Under the Wolf Moon: The Outcrossed Series, #2

When Wolf Moon crests the winter sky,

The Outcrossed tale unfolds.

As the crystal snowflakes fall,

Inside and out; they grow.

And somewhere in the distance,

They’ll hear the feral call.

The pain of all existence,

Is seeded through it all.

The Knight of Twelve, the ringing bells,

The destined sword and spear;

The stone and cauldron, dragon’s fire,

And death to one held dear.

If both remaining Three of Three,

Choose the path of fear;

On the horizon, Shadow will fall,

With no one left to hear.

1 OUT OF SIGHT

HALLOWEEN NIGHT, BARD TOWER

MERYS

AS THE CLOUDS GATHERED in the sky, swallowing the blue moon, a small falcon wearing a crystal pendant landed on top of Bard Tower. When its feet touched down on the stone, it transformed into a thin man.

Frowning, he tucked the necklace into his shirt and straightened his bow tie. The Wizard stared at the fire in the distance, its smoke rising up and up and up. Then came the thunder. As it boomed overhead, he shivered, and an ill wind ruffled his hair.

He hadn’t been expecting the Shadow Queen’s presence in this realm. Not tonight, anyhow. Mab had already entered the portal, and Olexa followed her through. At least the girl wasn’t alone.

Breaker Diaz has gone to find the children, Merys Milner’s wife said from behind him. Though he hadn’t heard her arrive, he could always feel it in his heart when she was near.

And what then? The girl has gone through the door now. You said that the waters are unclear.

Evienne Du Lac nodded. The cards aren’t making much sense, either.

Sighing, Merys ran a hand through his floppy, brown hair. Not that it was any use with the current weather. He didn’t like not being able to see the paths ahead—wherever they may lead. His love shared the sentiment.

There had only been blank spots like this a few times in his long life. But this one scared him more than anything that had come before. Nothing ever frightened the most powerful Arcane of all Time. So what about the Outcrossed prophecy got under his skin so?

Lightning cracked and lit up the landscape. The eye of the storm was fast approaching. Merys thought he saw someone down below at the foot of the tower for a moment. But when he turned to take a closer look, there was no one there.

I must consult my books, he muttered.

His Lady understood. She had to get back to the Academy, anyway. So he gave her a kiss, and she teleported out of there.

Thunder cracked again, and a bolt quickly followed, illuminating everything. Out of the corner of his eye, the Wizard caught another glimpse of the hooded figure. But when he spun around, he was still alone.

Frowning, he straightened his waistcoat and stepped off the tower’s edge through a door in the air.

After he was gone, another bolt struck, and the cloaked stranger was once again momentarily visible, wielding a club-like staff. Then they, too, vanished.

JUST AFTER OLI WENT THROUGH THE DOOR, BIRCH HOLLOW CONSERVATION AREA

XANDER

AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, Xander stared down where his sister had been not a moment before. She was gone. So was the door leading into the Forgotten Forest.

Shit, he muttered.

Rain began to drizzle. A shadow had draped itself across the wide, New England sky, thunderously threatening to swallow them whole.

He shuddered. Only once before had he been separated from his sister like this—when he accidentally traveled to an alternate reality’s Birch Hollow—and he had no idea what to do next.

Behind him, Gideon finally caught up. "How did you get so much speed, cous’? Man. You’re faster than any Limmikin I’ve ever met, and you haven’t even had your first Wolf Moon. And...Wait, he said, looking around, Where’s your sister?"

Xander sighed. Oli was faster.

They walked back through the woods as the rain poured in earnest. It drummed against the branches and cold, forest floor, matching the tempo of his miserable mood.

You have to save her, his doppelgänger had said to him, It’s the only way to save everything. The words echoed on a loop in his head.

One job. He’d had one job and instead, let her cross a threshold into an entirely alien world.

Without him.

Awesome.

What’re we gonna do? he asked his cousin.

I bet the Wizard can help. Or Evienne. Maybe they can open a portal or some shit.

Xander could only nod. It was like everything was very far away and he was floating somewhere behind himself, watching his body walk off without him.

By the time the duo returned to the Spot, Ondine was sitting on a flat rock in her humanoid form. The kelpie and Finn were watching Dash’s wounds heal themselves. Soon, there wouldn’t be any evidence at all that the Limmikin girl’s back had broken when she hit that tree. She was conscious now and tried to sit when she saw the boys walking up.

