I feel the blast, but the blast doesn't hit me. I look up as I watch Sam fly away, his body hitting a tree. He slumps down, and I can only hope that he isn't dead.

That way, I can kill him myself.

I notice Pan, the one who made Sam fly off. He snaps his fingers and my restraints come off, slowly fading away.

I move off the ground, swaying back and forth. He hit me really hard, Sam did. My knees buck beneath me but Pan reaches out and holds me up.

I turn to Pan and he looks at me, almost shocked.

"How'd you find me?" I ask.

"I knew where to look," he answers. "Figured I'd give you a ride home."

I nod, before shrugging my hand out of his wrist. It took me a few seconds to realise he hadn't let me go.

He looks away, and walk over towards Sam.

Red blood runs like a river down his forehead, pooling on the ground beside him. My fingers find his neck, but they don't find his pulse. As much as I wish I could've killed him, I can't hep but be thankful that at least he's dead. He won't be a problem anymore.

"Where's Fred?" I ask, looking around.

"Fred was here?" Pan asks.

I nod, swaying slightly. "We've got to get to the cave before Fred does. Otherwise, he and Dominique will move them."

"What cave?" He asks.

I gesture behind me with my free hand, as the other holds myself up against the tree. "The one with the paintings, and the rope and-"

Pan catches me before I hit the ground, but he lowers me down.

"Just, teleport us to the cave." I tell him.

"I don't know where I'm teleporting to." He answers. "You don't exactly have a way with words."

I groan as I stand up, moving myself forward along the trees.

"Like I said," Pan explains. "You aren't much use to me when you're like this."

"Heal me then." I instruct.

He scoffs. "You wouldn't like that."

"Do you want to get to Felix or not?" I demand.

He raises a hand and a searing pain irrupts in my scalp. It feels like I'm on fire.

I stand up, dizzier than before. "What the hell was that?"

"Healing," he answers.

I hold my hand to my head, covering the hand in blood. I wipe the blood on to my pants, only to notice the cuts on my hand have completely healed. Scarred over, but I don't care all that much about that.

I take a step forward, but everything feels faint. "Listen, can you just track us? We weren't exactly graceful moving through the forest."

He turns around, staring at everything. "How do you expect me to do that?"

This is so frustrating. "I don't know. You've lived on an island for nearly a thousand years for Christ's sake."

He chuckles, before smacking a grin. "Yeah, sure."

"It should be maybe half a mile east of here?" I spit, dizzy but still annoyed. "Teleport us there."

They said we were heading closer to the camp, and from what I know, the camp is west from where they are hiding out. It's at least worth a shot.

He smirks. "I like your fire."

I'm not quite sure what he means like that until his hand is on my shoulder. Everything feels painful, much more painful than it normally does. Whenever he takes us someplace, it always leaves me feeling dizzy afterward. I wonder what will happen when I'm feeling dizzy beforehand.

My toes hit the ground first, and I go crashing down. I manage to protect my head from the rocks below, but as I roll on to my back the headache splits my entire head.

Prying my eyes open, I notice Pan looking around. "Where is it?"

I squint, attempting to stand up. Shaky legs almost give way beneath me, and I'm not sure if Im spinning or the entire world around me is spinning.

"It's there." I gesture, pointing towards the massive rock.

The hideout is maybe 50 yards ahead of us, barely visible through the trees. I close my eyes again, wincing at the pain. I feel so dizzy.

I look to Pan to help me balance, but he's gone. Disappeared with the wind.

I lose my footing again, but this time I don't manage to protect my head.

3

Cracking my eyes open, I slowly peer into the room. I'm in the Med tent.

My stiff body manages to pull itself into a sitting position, and an arm helps me up.

Harry.

He pulls me into a tight hug, and I hug him back. I bunch his dirty cloak up in my fists, almost afraid that if I don't hold on tight enough he'll slip away.

"I'm so sorry." I begin. "It's my fault you were captured."

