Her mother gives her one last assessing look. She wonders, suddenly, whether she looks different in Neverland too. Not as fierce as her mother, but changed. Her mother’s hands slide from Jane’s shoulders, and she steps away. Tiger Lily moves to stand beside her mother, dragging the boy who isn’t Arthur with her.

“What now?” Tiger Lily asks.

Jane’s mother doesn’t answer. Jane wants to shout, tell her mother to stay here, because if her mother does whatever it is she plans to do, something terrible will happen. But she promised her mother she would be brave, and be good, and she promised Timothy she would protect him, and she intends to keep her promises no matter how much it hurts. She holds her tongue, watching with stinging eyes as her mother straightens and holds out her hand.

Jane is amazed when Peter approaches. He drops his head, looking very much like a dog that knows it’s been naughty. She can’t see if there’s a sly expression on his face, but she suspects not. For this moment at least, he’s just a little boy. Something big and complicated turns over inside Jane’s chest. Her mother is her mother; she can’t be Peter’s mother, too.

Peter lets his sword fall. The sound of it clattering against the stone is the loudest thing Jane has ever heard. Peter reaches for her mother’s hand. Their fingertips brush. Her mother’s expression is set, steady, and at the same time there’s a sadness just below the surface, so vast Jane can’t begin to understand. A sob wants to break free inside her, but then so fast she barely has time to register it, her mother grabs Peter’s ear, twisting it hard.

“Ow! You cheated! That isn’t fair.” Peter flails, clawing, but her mother ignores him.

She drags Peter close, her voice dropping to something low and ugly, almost unrecognizable.

“Life isn’t fair. You learn that when you grow up.”

Peter’s cheeks color like he’s about to cry. Jane’s mother turns to Arthur, who stands slack-jawed and staring. Her mother gestures to the boy by Tiger Lily’s side.

“Take him and get out of here.” When Arthur doesn’t move, Jane’s mother lunges forward, her teeth bared. “Now!”

Arthur scrambles to obey, grabbing the other boy’s arm when Tiger Lily lets go. They run, not even looking back at Peter. They’re cowards, Jane thinks. She knows Peter has been beastly to them, but Arthur and the other boy are meant to be his friends. Shouldn’t they have at least some loyalty to him? Or maybe that’s the problem. Peter doesn’t have friends, only people he orders around.