The Nome King smiled. “Indeed,” he said. “Hidden in plain sight all this time. I thought they might come in useful someday. I have no trouble moving between worlds, dear Miss Gumm, but not everyone is so lucky. If you are to be the next ruler of Oz, you will need a way to get back. Might I offer you a new pair of footwear?”
The next ruler of Oz? What was he talking about? If the Nome King wanted control of Oz himself, what possible use could I be? Had he been the one behind Dorothy’s return to Oz—and if so, why?
“Maybe we can reach an agreement,” I said carefully, giving Dustin a shove. As confused as he was, he got the message. While I slowly got to my feet, staring down the Nome King, Dustin scooted away on his hands and knees.
The Nome King laughed. “An agreement? I don’t think you’re in a position to bargain, Amy Gumm.”
“She’s not,” said a familiar voice behind me. “But I might be.”
The Nome King’s smile widened, his toothy grin even scarier than his regular expression. “How thrilling,” he said. “Welcome to the party, little wizard.”
SEVENTEEN
“Nox,” I hissed. “What are you doing here?”
“You can’t use magic, Amy. There’s no way you can fight the Nome King by yourself.”
“Did Mombi send you?” He didn’t answer, his eyes on the Nome King, which made me think he had come here on his own. I had no idea what the consequences were for a witch who disobeyed Quadrant orders, but I was guessing Gert, Glamora, and Mombi wouldn’t be too happy with Nox’s solo mission.
The Nome King was obviously enjoying the moment. “Do you really think you can protect her against me, little boy? Your magic barely works here. You’re weak and far from home. I urge you to let the matter rest. I have no wish to do harm to your friend.” The way he stressed the word clearly indicated that he guessed Nox and I had feelings for each other—and that he found it funny.
“This isn’t a game,” Nox said in a low voice. I knew what Nox was doing. After all, he’d trained me. He was testing the Nome King’s defenses, looking for a weakness. But the Nome King had already said his magic didn’t work like ours.
“Amy, who are those people? What—what happened to Assistant Principal Strachan?” Shit. I’d forgotten about Dustin. He was still in the hallway.
“Dustin, I mean it! Get out of here!” I hissed.
“I’m not going to just leave you!”
“I can take care of myself!” He didn’t budge. “Go call the police!” I yelled. There was nothing a Kansas cop could do to stop a creature like the Nome King, but at least that would get Dustin out of harm’s way.
“I’m not leaving you!” he repeated.
“Just do it!”
The Nome King lunged forward, reaching out his long thin fingers for me.
“Amy!” Nox shouted.
“I see!” I ducked under the Nome King’s arms, my own training kicking in as I somersaulted across the hallway and landed in a crouch next to the display case. But the Nome King hadn’t been coming for me at all: he’d been going for Nox, who threw up a quick shield that the Nome King batted away as if it was made of cobwebs.
“This matter does not concern you, child,” he said evenly. “If you wish to leave, you will leave us now.”
“I’m not a child,” Nox said grimly. He raised glowing hands, tendrils of fire licking along his fingers and condensing into a ball of flame in his palms. The Nome King laughed—that same awful, sinister laughter that slid into my skull like a knife blade. I howled with pain, clapping my hands to my ears. Nox was doubled over, too, tongues of fire dripping harmlessly off his fingers. I had to get us out of here. We couldn’t possibly fight off the Nome King if I didn’t have magic. I had no doubt he’d kill Nox if he got in the way of whatever the king wanted with me.
Could be worse, I thought. At least he’s not into glitter.
The silver shoes were the only chance I had for Nox and me to escape. But the Nome King wanted me to take them. What was I getting myself into if I was accidentally obeying him while I tried to save Nox’s life? The Nome King advanced toward Nox, grinning, the long spidery fingers of each hand lengthening and turning silver like the Tin Woodman’s knife-fingered minions. If I didn’t act now, Nox was toast. I pulled off my sweatshirt, wrapped it twice around my arm, and brought my elbow down on the glass diorama case with all my strength. Pain blazed up my arm, and for a second I thought I’d been dumb enough to break my arm instead of the glass. But a long, satisfying crack had appeared on the glass case. One more blow, and the case shattered. Behind me, Nox and the Nome King were circling each other, the Nome King moving easily and Nox’s movements tight with anxiety. The Nome King was toying with him like a cat batting a mouse around before she kills it. But at least his sick little game was keeping Nox alive for the moment.
