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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Gwendolyn

Present Day

I paced back and forth.

Am I worrying the boys? I wondered. Maybe.

I was so incredibly worried for Peter, Meria, and Dominick.

“Tell us a story, will you, Lady Darling?”

I looked down and wiped the chin of one of the very small boys. He appeared to be about five years old.

Anger rose inside of me, a pain emanating from my stomach.

How dare these pixies do this! How dare they come and take these children from their homes and force them to live here in such a mess!

Even though Peter said the children in that camp lived better lives than the boys we had saved earlier–and while yes, that was true–it still pained me to think they were there instead of in their homes with their actual mothers and fathers.

But, perhaps, that is why they had been taken and found themselves there.

Maybe they had no one. Perhaps, they had no homes.

“Have you heard the stories of the jin ?”

“What is a ‘jin’?” another older boy asked, sitting at my feet. All their curious glances moved me to tell them all that I knew. I motioned for them to walk with me. I did not want to stay at their camp.

They followed along as we walked down to the beach, and I told them about the jin.

“The jin love gold.”

“Like pirates?” the boy named Bear asked. He was sweet.

We reached the beach, and I turned to face them.

“No, the jin are far from pirates. The Creator blessed the jin; they are magical beings.” I turned back around to walk down the sloping sand, closer to the small waves, coming in and out, so steady–contrary to how I felt.

The boys, one by one, plopped onto the sand. Some began to build little castles as I continued to speak .

“Yes, magical and blessed beings, they are, but they do seek gold. It is almost like a craving to them—a desire and urge that they cannot remove from their hearts.”

“What do they do with the gold?” an older boy with blond hair and bright green eyes asked. His name was Leaf.

“They make things?” a boy asked.

“Magical things?” another boy said.

“I bet they make magical swords that can defeat any foe!”

“No, they make gold rings!” another spoke.

“Gold clothes?” one very small boy asked, and the others laughed.

“Maybe armor? That is more reasonable than clothes,” Leaf said.

I let them discuss the jin and their gold obsessions for a time as I watched the waves.

“Are you okay, Gwendolyn?” I turned to see Michael. “You left the camp without telling me.”

“Oh, I am sorry. I just wanted to be here when they get back.”

“Just let me know next time.” He smiled. “But I understand. He will be alright. He can fly, after all.”

Peter could fly. He would be safe. He would be just fine, and I was worrying about nothing.

Nothing at all.