Don’t move, wolfling, Ondine purred, You need to heal.

Finn squeezed Dash’s shoulder and came over to them.

What happened? Where’s Oli? he asked.

Xander shook his head. She’s gone. Explaining his failure again was exhausting. If he could still get migraines, he’d be having one. "I don’t know what happened. One second she and Nevermore were going through the door. The next; boom. Both gone. And there was someone else—another Limmikin—who went through before them."

For a moment, an odd, uncomfortable look passed between Gideon and Finn. Then his cousin changed the subject.

We’ve gotta find Merys and Evienne, he said.

The water horse perked up. The Wizard and the Lady should be at the Academy.

Veda stood from where she’d been sitting by the water. You mean Ambrose, right? I’m going there next year. But I don’t exactly know where it is.

I do, Ondine said, I can take a message to them if you’d like.

Better yet, the girl said, Can you bring me?

Then the elf spoke up. I should accompany you, Miss Biruk, he said, then turned to the others, And friends, we left Harper in her car out by the road.

Xander hadn’t even noticed Thorne perched up on a tree branch. Leaping down with the grace and skill of a cat, he strolled to the Arcane’s side. What a weird little dude.

Harper thought he was a figment of her imagination for most of her life. How alone she must’ve felt.

Slipping back into the water, the kelpie said, You’ll have to hold your breath. And whatever you do, don’t let go of me as we travel.

Before their eyes, she transformed into her water horse form, and Xander had to admit she was quite a sight. Shimmering scales like green opals shone between strands of her seaweed mane. She chuffed and cocked her head to the side as if to ask, You coming or not?

After watching his Arcane friend and Thorne get on Ondine’s back and dive down under the water, he and Finn helped Dash to her feet. She leaned on them as they made their way to where their human friend had parked. Gideon took the lead.

Halfway there, a large coyote stopped in their path. It was the same one Xander and Oli had seen before all of this—he could tell because it was missing an eye. Like Ondine moments ago, the beast transformed into a woman. The change didn’t look as painful as he’d expected. From all those horror movies and shows, he’d assumed every shift would be hell. This woman was fully clothed, too. How was that even possible? Was she so fast he hadn’t seen her get dressed? Or do your clothes shift with you when you morphed?

"You kids need to come with me. Now. The Council is waiting," the coyote woman said.

Yes, ma’am, Miss Diaz, Gideon replied, motioning for the other two to follow.

The Limmikin Council? Big yikes. Xander didn’t do well under scrutiny. His stomach flopped like a poorly made book-to-film adaptation.

Surely they would help him to get his sister back.

...Right?

JUST AFTER GOING THROUGH THE DOOR, THE FORGOTTEN FOREST

OLI

THERE WAS AN UNMISTAKABLE click of a lock behind her, and Oli swung around. The door she’d traveled to the Forgotten Forest through had disappeared.

Well, she said as Nevermore landed on her shoulder, "That isn’t a good sign."

The Druid sighed. Portals are fickle creatures. Who knows why they do what they do when they do it?

Then, behind them, someone cleared their throat. It was a familiar sound. Something she never thought she’d hear again. When the girl turned back around, the Limmikin they’d followed through the doorway had changed back into his human form.

Inhaling sharply, she froze. He looked not a day older than he had the last time she’d seen him. Though, from what Evienne had told her and Xander in the library’s hidden, magical wing about werewolves and aging, she wasn’t surprised. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

Dad? she asked, voice cracking. Tears, unbidden, welled in her eyes.

I’ve missed you so much, Puck replied with that broad smile she’d often dreamed about.

As rivers streamed down her cheeks, her face darkened. Ten years, she said, barely containing her rage and hurt.

This obviously wasn’t the response he’d been expecting. His smile faltered, and he moved closer, holding his arms out to embrace her. "Oh, Olexa. I’m so sorry."

"Don’t touch me! she shouted, recoiling and wiping at her face with her sleeve, You don’t just get to hug me and make it all better. You left. No letter, no goodbyes, no nothing. You just...you were gone. Practically dead to us. And what mom has gone through mourning you? No. You don’t get to do that."

