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  Balo snorted. “We can’t go traipsing through the jungle with you two and the child. Even with the warrior fairies that would be a challenge.”

  Nissa let out an exasperated sigh. “Balo, must you always argue about everything? Tiger Lily will be looking for us on the main path.”

  Lobo, who had sat on his haunches once they had reached the top, now stood up. “I can lead you through the jungle,” he said. “We will need to be very careful, but you are less likely to face attack. It will be safer.”

  “Safer for who?” said Balo, flying to hover in front of the wolf’s face.

  Finn glanced from Rommy to Lobo, a frown creasing his face. “It seems to me that if Tiger Lily is in here, trying to get rid of us, we’d be fools to make it easy for her.”

  “But how’re we supposed to know where to go?” asked Alice. She was standing as close to Rommy as she could and scanning the surrounding forest, flinching with every sound. “Seems to me, our goose is cooked, either way. I think being eaten would be worse than being shot.”

  Lobo, hearing the fear in the little girl’s voice leaned his head down and nuzzled her. Alice froze. The wolf licked her cheek, and a smile started on the little girl’s face, her dimple peeking out. She tentatively put her hand in his fur and patted. He wagged his tail.

  “I think we should let Lobo lead us,” said Rommy. “Even though there are dangers off the path, I think Tiger Lily is our biggest problem. We’ll just have to deal with the other things as they come up.”

  “If that’s what you want,” said Balo.

  Finn nodded his head, and Nissa agreed, too.

  “Well, we can’t stand around here talking all day. This isn’t some picnic,” said Balo, his tone sour. He gestured at Lobo. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

  Rommy could have sworn she saw the black wolf smile. Did wolves smile? He turned and scanned the forest. Then, glancing over his shoulder, he nodded forward. “We need to go this way,” he said. “It will take us along the river. If we make good time, there is a hidden place where we can sleep tonight.”

  They fell in behind the big wolf, the warrior fairies bringing up the rear. It turned out they had to walk for almost an hour to reach the river. Steep muddy banks hemmed the water in on both sides. Trees stood on raised roots like giant claws tangled in plants and vines.

  As they walked, the temperature steadily climbed, and the air got thicker until Rommy felt as if she was being steamed in a giant cooking pot. Finn and Alice were both wiping at their faces with their shirtsleeves. Even the fairies seemed to have dimmed in the heat.

  Lobo kept the river within sight, but traveled at a wary distance from the edges where the ground dropped away into the water that frothed and foamed below. While they kept a steady forward pace, it wasn’t easy walking. Although the thick plant life had thinned out this deep into the jungle, pillows of moss covered the ground and swelled up from the ground unexpectedly in places. The giant trees rose high above their heads, sheets of moss dripping from their branches. Their roots reached up like fingers through the moist dirt.

  Above Rommy’s head, the jungle was alive with sounds and movement. Birdsong and squawks mingled with the hum of insects and other noises she couldn’t identify. The branches over her head swayed and moved, either with a breeze that didn’t reach down to the jungle floor or creatures she couldn’t see. She shivered.

  Nobody talked much as they walked. Even Balo only muttered an occasional complaint. Alice leaned on Rommy more and more as the day grew warmer and warmer. Even the slight breeze off the river did little to cool them. When Alice had stumbled twice, almost knocking Rommy down the last time, she called to Lobo.

  “We need to stop,” Rommy said. “It’s so warm, maybe we should take a break until it cools off a bit?”

  Lobo stopped and backtracked to where they all stood. He nudged his nose against Alice, who looked ready to fall over. Her hair was wet and matted to her head, and her face was red. “You are right,” he said. “I am sorry. I am used to walking many miles and forget that you are human and younglings at that.” He nodded his head toward a giant tree trunk, its bark shaggy. “We can shelter here for a short time.”

  They made their way to the tree, which sat where part of the bank jutted out over the river. Alice dropped wearily onto an exposed root and leaned against the trunk of the tree. Rommy handed her the flask of water, and the little girl drank a long swallow.

  “Do you have any more of them biscuits?” asked Finn, looking at Rommy hopefully.