“Amy!” Nox gasped. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to save your life I’m sure,” said the Nome King, sounding bored. “I can’t imagine why she’d bother.”
“You don’t really seem like a guy who knows much about friends,” I snarled, grabbing the Dorothy figurine out of the shards of broken glass. As soon as I touched the shoes, I could feel the magic running through them like an electric current. They began to glow with a gentle, warm light that filled the hallway. Dustin, Nox, and the Nome King froze. The shoes grew in my hands like one of those little sponge animals you soak in water until they looked exactly the right size for my feet. I kicked off my sneakers and slipped the shoes over my feet.
“Very good, Amy,” the Nome King purred at the exact moment Dustin yelled, “Amy, no! It has to be a trap!”
I wasn’t an idiot. The possibility had already occurred to me. But I didn’t know what other choice we had. I had to get Nox and Dustin to safety before the Nome King killed them both.
But something incredible was happening. As soon as I put the shoes on, they began to change. The soles thickened and the thin silk fabric, covered with dozens of hand-sewn sequins, crept up my ankles. Silver laces threaded themselves through polished silver grommets.
Dorothy’s magic shoes had turned into a pair of diamond-studded leather combat boots—and they fit me better than any shoe I’d ever owned. I couldn’t describe the feeling of wearing them. It was like being hugged by an old, dear friend. Everything’s going to be just fine, the shoes seemed to sigh. Their gentle presence filled me from my toes to the top of my head. I held my hands up and saw that they glowed with the same beautiful silver light that had come from the shoes. I could feel magic flowing through my body as though I was a hollow log in a clear stream. I was calm, calmer than I’d ever been. Nothing mattered anymore. I felt a thousand miles away from the chaos in the hallway. I knew if I asked them the shoes would take me anywhere I wanted. And I knew where I wanted to go: back to Oz. I closed my eyes and prepared to summon the power to go home.
“Amy!” Nox cried, and my eyes flew open again. How had I forgotten him? What was I doing? I stared down at my glowing feet. If the shoes were part of the Nome King’s plan, how could I possibly trust their magic?
I didn’t have time to worry about that. The Nome King clapped his hands in delight when he saw the shoes on my feet. Nox lunged forward, trying to knock the Nome King off his feet, just as Dustin leapt into the fray. His eyes were huge with fear but his face was set in determination. He would get himself killed fighting for me—even though he had no idea what he was up against.
“Dustin, stop!” I yelled, but it was too late. The Nome King whipped a fireball at him so fast I didn’t even see his hands move.
“No!” I yelled, reaching for it with my free hand. My boots blazed with light and power and, at last, I could feel the answering pull of my own magic as a web of dull, flickering strands of light spun out of my fingertips. It wasn’t enough to deflect the Nome King’s fireball, but my net sucked some of the force of his weapon away before it smacked Dustin squarely in the chest. His mouth dropped open into a round O of surprise as he
stared down at the blackened crater spreading across his chest, and then he let out a low moan and toppled slowly backward. “Dustin!” I screamed. I heard pounding and shouts in the hallway and a siren in the distance.
A handful of teachers rounded the corner at a run. The Nome King raised his hands, and another shock wave sent them flying backward. Nox, abandoning magic, barreled into the Nome King’s stomach, but the Nome King kicked him away easily. The Nome King reached upward and pulled a mass of long, thin strands of darkness out of the air that began to swirl and expand, whirling faster and faster.
“My dear Miss Gumm,” he said lightly, his slithering voice sending chills down my spine. “I’m afraid it’s time to bid adieu to your little beau. I’m taking you back to Oz now, where you belong.” The swirling mass of darkness ballooned upward, tearing tiles off the floor and sending them spinning through the shattered windows. Suddenly, I knew what he was doing. He’d summoned a tornado. I had Dorothy’s shoes and I knew the Nome King wanted to send me back to Oz. And I knew he wasn’t just going to leave Nox behind—he couldn’t risk leaving one of the Quadrant. He was going to kill him.
