes with the heel of her palm.

Peter’s head tipped to the side. “But how?”

Sniffling, her shoulders bunched up in a shrug. “It tried to take you—”

“Wendy?” The quiet, trembling voice came from behind her.

Alex stood there, knees wobbling under the hem of his hoodie. His fists, knotted into the long sleeves, covered his mouth as he stared up at Wendy with worried brown eyes. Behind him, Matthew and Joel still huddled close, their heads swiveling as they looked around the clearing. Ashley stood erect and tense, the muscles in her throat taut. Off to the side, Benjamin openly gaped at Peter.

“It tried to take you,” Wendy repeated, “but we didn’t let it.”

“Are you all right?” Matthew asked, worry pinching his expression.

Wendy nodded, a relieved laugh escaping her.

Peter stooped down in front of Alex. “Everything is all right!” he said cheerily, placing a hand on the boy’s small shoulder. “You were incredibly brave,” he said, beaming at each of them in turn. “That shadow didn’t stand a chance!”

“Is it going to come back?” Ashley asked, her voice tight.