Worlds Collide (The Land of Stories #6)(9)

“It sounds like they’re preparing for battle,” Goldilocks said. “They couldn’t be expecting us, could they?”

“I imagine it’s just a scare tactic to keep the citizens from rebelling,” Jack said. “They still haven’t discovered the royal families in the abandoned mine, so I doubt they’ve caught wind of us. How could they?”

“And the others in the mine? Are they still… made of stone?” Goldilocks asked.

“Unfortunately so,” Jack said. “Same goes for the Fairy Council.”

“Oh, it was a terrible sight!” Red said, and shuddered at the thought. “All their faces were frozen in the most unattractive expressions of terror. If someone turns me into stone, I hope they have the decency to tell me something amusing beforehand.”

“What about the creature that did it?” the Tin Woodman asked. “Was there any sign of who or what it is?”

“They wouldn’t be here if they had seen it,” Blubo said, and recalled the terrifying moments he had spent in its presence. “All it took was one glance, and boom! Everyone went stiff as a rock. I wouldn’t be here if my eyes hadn’t been closed.”

Commander Newters gulped fearfully and turned to Conner. “There are creatures that turn others into stone in the Land of Stories?” he asked.

“It didn’t come from the fairy-tale world,” Conner said. “It must have been a character my uncle recruited using the Portal Potion—I just don’t know which story it’s from.”

“Does it have to be from literature?” Beau Rogers asked. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were talking about Medusa from Greek mythology.”

“What’s a Medusa?” Peter Pan asked.

“She’s a horrible monster,” Beau Rogers animatedly replied. “Legend says she has a long, scaly body, fangs, and snakes for hair! Just one gaze into her red eyes will turn you into a statue!”

The Lost Boys covered their eyes, ears, and mouths at the young archaeologist’s frightening description. The Blissworm clapped its tiny hands together, anxious to meet her.

“DON’T WORRY, LADS,” Robin Hood said. “I’VE COURTED MANY A MAIDEN WHO TURNED OUT TO BE FAR WORSE. WITH JUST A FEW VERSES OF A ROMANTIC POEM, SHE WILL BE PUTTY IN MY HANDS.”

The Prince of Thieves didn’t make anyone feel better about the situation, especially Conner. He got to his feet and started pacing around the room. A very difficult decision had to be made, and Conner couldn’t delay it a moment longer.

“We can’t waste any more time,” he said. “Tomorrow we’re going to fight the Literary Army and reclaim the fairy-tale world. I never thought we’d have to do it without my sister, but we can’t let the people suffer any longer.”

“Poor Alex,” Red said. “There have been many times I’ve disappeared for some me time, but I always return after a couple of hours. I hope she’ll resurface in time to help us. She put so much work into recruiting our army—it’d be a shame if she missed the war completely.”

Suddenly, Goldilocks’s face lit up with an idea. Red’s nonsense always had a funny way of putting things into perspective for her.

“Hold your horses,” Goldilocks said.

“Which horses?” the Tin Woodman asked.

“No, it’s a figure of speech,” Goldilocks said, and got back to her point. “We’ve been looking at the Literary Army and at Alex’s disappearance like they’re separate situations, but what if they’re more related than we think? After all, we’re at war—a war Alex is a key player in. It’s very possible someone is using Alex to sabotage us. Perhaps it’s time we stop asking where Alex went and start asking who took her.”

Of all the directions Conner’s mind had gone in the last week, this was a conclusion he’d never come to. His sister was so powerful and strong-minded; it was hard to imagine that someone could abduct her from the hospital without anyone noticing, especially someone from the Literary Army.

“They couldn’t have taken Alex,” Conner said. “Even if the Literary Army knew we existed, they have no way of accessing the Otherworld. Besides, I think one of us would have noticed a card soldier or flying monkey walking around.”

“I didn’t say it was the Literary Army,” Goldilocks said. “In times of conflict, there’s always the enemy you know and the enemy you don’t. The Literary Army may be who we’re up against, but who’s the third party we’re forgetting to consider? Who else would benefit if either of our armies was defeated?”

The whole commissary went quiet as all the characters thought it over. It was highly likely that they were leaving someone out of their equation, but who could it be? Who or what was just as invested in the upcoming war as they were? Who at that very moment was also assembling in secret and forming plans to dominate the fairy-tale world?

The answer hit Bree like a bolt of lightning. The realization made her gasp so loudly, all the characters jumped.

“I know!” she exclaimed. “We’re forgetting about the witches! We know they have access to the Otherworld because one of them kidnapped Emmerich using the portal at Neuschwanstein Castle!”

“I think you’re onto something!” Jack said. “Conner, do you remember the night we followed the Masked Man to the Witches’ Brew? The witches were meeting because they were afraid they’d get blamed for the missing children—they were paranoid a witch hunt was coming. It’s very likely they began plotting to take over the fairy-tale world as a way to protect themselves.”