Tink’s admonishment was weighing heavily on him. He’d been shirking the duties of the school and neglecting the boys by putting Wendy before them. He needed to at least check in with the boys. But the knowledge of what he had done seared into his soul painfully. Wendy would be safe at the hospital for a little while, and he would come back as soon as he handled the much bigger problem facing Neverwood—and with any luck, she would want to see him.

But first, the morphlings. They’d been circling, coming closer and closer to the Academy, like scent hounds sniffing out their location, and he was uncomfortable with their current search pattern.

He was also worried about how they had narrowed down the search so well. He had a suspicion that Jax had led them to Neverwood. Then again, if that were the case, they would have been knocking down his door weeks ago.

Peter was in his office, staring out the window into the woods, thankful for the copse of trees and the terrain that hid them from the outside world, offering protection . . . safety. He knew it was only a matter of time before their security became compromised. In fact, it probably already was.

He opened the window to feel the cold night air on his face. Ever since Neverland, he’d struggled with enclosed spaces, and he almost always slept with his window open. He wanted a way to escape, to be free of the nightmares.

He couldn’t help looking past the trees, wondering about Wendy. His heart had almost stopped beating when he’d made the decision to leave her for a second time.

But not of his own choice. This time, it was hers.

A sound came from the distance, a howling wind. No, not a howl . . . a cry?

The double doors of his office burst open behind him, and Tink rushed in looking frazzled. “Peter, we’ve got a problem. A big one.”

He glanced back outside and whispered, “Shadows?”

Tink nodded. “Yes, more than I’ve ever seen congregate at once, and they seem to be heading here. Which means . . .”

“Morphlings,” Peter finished for her. “Warn the boys.”

Tink nodded and ran out of the room, her boots thudding loudly, and called out, “I’ll sound the alarm.”

Seconds later, an alarm went off in the building, followed by the yells and cries of the boys. He went back to the window and searched the darkness for the shadows. He pulled out his cell phone and watched as the cell service dropped. They were in a dead zone.

---

As abruptly as they’d passed through the dark void, they were out.

Wendy landed on the grass, below a dark sky full of stars, surrounded by trees. Gripped with cold and shock, the wind knocked out of her, Wendy pounded on her chest, gasping. The park was gone, the hospital and neighborhood she’d been in were gone, replaced by a clearing in the woods.

The sound of the wind howling warned her as the shadows appeared in a violent tornado and unceremoniously dropped Jax from higher up.

“Oof,” he cried out when he landed on the ground. “I feel sick,” he moaned, rolling over, and began to cough vehemently. She wanted to tell him she’d been affected the same way, to talk to him about the wailing cries from the realm they’d passed through, sounds that may forever haunt her, but she didn’t want to commiserate with him.

“What just happened?” he asked.

She stood up and kept marching forward, unsure of where she was exactly, though she had a deep suspicion, based on where her heart wanted to go when she said had asked for their help. The more the shadows passed through her, the less affected she was by their passing—her body slowly becoming accustomed to their presence. She gestured to the shadows, encouraging them to attend to Jax. The shadows surrounded him, and he stumbled to his feet, prodded by an unseen force.

“Hey, do you think you can at least call off your attack dogs?” Jax fumed. Wendy spun on her heel and closed the distance between them.

“Not. A. Chance,” she said, stabbing him in the chest with her finger with each word.

“You just tried to kidnap me, then attacked me. There’s no leniency for you.” Wendy turned, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. She heard a loud noise as something clicked on in the darkness.

Piercing beams of light shot down from the sky, turning night to day, vanquishing the dark unexpectedly. The light blinded Wendy, causing her to stumble as she covered her eyes and tried to look for the source.

The shadows tried to stay gathered around Jax and Wendy but were slowly losing their form. More spotlights joined the first, aimed at the shadows. The harder it was for them to remain in focus, the weaker they became.

“Oh, so, that’s where they brought us? Neverwood?” Jax mumbled, looking up at the brightest spotlight that was bearing on them. He raised his hands in surrender, then pointed his finger at Wendy. “She did it.” He jokingly grinned toward the lost boys operating the lights.

A fox’s high-pitched bark echoed in the darkness, sending a warning through the air. Lost boys descended on them, some from the air, others on foot from Neverwood, and Wendy heard the familiar hum of light braces arming.

