I exited the tent in silence, with James looking up and noticing my sudden confusion but he – nobody – came up to me or said anything about it...and I was glad for that. I swallowed down the lump in my throat before turning on my heels and walking out of the camp. Once the forest had surrounded me, hiding me in darkness, I started running to my tent. My chest clenched in stress and I only knew one thing: I had to find Killian. I didn't know who to trust anymore but...it certainly wasn't Pan.

He wouldn't let me go for any ordinary reason and not just for sympathy – he's doing this for some reason in his twisted mind and I couldn't figure it out alone. I grabbed my weapons and anything else that seemed valuable from the chest and then continued running towards the sea shore.

But Killian seemed to be waiting for me: he was standing with arms folded, looking directly at me as I burst through the forest wall.

"How'd you –?" I asked instantly, but he cut me off.

"A seashell on his desk – I use it to eavesdrop. It's how I get my info."

I narrowed my eyes, staring at him for a second before waving my hands a bit.

"And how active is this –?"

"Don't worry love, I haven't heard what you're thinking," he said and winked, but he took a step forward, holding out his hand. I gulped but shook my head once.

"I can walk myself, thanks."

"No need to insult a gentleman, thank you very much. Come on, then," and with that, we heaved ourselves onto the small, wooden boat and I sat in silence as he rowed out towards his ship. To break the silence, I sighed and said, "I don't understand."

"Nobody can understand Pan," he sneered, his facial features heightened strangely from the moonlight above. "We just need to get you out of here."

"And how exactly?"

Killian paused but his arms continued to row, as if his inside thoughts had become paralysed.

"I'll figure something out."

"You'll figure something out?" I spat in disbelief, my bottom lip dropping. "This is Neverland and –"

"You think I don't know that? I've been here a lot longer than you, love," he snapped back and I just sighed, rolling back my lips as I stared out onto the ocean.

The pain, the feeling of being betrayed – I'd become numb to it all. None of it had truly processed in my mind. "You're not safe until you're gone."

I didn't even know how to reply to that so I stayed in silence, holding my tongue from spitting any sly comments or rude questions. I was tired from it all.

We finally reached the ship and continuing to hold my head down, I followed Killian to my apparent room, but when he opened the door...

"Ariel?" I butted out and she smiled, walking over to me. How is she able to...be human? She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big hug while I remained frozen.

"Oh, yeah, legs," she giggled, pulling away. "Neverland runs on belief. All I gotta do is believe I can have legs and voila, legs!" she said and I took a deep breath, forcing a smile.

"I gotta go and talk to your sisters. If everything goes to plan, they should be able to help us leave this stupid island."

Ariel nodded once but I continued to keep my head down.

"Alright. I'll stay with Serena."

I didn't know whether Killian smiled or nodded but either way, I couldn't really care. In all honesty, I just wanted to change into a nightgown and fall asleep on the really comfy-looking bed in the room. "Hey, you okay?" I took another deep breath.

"Just trying to wrap my head around the fact that the love of my life is apparently trying to kill me but yeah, other than that, fine."

Ariel smiled sadistically before placing a hand against my shoulder.

"We'll keep you safe," she said but even though I nodded, I doubted it. I doubted it all.

Why was Pan doing this?

"And you let her go, just like that?" Felix said and Pan could tell from his voice that he –clearly – was baffled and, surprisingly, angry.

"You're in no place to raise your voice at me," Pan snapped, glaring towards the boy who returned a cold gaze...but pursed his lips. "I know what I'm doing."

"And what are you doing, Pan?"

"All you need to know is that I've got everything under control," Pan sneered, turning on his heels and heading towards one of his shelves. He picked up the pearl from the mermaids and took it in his hand, moving it around in his hand like an apple.

"It seems as if you've lost trust in me."

"I have not," Pan snapped again, turning his head over his shoulder to meet his gaze. "You want to know, dear Felix? Then fine." He placed the pearl back onto the shelf and clenched his jaw before speaking, holding a cold look. "She needs to believe she has a chance of escaping and when she realises she can't, she'll come running straight back to me with those puppy eyes of hers."

"Do you really think that?"

Pan chuckled once before winking.

"I know she will. And she needs that small belief of me...well, how do I put it?" Pan played. "To believe I gave her the chance to live."

"To break the belief of you..."

"Being after her. Killian's got his dirty claws latched onto her and I need to break them."

"And if she truly doesn't return?"

"Attack the ship after 3 days. Pretend your rogueing against me and trying to kill her. I'll swoop in and save the day. Everybody loves a bad guy willing to be a hero just for them," Pan chuckled and turned on his heels again, his back to Felix.

"And if the boys won't co-operate?"

Pan chuckled once, flexing his neck before death staring the air straight ahead of them and smirking.

"Kill them."

I sat on the edge of my bed in Killian's ship, the gently rocking being the only thing keeping me sane. My thoughts were like a whirlwind of confusion and I'd been trapped in it for a solid day. The knocking at the door made me jump and when the pirate entered, I just sighed.

"Attina's backed out," he groaned, closing the door behind him and I looked up, narrowing my eyes. "They've decided to...stay loyal to the demon."

"Well, that's just great..." I mumbled and I couldn't deny...there was a part of me almost relieved to hear the news. But I didn't dwell on that part of me – I simply ignored it. "What now?"

"Attina was going to help wield a certain object – a shell that, if used by mermaids, could open a portal. Ariel's going to try and get it but...it might take a bit."

"How long?"

"Only a couple days here, if that." I lowered my head, my hands holding onto each other; I nodded.

"It'll be fine, Serena."

And just like that, he closed the door and locked it...and I only had his word to hold onto.