  She shook her head. “Little Owl gave us what she could, but it’s not like she had time to plan. And I lost the sack when Tiger Lily started shooting at us.” Rommy turned to Nissa. “Is there something here we can eat and is the water safe to drink?”

  Nissa fluttered onto a nearby tree root. “There is cassia fruit close by, and the water here is good. But you will need to go to the water’s edge to fill your flask.” She made a chittering sound.

  Rommy looked doubtfully at the steep riverbank below her. “Trying to find a place where we can fill our flasks might be a problem,” she said.

  Nissa shook her head. “Yes, it is tricky to find a flat spot, but that isn’t the main issue.”

  Balo buzzed into view. “It’s the nixies. Don’t you know anything at all?” he shook his head. “It’s a wonder you humans weren’t killed or died off a long time ago!”

  Finn stepped forward. “I’ll go fill the flasks,” he said. “I’ve had experience with nixies.” He collected the two almost empty flasks from Rommy. As she watched, he collected several leaves and after curling them up, stuffed them into his ears.

  “What in the world is he doing?” she asked.

  Talen answered without turning from scanning the jungle around them, her tiny spear at the ready. “Nixies lure people into the water with their songs,” she said. She made a face. “They are distant cousins of the fairies, but they are nasty creatures.”

  Balo snorted and flew off. Rommy could hear him muttering something about the “stupid humans,” as he went.

  Rommy sat down next to Alice and put her arm around the girl. “How are you doing?” she asked.

  Alice lifted her chin. “I’m just fine,” she said. Then she laughed. “I’d love to see old Danny and his gang stuck out here. He’d be so scared his knees would knock.”

  Rommy smiled. “I think you’re right about that,” she said, squeezing Alice’s shoulder. “Why don’t you rest? It’s so warm and we have more walking ahead of us. I might close my eyes, too. We didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  Lobo lay near them on the damp jungle floor, his nose on his front paws. “I will keep watch if you want to rest,” he said.

  Rommy smiled gratefully, and both girls leaned against the trunk of the tree. It was so wide, they could lean side by side. Alice closed her eyes and was soon asleep. Despite her weariness, though, Rommy found herself wide awake. She looked across at the big, black wolf keeping watch.

  Lobo didn’t lift his head, but his ears were pricked, and they twitched toward any sound. Rommy watched the large wolf. It was still a mystery to her why he had come with them. After a moment, her curiosity got the better of her.

  “Lobo? I’ve been wondering something,” she said. He sat up and tilted his head. She took that as an invitation to continue. “I don’t understand why you volunteered to come with us,” she said. “I mean, this is dangerous, and don’t you miss your pack?”

  Lobo considered her question. “I do miss my pack, but I wanted to come with you younglings because it was dangerous.”

  “But why?” asked Rommy.

  “When I was just a cub, one of Peter's boys helped me. I had been stalking a musk rabbit, and a strangler creeper caught me. Before I knew what was happening, it had me tangled in its vines. I thought I wasn’t long for the earth.”

  Rommy leaned forward, caught up in Lobo’s story. “How did you get away?”

  “Just when I started to lose consciousness,
this youngling boy slashed the creeper vines and pulled them off of me,” said Lobo. “He gave me water and revived me. Then he carried me closer to my den before he took off. Helping you and your friends was a way to repay the good done to me.” Lobo put his muzzle back on his paws. “This is the reason I've always like humans more than the rest of my pack. You are not all dangerous.”

  Before Lobo could say anymore, Finn came back juggling several strange-looking hairy fruits and the water flasks. “Hey, I have lunch!” he said.

  He squatted down next to Rommy on the giant root and handed her one fruit. She stared at it. “What do I...that is, how do I eat this?”

  Finn laughed. “I forgot you’ve probably never seen one of these.” He took the fruit back from her and pulled out a knife from a pocket on his tunic. He expertly sliced it open. Rommy looked at the two glistening halves of the fruit and her stomach lurched. Inside the shaggy shells were whitish gray nubs that looked like maggots. They seemed to be moving. Finn pushed the fruit at her. “Here,” he said, “take it. It’s good and it will fill you up.”

