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where I am. Gliding too low over the tree
tops, I feel the brushes of twigs and leaves against my stomach.
Nausea rises from my gut, bringing with it a sour taste of bile.
“Tami?” I call in a slight panic. She’s the only one who can find
me up here. But wherever I am, I must be too far away from home
still, because there’s no reply.
    Dismissing my usual carefree speed, I almost
crawl through the air now. The smells of the jungle sting my nose.
They literally bite their way up my nostrils. My teeth ache like I
took a punch to the jaw.
    What the hell
is happening to me? “Tameeka? Loney! Stan!” My voice breaks.
Sinking lower, I can finally make out the highest tree in this
area. Home. It’s just a few hundred feet away. Fighting for air as
much as for each meter, I try to yell for the Lost Boys again. All
that comes out is a terrible croak.
    Just a little
farther. Almost there. Then I fall, like there’s a gap in the air.
Smacking hard with my belly on a branch that stands out, all
remaining air is being pushed out of my lungs. I cling onto that
limb with the feeble strength left in me…but it’s not enough. My
body slides down on one side and finally even my fingers give out.
I have to let go.
    As I plummet to the ground, I knock into more
branches, feeling like each impact is splitting my bones. The final
smack on the jungle floor breaks my back. The pain is excruciating.
I cry out.
    Everything goes dark.

Chapter 3
     
    A MILKY WHITE
moon reflects on the silent surface of the sea. Standing on the
main deck of the Jolly Roger, I bend forward, fold my arms on the
railing and bury my face in them. A deep sigh escapes me and turns
into a moan before it’s over. What the
hell was I thinking pointing a gun at my brother’s face? Sure, it
wasn’t the first time, but so much has happened the past few weeks.
It doesn’t feel right any longer. Quite the contrary, an
uncomfortable pressure rests on my nape.
    “Cap’n? The crew wants to know where we’re
headed.”
    Smee’s stern voice fails to make me
straighten from my bent over position. “Mermaid Lagoon,” I growl
into the fabric of my sleeves. “And then farther north.”
    “You think we’ll finally find London
there?”
    “No. But the gold.” Yeah, right. As if my
betrayal wasn’t complete yet, I’m also going to steal my treasure
back before we’re setting sail to find London.
    I wonder if Peter knows what’s coming at him.
As from tonight on, he’ll age again. How must that feel for a boy
who wouldn’t grow up? How will I feel? And also the people in town?
They all will take a step forward in their existence…not that they
would notice any of it. Do the pirates feel it already?
    Does Smee?
    I push myself up and brace my hands on the
railing, glancing at my first mate over my shoulder. There’s no
visible change about his looks. But then it’s only been a few hours
since Peter tossed the pocket watch into the volcano.
    Expecting a little too much, James Hook. Behind closed lids, I roll my eyes at myself.
    “ So it’s time
to take back what’s ours?” Smee says delightedly. I can’t begrudge
him this. We’ve all been waiting for so long for this day to come.
It really should make me a great deal happier. But it
doesn’t.
    “Yes. The tide is out. We’ll have to take the
dinghies to the rocks and then empty the cave. Have the crew
prepared. I want this over before morning breaks.”
    “Aye.” Anticipation is written all over
Smee’s face. He doesn’t have to know that we’re not going to spend
one doubloon of the treasure on celebrating like we’ve planned to
do all these goddamn years. As soon as the cargo hold is loaded,
we’re heading off farther north. It’s as good a direction to start
looking for Angel as any other.
    Or maybe I misjudged Jack and he knows it
already? He strides away with a happy tune on his lips, making up a
fancy rhyme on the word London.
    Little later we pass Mermaid Lagoon and soon
the rocky peaks Angel