The rest of the evening passed rather uneventfully in a flurry of arrangements and orders. I did not get much of a chance to talk to Morpheus aside from passing on a command that I needed him to deliver to his people. Some of the things I said earned me strange looks from his men but for the most part, they obeyed without question.

  Fortunately, they had food as well, so we were not all forced to dine on the little I had caught earlier that afternoon. Everything was skinned, cleaned, and cooked. A runner was sent out to collect water from a nearby stream, enough for everyone to have some.

  By the time the shadows fell, and night began, everyone was safe within the camp. Rapunzel and I declared we would take watch during the darkest hours of the night, despite all the protests the men put up. The rest of the watch was divided up, and we all retired to our tents, a man named Henry taking the first watch. All was silent except for the crackling of the fire, which I took measures to make sure it would blaze strong and bright to keep back the shadows. Sleep fell over all in the camp, and I was satisfied we were safe for the night. Even so, I did not sleep easily.

  I never did on the dark nights.

  Sometime around the middle of the night, when the moon would have been in the middle of the sky had there been a moon in Neverland, I woke with a sense of overwhelming fear. I leaped out of bed, grabbing my cloak and blade. Through the wall, I could hear Rapunzel doing the same as I grabbed my torch and flew out of the tent.

  “Where is it?” she asked, close behind me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself so I could focus on the source of my fear. My eyes roamed around the campsite, yet I saw nothing out of the ordinary. The tents were blocking my view, but I knew there was something in the camp.

  “Take the marker and check the perimeter for a breach. I will check the tents,” I replied, finally. She nodded and did as I said.

  Near the fire, I found the man who was supposed to be on watch. He had dozed off but when I checked his pulse, he was fine. Turning quickly and quietly I ducked into the second tent.

  Before the light hit anything I knew whatever was alerting me was not there. All the men were sound asleep, safe.

  Morpheus lay near the entrance, so I reached over and shook him awake, placing my hand over his mouth so he would not cry out and wake anyone. I gestured for him to be quiet and follow me. Sensing my urgency, he did exactly as I signaled, glancing back to check on his men.

  “What is going on?” he whispered as soon as we were out of the tent.

  “Tantibus, one of them broke into the camp…”

  A sharp whistle cut me off, and I turned around to see Rapunzel standing behind the tent, gesturing towards me. Ignoring Morpheus’s look of confusion, I ran over to where she was standing. She dropped down to her knee as soon as we rounded the corner and we both stopped short.

  There was a body on the ground.

  “Gregory,” Morpheus cried, rushing forward.

  “Wait, stop,” I grabbed him by the arm and held him back. “He has been taken by a tantibus. One wrong move and it could take you too. Your men need you, Morpheus. Just stay back and let us take care of this,” I said, my voice firm and calm.

  For a moment he seemed conflicted but, in the end, he gave in and stepped back, allowing me to do my work. By then some of his men had started arriving, having woken up and come out to see what was going on. I did my best to ignore them as I knelt and placed my hand upon his forehead.

  “What is wrong with Gregory? What has happened to him?” I heard one asking with a voice full of fear.

  “We do not know for sure yet, but you need to calm down. Can anybody tell me why he would have left the tent this late at night?” Rapunzel asked, playing crowd control.

  “I do not know. Maybe he had to use the lou?”

  “He could have done that in the tent. I showed everyone where the room is. Was he behaving strangely at all last night? Anything out of the ordinary?”

  “Oh, I remember him saying something about how he heard the Rangers communed with shadows and that is how they got their powers…”

  “That is the biggest load of bogus I have ever heard,” I exclaimed incredulously, cutting him off. For a moment I completely forgot about the man lying before me. The men stared at me uneasily as I glared at them.

  “I’m sorry ma’am, that’s just what he said. I told him not to try anything dumb, to stay in the tent as you said. He didn’t want to listen,” the man said apologetically.

  “What is your name?”

