"I think I fall in love a little bit with anyone who shows me their soul. This world is so guarded and fearful. I appreciate rawness so much.

~ Emery Allen

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Alice's P.O.V

-

    "You were pretty good today," Peter says, slinging the quiver onto his back.
    I wipe the sweat from my forehead. "Thanks. I can't believe we managed to catch that wild boar."
    "Neither did I," he says. "We make a pretty good team."
    I bring my hand up to give him a fist bump, but he just stares at me with a confused expression on his face.

    I shake my head. "We'll work on that later."
    "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?" he asks me as we pass the camp's borders.
    "I think I'll just hang out with Ray and the boys."
    "They should be back from training by now," he says. "You know where to find me if you need me."

    "I'll see you tonight," I say.
    "See you tonight," he replies.

    I hear the sound of a guitar playing softly as I get closer to the tents. It's coming from the boys' tent. I open the tent flap and step inside. The music is louder here, and I can hear the faint sound of someone singing. The boy's voice is as smooth as honey and pleasant to the ears. Curious, I push the curtains aside and peer inside. It's Ray, singing.

"Oh no, my heart's against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck.
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet.
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm
in love now.

Kiss me like you wanna be loved
Like you wanna be loved
Like you wanna be loved
This feels like falling in love
Falling in love
We're falling in love

Yeah I've been feeling everything
From hate to love
From love to lust
From lust to truth
I guess that's how I know you
So I'll hold you close to help
You give it up

So kiss me like you wanna be loved
Like you wanna be loved
Like you wanna be loved
This feels like falling in love
Falling in love
We're falling in love

Kiss me like you wanna be loved
Like you wanna be loved
Like you wanna be loved
This feels like falling in love
Falling in love
We're falling in love..."

    "You have a lovely voice," I compliment.
    He was so caught off guard that he almost dropped the guitar.
    Ray scratches the back his neck. "Sorry, you left your guitar here the other day and I forgot to return it to you."
    "I didn't know you could sing, or play the guitar," I say.

    He gives me a shy smile. "That's nothing compared to your singing."
    "I beg to differ," I say, sitting on the bed next to him. "Your voice is amazing."
    He blushes. "T-Thanks."
    "Can you sing something for me?" I ask.
    "Sure, a-anything for you," he says nervously.

    I smile, and his face turns into a deeper shade of red.
    My eyes are on him as he strums the first few chords of "Tee Shirt" by Birdy.

    I clap when he's done singing. "That was beautiful. You should sing more often."
    "I don't like to sing that much," he says.
    "It's a shame," I say. "Your voice is really lovely."
    He smiles shyly. "Thanks."
    What's with Ray today? He's been acting rather odd.

    "Do you want to work on some songs with me?" Ray asks. "You don't have to but-—"
    "I thought you'd never ask," I reply, smiling.

****

    "What's your brother like?" I ask.
    "Smart. Really smart. Christian could name all the chemical elements in the periodic table at the age of six."
    "Sounds like someone I know," I say, thinking of Will.
    Ray looks like he wants to say something but he shakes his head, changing his mind.

    "There's something I didn't tell you about my Game with Peter," I confess. "It was more like a last minute addition to the deal."
    "What is it?" Ray asks, sitting up on the cot.
    "If I win the Game, I'll be able to bring you back home with me. You'll never have to see the Bloodlust Trio ever again, and you'll get to see your brother again." I say.

    "What about Cassie? And the twins?"
    "I've thought about it and I've decided to let them choose for themselves," I say. "I think it's better if they stayed here, because Peter can take care of them. But it's their choice to make."
    "You know they'll choose to go with you," he tells me. "You're like a mother to them, you might as well adopt them."

    "Is that even legal? I'm still a minor," I say.
    "It's just a thought." he says.
    "So does that mean you'll go with me?" I ask.
    "Yes," he says. "Yes. A thousand times yes."
    I laugh. "In that case, get ready to see your baby brother again."