A brilliant blast of light whizzed past Wendy’s cheek and struck a shadow nearest Jax.

“Wait . . . Stop . . . No!” Wendy cried out and stepped in front of the shadow nearest her.

“Move aside, Wendy,” Ditto said, his voice echoing. He stepped out of the crowd of boys, followed by his replicated self. “We need to disperse them quickly.”

A very muscular Slightly, wearing a jersey that was four times too small, growled, “If we don’t, a morphling will come.” He flexed his fingers, and his light brace brought forth a battle-axe made of light.

A blue flash appeared as a Tootles teleported in front of Jax.

“It’s Jax,” Tootles called out excitedly. He jumped up and latched onto Jax’s arm.

“Hey, kid,” Jax said, ruffling his hair.

“You brought him back, Wendy!” Tootles grinned.

A dark figure passed overhead before alighting on the ground in front of her.

“Wendy?” Peter said, his voice hesitant, full of question.

She drank him in, his auburn hair, his unsure green eyes, his gray shirt half untucked. He took two steps toward her, dropped his hands, and hesitated.

“Peter,” she said, but it clung to her throat. She tried again louder. “Peter, I needed help, so the shadows brought me here.”

“You were right to come here,” he said. “Our doors will always be open for you.”

“You miss each other, yadda yadda,” Tink spat out miserably. “But what’s it got to do with her bringing an army of those things to our doorstep?” Tink stepped in front of Peter. Goggles adorned her face, and her arms were wrapped around a giant laser gun that was strapped across her shoulders. “And you!” Tink walked over to Jax, who towered over the girl. “Traitor!” Tink spit on Jax, who turned his face at the last second as saliva spattered across his cheek.

He wiped it away with his sleeve. “I’m no more a traitor than you are. You just can’t see the whole picture, and if you did, it would terrify you.”

“Look at me,” Tink said, waving her gun around. “I am terrifying.”

While Tink and Jax argued, Peter ran forward and reached for Wendy.

“Are you okay? You look horrible.” Wendy stepped back pulling her arm from his grasp. Peter sighed sadly, lowering his arm.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“They tried to take me at the hospital,” she said, nodding Jax’s way. “They sent him.” Her lip started to quiver as the reality of the day’s events set in. “But I wouldn’t go down without a fight.” She tried to smile. “So, now he’s my prisoner.”

“Wendy, I’m sorry that I couldn’t save your parents.”

Wendy dropped her head, her hands clenching as she tried to push back the overwhelming emotions from that night. “Michael, where is he? Is he—?”

“We have to get rid of them!” Tink yelled, interrupting them. “Now!” She motioned to the boys to attack, but Wendy jumped in front of the shadows.

“No, I can do it. I can send the shadows away.” Wendy turned and raised her arm covered with shadow tattoos. They glowed faintly, and the shadows understood, disappearing into the darkness.

Tink continued to stare at her shadow box in anticipation, and the group waited, weapons ready. When nothing showed, a collective sigh followed.

“How did you do that?” Tink asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Sweet tats,” the Dittos said. “Do they come with any other powers?”

“Come on, boys,” Peter chuckled. “I think we’re safe.”

“There’s nowhere safe anymore. Least of all here,” Jax said. “And if you think otherwise, then you’re a fool!”

“I’ll deal with you later,” Peter snarled.

Jax pounded his chest with his fist. “Scared? I’m right here.”

Peter’s anger had him slowly floating toward Jax, and Wendy reached for Peter’s arm, her skin tingling where she touched him.

“Later,” she whispered.

He paused and relaxed at her touch, but not before throwing another challenge over his shoulder toward Jax. “Later.”

“You can count on it.” Jax taunted, and let himself be taken into Neverwood, escorted by the Dittos and Slightly in his bulky form.

The boys followed behind them, but Peter didn’t move. He continued to stare into Wendy’s eyes, reaching for her, but then he dropped his hands to his sides.

“Never again,” he breathed, his voice stoic. “Each time, it almost kills me.”

“What does?” she said, feeling her walls crumbling as her anger toward Peter began to dissipate.

“Losing you. I can’t lose you again,” Peter said, his voice husky with emotion.

“Then, don’t,” she said, as she saw the desire in his eyes. “And if you do, make sure you find me.”

He didn’t hesitate this time as he pulled her toward him. His response came in the gentle claiming of her lips.

A silent promise of always.