An orb of familiar lime green descends from a spindly branch on the nearest tree.

It's hard to say which hurts worse –knowing this is the faery that betrayed me or knowing I'm about to ask her for help. My stomach turns into a stone pit and my heart is not far behind.

I swallow down my pride –ready to plead, to beg, to grovel if I must.

Tinker Bell lands on the flagstone perch at the center of the Council and her eyes narrow on mine.

"Hi, Tink." I keep my voice small, easier to conceal my contempt.

"Er –hi," Salt stammers beside me.

I'm aware of all the faeries' eyes resting upon us, upon our exchange. I can feel the weight of their anticipation and I wonder how much the faeries know about my history with Tinker Bell.

"Wendy," Tinker Bell answers, sinking into a low bow.

Strange and for sure uncharacteristic of her.

"I will help you defeat Pan," Tinker Bell declares, straightforward. "But first, I must apologize to you. I was blinded by Peter Pan and therefore all too eager to betray you. I see the error in my ways now."

It's strange to hear this of Tinker Bell after despising her for long –for believing her to be every bit as evil as Pan.

Much has changed.

"I fell out of favor with Pan many moons ago," Tinker Bell continues.

I look up determinedly into Tinker Bell's eyes and shake my head. "The past does not matter now. What counts is the future and how we save it."

Faeries around the grove murmur in harmony. It sounds as though a thousand wind chimes are each trying to outdo the other.

"There is a way." Tinker Bell nods.

"Anything. Tell us." Salt steps in line with me.

Together we stare up at the sea-green faery –at the entire Grove Council –and await the solution.

"Pan uses dark faery magic to tether souls to his, to Neverland. It is that magic that binds them to this island." Tinker Bell recaps what we already know. "The solution is simple. You must tether Pan to the same dark magic, thus confining him to the island for eternity."

"Tether Pan to his own dark magic?" I question, mulling it over.

"Precisely." Tinker Bell nods.

"And how do we do that?" It's Dewdrop who asks the question I'm sure Salt and I are both thinking.

"Right now, Pan controls the dark magic because he controls the Dark Faery. If we capture the Dark Faery, we can control the magic." Tinker Bell answers.

"How do we capture the Dark Faery? Do you even know who it is?" From what I understood, no one has ever actually seen this faery.

"Only Pan knows who it is," Tinker Bell answers, shaking her head. "We must set Pan up. Make him believe you will be Culled."

"Set him up? Me –culled?" I ask.

"Absurd. Absolutely not," Salt interjects. He puts a hand in front of me as if to block me from the mere mention of using myself as bait. "I'll do it."

"You will not work," Tinker Bell says, annoyed. "Pan has no need for a pirate's soul. It will not be enough. The only way to force Pan to drop his guard is to give him what he wants most. What he's wanted since you left." Tinker Bell finishes, looking down at me.

"My soul," I whisper.

"You must make Pan believe you will offer your soul in place of the others. When he shows the Dark Faery, we will have our chance."

"And the risk?" I ask, already agreeing to this plan.

"You mean besides offering yourself as bait?" Salt scoffs. "What if the faeries can't capture the Dark Faery? What if this plan goes awry?"

"What if it doesn't?" I spin to face Salt. His warmth envelops me, radiating from his hot temper. "What if works and we save everyone? The Lost Boys, my brothers, me."

Salt sighs, looking down. He knows he's lost the battle.

"And you're sure we can fool Pan?" I frown.

"I can help with that," Tinker Bell almost smirks.

"How?" I raise my brow.

"Pan banished me some time ago. I was envious of the attention he paid the Dark Faery." Tinker Bell winces as if the words hurt her to speak. "He believes me remorseful. I could use it to my advantage."

"Pretend to go back to Pan?" I clarify.

"I will tell him of your plan to capture the Dark Faery and he will believe himself a step ahead of you," Tinker Bell says proudly.

"Peter Pan will not expect me to double-cross him," Tinker Bell says.

My eyes flit to hers when she says this. I know we are both thinking the same thing.

"You have our every assurance the faeries will do all we can to aid your capture of Pan." Thorne speaks next.

"Once he's captured, where will he be? Where will you keep him?" Salt asks.

"I believe Skull Rock will be his final resting place," Tinker Bell answers.

