Peter's Lily (Sequel to Pan's Tiger)

Chapter 8: Forgiveness

I took his hand and shook it briefly, keeping eye contact in an attempt to seem brave and cunning. I would never show weakness, especially when it was completely reasonable for them to throw me off their ship and let the ocean drown me or mermaids kill me.

'Miss Tiger,' He repeated.

'Call me Lily,' I said quickly, retracting my hand from his and taking a small shuffle backwards because despite his warm smile, he seemed very ominous.

'Call me Killian,' He returned the favour, then said in an amused tone, 'What do you think you are doing on this ship, Lily?'

I explained briefly, 'My family was in danger and so am I. I really need your help to get a safe passage through the realms. I heard you were travelling to Neverland, correct?'

The man narrowed his eyes, looking taken aback by my answer. After a speedy recovery, he took my arm and guided me towards the exit to the hold, saying, 'You best speak to the Captain, Lily.'

~

There was a knock on my door, the only thing I had heard all morning. I hadn't left Pan's treehouse since he had cured me from the mountain lion. It hadn't taken long because there wasn't much of a problem, but I hadn't felt like venturing outside.

Eagerly, knowing that it wouldn't be Pan because he never knocked, I spun around from the wall to look slightly upwards at Felic, who flashed me a toothy grin, before I swiftly returned the gesture.

'How can I help you?' I smiled, forcing my smile to fade into a half- glare as he closed the door to the cabin and allowed us to have the privacy to talk to with each other quietly and without interruptions or eavesdropping.

'Pan requires your presence immediately. He requests you dine with him tonight.' Felix told me matter-of- factly, but this made no difference, I wasn't going with him. I hated Pan, he robbed me of my love for Oliver and my freedom. I had trusted him enough to let Oliver go and now he betrayed me.

I sighed heavily, a large lack of human communication had left me lonely and confused, a spiral of multiple emotions cascaded in my brain, fighting for my attention and forcing me to remember his every word.

'Look, Tiger Lily, give Pan another chance. If you do, life will be so much easier for you. You could even ask him to spare the boy's family's life if he falls in love with you. You may not know it yet, but you are by far the most powerful woman on Neverland.' He reasoned with me, but I couldn't help smile as I slipped into my evening gown behind the screen.

'I know you mean well, but I hate him for removing my freedom. Besides, I love Oliver.' I reminded him, my heart can only belong to one person and Oliver had stolen my heart from the start. Pan's forceful separation from him has left me feeling empty, lost and confused.

'You are just in love with the idea of Oliver,' Felix attempted to inform me as I joined him once more and we could journey down the steps of the treehouse to the clearing where we would dine tonight, but nothing he said could change my mind. 'To you, Oliver symbolises your freedom and the alternative future you desire.'

I couldn't help but laugh out loud and stopped to regain my breath before the footpath to the clearing came into view. 'Felix, I'm afraid that you have never been more wrong.'

Something was not right, however. I thought about all the possibilities of why Felix felt the need to be so loyal to Pan to persuade me so loyally to love him, but none came to mind. All I knew for certain was that he knew something I didn't know and I had to find out what.