He chuckles, pulling back slightly. He takes my hands in his, sitting on my bed. "Charlie. You didn't capture me. It can't be your fault."

Fair point.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

He nods. My fingers shake, as they reach up to touch his face. It's dominated by a gigantic bruise, purple in colour.

"I'm fine." He answers, smiling.

"When did that happen?" I ask.

"He knew Gertrude was mine," he answers.

The knife Dominique took from me. He beat Harry for that?

"I'm so sorry." I begin again.

I rarely genuinely mean it, but I am.

He shakes his head. "Like I said, I'm alright."

He rubs my hand again, and I relish in the silence. I look over, noticing Max and Thomas asleep. Or, I guess comatose if that's the way you want to put it.

"Where are James and Robert?" I ask.

"They went with Alex," Harry answers. "They went to get medicine from Inali and Walela. Walela was the apprentice for their medicine man, until he died. They're sure she'll know what to do."

If Alex is sure, I'm sure. "Alex, he's alright?"

"Angry, but alright." Harry answers.

Normally Alex is bitter and frustrated. An angry Alex is an Alex I fear.

"Dominique and Fred got away, didn't they?" I ask.

Harry shrugs. "It's more complicated than that."

'How long was I out?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I don't know when you passed out. We just had dinner."

It's nearly been a whole day.

Only three days left. Tomorrow, than the next day. Three sunsets from now, the jig will be up. All I have to do is keep my gender a secret for a few more nights, than I'm off scot free. I'll be home, and I'll be safe.

And all my lose ends will be tied up.

"Do I want to know what happened?" I ask.

Harry looks me over, opening his mouth than closing it. "You know how I am with harsh truths."

"I want to know." I decide. "Give me your worst."

Harry sighs, pursing his lips together, before standing up. "Pan couldn't find us."

That can't be. I led him straight to them. "No, he had too. I showed him where you were. And he disappeared."

"You must've shown him some other cave." He tells me. "Or, some other hill, or rock. He couldn't find us."

"Then how'd you get out?" I ask.

"Fred came into the cave, and told Dominique to run. Said he'd follow with Felix." He answers. "But when Dominique ran, Fred left too. Didn't take Felix with him. Then Pan came in."

"I don't get it."

"Neither did I." Harry admits. "Fred was so loyal to Dominique. He was nice enough without Dominique, sort of blended in."

I'm confused. "I don't get what you are talking about."

Harry cocks an eye at me. "He told Dominique to run, but gave us up to Pan to save his own skin. Asked for passage off for Felix's return."

"Pan accepted?" I stand up, suddenly angry. "After all we went through? We were kidnapped and beaten, and I was almost executed! Multiple people were killed! And for what? For him to give in?"

"Fred was never a problem." Harry answers. "Would you rather Pan have let Dominique get away with all of this? Or would have me and Alex die in that cave?"

He doesn't sound angry, just exhausted. I makes me realise how tired I really am. It's not worth it to fight with Harry about stuff Pan has done. Not when I didn't know if we would live or not.

"So Fred's off the island?"

When he nods I continue.

"Where's Felix?"

"Pan's house." Harry answers. "He's not in good shape. Pan healed him, but he's still not alright."

No kidding. Being healed isn't a walk in the park. I'm happy it's all over. To be honest, I'd have preferred if he had let me heal on my own. Then, I wouldn't have been in so much pain.

Well, maybe I would have, but still.

I sit back down on the bed as I watch the tent flaps whip in the wind. In comes Alex, James and Robert. Robert shrugs off the canteens hanging off him and comes over towards us. He touches my forehead, feeling me for heat.

When he feels nothing, he punches me lightly in the arm. "Gave us a scare going unconscious like that."

"Trust me, I don't plan on doing it again."

I stand up off the bed. My balance is returning, and I only know it because I jumped up while talking to Harry. Walking past Robert, I head over to the canteens. James puts a few down next to the one's Alex was carrying, smiling.

"Already had some back there, and I'm feeling so much better." He has a soft grin on his face. "Though the headache is still here."