  Rommy reached out a hand and gingerly took the fruit from him. He had turned and already sliced open a second fruit. He brought the entire half up to his mouth and took a big bite. Rommy stared at the writhing mass of fruit in her hands. She took a deep breath. In for a penny, in for a pound, as Miss Watson always said. She brought the fruit up to her mouth, and closing her eyes, took a bite. Instead of being sweet, the fruit had a savory taste, which Rommy admitted to herself was good. What was hard to get used to was the moving bits in her mouth, which felt like wiggling worms. Don’t think about it, she told herself, chewing.

  Alice blinked open sleepy eyes and then, seeing the other slice of fruit in Rommy’s hand sat us straight. “Are you eating worms?” she asked, making a face. “I hope you found something else to eat ‘cause I ain’t eating no worms,” she said looking at Finn.

  Finn let out a bark of laughter. “These ain’t worms,” he said, “It’s cassia fruit.” He held out one half to her. “Here, try it.”

  Alice wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Finn shook the fruit at her. She stubbornly shook her head again. Rommy could hardly blame her. The fruit really did look like a pile of maggots in a hairy bowl.

  Finn bumped Rommy’s shoulder. “Tell her how good it tastes,” he said.

  Rommy looked at Alice. “It really is good,” she agreed. “Just close your eyes when you bite into it. That’s what I did. It helps.”

  Alice reluctantly took the fruit that Finn was still holding out to her. She gave Rommy one more questioning look, and when Rommy nodded her head encouragingly, Alice screwed her eyes shut and took a bite. She chewed quickly and swallowed.

  “Hey, that’s pretty good,” she said and then scowled. “If it would only stop moving around in my mouth.” She shuddered dramatically.

  The fairies gathered around them, watching, and Lobo had lifted his head and was pushing to his feet.

  “Can we get going now?” Asked Balo. “Surely you’ve had enough rest, even for you.”

  Everyone stood up.

  “We should reach a good place to sleep for tonight if we continue until sunset. The little one may ride on my back, if the journey is too much for her.” He came to stand in front of Alice and laid down again.

  Alice looked at Lobo and then at Rommy. “He said you can ride, Alice, if you’d like to.”

  “Oh boy, would I!” said Alice, not wasting any time scrambling onto the big black wolf’s back. Thus settled, Lobo rose carefully with his burden and set off again. The others fell into step behind him. Rommy wondered just how far Unilisi was into the jungle—and if they’d survive to see her.

  Chapter 26:

  Beware the Nixies

  The group made good time, and just as the jungle darkened, the permanent twilight under the great canopy deepening into darkness, they crested a hillock. As they walked down the other side, the riverbank smoothed out so that the steep banks became only a mild incline to the water’s edge. A large tree had fallen there, making a seat of sorts, and a clear space nearby would be a good spot for a fire.

  Somewhere along the way, Alice had slumped over asleep, her hands curled into Lobo’s fur. The wolf came to a graceful stop without disturbing his passenger.

  Rommy walked over and gently shook her shoulder. “Alice, it’s time to get down,” she said. “We’re here.”

  Alice blinked and sat up. “Where’s here?” she asked, rubbing her eyes and looking around.

  “We’re stopping here for the night,” said Finn. He eyed the water. “We need to make sure we aren’t too near that river, though.”

  It didn’t take long to set up their camp, such as it was. Finn went with Nissa to collect more food, coming back with not just cassia fruit but also some kind of root. Rommy wasn’t sure if she was up for more interesting food.

  Talen and Kalen scouted the surrounding jungle and reported that everything seemed secure. Balo gathered vines and plants for a fire, grumbling to himself the entire time. Lobo loped off to hunt for his own dinner.

  Darkness had fallen by the time everyone had gathered in the small clearing. Finn had taken the vines and plants that Balo had brought and had a fire going. It turned out the roots were rather tasty once he roasted them over the fire. They reminded Rommy of the roasted potatoes that Chattingham’s sometimes served.

  Lobo had returned and Alice was leaning against the giant wolf’s side, her eyes already heavy. Nissa and Balo made nests for themselves in the branches overhead, and Talen and Kalen said they would take turns guarding the group.