  “My name is Steven.”

  “Well, Steven, the fault is not yours. Gregory made this decision on his own, against all counsel. Why some people refuse to listen is beyond me, especially in a land they do not know. This is exactly why I told you to stay in the tent and out of the shadows. There is an enemy that lurks here that I did not want any of you to have to face,” I said, looking once more at Gregory.

  Even though there was no doubt in my mind it still pained me to admit to what I knew to be true.

  “What happened to him?” Steven asked.

  “He has been taken by a tantibus,” I admitted reluctantly. Rapunzel’s eyes filled with pain, a pain I felt as well. No one else seemed to understand the gravity of what I said though.

  “What is a tantibus?”

  I tried to take control of my shaking, searching my brain for a way to describe the creatures I hated so much. Rapunzel sensed and understood my fear and trepidation when it came to the tantibi, so she stepped forward to tell them, saving me the pain.

  “The tantibi are a shadow-like creature, not unlike the normal shadows in appearance but these are straight from the pit of hell. They feed on fear, any kind of fear. They attack those who sleep in the dark, outside of the protection of the light. By invading the sleeper’s mind while it is relaxed and unarmed, they take control and trap their victim in a nightmare like hell. The more there are, the longer they can keep you alive and feed off your fear. They cannot stand the light, though. That is why we keep the fire burning so bright all through the night." I sent an extra spark into the flame for emphasis. "Another way to defend against them is a special kind of herb that bears the same properties as sunlight and when crushed, makes a good defense against the tantibi. That is what the circle we put around the camp is made of,” she explained.

  “What about Gregory? Is there any way we can save him?” one of the men in the back shouted. Rapunzel looked at me for an answer.

  “It is almost impossible for someone to survive a tantibus. If we had caught it before it took hold, then maybe we would have been able to do something but as it is, we came too late. Gregory is dead,” I said, my voice thick with sadness.

  A heavy silence fell over the camp as I reached forward and gently pushed Gregory’s wide-open eyes closed, making him look as if he were asleep once more.

  For the longest time, no one spoke.

  The sun brightened to its normal morning glow before anyone bothered to move. It was Morpheus who first broke the silence, turning around to speak with his men.

  “Alright men, it is time to break camp. Get everything packed up, then we will take care of Gregory. And don’t touch anything that isn’t yours,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. They all turned one by one to do as he said, not a single one uttering a word of protest. It almost broke my heart to see them so downcast. The last man left, and it was just Morpheus, Rapunzel and I left surrounding what was left of Gregory.

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  “Is there a place nearby where we could bury him?” Morpheus asked finally.

  “Yes, there is, but we cannot bury him. Normally the tantibus will vacate its victim before they breathe their last breath, but somehow Gregory died before this one could escape. Never have I seen or heard of this happening, yet I can think of no other explanation." I smiled apologetically. "The creature is still trapped within the confines of Gregory’s mind, unable to escape. If we bury him, it is likely the tantibus would eventually be able to escape and torment more victims. As it is, burning is the best way to go." I lowered my voice. "It still bothers me as to how this happened. Is there anything you can tell me about him?”

  “Well, I have worked with him for a couple of years now and he is one of my best men." His voice was tinged with pride. " He may be a little misguided in some areas, but his heart is good, and he has never had a problem with acting rashly. I’m afraid we never really talked much about our past." He paused for a second, considering. " There is one person, though, who came along with him. I hear they have worked together for a while, so he might know more. Shall I summon him?”

  “Yes, please do,” I replied, shifting back into a more comfortable position. Morpheus nodded, then walked off. Rapunzel gave me a look, and I nodded, equally intrigued by the situation.

  As I was absentmindedly watching Morpheus comb through his men, I realized it might look better if I was standing up when he brought the one he was searching for over. Grunting with the effort I heaved myself up and dusted the debris off my knees. By the time I had my cloak mostly clean Morpheus had found who he was looking for and was bringing him over.