Now tears flowed freely down his cheeks, as well. At a loss for words, his hands fell back to his sides.

"I should hate you. I should hate you so much. We worried about you. We wondered if you ever even cared. And why did you leave us, Dad? How could you do that to us?" She pounded a fist against her chest, her heart. Then the dam broke, and she was sobbing.

Well, Nevermore said, hopping down to the grass, This is awkward.

Without waiting for his daughter to protest again, Puck swiftly moved forward and wrapped his arms around his little girl for the first time in a decade. At first, she almost pushed him away, but then she leaned her head on his shoulder and her tears soaked into his sleeve.

The bird sighed and shifted from one foot to the other. We should find the Caretaker.

Puck nodded and said, He’ll be around here somewhere.

After exiting the embrace, Oli wiped her eyes again and finally took in her surroundings.

There were trees as far as the eye could see, each a different kind, a different shape. But the leaves were strange, white, and decidedly not leaves. She looked up, and hanging from the nearest branch were typed pages. But as she reached to grab one, Nevermore flew up and squawked in her face.

What? she asked, backing off, hands up in surrender.

These trees are sacred. You cannot pluck the pages from them without terrible consequences, their avian friend explained, "Every tree represents a soul in the multiverse. Every branch, a timeline. Every page, the story of someone’s life."

How could a forest contain trees for everyone? There couldn’t possibly be enough room.

This time Puck spoke up. The Forgotten Forest is just a small corner of the Midlands. There’s also the Endless Forest, the Forest of Souls, the Grove of Life, and on and on. No one knows exactly how large this realm is, but the suns never set. Some say there are twelve of them, and they go around the planet rather than the other way around.

Oli was incredulous, but as she looked up, there sure were many stars in the sky. If it weren’t for the canopy of rustling pages, she’d be squinting to see anything besides the light. Even the grass at their feet was pale gold, shimmering in the sunbeams. Meanwhile, the rivers that ran in every direction were the clearest sapphire blue she’d ever seen. At the bottom, the rocks were a myriad of colors, bleached by the sunlight. It was strange, though. The water didn’t all flow in one direction like you’d expect it to. It was as if it was alive, all around them.

A page drifted down from above to land at her feet. She knelt to inspect it, but it turned to ash the moment it touched the grass.

What the—? Oli began to ask, and the trio turned as more pages fluttered around them.

The tree they came from rapidly turned gray, and all its pages detached from its shriveling branches. Once it had shed every word, the twisted remnants also turned to ash and blew away in the breeze.

If that tree had been a soul...the Limmikin girl shuddered. That can’t be a good sign, either.

Her father shook his head. No, it’s really not.

Another fallen soul, erased from the multiverse, said a voice behind them.

The three jumped, and Nevermore fluttered up to Oli’s shoulder again.

In what looked like a gondola was an old man in a hooded robe. All the lines on his face indicated he’d smiled a lot in his time. And in his eyes, she saw that he was more ageless than any vampire she’d met. He was impossibly old.

Caretaker, Nevermore said, bowing her head in reverence.

Oli and her father followed suit, and the man smiled. Haven’t had any visitors worth talking to recently. It’s nice to see some familiar faces. I’ve been waiting a long time for you three to return.

Sorry, sir, but I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else, Oli replied.

The Caretaker laughed and shook his head. I never forget a soul.

But I’ve never been here before.

He nodded, Maybe not, but another you has. She had silver eyes, though.

Her brow furrowed. Didn’t the alternate reality versions of the twins have irises that color?

Caretaker, Puck cut in, We need to get to the Shadowlands.

He sighed and shook his head. Don’t you, always? Fine. Hop in.

Oli took up at the opposite end of the boat from their ferryman while her father sat in front. Nevermore stayed on Oli’s shoulder but dug her nails in a little.

Ow, the girl said, Loosen up, will ya? I think you’ve drawn blood.

Sorry, her Druid friend said, hopping into her lap instead, But if you’re against the talons, would you, please...hold onto me?

Oli snorted and tried not to laugh. Excuse me?

Ruffling her feathers, Nevermore shifted from one foot to the other. "I’m not exactly happy about it."

Shrugging, the wolf girl wrapped her arm around the bird. Better?

I sure hope so.

