Under the Wolf Moon: The Outcrossed Series, #2

By River J. Hopkins

After Oli goes through a portal into the Forgotten Forest, her brother is left behind to answer to the Steward of the Limmikin Throne. And as she makes her way through the strange new world and beyond, she discovers new truths about her family—including the existence of a long lost sibling. Once reunited in their own realm, the Locklears make a pact to find out what their parents have been hiding from them.

Meanwhile, other players are moving across the board. Evienne and Merys worry what it means that they can't divine any possible futures in their realm. Beth, an Ageless vigilante is in town seeking answers. An Unseelie spy has infiltrated the Pack. Then there's the return of an old friend—or enemy, depending on your point of view. In secret, Veda practices with her powers with varying results, and Harper begins to see things she shouldn't.

With new allies and foes on both sides, it's a race to find the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann. If Oli and the Pack can get their hands on all of them, they may just have a chance at stopping the walls between realities from breaking down. And as the Outcrossed untangle their own pasts, the Shadow Queen is readying her forces for an invasion, enlisting the help of a very old enemy who has no other choice but to take up her quest. But when the wolf moon rises over Birch Hollow, they'll all find out who is truly in control of the fate of the multiverse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: River J. Hopkins
• Release date: May 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393629849

River J. Hopkins

River J. Hopkins, bestselling author of SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT: A COLLECTION OF POETRY & SHORT STORIES, now presents a world—much like our own—with hidden depths, in THE OUTCROSSED SERIES. It’s a place rife with magic, curses, an ancient, brewing evil, and a prophecy that rests on the shoulders of a young woman and her twin brother. The worlds River creates are a mixture of mythologies, fairy tales, dark fantasy, horror, and science fiction. She writes for new adult—that weird stage between being a young adult, and full-on adulting—and adult audiences. Beyond writing, she is also a musician, an artist, a poet, and a cyborg. Growing up, there were books in every room in River's home. There were even shelves in the hallway. The same can be said of her current home. Ever since she can remember, she's been fascinated with mythology, lore, fairy tales, and legends. For the past decade, she has researched and dreamed and worked harder than she ever thought possible to begin piecing together a rich world full of magic, and twists on some stories you thought you knew. THE OUTCROSSED SERIES is just the first in what promises to be an ever expanding fictional multiverse.

Book preview

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—and was positive 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 was 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. And just 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 just 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, what was left was a twisted remnant that 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, and 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 just 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 saw the attack coming from behind until it was too late. There was the briefest of movements out of the corner of Oli’s eye, but before she could even open her mouth, something hard cracked down against her skull, and everything went black.

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 probably 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. The Queen had told Joe all those years ago that they’d been taken care of.

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.

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

He’d send out 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 children taken as newborns, 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 pup 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 to thwart his rise to royalty?

If her memories had returned, 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. 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 not Veda’s magic? 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. Just 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.

Apparently, Veda had gone through a portal with Thorne. 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 a bit. 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 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.

THE GOBLIN MARKET, AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME LATER

OLI

FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE eons, Oli floated in darkness. A song played off in the distance, but she couldn’t find it. And then she heard something else; a crowd.

That was certainly unexpected, so she moved toward it. As she reached her hand out, the world began to creep back into view—colors bleeding through the dark. She found herself in a pile of blankets inside what appeared to be a tent, like the one Evienne had at Mr. E’s. Oli scrambled to her feet and swung around. Besides herself, the tent was empty. At least, this part of it. It appeared to have several doorways. A tent with extra rooms? She had to admit, it was pretty cool.

What was concerning, though, was that her father and Nevermore were nowhere to be seen.

As she took in her surroundings—saturated in an ever-shifting cloud of sweet incense—a curtain ruffled behind her.

Ah, you’re awake, Princess.

She spun on a heel toward the voice and saw a small, blue man standing before her.

No, he didn’t appear to have come from space. What he did look like was something straight out of Lord of the Rings. And had he just called her Princess? Who exactly did he think she was?

Where am I?

He tugged on his pointed ear with a knobby knuckle and said, You’re in the tent of the King, Your Highness. He will be attending you shortly.

OK, she said, raising an eyebrow. She’d play along. Crossing her arms over her chest, she asked, And your name would be...?

He nervously bowed, and his wig almost flopped right off onto the floor. Oli had to stifle a laugh. After all, he couldn’t have been the one who jumped her in the Forgotten Forest, and she was sure he was terrified of her.

Forgive me, Wolf Princess. I am Winston, servant to the King of Hob, one of the seven Great Goblin Houses.

Winston?

Yes, my Lady.

Again, Oli had to suppress a giggle. Do you know why I’m here?

Just as her new friend opened his mouth to answer, another