"Fitting." I agree.

A silence blankets Golden Grove.

It feels good to have a plan –a course of action. Tinker Bell stares at me through her aura, glowing emerald green. I see the softness in her face; it's reassuring –as much as it can be.

"When will this take place?" Salt asks.

Tinker Bell tears her eyes from mine and looks sideways at Salt, like she's only just noticing his presence.

"We will find you," she says. "In a day or two, when Pan intends to cull again."

I nod. I can wait a day or two.

"Darling," Tinker Bell addresses me directly. "Pan will find you again. He will come for you. You must let him. You must make him believe you."

"I will," I breathe. I still see one minor flaw in the plan. "What about the Lost Boys? They'll never stop fighting for Pan."

"Let us worry about the Lost Boys," Dewdrop chirps.

"Worry about them?" Salt asks.

"They follow Pan because they believe in him. They're mesmerized by him. A little sprinkle of light dust should break that spell." Dewdrop's eyes twinkle.

"We cannot give up our hand or Peter Pan will suspect us. We will wait for the opportune moment to turn the Lost Boys," Tinker Bell assures us.

"It is decided," Thorne says, clapping his hands. "Tinker Bell will fly to Pan to plant the first seed."

Tinker Bell nods in agreement.

"Good luck," I blurt out. My cheeks flush.

Tinker Bell cocks her head, evaluating me –measuring my sincerity. The faery smiles ever so slightly. "And to you."

Tinker Bell lifts off from the perch, soaring up to the tree canopy and disappearing into the forest.

"Go now, Darling," the whimsical Wisteria says. "Go and wait for Pan."

I nod, bowing backwards from the faeries. We withdraw from the pseudo amphitheater that is the Grove Council. The air is still thick with faery dust, overwhelmingly sweet and powerful. Salt follows me to the hollow's edge. I notice he remains reticent, careful to avoid my eyes.

The gilded path leading to Golden Grove shrinks behind us and I am no longer intoxicated by the diamond dust. The air is fresh again, crisp. Breathable.

I wait until we are out of earshot before I speak to Salt.

"Well that was promising!" I beam.

Tinker Bell is on her way to Pan! The trap is already in motion. I can handle whatever comes my way. I am hopeful again. How silly and mundane of me. I feel like I'm walking on clouds.

Salt pulls my hand to keep me from walking past him. The jerk rips me from the clouds and I fall back to the ground.

I turn to face Salt, my cheeks pink and my skin prickling from his touch. He towers over me, glowering down as if he's actually on a high horse.

"You are impetuous, Darling," Salt says, warningly.

His eyes flood with the calm before the storm.

"I'm–"

"You're foolish. Have you forgotten Tink is the very faery who doubled-crossed you?" Salt accuses, his voice scornful.

"As if I could ever forget that," I spit, fuming. "She's the reason my brothers were left behind."

"Yet you're so willing to trust her again?" Salt shouts in disbelief. His fingers pull at his long hair.

"Yes." I yank my arm away from his grasp, seething. I can't explain why. "Not that it's up to you to decide whom I can and can't trust."

"How can you say that? After everything I've done for you. After we've–" He stops himself short.

"Yes?" I wrinkle my forehead.

What words could he want to speak?

"If this goes wrong –if anything happens to the plan. You'll be trapped on this island. Bound to Neverland forever," Salt tells me, incensed.

"A chance I'm willing to take, Salt." I whisper my resolve, desperate to make him see.

"You could never leave. Never travel –Never see the world," he murmurs.

"Your dreams." I remind him.

"What if you're part of those dreams, now?" Salt's eyes smolder like charcoal embers in a dying fire.

"Salthook," I pause. I'm hoping the full-naming isn't taking things too far. "I owe you so much. I owe you more than that even. I have to do this."

How do I explain that this feels like my destiny –like the last six years have been spent building up to this moment –that trapping Pan is the pinnacle of my existence?

Salt's demeanor shifts and his palms lift to cup my cheeks. Strands of russet hair tucked behind his ear escape and fall into his eyes.

"If we make it through this–" Salt stops.

"When we make it through this," I correct him. "And when that time comes, then we can discuss what's become of our dreams."

Salt's full lips pull into the smallest smile. A sad smile. "Agreed."