  “Here we go. Ranger Snow, this is Mitchell. He is the man I told you about, the one who served with Gregory,” Morpheus said, presenting him to me.

  My first thought was that he looked rather weasel-like, but upon further inspection, I realized that was an incorrect description. He was not as gaunt as the shadows had made him appear. Instead, he was a rather lanky, kind faced man.

  His face was thin, eyes sharp, and his nose was slightly hooked on the end. He was slightly smaller in stature than Morpheus, but from the way he carried himself, I knew he was highly capable of taking care of himself. He stood straight as a pole, hands clasped behind his back, staring me straight in the eyes in a manner that definitely reminded me of a person I knew quite well.

  “You requested me, ma’am,” he said respectfully. I started and looked around to find Rapunzel and Morpheus also looking at me expectantly, which meant I had been staring much longer than I thought I had.

  “Yes, I did. Tell me, have you ever spent time as a knight or a guard in the service of Prince Eric?” I asked. His eyebrow rose, and he began to look at me with a new sort of respect. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rapunzel nodding in understanding as Morpheus just looked confused as usual.

  “Yes, I was. Do you know the prince?”

  “I have met him, yes, but we are more acquaintances than anything. I was in a spot of trouble, and he lent me a few of his men. He is the only one I know of who continues to use the services of the trainer Hyracul, a man whose training methods I would recognize anywhere. A great man." Part of me wanted to continue on this conversation about happier things, but I needed answers. " That is not why I asked to speak with you though. What can you tell me about Gregory?”

  “What sort of information would you be looking for?”

  “Is there anything unusual about him? Did he receive any special training from someone? Has he spent time in Neverland before this most recent mission?” I asked, trying to phrase my questions to get the answer I was looking for.

  As to what exactly I was looking for, I did not know, but I hoped Mitchell would be able to clear things up for me. He took a minute to think through his answer before speaking.

  “I am not sure exactly what this means, but many years before I met him, he served as a Knave for a man he referred to as a caterpillar. Perhaps this makes more sense to you than it does to me?” he said.

  I dropped down to one knee and leaned over Gregory. Quickly I unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and pushed it back to reveal a tattoo of what looked like a three-leaf clover.

  “Is it true?” Rapunzel asked, craning her neck so she could see. I nodded.

  “Is it?” Morpheus echoed. I pushed the shirt farther back to show him the tattoo placed almost exactly over the man’s heart.

  “Gregory was once Knave of Clubs," I stated. "When a person is a Knave, that means at one point in time they were in a great amount of debt with one of the four great powers, each following one of the four suits. Their debtor comes along and gives them a choice. Serve me faithfully for some odd number of years and I will forgive whatever you owe me or continue to try to pay it off and never actually succeed. Most chose to become a Knave." I leaned forward to examine the tattoo more closely. "Gregory chose to do so, and his debtor was none other than the Cathyr Pyllar." I glanced at Morpheus for confirmation, and he nodded."He is what some would call a jack-of-all-trades. He deals in everything you can think of, and he tends to hire his Knaves out as mercenaries and spies. Knowing this explains a lot, especially the mystery of how he died so quickly,” I said, explaining more for Rapunzel and Mitchel than for Morpheus.

  “I always detested the practice,” Morpheus commented. “Once I take the throne, I plan on ending it.”

  I couldn’t help but wonder what Gregory could have done to fall in debt to the Pyllar, and what all he had been forced to do because of it. Being a Knave is one thing most people would spend their whole lives trying to avoid, to the point of giving everything they have. It was a fate no one would envy.

  “So, you're telling me Gregory was an assassin? Gregory Barron, who would never hurt a fly?” Mitchel exclaimed.