-

Will's P.O.V (Back in England)

-

    I cry out as my foot comes into contact with the edge of the table leg. The sudden action makes me drop the book in my hand. Swearing, I catching it just before it hits the ground. That was close. I can feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest.
    Lewis makes an overdramatic gasp. "What's that I hear? Will Roberson swearing? Did I just step into the wrong dimension?"

    "Shut up," I say, rubbing my stubbed toe.
    "Dam," says Lewis. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"
    "The bloody book that's what!" I exclaim.

    "I've read it over a thousand times and I still can't figure out the hidden message," I say.
    "Will," Lewis says, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Will, calm down. How many times have you ever been unable to solve a puzzle? Like one time? Two—"
    "Zero!" I shout. "It's never happened before, and it's infuriating!"

    "Will, listen to me, it's completely normal to be unable to solve a puzzle." he says.
    "Not for me!"
    "Will, just because you can't slove this puzzle doesn't mean that you aren't smart," he says, calmly. "You're the smartest person I know!"
    How is he so calm?! The girl he loves is missing!

    I flashback to the last few days of me comforting him whenever he breaks down. I inwardly smile. He's doing the same thing for me now. I'm touched that he's trying his best to stay so calm when I know he's worried about Alice's well-being.

    I relax my tense muscles. "Thanks, Lewis."
    He smiles. "Take a break, Will. I'll tell you if I find anything new."
    "Alright," I say, rubbing my temple. "But just for a little while."
    "Sure."

-

Third Person's P.O.V

-

    "Alright, I've got good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?" Felix asks.
    The brunette thinks about it for awhile. "Bad news."
    "You aren't going to like it," he warns him.
    "Just tell me."
    "Okay, then," Felix says. "Our sources tell me that Ray has been making a move on Alice."

    He scoffs. "That kid's got a death wish."
    "You know there's more to that," Felix says.
    "I don't care what Ray thinks, Alice is mine," he snarls. "Maybe I'll have to teach him a lesson."
    "Maybe."
    "So what's the good news then?" he asks.

    "Will's so close to solving the book you left," Felix says. "He just needs to figure out what type of code you used."
    "The family will finally be reunited," Pan says.
    "Alice was be pissed."
    "I'll worry about that when they get here." he says, making a dismissive gesture with his hand.

    "So what now?" Felix asks.
    "Gather up the trio," Pan replies. "Ray needs to be punished."

****

    Felix watches in silence as the trio repeatedly kicks Ray in the stomach. He shakes his head, not approving of the way Pan punishes his boys. He'd say something to him but he prefers not step out of line.
    "That's enough, boys," Felix says, authority clear in his tone.
    They obey, leaving the training grounds.

    Felix takes a few steps foward. "Go clean yourself up, Ray."
    Ray spits on the ground, staining the soil crimson. "Why are you doing this, Felix?"
    "Because Pan asked me to," he replies plainly. "And my loyalty lies with him."
    "Why does he want her so badly?"

    "Why do you want her so badly?" Felix retorts, gesturing with his mace. "Pan has his reasons, those of which you'll never know."
    He shakes his head and sighs. "You'll stay away from Alice if you know what's good for you."
    And with that, Felix leaves the training ground to report back to Pan.

    Ray slowly gets to his feet, wincing as he does so. He wipes the blood off his face and proceeds to make his way to the nearest waterfall to clean up.

****

    Ray cups water in his palms and pours it over his face. It took him half an hour to scrub the dried blood and grime off his body. Sighing, he lies down onto the smooth cave ground to rest. He's only clothed from the waist down, his upper body remains bare.
    "I can't stay away from her, no matter how hard I try," he says outloud, his voice echoing off the cave walls.

    Suddenly, he hears the sound of footsteps approaching him. It's probably The Bloodlust Trio ready for a second round, Ray thinks bitterly. But the person who emerges from behind the vines surprises him.

    It's Alice.

