All the while Peter had only laughed at her, as if it were all part of a game. Every time Jane had lunged at him, he’d dodged neatly, or leapt into the air, flying a circle around her, swooping and cawing. She remembers being humiliated, tears of frustration burning in her eyes, feeling powerless and small. When at last she’d exhausted herself, sitting down to catch her breath, Peter had landed and crouched beside her. Even though they were the same height when she’d been trying to fight him, he’d seemed so much bigger then, looming over her in a way she couldn’t understand.

“There now, Wendy. Why are you so upset? You should be pleased. You’re back home in Neverland where you belong.”

“I’m not Wendy. I’m Jane!” She’d shoved him then, as hard as she could, bursting upward and trying to kick him again even though she was tired, hurt, and frightened.

The grin he’d worn as he looked down at her vanished, his face closing up like storm clouds rolling over the sun. He’d gripped her chin with one hand, his face inches from hers, holding her so there was no way to look anywhere but at him. She couldn’t even close her eyes, though she tried; it was as though they had been stitched open.

“No more fighting. It isn’t fun anymore. You’re Wendy and you’re here to have fun, but only so long as you follow my rules.”

He’d been angry, but at the same time, his voice had been strangely soothing. Jane remembers that, the contradiction. Even shouting, he’d been whispering, and he sounded reasonable, even nice. Despite everything, she wanted to keep listening to him. She wanted to do as he said, and at the same time, her heart kicked against her ribs.

She tried to squirm in his grip, spit in his face, scream at him, but every part of her felt heavy. For all the thrashing in her mind, she hadn’t been able to move at all. Peter’s eyes, fixed on hers, turned a color she’d never seen eyes go before. It was like staring into a fire, or looking directly at the sun. Light had flowed across his irises, like a ring of flame crawling across a log.

“Be good,” he said, then he’d let go of her so suddenly she’d stumbled back to a sitting position.