  “While I cannot say for sure he was ever used as an assassin, there is no doubt he was capable of it," I said carefully. "The Pyllar always trained his men to be killers. From the looks of it, though, he was more used as a spy than anything. If you look closely, you will see there is a black dot on each ‘leaf’ of the club. " I pointed to one of the dots. "That is Pyllar’s sign this man has completed all three branches of his task and has been released from his duty. The dots look old too, so it has been a few years since he earned his way out of the Pyllar’s service.”

  “Pyllar always believed in having a failsafe, a backup plan for when everything went south," Morpheus explained. " He made sure all of his men had an escape plan for even the most desperate of times. A hollowed-out tooth, filled with a fast-acting, lethal poison that could kill a man in seconds. Easy enough to access, yet carefully positioned so there could be no accidents.” He suddenly seemed to become aware of the strange looks he was getting in response to this explanation. “Or so I heard.”

  “Somehow Gregory was able to remain lucid and aware enough to remember such a thing and to make a conscious decision to use that escape route,” I continued. “That is a feat to be sure. He killed himself, and by doing so managed to trap and incapacitate a powerful tantibus. He saved us,”

  “So, we are to burn him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let it be as a hero, for a hero’s death it was.”

  The funeral was a solemn affair, after which Rapunzel and I offered to escort Morpheus and his men to the court of Peter Pan.

  His men were not excited to be spending more time here, after what had happened. I was able to convince them it would be a short journey and they would be safe in the Lost Boys Camp. Finally, everyone agreed, and we set off.

  This time, we arrived within a few hours.

  The Lost Boys Camp may have started as a small thing, but as we approached, it was roughly the size of a small town. Tents resembled well-constructed buildings and were built in a way they could easily be taken down and moved. This was only ever done when the court had to be moved. Though occasionally some would be taken on missions.

  Kids of all ages and origins milled about, some working, most playing. Even a few Lost Boys preparing to leave the camp. They seemed confused by our presence, but a few noticed me and waved excitedly. I waved back and everyone relaxed.

  “What is the difference between the Lost Boys and the rest of the children?” one of the men asked. Shamas, I believe, was his name. He was a likable fellow. Very smart.

  “The Lost Boys serve as Pan’s honor guard. Think like the Guardians, except different training. They help keep Neverland safe and find any lost children before anything can happen to them,” Rapunzel explained.

  “Why are there so many children here? Where are the parents?” someone else asked. I resisted the urge to groan.

  “That is a complicated question with an even more complicated answer those who do know will never fully answer. What I can tell you is these children are perfectly safe and cared for. They are happy here,” I said, choosing my words carefully. It was not the most satisfying answer, but it was the best I had.

  Before any other questions could be asked, two of the senior Lost Boys approached us. The men seemed unsure of how to react, but Rapunzel and I were expecting this.

  “Pan has sent us to escort Rangers White and Gothel to his court,” one explained. “We were only told to expect two.”

  I could feel a sense of unease sweeping over the men. They were strangers in a strange land, and they were scared. Rapunzel shifted to keep an eye on them as I stepped forward, moving between Morpheus and the guard.

  “We apologize for not informing you—” I gestured to Morpheus “—This is Prince Morpheus, envoy from Wonderland. He and his men offered their assistance to us on our journey only recently.”

  “Understood. Is he to be joining you in the court?”

  “Yes.”

  “Very well, then. Your men will be allowed to remain in camp until you are ready to leave. They will be well taken care of.”

  “Thank you.”

  One of the guards let out a cry to summon another Lost Boy to tend to the men.

  Satisfied, I turned my attention to Rapunzel and Morpheus. He looked as amused as ever while Rapunzel clearly still had questions. The men also looked unsure of their situation, but at least they were mostly at ease.

  “We will all be safe here. There is plenty of food and lodging if you wish to remain for a few days. I can also arrange for an escort to lead you to a portal,” I said.

  “We may need them later, could I arrange for the destination?” Morpheus asked.

  “Certainly. They are your men after all.”

  I turned once more to our guides. By now the men were being taken care of by another pair of younger Lost Boys.

  “Take us to Pan.”