-

Ray's P.O.V

-

    She gasps when her eyes land on me. "Ray! What happened to you?"
    I hears Pan's voice in my mind...
    Alice is not to hear of our conversation, and if she does, your brother will pay for it.
    "The Bloodlust Trio decided to pay me a visit," I say, wincing as I sit up. It's not technically a lie.
    "Is it always this bad?" she asks, kneeling down next to me.

    "No," I say, shaking my head. "Only on their bad days."
    "Ray, you have to tell Peter," she says, gently touching my face.
    "Lost Boys aren't supposed to let other people help them with their problems, that's Pan's rule."
    She scrunches up her face in disgust. "That's a stupid rule!"
    "Us Lost Ones have to live by that rule," I say.

    She sighs in defeat and looks at the gash on my forehead. "You shouldn't have to."
    At that moment I finally become conscious of how close we are to each other. The smell of roses are overwhelming. My eyes are focused on her lips as she talks. Oh how I yearn to feel those lips on mine.
    Stay away from Alice...

    Oh, screw it. I lean in and press my lips on hers. Her breath hitches in her throat and she becomes rigid. I immediately regret kissing her, what if she rejects me? What is she tells Pan? What if she— I'm jarred from my thoughts when Alice kisses me back. I cup her face in my hands and deepen the kiss. One of her hands is wrapped around my neck and the other is in my hair.

    I smile in the kiss. I wish I could freeze this moment. Right here, right now, and live in it forever. But all good things must come to an end as we pull back, gasping.
    Alice smiles, but the smile is wiped off her face as realization washes over her.
    Please don't tell me you hate me and never want to see me again, I beg silently.

    "Oh, Ray," she says sadly, her eyes shiny with tears. "Peter's gonna kill you."

-

Will's P.O.V (Back in England)

-

    "Lewis!" I shout, running to my room where Lewis is.
    Thank God that my mother and my stepfather are out of town. They would ask way too many questions, and I'm not ready for any questions.
    "Lewis, I figured it out!" I say, running into my room. "I know how to crack the code!"
    He sits up from my bed. "What? How?"

    "I was watching The Blind Banker —don't judge me for being a Sherlockian— when Sherlock started talking about drawings containing coded messages."
    He stares at me blankly.
    I roll my eyes. "The drawing is the message!"
    "Oh! Well let's decode it then," he says.

    I grab a piece of paper from my deak and the book, flipping it to the last page. I decide to start from the dots that make up her hair and work downwards. I start counting the amount of dots until I reach a gap. That makes one letter. I continue counting the dots until I find another letter.

    I work out the letters in my mind, assigning a letter to each dot as I write them down. One dot for the letter A, two dots for the letter B, three dots for the letter C, and so on. I stop at the eighth and last letter. The entire drawing repeats the same eight letters over and over again. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, but realization immediately washes over me the second I re-read the words I had written onto the paper.

    "How could I be so stupid!" I exclaim, hitting myself in the head. "It's so obvious!"
    "What?" Lewis asks. "What's so obvious?"
    "Look," I say, pointing at the two words I had written on the paper. The black ink sticking out on the white paper.
    Lewis peers at the words and we both read the decoded message outloud.

    "I believe."

    At that very second, the windows fly open.

-

Hey guys, what did you think of this chapter? No you aren't hallucinating, I did write two chapters in two days. All your comments inspired me to write another chapter and make it super long.

Thank you so so so so so much for blowing up my notifications yesterday, I had about 100+ notifications within a twenty-four hour period. And let's just say that my phone had a seizure and I had a mini heart attack.

I hope you guys liked this chapter because I worked so hard to write it. I never thought I'd be able to write a 2000 word chapter in less than 24 hours.

I'm gonna sign off this A/N with a big thank you to you guys, your comments really mean a lot to me. Ilyasm and I hope you guys have an amazing day!

~ Alice xx

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Team Ray, Team Peter, or Team Lewis?

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Vote, comment, rate, do whatever you want <3

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Edited: 23.11.2017