Worlds Collide (The Land of Stories #6)(8)

“I’m glad everyone’s hanging in there,” Bree said. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for you. Being in the Cemetery of the Undead for a couple of hours was surreal enough for me, but you’ve been surrounded by your creations for days. It’s got to feel like a trippy family reunion.”

“Once you’ve seen your elderly grandmother slay a dragon, everything else pales in comparison.” Conner laughed. “Speaking of family reunions, did Cornelia and Emmerich get to Germany safely? It was so kind of her to offer him a ride home.”

“Thankfully,” Bree said. “Cornelia said Emmerich and Frau Himmelsbach were very happy to be reunited. They’re also moving to Australia to get as far away from Neuschwanstein Castle as possible. Wanda and Frenda had been stranded in Bavaria since your uncle Lloyd kidnapped us, so Cornelia picked them up and they flew back to Connecticut yesterday.”

“I was amazed at how well Cornelia handled it all,” Conner said. “Usually people freak out when they learn about other dimensions, but she barely flinched.”

Bree forced a smile and nodded—she hadn’t been completely honest with Conner. He knew Bree was in Connecticut when she learned Emmerich had been kidnapped, he knew Cornelia had generously offered to fly Bree to Germany so they could help Emmerich’s mother look for him, and he knew they happened to be in Neuschwanstein Castle when Uncle Lloyd brought Emmerich back to the Otherworld. However, Conner had been so overwhelmed by Alex’s disappearance, Bree thought it was best to leave out the other details.

She never mentioned why she had gone to visit her family in Connecticut—that she’d discovered they were part of a secret league known as the Sisters Grimm, or their extensive history of tracking portals into the fairy-tale world. Bree hoped a better time would present itself to fill Conner in, but the longer Alex was gone, the more inappropriate it became.

“At Cornelia’s age, there’s not a whole lot that shocks her,” Bree said. “In fact, when you get a minute, I’d love to tell you more about my trip to her—”

Bree was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the hallway behind them. A moment later, Trollbella appeared in the doorway of the missing bathroom. The young troll queen immediately crossed her arms and scowled at the sight of Bree and Conner in the same location.

“Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t keep her away from your man,” Trollbella quipped.

Conner rolled his eyes. “What do you want, Trollbella?”

“I came to let you know that Beansprout, the Frog Mistress, and Plucky McGee have returned,” she said.

“Who?” Bree asked.

“She means that Jack, Red, and Lester are back from the fairy-tale world,” Conner said, and quickly jumped to his feet. “Maybe they know something about Alex! Trollbella, will you let my mom and Bob know? They’re working a night shift on the third floor.”

“I am not your errand girl, Butterboy,” Trollbella said. “There’ll be no more favors between us until you’re ready to commit.”

“Fine,” Conner said. “Bree, will you please get my mom and Bob—”

“Fine, I’ll fetch my Butter-in-laws,” Trollbella said. “But please stop begging—I hate seeing how vulnerable you’ve become without me.”

Conner and Bree ran down the hall toward the commissary as Trollbella fetched Charlotte and Bob. They found all their friends from Oz, Neverland, the Sherwood Forest, The Land of Stories, and Conner’s short stories “The Adventures of Blimp Boy,” “The Ziblings,” and “Galaxy Queen” huddled around Jack and Red. The only ones who weren’t paying attention to their arrival were the pirates from “Starboardia,” who never looked away from the television.

“Are they still watching that ditzy woman?” Red asked. “The Otherworld may be advanced, but it sure leads to some awful habits.”

“Well?” Conner asked, getting straight to the point. “Did you find my sister?”

Jack slowly shook his head. “No,” he said. “We looked at all the places we thought she would be—the ruins of the Fairy Palace, the Giant’s Castle in the sky, the clock tower of the Charming Palace—but we didn’t find a trace of her.”

The news was so disappointing, Conner had to sit down. If Alex wasn’t in the fairy-tale world, he didn’t know where else to look. His train of thought shifted from thinking of places she might be to worrying she’d never be found.

“I’m sorry you didn’t find Alex, but I’m so glad you’re back,” Goldilocks told Jack as she cradled their newborn son. “It’s a miracle you weren’t spotted, even at Lester’s heights.”

Jack went to his wife’s side and kissed Hero on the forehead. Red gave Goldilocks a large hug from behind, as if the sentiment were meant for her.

“Goldilocks, you’re back on your feet!” Red pointed out. “Is it safe for you to be walking again so soon after giving birth?”

“Red, I had a baby, not a whale,” Goldilocks said. “How is the fairy-tale world? Are the conditions any better?”

“It’s exactly as we left it,” Jack told the room. “The citizens from all the kingdoms are still being held in Swan Lake, if they’re not building monuments to the emperors. The Literary Army is lined up on the lawns of the Northern Palace, but all they do is march all day—as if they’re waiting for something to happen.”