Before she got a chance to ask why she needed to hold onto her friend, the Caretaker touched his oar to the water. Then, they shot off like a rocket down the labyrinthine rivers that ran through the soul trees of the Forgotten Forest.

With her free hand, Oli found herself gripping so tightly onto the side of the boat that her knuckles were white. She tried not to crush it with her considerable strength.

Puck, however, sat before them; a statue. Holding on, but not with fright. In fact, it looked like he may have even been smiling. As the wind whipped his hair around, she thought she even heard him let out a laugh, and something broke inside of her because now she was grinning, too. She had her father back and couldn’t wait until they got home. Just seeing the looks on her brother and mother’s faces would be worth all of this.

One thing was really bugging her, though. That girl at the Spot; she’d looked exactly like Oli. All except the short hair and the outfit. She’d been in some Peter Pan-looking nonsense. Her double hadn’t even had shoes on. Did she go wandering around everywhere barefoot? Who would do that? In the woods, no less. Maybe she’d been a trick of the Shadow Queen’s. Could she make copies of people? Shadow copies? It wouldn’t be the strangest thing Oli had experienced since she moved to Birch Hollow, and it would definitely not be the last. She’d come to the conclusion a while ago that anything and everything was possible.

Just as abruptly as it had started, their aquatic journey came to a halt. The boat shook, and Puck helped his daughter hop onto the shore. He also assisted the Caretaker, who thanked him and reached underneath his robes to pull forth a large key-ring. Curiously, they were reminiscent of the ones Evienne had. Or the one the Limmikin girl left at home in her bedroom.

As all their focus was on him, no one heard several people come up behind them until one of them cleared their throat.

When she turned, five blue-skinned people were standing there.

Boo, one of them said with a wide-toothed grin.

Oh dear, the Caretaker said, Not again. He stepped back into his boat.

Before Oli knew what was happening, her father shapeshifted into his wolf form and lunged for the two in the middle. Though he managed to knock them to the ground, a couple of them were already heading for her.

Nevermore flew up in the face of the fifth attacker and flapped her wings at him while shouting the words, Daeuth gwahn!

He screamed as he flew backward into one of the streams. The Caretaker snapped his fingers, and the water carried the assailant away.

All of this happened in a very few moments, and while it did, no one noticed the last two goblins shove Oli into a sack and run off deeper into the forest.

STILL HALLOWEEN NIGHT, THE LIMMIKIN COURT

XANDER

AS FREAKED OUT AS HE was, this place was a wonder. The floor beneath his feet was made of blue sandstone, and the walls were lined with blooming vines and flowers with light bulbs growing right out of the center of each. Even with all this beauty, Xander could only think about his sister—and what waited beyond the tall, intricately carved doors at the end of the hall.

He hoped Oli, Nevermore, and that mystery Limmikin were all safe. There was no way his sister was dead; he’d know the moment it happened. It was a twin thing. Or maybe it was just a them thing.

Sweating, he wiped his hands on his costume. They all looked ridiculous. Imagine going before someone who is—for all intents and purposes—a King, dressed for a Halloween dance? Goofy as hell.

Hearing someone sniffling, he turned and saw Dash trailing behind, wiping tears from her face. So, he fell back from the rest of the Pack and Miss Diaz and waited for his friend to catch up.

I’m sorry, he said when she met his eyes. He fell into step beside her, and she looked back down at her feet, hugging herself with both arms as she walked.

"You know, I had this awful feeling that Jaren was gone. Ever since the other night at Mr. E’s, he was just...nowhere. Looks like I was right."

Now tears welled in his eyes, too. He tried to blink them away, but it was futile. For a moment, the guilt that his sister was alive while her brother was not twisted his stomach.

I wish I could say something that’d help, he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. It was as much of a surprise to her as it was to him, but neither flinched. "Just know that we’re here for you. Here with you. We’re a Pack, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let what happened to Jaren happen to any more of us."

Dash stopped walking for a moment, and he hung back with her. The rest of them were still going.

She threw her arms around him.

Thank you. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without that loser. Then she pulled back and searched his eyes before lowering her voice to a whisper. But what are we gonna do about your sister and the bird? And who was that girl who looked like her?

Xander shook his head. "I have no idea. Times two. But I have seen other versions of Oli before."

