A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(88)

“I want you to listen to Conner and Alex and do exactly what they say, fly very carefully, always be aware of the sky around you, and make sure every landing is as safe and secure as possible,” she instructed him. “In other words, do everything you don’t usually do for me.”

Lester nodded, and ruffled his feathers, making them nice and fluffy for their upcoming flight.

“Are you sure you’re up for this, Lester?” Conner asked. “We could take one of those enchanted swans if you’re having any hesitations.”

Lester opened his beak and glared at him—insulted just by the thought of it. He grabbed his own reins with his mouth and shoved them into Conner’s hand. He was definitely ready for this.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Conner said with a laugh. He and his sister each swung a leg over the large goose. They sat on his back with Conner in the front.

“Our first stop is the Troblin Territory, Lester,” Alex said. “And after what I hope will be a successful visit, we’ll be on our way to the Elf Empire.”

“Who’s in charge of the Elf Empire?” Conner asked.

Mother Goose huffed uneasily just at the mention of it. “Elvina the Elf Empress,” she said.

“She’s not a friend of yours, I take it,” Conner said.

“Just be cautious around her,” she warned them. “Empress Elvina is just as cunning as she is beautiful. She’s like a poisonous flower, pretty and peaceful on the outside but dangerous on the inside. Don’t let her fool you; no matter what she promises, her loyalty will always be to her own people before it is to the greater good.”

Conner gulped. “Poisonous flower, gotcha,” he said.

“Elves are very sharp and known for their long memory—and boy, can they hold a grudge,” Mother Goose continued. “They’ll be very hesitant at first to cooperate but don’t let it dishearten you. They’ve never forgiven the Fairy Council for not including them in the Happily Ever After Assembly and have not talked to us since.”

“If they haven’t talked to you in so long, what makes you think they’ll talk to us?” Alex asked.

Mother Goose shrugged. “Beats me,” she said. “Good luck, kiddos. I’ll be right here as soon as you get back.”

Her words of advice did the opposite of comforting them. Lester took a few steps backward and stretched out his wings. He waddled forward and began flapping until he and the twins lifted off the balcony and flew into the sky. Soon Mother Goose and the Fairy Palace were out of sight.

“Who would have thought you and I would be saving the world again so soon after the last time,” Conner said with a nervous laugh to break the tension.

“I always hoped the portal between our worlds would re-open somehow, but never at this price,” Alex said. “It’s like an eye for an arm is our trading standard.”

“I know what you mean,” Conner said, and thought of something to lighten their spirits. “Do you ever think about what our lives would be like if we had never discovered the Land of Stories? Do you ever wonder what you and I would be doing right now if Grandma and Dad weren’t from the fairy-tale world?”

Alex smiled at the thought. “I’d probably be thinking about colleges and careers instead of wars and battles.”

Conner laughed at his own prediction. “And I’d just be trying to survive Algebra, not an army of thousands.”

His sister laughed along but her smile quickly faded. They had experienced many extraordinary things but had also given up a lot because of who they were.

“Think of all the normal teenage things we could be experiencing,” she said with a sigh so heavy it was obviously carrying more than one thought. “After this chapter of our lives, I wonder if I’ll ever enjoy anything without the constant fear of losing it.”

“By the way,” Conner said, reading between the lines of what his sister was saying. “Who was that guy you were talking to last night in the fairy gardens?”

Conner felt his sister’s body tense up behind him. “What are you talking about?” Alex said, attempting to play dumb. “The boy in the gardens? Oh, you’re talking about Rook Robins—the farmer boy from the Eastern Kingdom. He’s just a friend I made recently.”

“Rook Robins?” Conner said. “He sounds like a baseball player. Are you sure he’s just a friend?”

For a reason he couldn’t explain, Conner instantly disliked everything about the guy.

“Oh please, Conner,” Alex said defensively. “As if I’ve had time for anything like romance while joining the Fairy Council and leading the Happily Ever After Assembly into a war.”

Alex hated lying to her brother but she would never hear the end of it if he knew the truth, especially if he knew Rook was one of the reasons she had missed his attempts at contacting her while he was in Germany. Conner was glad Alex was sitting behind him so she couldn’t see the look he was giving her. He knew exactly what was going on whether his sister wanted to admit it or not.

“You know, you could tell me if he was more than a friend—I promise I wouldn’t tell Mom,” Conner said, already anxious to tell their mom everything he knew.

Alex laughed it off. “You’ll be the first person to know if my relationship with Rook unexpectedly progresses into anything more, but it doesn’t look like that will be possible at the moment,” she said sharply.