  The fire crackled, and for a moment, Rommy relaxed. Sleep tugged at her, but she turned to Finn. In a low voice she asked, “Where do you think Tiger Lily is? Do you think she’s followed us?”

  Finn shrugged his shoulders. “Tiger Lily is a good tracker, and she’s familiar with these jungles. But, it would be pretty stupid to stray off the path on her own. This is a dangerous place for humans, no matter who you are. I think we’re safe enough, if we stay off the main trail.”

  While his words sounded reassuring, Rommy could see his frown in the firelight. “What is it?” she asked. “What’s worrying you?”

  A look of surprise flashed over Finn’s face, but he quickly masked it. “It’s just that she knows where we’re going,” he said. “Moving by herself on the main path, she’ll go a lot faster than we can.” He shrugged. “At some point we’ll end up in the same place to get to Unilisi.”

  “You think she’ll ambush us or something like that?” asked Rommy.

  Finn nodded. “It’s what I would do, if I was trying to get at someone.”

  Goosebumps prickled Rommy’s skin, and she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill. “What are we going to do? We have to reach Unilisi, and I don’t want anything to happen to Alice.”

  Finn blew out a laugh. “Thanks a lot!”

  Rommy shoved his shoulder. “You know I don’t want anything to happen to you either, even if you are annoying.”

  Finn grinned at her. “Yeah, I’m sure your heart’ll break if Tiger Lily gets one of her arrows into me.” Then his face sobered. “I might have to stay in this jungle since Pan knows where my loyalties lie now.”

  Rommy put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Finn,” she said, her voice soft. “You saved us, but it’s put you into a terrible fix. What will you do? If... when... we get to Unilisi and out of this place? If we can close the passage to Neverland, you can’t stay here, can you?”

  Finn shrugged again. “That’s a lot of ifs,” he said. “I think we need to figure out how to keep Tiger Lily from ambushing us first.” He jerked a thumb at the wolf who had curled himself around Alice, who was now sleeping. “Lobo should have some ideas, or maybe he’ll know a different route to Unilisi that will take us out of Tiger Lily’s way.”

  “I hope so,” said Rommy. “I hate to think we’ll have big targets on our backs.” A yawn caught her by s
urprise. “I guess we’d better get some sleep.”

  Finn reached into his pocket and handed her two wads of leaves. “Don’t forget to put these in your ears tonight,” he said. He nodded toward the water. “The river is full of nixies.”

  Finn stood and offered Rommy his hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet. Rommy looked up at him.

  “I was wrong before,” she said. “You aren’t a coward at all. You’re rather brave.” Before she could think better of it, she rose on her toes and kissed his cheek.

  Her face flaming, she didn’t even look at him. Instead, she quickly stepped over to where Alice was sleeping on the opposite side of the fire and dropped down next to her. She squeezed her eyes shut, the leaves forgotten in her hand.

  ______________________________________

  Lilting music. It floated through her dreams, pulling her toward wakefulness. Rommy blinked open her eyes. She could still hear the music, and oh the moonlight. It was so beautiful, reflecting off the water. It seemed to call her.

  Carefully, Rommy disentangled herself from Alice and padded softly toward the water’s edge. The mud squished under her boots, but she had to get closer. The pool shimmered in the moonlight, and the music seemed to beckon her.

  She knelt on the edge of the bank and looked into the shining depths of the placid river. A beautiful face looked back her. Waves of hair as green as grass floated around a face with large silvery eyes that seemed liquid. The mouth was open in a song that harmonized with the stars’ melody overhead.

  Something nagged at the back of Rommy’s mind, but she pushed it away impatiently. She had to get closer to the music. She leaned farther over the gently flowing water.

  The creature lifted a hand from what looked like the other side of a mirror. Again, something poked at the back of Rommy’s mind. Her hand hovered in mid-air and she hesitated. The music pushed into her mind, and whatever had been trying to get her attention drifted away.

  She reached out and her hand skimmed the surface of the water. For a moment, her palm touched that of the water creature’s, and she smiled. The creature smiled back.