Page 64 of The Never Queen

“I think he’s dead,” Mom says. “Winnie. Come on.”

I finally let go.

Mom and I scramble up and peek around the doorway.

There’s a hallway that runs straight ahead, and another to the left. I spot a few more doors, all closed.

We have a fifty-fifty chance of guessing right, so I grab Mom’s arm and tug her forward, straight ahead. When we get to the end of the first hall, it turns to the right, but here it opens up to a larger room.

Together, we edge along the wall until it comes to an end. Voices filter out, echoing in a large space. I think we’re in an old warehouse, judging by the feel and layout of the place. There’s still the smell of oil and grime in the air.

I duck down and check around the corner.

Witch Killers are gathered in the center of the large receiving area. Several folding chairs are sitting in a loose circle. There’s a table shoved up against one wall piled high with books and stacks of paper. Tackled and taped to the wall above are pictures of me, along with grainy, blurry pictures of Vane and the twins. There are images of Pan too, but all of them are pencil sketches, as if no one has been lucky enough to capture him on film.

The hallway ends on a window, but there’s no coverage to give us time to open it and shimmy out. There are what look to be several exit doors on the receiving area, but the Witch Killers stand between us and them.

Gesturing to Mom, we backtrack.

“Let’s try the other way,” I whisper to her when we pass our holding room again.

At the other end of the hall, we following several twists and turns until we emerge into a large shipping and receiving area. It’s dark, quiet. There’s a closed garage door down a ramp, but next to it is a man door.

Relief wells up, but I try to keep it tamped down. Not until we’re free. Not until we’re in the open night air.

We quietly make our way across the smaller receiving room, but right before I reach out for the doorhandle, Gretel steps in front of me.

“Impressive,” she says. “If you weren’t tainted by Myth Maker power, I might even be willing to train you, Winnie.” And then she punches me in the face.

32

BASH

Kas and I watch the warehouse from a distance. There is a Witch Killer or two coming and going from a man door on the west side of the building. That seems like their main point of entry, but there are at least three other doors by our count, plus at least four bay doors.

We’re crouched in a line of trees beyond the perimeter of the cracked and pitted parking lot when Pan, Vane, and Hansel land beside us.

Hansel has to step aside and double over, his hands on his knees, sucking in air.

“His first time flying?” I ask, half joking.

“I just need a minute,” he says.

Pan smiles to himself.

I find it funny that he tried to get a rise out of his de facto father-in-law. If we survive this, all four of us are going to have to reorient ourselves around Darling’s new life. Her father is one of the most famous men in the Seven Isles. I know the Witch Killers are trying to wipe her out, but that’s just a byproduct of theirtwisted way of thinking. When it comes right down to it, Winnie Darling might be one of the most powerful women in the Seven Isles realm. She sure as hell has enough clout to swan her way into any room and instantly command attention.

I know she’d deny it. She’ll pretend she’s small and weak. But eventually she’ll have to embrace it. She’s practically destined for the top.

“You get the stones?” I ask Pan.

Vane digs them out of his pocket and hands me and Kas each one.

“How do we know if they work?” my brother asks.

“If they don’t work,” Vane says. “Then we just go in there swinging.”

“Solid plan.” I toss the rock up and catch it as it falls. It’s light, smooth and slightly warm to the touch.