We didn’t have much time. In fact, we didn’t have any. I wanted to help Dustin. I wanted to tell Madison how much I hoped she got out of Flat Hill someday. I wanted to say good-bye to my mom for the last time. But I didn’t have a choice. It was either return to Oz, or watch Nox die in this hallway.
“Nox!” I screamed. “Come on!” He took in my shoes with a single glance and darted away from the Nome King, wrapping his arms around me. “Take us home!” I yelled above the furious howl of the tornado. The shoes shot out rays of white light, and we floated up—into the eye of the storm.
Standing in the middle of the ruined hallway, surrounded by shattered glass, blood, and rubble, the Nome King watched us go. A huge, terrifying smile spread slowly across his face. I’ll see you very soon, Miss Gumm, his awful voice sliced into my head. And then the tornado had us, and everything went dark.
EIGHTEEN
The first thing I heard was birdsong. Panic seized me. If I didn’t get my butt in gear, I was going to be late for school. My eyelids seemed to be stuck shut. I lifted one hand to rub them, and winced as pain coursed through my body. Everything hurt, from my head to my toes. Moving only made it worse. Something heavy was pinning down my other arm. And the birdsong I was hearing was nothing anyone in Kansas would recognize. For one thing, it was all the wrong notes. For another, it was coming from the ground.
“Amy? Are you okay?” The voice was familiar. Rough and low. A boy’s voice. “Hold still,” it said again. “I think you might be hurt.” The weight on my unmoving arm shifted, and gentle fingers touched my cheek. “We need to get you help.”
Finally, I opened my eyes. Inches from my face, someone was looking down at me in concern. Someone I recognized. I struggled to remember his name.
“Nox,” I croaked. “What happened? Where are we?”
“You did it, Amy,” he said. “We’re back in Oz. Outside the Tin Woodman’s old palace. I think we landed in the vegetable garden.”
In spite of myself, I started to laugh. It hurt like hell, but I didn’t care. “I think I might be pissed at you,” I said.
“I know,” he said, and then he kissed me.
I couldn’t move without pain surging through my body, and I figured Nox was in about the same shape—he just happened to be lying on top of me. He tasted like Oz: like a field of singing, sweet-smelling flowers, or a handful of Lulu’s sunfruit—wild and clean. His lips were so soft. Everything still hurt, but suddenly I didn’t care. I closed my eyes again and lost myself in the sensation of the kiss. He shifted his weight and grunted with pain, and I started to laugh again. After a second, he laughed, too. His mouth moved to my neck, and then my ear. “Amy,” he said softly, his voice rough with emotion. “I am so not supposed to be doing this, but—”
I knew kisses didn’t solve what was wrong with us. But I wanted his lips on mine. I wanted him this close for as long as it lasted. The kiss tasted stolen.
Someone coughed loudly, and he jerked his head up. I yelped as his movement set off a new chain of aches in my body, and then opened my eyes reluctantly. Mombi loomed over us, a frown of disapproval across her face.
“How did you get here?” Nox said, bewildered.
“How do you think? We’re all bound together through the magic of the Quadrant.”
“As one of the Quadrant witches, Nox, you are connected to us now,” Gert explained. “We can see what you see and feel what you feel.” Wait—did that mean I’d just made out with all of them? That thought was too disgusting for words. Gert raised an eyebrow at me before continuing. “We realized what was happening as soon as you found Dorothy’s original shoes and we were able to piggyback on the magic that pulled you both back to Oz.”
“This was the first safe place we could think of, so we teleported you here,” Glamora added. “The palace is abandoned; the Winkies are gone, the Woodman’s dead, and it’s not a likely place for anyone to look for us. But it won’t be long before Dorothy and Glinda figure out where we are. We can’t hide forever from their magic.”
I waited for them to tell me what a good job I’d done in finding the shoes, but Mombi wasn’t done tearing Nox a new one.
“You know better,” she snapped at Nox. “This isn’t a game. You disobeyed us in the Other Place and you’re disobeying us now.”