"You look it." I notice. "You look good."

He and Robert both do. James's skin still peels off in layers, but his cheeks have a soft pink glow to them. That, and he hasn't vomited in our short conversation, which is a good sign. Robert was never quite bed ridden, but he's not squinting and wincing as he moves.

"Can't believe you were up for the walk to the Native camp." I say. "How far is the walk?"

He shrugs. "We didn't walk there. Pan took us. Figured Inali would be more willing to co-operate if he saw our sickness first hand. The walk back was awful though. It took about an hour for the medicine to kick in, and the full three hour walk for us to actually feel any better."

Harry grabs a few canteens, bringing them back to the boys in the cots. I watch as Alex and Robert help him spoon-feed Thomas.

"Well, hopefully it'll last." I tell him.

He nods. "Walela said it'll get better for the first bit, then the fever will set in. It'll burn the toxins out."

"Did she know what it was?" I ask.

"She called it Ketlish Weed." Robert chimes in from across the tent. "Very poisonous, but not incurable. It grows pretty far away, so who knows how it got in our food?"

"Figured some of the animals we killed ate it." James adds. "Though I doubt will ever know. It's just odd it sprung out of control."

"So it was just food-poisoning?" I ask. "That doesn't make sense though. It lasted so long."

"Inali pointed that out too." Robert says. "I don't care though, so long as it's gone."

I do care. Makes me feel funny. I don't trust it, and I barely know Inali. For all I know, he could be completely wrong.

"Wait, didn't Pan say Marcus got sick?" I ask. "Where's Marcus? And where's Keaton?"

At first no one answers me. I look to Alex, but before he can tell me I spit it out.

"They died, didn't they?" I ask. "Last night?"

Of course they did. I was out for so very long, and so much happened. Fred escaped, the illness may or may not have been cured, Felix was returned. It's only fitting that they died.

"Marcus died." Alex says. "As soon as Keaton found out we were making a cure, he disappeared. Probably doesn't want to get better. Doesn't deserve it either."

"He would've been better by now if he hadn't killed Jared." Robert spits. "He knew all about the plants. Only had enough time to tell me about the plants that would cure things we normally encounter. Nothing like this."

I bite my tongue. Just because he didn't kill Jared with his own hands, doesn't mean Keaton isn't responsible for Jared's death. Not even slightly. However, I don't think that means he deserves to die.

"How did Marcus die?" I demand.

I wait for an answer to escape anyone lips, so I turn to Alex.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Alex demands.

"I knew him," I answer.

I only say that because I know the rest of they don't. Maybe Harry knew him a bit, after all, he did train the boy.

"His skin was itching." Alex answers. "First were the hives, then the welts, then these pus filled spots. That's why it took him so long to know he was sick; he thought he just hit poison ivy. He's been sick as long as James, but he just kept itching."

"So what, his body swelled so his skin suffocated himself?" I demand. "That's not an answer."

"He clawed himself to death." Alex says.

Oh my God.

"What?"

"You wanted to know." Alex answers.

I notice James has a hand on my shoulder. Of course, they think because I knew the guy, this would upset me. Nevermind the fact the boy freaked me out on every possible level. Can't say I'm upset he's dead.

Still, what an awful way to go.

"So what, he bleed to death?" I ask. "You guys didn't restrain him?"

Robert gestures to his neck, revealing three long scratches down the side. "James and I weren't in any shape to take him on. Forget the fact that Max had another seizure."

"Is he better?" I ask.

Robert shrugs. "Hopefully it will get better. I don't see why not, now that we have medicine."

Yeah. Hopefully it only gets better from here. But who am I kidding? This is Neverland.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mean, what an awful way to go. It seems like everything has come to an end in this chapter. The illness, the conspiracy, all that's left is the bet.

Keyword: Seems.

Anyway, what do you think will happen next? Let me know in the comments.

As always, enjoy your weekend and I'll see you Monday. (I work a lot of shifts this week, and will try to update before Monday if I can).