A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(85)

“Fine,” Red agreed. “But if we get captured I’m volunteering Little Bo for target practice.”

Once all the monarchs had been disguised, everyone left the hall, following Alex outside to the front steps of the Fairy Palace. Three carriages were lined up in front of the Fairy Palace with two horses each.

King Chance, Queen Cinderella, and Princess Hope climbed into the first carriage with Queen Sleeping Beauty and King Chase. Queen Snow White and King Chandler joined Queen Rapunzel and Sir William in the second carriage. Froggy, Red, Emmerich, and Bree boarded the third carriage, and to Red’s dismay, were joined by Queen Little Bo Peep.

“Will someone please put me back inside the wolf’s stomach?” Red agonized.

“This is going to be a long trip.” Little Bo sighed and shook her head.

Bree stepped outside the carriage before the door was shut and gave Conner a massive hug. “Please stay safe,” she said.

The gesture made Conner turn bright pink. “Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I’m used to being in danger.”

Conner shut the carriage door behind her with a tap for good luck. Cinderella poked her head out of the first carriage to get Conner’s attention.

“I was just wondering if you’ve heard from my stepmother and stepsisters,” she asked. “Are they all right in the Otherworld?”

“Oh yeah,” Conner said. “The last time I talked to them Lady Iris and Rosemary had opened a diner and Petunia was working at an animal hospital. They seemed very happy.”

Hearing this made Cinderella very happy, too. Conner was glad he could provide her with a bit of joy before she departed on the secret path.

Jack and Goldilocks mounted the horses attached to the first carriage so they could keep watch as they traveled. Emerelda bewitched the carriages to drive themselves while Alex stood in front of the first carriage, ready to create her biggest enchantment yet.

“Okay,” Alex whispered to herself. “Here I go.”

Alex visualized the path as clearly as she could. She imagined it snaking through the kingdoms, never giving any indication of where it was headed and leaving no trace of where it had been. She touched the ground with the tip of her wand and a shimmering golden path appeared on the ground ahead of her. It was less than a quarter mile long and disappeared at both ends.

Jack and Goldilocks held the reins of the horses and the parade of carriages took off down the secret path. Alex joined Emerelda, Mother Goose, and her brother on the front steps and they waved the travelers off until the golden path and the carriages snaked out of sight.

Emerelda placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Your grandmother would be very proud of you.”

“I know,” Alex said sadly. She just wished she could have been there to see it.

Emerelda, Mother Goose, and Conner went back into the Fairy Palace. Alex was just about to turn and go with them when she saw someone she had completely forgotten about for the past few hours.

“Rook!” Alex said. He was peeking out from behind one of Rosette’s magically enlarged roses.

“Alex, are you coming inside?” Conner asked.

“Yes, I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, and ran into the gardens to see Rook. She pulled him behind a giant patch of tulips and threw her arms around his neck.

“Sorry to intrude again, I just haven’t seen you in a while and was worried. What were all those carriages for—” Rook said, but his cheerful expression quickly faded once he saw the seriousness in her eyes. “Alex, what’s wrong?”

“Everything,” she said, and fought back tears. She had held it together very well today, but Rook was the only person she didn’t feel like she had to be brave in front of. “My grandmother is sick and there’s an army that’s invaded and trying to take over the world!”

“What?” Rook said. “What do you mean there’s an army—”

Alex grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to look directly in his eyes. “You and your dad have to get as far away from here as possible,” she said. “You have to leave before you get hurt!”

“I hope this isn’t your way of letting me down gently,” Rook said, trying to make her laugh.

“I’m serious, Rook,” Alex said. “Please, you have to go! I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you! Promise me you’ll get out of here!”

“All right, all right. I promise to get my dad and we’ll leave.”

Alex sighed and looked to the ground. “Good,” she said. “I have to get back to the palace now; there are so many things we still need to plan.”

Rook looked at her with the saddest eyes Alex had ever seen. “But when will I see you again?”

“I don’t know. I’ll find you once all of this is over and done with. Now please go so I don’t worry about you on top of it all.”

Rook nodded. He kissed her on the cheek and then headed home.

Sitting behind the tulips, it was the first time Alex had been out of sight all day. She kneeled on the ground, closed her eyes, and just breathed. She had put on a good show for the fairies and the royals and her brother, but after seeing Rook, all the emotion built up inside her young body suddenly surged through her.

“Just breathe, Alex, just breathe,” she said to herself. “You can handle this, you can handle this.”