Everland(74)

Thunder rumbles ahead. A rusty old ladder leaning against a rocky alcove appears from the shadowed darkness; a small hole above it opens to a stormy sky. The flash of lightning illuminates the passage for a moment before plunging us into the dim light of Lily’s lantern.

“This leads into the gardens behind the palace. Follow the tree line toward the building,” Lily shouts over the crash of thunder. “It will take you to the northwest corner.”

“What about you?” I ask, my eyes fixed on hers.

Frowning, Lily nods. “I’ll be taking a nearby passageway just to the west. It ends several meters from the Jolly Roger. I’ll sneak aboard and prepare it for departure. When Pete, the Lost Boys, Bella, and your family arrive, we’ll leave for Northumberland.”

Pete, Lost Boys, Bella, and my family. No mention of me. She knows my plan, my secret. I’m sure of it. My chest wells with gratitude as she smiles weakly at me, acknowledging the unspoken words between us.

I nod. “So how are we getting inside to the courtyard?”

Another bolt streaks the sky, lighting Bella’s face. “That’s where I come in. We’re scaling the walls.”

My eyes dart toward Lily. “Scaling the walls? Of the palace?” I ask in disbelief.

“It’s the only way in without drawing the attention of the guards,” Lily says. “There are soldiers guarding every entrance.”

I peer up at the darkness beyond the opening. Lightning rakes across the midnight sky.

“The only trouble will be traveling in the darkness,” Lily says. “They’ll spot you right away with a lamp. With the cloud cover it’ll be hard to scale the wall without the moonlight.”

The corners of Bella’s mouth turn up and her blue eyes sparkle in the lamplight. “And that’s why you need me here. How do you think I travel by the rooftops at night? Lily, can you dim the lantern?”

Lily turns the brass knob, and the hiss of gas quiets until only a small flame remains. Bella’s face is shadowed in the dark, but even in the minimal light, I can see her chin tilted up toward the opening in the ceiling. Another roll of thunder rumbles the earth.

“Watch this,” Bella says. She pulls something from her pocket and blows a breath across the palm of her hand. Lightning brightens the cavern again. This time the air is filled with a metallic glitter, sparkling like the brilliant gold rays of a sunrise on a clear morning. The fine powder shimmers and floats to the ground.

“Gold dust,” Lily says, surprised.

“Pixie dust,” I correct.

Lily turns the lanterns back up and the floor sparkles in the dust’s luminescence.

Bella’s expression is bright with excitement. “That storm is close enough that we’ll have plenty of lightning to reflect off of the dust. I’ll go first and leave a trail for Gwen to follow.”

Lily whistles. “That’s bloody brilliant!”

Bella grins and starts up the ladder. “Come on, Gwen. It’s time for your first lesson.”

“Lesson?” I ask.

She winks, her long lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to teach you how to fly.”

“But you don’t have your wings,” I say.

Bella shrugs. “I don’t need wings for this adventure.”

Hesitantly, I follow her. I prop my elbows on the muddy ground and pull myself out of the narrow opening. We find ourselves near a small grove of trees. Two soldiers guard the garden entrance into the palace. Across the vast overgrown lawn in the far distance, torchlight surrounds a large silver zeppelin that hovers above a wooden ship fitted with propellers. A long ramp leads to the door, and dozens of soldiers are carrying crates and boxes into the vehicle. Other smaller zeppelins surround it.

“That must be the Jolly Roger,” Bella says, pointing to the largest ship, which is adorned with a skull-and-crossbones figurehead.

The faint smell of smoke and burnt wood carries on a cool breeze. A crack of thunder bursts through the air, followed by another bolt of lightning, casting the smoke-and-cloud-filled sky in an orange haze. Bella must smell it, too. She turns, facing the palace.

Beyond the palace walls, the city is ablaze.

Everland is on fire.

Bella watches the burning city and her bottom lip turns up in a pout, but she says nothing. A heavy sense of sorrow hangs in the air, mixing with ash as the city burns. The last thread of hope inside of me that believed England would one day be restored snaps. There is nothing left of London. All that remains is Everland, a city of sorrow, destruction, and embers. Although my heart severs in two, I remind myself of Northumberland, a light in the midst of despair.

“Ready?” I ask.

Bella nods and leads the way. We follow the line of trees to the northwest corner of the palace, keeping within the shadows. The palace roof towers above us, nearly three stories high.

“Are you sure about this, Bella?” I ask. “It seems so high. You could fall.”

“We will both be fine. Trust me,” she says with a sly smile.

Another crack of thunder startles me. Bella looks up at me, the light in the sky making her bright eyes appear almost green in its glow. She touches my trembling hands. “We have to hurry before the rain comes. I’ll go first and you follow behind.”

She crouches down and darts from the trees, paying no attention to the soldiers in the distance. I follow her lead. Bella grabs onto a stone in the wall and climbs effortlessly. When she reaches the top ledge of the building, she grunts as she pulls herself up, but her expression shows no hint of discomfort. She is the healthiest she’s been since I’ve met her.