She remembered. He’d told his friends about the other realities a couple of times now. Thinking about that other world made him shiver; the Alternaworld, where everyone was dead or hiding from the monsters that roamed the streets. Feral beasts. Not like the majestic Limmikin he’d seen. They must’ve been Berserkers—humans infected with the bite or scratch of a were.

Had Mab kidnapped a version of them from another world? The girl’s eyes had been green, like the twins, so she couldn’t have been the silver-eyed one from the other place. Though, truthfully, there was probably an incalculable number of universes touching theirs. She could’ve been stolen from any of them.

Another thing that worried him was that if Oli couldn’t figure out a way to get the spear back from Mab, they were fucked. The Pack had had one advantage over her, and they’d let it slip from their hands. Or rather, from those of their ally, Ondine.

Come on, guys, Gideon called out. The rest of them were pretty far ahead now, so Xander and Dash decided they’d talk again when there weren’t so many strangers around.

Breaker swung the double doors open as soon as they caught up, and the kids followed her into the hall. The ceiling was taller here, and the table before them seemed to have been grown out of the floor. Seated around it were people with younger faces than he was expecting. Though, he didn’t know why. Hadn’t Evienne told them that Limmikin stopped aging at a certain point? Xander recognized some of them from town, and they definitely hadn’t always looked this young. He almost didn’t realize one of them was his Uncle Samoset.

Are these the last generation? I thought there were more of them, the man in the tallest chair said. It was Kyle’s dad, Joe Jenkins.

Breaker nodded. Oli followed the Shadow Queen into the Midlands. And your son... he’s with Mab now.

The Steward of the Limmikin throne gripped the arms of his chair until the wood cracked, revealing green below; it was still alive, somehow.

We will deal with the traitor. Sam, he said to Xander’s uncle, Gather a few wolves and set up a patrol. The boy has to return at some point.

Without a word, Sam stood and turned to leave. But not before giving his nephew and Gideon a nod.

Now, the Steward said, Which one of you is the Locklear?

Xander stepped forward and said, That’d be me. Um, your...Stewardness.

Joe rolled his eyes and said, Sir is fine. You are the son of Pocasset True-Sword Locklear, heir to the Limmikin throne, are you not?

That was a surprise. And heir? Him? My sister is older.

"Until she’s here in front of me, you’re the heir. She could be dead for all we know."

But she wasn’t. She couldn’t be.

The Steward stood and leaned on the table. You’ll be prepared for the crown. And Breaker, you’ll plan the coronation ceremony. Since that evil bitch decided to burn the school down, you’ll all be attending virtual classes here, where you’ll be safe. We’ll find a suitable room for you kids to set up in and ensure you’re well-protected at all times, even outside the Compound.

This was happening way too fast. Was there a rewind button somewhere? How was his mother gonna feel about werewolves keeping guard over their house?

As you say, Sir, Breaker said and ushered the kids out in a hurry while a murmur rose amongst the Council.

There was something off about Joe Jenkins. Hostility leaked from him in torrents. Especially when he mentioned the coronation and whatnot. It wasn’t like Xander wanted to be King.

Giving his friends a look, they understood what it meant; the Pack needed a plan.

And he needed Oli to come back. Stat.

JUST BEFORE DAWN THE NEXT DAY, THE HILL OF TARA, COUNTY MEATH, IRELAND

THE CLOAKED MAN

WHEN THE STRANGE MAN appeared on the hill, a few sheep grazing nearby bleated and scattered. Clouds gathered, rolling across the lightening sky, darkening it again. He walked with purpose toward the standing stone atop the Hill of Tara, his black cloak flapping against his tall, bat-like staff.

The Queen of Shadows had sent him on this mission because he was the only one she knew with magic enough to do it. And though she’d been the one to curse them so long ago, his magic had never left like it had his kin. That made him more powerful than many of them. The Ageless Druid did not know why the hex hadn’t affected him as much as the others, but he stopped asking that question centuries ago.

The wind was picking up, and the first boom of thunder sounded overhead. It was perfect for his purposes. Storm magic was powerful and his favorite of all the nature magics. He’d brought this one with him from Birch Hollow.

