The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys #1)(26)

“But where do they come from?”

She shrugs. “From town. From your world. From Hook’s side. Lots of places. Lost Boys are just misfits, the ones who don’t belong or who never wanted to grow up.”

“Do they have magic too?”

“Not usually, no. Pan doesn’t let the fae in. Bash and Kas are an exception.”

I look over my shoulder and through the glass door to the kitchen. Kas is explaining something with his arms held wide and Bash is laughing at him.

There’s more to their story, I’m realizing. And I desperately want to know it.

“I keep hearing about this town. Where is it?”

“That way.” Cherry points back toward the kitchen and I’m assuming far beyond it. “But Pan probably won’t let you go there.”

“How big is this island?”

The guitar player picks a more upbeat tune and the ukulele adjusts to the beat.

“Pretty big. It would take you a half day to get to the other end by foot.”

So maybe like ten miles across if I had to guess.

That at least gives me something to wrap my head around.

“Come on.” Cherry starts for the stairs, but I linger at the balcony railing.

Several vines have taken hold in the stone and bright purple roses bloom from them, perfuming the air with a heady, sweet scent.

Two days ago I was terrified of going mad just like my mother and now I’m on an island in some other realm—allegedly—surrounded by the fae and vicious boys drinking faerie wine.

How quickly and suddenly things can change.

But I still don’t want to go mad and I think that whatever Pan means to do to get inside my head is exactly how it happens.

It makes me wonder what my mom went through when she came here. Pan made it clear that he and the Lost Boys never touch the Darlings, but clearly, they did something to them. Otherwise there wouldn’t be a legacy of insanity in my family tree.

Can I help him find his shadow without subjecting myself to the brain melt?

I take another sip of the wine and it immediately goes to my head and loosens the knots between my shoulders.

Alcohol makes everything better.

I drain my glass and return to the boys and hold out my cup.

Kas eyes me, considering.

“Please?” I say and give him an innocent stare.

Bash laughs and shakes his head.

“Fine.” Kas uncorks the bottle and gives me a generous pour. That same flame returns at the thought of anyone caring what I do or don’t do and it makes me want to test the strength of it, see how taut I can make it.

“Thank you.” I smile at Kas and whirl around and go on the hunt for Cherry. I’m beginning to like this place. Maybe more than I should.





Cherry and I are playing cards with some of the Lost Boys. I don’t know their names and they never asked mine. The boy beside me is short with red hair and he smells like cigarettes and mischief.

His hand is beneath the table, resting on my thigh. Everyone is handsy here, I’m realizing, and I’m pretty sure there was a couple fucking on the other side of the patio just a little bit ago.

This is a place of wild debauchery, a carnival ride that you never want to exit.

I’ve always loved carnivals.

The rides and the mischief.

The boy’s hand slips further up my thigh and my skirt rides up and I giggle with excitement.

I don’t know how much wine I’ve drunk. It doesn’t seem like enough, but maybe it’s been too much.

“Gable!” Cherry yells and slaps her cards on the table. The others groan.

Gable is a card game that I don’t understand and that I keep losing. But it doesn’t matter. I’m having the time of my life.

Kas and Bash joined the party an hour ago with food, and platters have been passed around with the cutest little tarts and gingersnaps that make my tongue burn.

Why was I ever afraid of coming here?

I could get lost in this world and never want to be found.

The boy edges closer and I glow beneath his attention. This is always where I’m most in my body, when someone else is touching it, when my nerves are awake. It’s hard sometimes to feel anything at all.

Cherry laughs and falls off her chair and the boy beside her helps her back up.

My red-haired wonder pulls me onto his lap and his cock presses hard at my center.

He’s no Bash or Kas and he’s certainly no Pan, but he’ll do just fine.

I lean into him and kiss him.





16





PETER PAN


I’m pulled from sleep by someone kicking my bed.

“This better be important.”

“The twins are throwing a party,” Vane says. “And the Darling is drunk.”

I lurch upright, a foreign emotion burning in my chest.

“The fuck.”

“I know. That’s what I said.”

“Why didn’t you stop them? Or her for that matter?”

“I’m not her babysitter.”

“Vane, for fuck’s sake.” I toss the sheet back as he flicks on the bedside lamp and the light immediately makes my vision burn. I stumble to the corner to fetch my clothes. I’m in a rush to get upstairs, but there is still sunlight in the air. I can feel it.