“I thought we were equals now as members of the Quadrant,” Nox said matter-of-factly. Had Nox ignored their orders in Kansas in order to watch over me? That would explain why he’d shown up out of nowhere at the school. I darted a glance at him but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“You have a responsibility to Oz now that is far greater than anything else,” Mombi yelled. “Is that somehow unclear?”
Mombi was the most pissed I’d ever seen her, and that was saying something. Nox looked like a little kid who’d gotten busted stealing cookies as he jumped to his feet, apologizing in a babble.
“I know, Mombi,” he said. “I’m so sorry. You’re right.”
She was still looking at him like he was a piece of something rotten she’d gotten on her shoe. “Do you take the Quadrant seriously or not, Nox? There are others who could take your place.”
There were? I glanced at him. He looked startled. If there were other witches who could take Nox’s place, maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe he could just . . . retire. Maybe we had a chance at being together.
Stop it, I told myself. I was behaving like I was back in high school. This was way more important than my feelings—or Nox’s.
“I will do my duty,” he said quickly, not looking at me. I couldn’t help a flash of hurt at how easy it was for him to give me up, but I told myself to quit being such a baby.
“We believe you, Nox,” Gert said, much more gently than Mombi. “I know this is difficult for you.” She looked at me. “We must all sacrifice for the greater good,” she said, and I felt certain her words were directed at me. “Amy, you’re badly hurt,” she added. “You need the healing pool, but I’m afraid we don’t have that luxury here. Hold still, please.”
I could feel the warmth of her magic spreading from her palms and flowing through me. I could sense it probing outward into my arms and legs. At first it felt good, like getting a really great massage.
But you know how there’s always that moment during a massage when you’re like okay, that’s enough? Gert crossed that line, and then some.
I yelped in agony as her spell wrenched my bones and muscles, shoving them into place and knitting them back together. It felt like my entire body was being squeezed through a tiny keyhole.
Just when I thought I couldn’t endure the pain a second longer, it stopped. I wiggled my fingers cautiously, and then moved my arms and legs. Gert had done it again. I was still bruised, worn out, a little angry, and a little sad. But I was here, and I was alive.
The source of the birdsong chirped again, and
I looked down to see a little yellow frog regarding me with bright eyes and trilling merrily. “Singing frogs?” I said. “How did I miss those?”
“The singing frogs of Oz are indigenous to Winkie country,” Glamora said.
“We’ve got more important things to talk about than frogs,” Mombi growled. Nox glanced at my feet, and I followed his gaze to where the silver boots gleamed softly on my feet. The events of the past few days came flooding back. Madison. Dustin. The Nome King. Dorothy. My mom.
“Why are we at the Woodman’s palace?” I asked. “And where’s Dorothy?”
“Come on,” Mombi said, beckoning. “Let’s have this conversation inside.”
NINETEEN
The Winkies’ palace was actually pretty gross. What did I expect, I guess, considering that its previous tenants had been the Tin Woodman, and before him, the Wicked Witch of the West.
It basically looked like the palace had been sacked. Dusty tapestries hung crazily from the walls, and most of the doors were splintered as though they’d been kicked open. Here and there, the floors or walls were stained with something that looked suspiciously like blood. All of the furniture was overturned or broken. Mombi waved a hand as we entered the palace’s banquet hall, and an invisible hand righted a few chairs and arranged them around a table.
I flexed my fingers, feeling my own power tingle to life in response. Whatever had happened to my magic in Kansas, it was back now. And it felt different in a way I couldn’t explain. The shoes, I thought. The shoes were doing something to me, that much I was sure. But was that a good thing or a bad one? And could I even use magic anymore without it turning me into Dorothy?
“First things first,” Mombi said. “We don’t know where Dorothy is. We’re assuming she went back to the Emerald City as soon as she returned to Oz, but we have no way of knowing yet. And we have to move fast before she figures out we found a way back ourselves.” She turned to Glamora. “It’s time to summon the rest of the Wicked,” she said, and Glamora nodded in agreement. “The Nome King is moving against Oz, and now we have three enemies to deal with. All our old plans are off the table. This is a whole new ball game.”