A flash of doubt crossed his mind as he swept over the grass. Was he angering nature by serving Mab? Perhaps tempting fate? But what had nature given him in return for his centuries of service as one of its sacred guardians? Was he helping bring greater harmony to all the realms, or was it chaos?

When he reached the Stone of Destiny, he placed one hand on it and frowned. It was a replica. That meant the real one was still out there somewhere. But he’d find it. He had to.

Stepping back, he slammed his staff into the hill as thunder rolled again above. Lightning flashed once, and the man was gone, leaving the false Lia Fáil and the misplaced storm behind.

2 OUT OF MIND

THE NEXT MORNING, THE STEWARD’S CHAMBERS, THE LIMMIKIN COMPOUND

JOE

THIS WAS NOT GOOD. A Locklear had returned to the fold. All those years ago, the Queen had told Joe they’d been taken care of. This meant his own people had been keeping secrets from him. Puck had family here in the Hollow. They had to have known their kin lived.

As he raged, the Steward paced back and forth in his room, hands folded behind his back and a frown on his face—which was not all that different than his resting face.

Looking in the mirror for a moment, he was met with the same deep brown eyes as his traitorous son. He couldn’t tell if he were angry or impressed that the kid went behind his back and aligned himself with the Queen of Shadow. After all, he was in league with her as well, wasn’t he? And what was a traitor but someone on the wrong side of things? Once the Locklears were finally wiped from the face of the Earth, the Limmikin throne would be his, and maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible to have his son by his side.

As he closed his eyes, Joe could almost feel the cold metal of the crown resting against his freshly shaved scalp.

He’d send his own people to take the girl out as soon as she returned. If she did. You never could tell with a Locklear.

Metacomet, Puck’s father, had been a tyrant. When Mab had the newborns taken, though, the Prince disobeyed dear old dad’s advice and went right ahead and rescued the runts. Two out of three, anyway. The third stayed behind in the Shadowlands, raised in the dark halls of Castle Umbra, unbeknownst to most.

But Joe had struck a deal with the Queen. The deaths of the Locklears and the O’Neills, in exchange for the crown. He would be King. The Steward deserved it. Him, not some green mutt who hadn’t even been through his first Wolf Moon yet.

As he continued to pace, a sickening thought halted his steps again; What if Ryanne remembered? What if she came for him? Could it be possible that was why she and her spawn had returned? What if it was all part of a plan to thwart his rise to royalty?

The moment his spy told him there was a living O’Neill in town, he’d gone to the old man’s house, himself and killed him. He thought that was the end of it. Of course, it wasn’t. The word went around that Ryanne was returning. Sam spoke to him, personally, and told him not to mention anything of the Arcane world to her, or it might break the memory spell. Joe was actually relieved to hear this.

So, if her memories had returned now, she’d know what he did.

Was this all part of that horrible prophecy, the one the Wizard had once warned him about? If it were, perhaps he’d be doing all the realms a service by having Puck’s offspring killed.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON, BIRCH HOLLOW CENTER

HARPER

FINDING A SPOT IN THE shade of the fountain, Harper Darrow set her purse down and sat beside it. She took her sunglasses off for a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose. Another migraine was coming on. Ever since that night at the carnival, she’d had them on and off. At first, she thought it might’ve been a reaction to whatever they had been dosed with. But it didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense anymore.

Why had the magic drug worked on her, but Veda’s magic hadn’t? It was maddening.

Putting her sunglasses back on, she leaned over her purse, rifling through it.

Where are you? she asked the contents. Grumbling, she still couldn’t believe her friends had just left her sitting in her car, wondering what the fuck happened to everyone. Eventually, Xander had picked up his phone. She was still parked on the edge of the road when he’d answered. And it was well past sundown by then.

Apparently, Veda went through a portal with Thorne and a kelpie. Oli was gone, disappeared through a different portal—not confusing or anything. And Jaren was dead. So, that was seriously messed up. Dash had gotten injured, but she was already healed. And Xander said that Luke might have been in the school when it went up in flames. Vampire barbecue.

The thought of burning to death was something that had always terrified her more than anything else.

On top of everything, they’d lost the spear to Mab. Harper felt sick about it all.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she had the unmistakable feeling that someone’s eyes were on her. When she turned, a young man was standing outside the bank across the way. Just staring at her. Not even hiding it. Then, for a moment, his skin turned a robin’s egg blue, and there were noticeable points to his ears. The shock of it made her stand up, and without really knowing what she was doing or why, she started running toward him.

She was halfway across the street when a car horn blared to her right. Freezing like a deer in headlights, her entire freaking life flashed before her eyes. The car slammed on the brakes and stopped about an inch short of hitting her. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she spun, looking for the strange, blue man. But he wasn’t there.

Vaguely, she was aware of a man stepping out of his car, screaming at her. Without listening, she turned around and started walking back home, brow furrowed. As she turned a corner, she slammed right into someone’s chest.

The world came rushing back in, and a familiar face stood before her. It was Gideon’s father, Samoset Little.

Are you all right? he asked.

She smiled and shook her head, her red curls bouncing as she did. Sorry, Mr. Little. I was just stuck in my own head. Her smile faltered as his face glitched for a moment. One second, he was as he always had been. The next, he looked about twenty years younger. Then back to normal again. Was this something to do with reality glitching out? The walls coming down or whatever like that evil queen was planning?

Are you sure? Do you need a ride home? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

Harper let out a nervous laugh and said, Yeah, something like that. I’ll be fine.

She lied.

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDLANDS, AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME LATER

OLI

THE GOBLINS OPENED up the bag and unceremoniously dumped Oli onto the ground.

What the hell, man? she said to the closest one. It was the only thing she could think of, at the time.

Instead of answering, he grunted and grabbed her arms. The other one started wrapping rope around her wrists. It wasn’t just any rope, either. There was some kind of thin, metal wire woven into it. It burned her skin, and she gritted her teeth. Didn’t look like silver. More like iron. It made her frown. That didn’t make any sense. And yet, her skin sizzled where it touched her. Werewolves weren’t supposed to be allergic to iron.

You think we’ll get a reward? the first goblin said to the other.

Extra rations might be nice, the second replied.

Oli sighed. Go on, just keep on acting like I’m a piece of furniture. That’s fine.

She took the time to look around. The trees were different here; older and taller, with time-yellowed page-leaves. Even the grass was a different color. Instead of the pale gold it was where she’d come through from Birch Hollow, it was now silver that shimmered like diamonds under the light of a dozen suns.

The only thing she was sure of was that she was grateful for her super-healing abilities. The cramps she’d developed from being carried around in a sack were already dissipating.

While the goblin men argued about where the door back to the Shadowlands was, Oli spotted some movement behind the trees surrounding them. Casually, she looked in every direction. There was a whole group of someones watching them. Since her captors didn’t seem to hear her when she spoke, she figured it would be useless to warn them. Instead, she got comfy and waited.

As the strangers crept closer, she could see they were wearing leather and mail armor. It wasn’t as sparkly as the silver-diamond grass, but it glinted in the sunbeams. They also appeared to be goblins.

One of the warriors tapped her arguing captors on the shoulders, said, Boo, and slammed their heads together. They went down like two very large sacks of potatoes.

Oh no, look out behind you, Oli muttered under her breath with a snort.

Is you OK? one of her rescuers said as he undid her bindings, peeling them away from her burnt skin.

I’m good now. Thank you all, I dunno how I woulda gotten away from them, and— she paused and looked around as her wrists already started to heal before their eyes, I don’t really know where I am, or how to get back to my father and my friend.

The lady goblin came forward after tying her captors up, back to back, and stuffing them both in the sack they’d carried Oli in. It was a tight squeeze. We dunno who you is, but you smells like a shifter to me. We ain’t seen too many o’ yous around lately, but theys always been good to the Hob.

Well, thank you. I’m Olexa Locklear. My father is Pocasset Locklear of the Limmikin, and my mother is Ryanne O’Neill, not that you’d know who she is. Unless you read a lot of horror and dark fantasy.

A murmur went up between the goblin warriors, and that surprised her a little.

We’s better takes ya to the King, milady, another of them said to her.

It was a better option than sticking around in one spot. Who knows if there were more of the Shadow’s minions out there looking for her?

Take me to your leader, then, I guess, she said. What other choice did she have?

They let her walk freely, but took up guard on all sides. This was a bit odd. She was clearly not a prisoner. What she was being treated like was