I keep my eyes trained on hers as she runs a sharp fingernail down my cheek. I don’t flinch. Instead I smile as wide as I can, hoping my indifference will make her realize I’m not going anywhere. She smiles flirtatiously back. “Maybe I can be of assistance,” she purrs.
“I’m here for Maddox, not you. When do you expect he’ll be available?” I ask, my words clipped.
She slips her hookah pipe back into her boot and laces her scaly hand into my hair. I shudder. “Now, why would you need Maddox when you could have me? Certainly there’s something I can do to help you,” she whispers into my ear, sending chills throughout my entire body.
Koh smirks, seeming amused by Katt’s advances.
“I’m not leaving without Duchess Alyssa,” I say. “She came here seeking information on a rare apple and hasn’t returned to the castle.”
The wind is knocked out of me as Katt drives a fist into my gut, making me double over. I’m surprised by her strength. Although not scrawny, she certainly isn’t overly muscular either, at least not enough to land a blow as hard as she did. She snatches one of my daggers and holds it to me. Her smile slips, turning into a deep scowl. She grips my chin hard, her nails digging into my skin. Not fingernails—claws.
“Do I look like I care? And as for that apple she seeks, you’ve come to the wrong garden, sweetheart. The edibles we have to offer won’t fill your stomach, but you’ll certainly forget that you’re hungry,” she says, releasing my chin and running her fingers down my chest. I wince as her fingernails tear through my shirt, leaving deep scratches in my flesh. My shirt hangs limply on my body. I rip it the rest of the way off, exposing the intricately inked gears and wheels tattooed across my chest and abs.
Her eyes light up as she takes in the artwork. “Wow, part Lost Boy, part machine. I rather like that.” Katt places her palms on my bare chest.
Stepping back, I swat her hand away. “I’m not here for your indulgences!”
Chester the copper cat shakes his head. “Tsk, tsk. Such rude manners.”
Katt steps toward me and slips her hand to my waist. She slowly slides my dagger back into its sheath. I don’t budge.
“Your precious duchess is no longer here,” Katt says, retreating from me. “Now, go back to the castle, while you still can.”
Although I don’t believe her, my worry for the duchess fuels my resolve. “Katt, where is Maddox?” I shout, watching her stroll toward the gate entrance.
“Maddox is gone. He left with the duchess. The Poison Garden is under my control now. Leave, Lost Boy, if you know what’s good for you.”
My stomach drops. I sprint after Katt, blocking her way into the garden.
“Where did they go?” I ask, trying not to give the illusion of pleading even though that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Katt smiles widely and leans in close to me, her lips brushing against my ear. “Alyssa and Maddox have both deserted their people, leaving me in charge of the Poison Garden and you in charge of Northumberland. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” she whispers. “Hmm, I smell an alliance. What do you think, Lost Boy? You and I could rule together. It could be a beautiful union.”
Snaking an arm around her neck, I pull my dagger out and press it into her throat, nicking the soft skin. A bright droplet of blood leaks down her slender neck. “Tell me where they are! Now!”
Chester hisses and the guard starts toward me, but Katt holds a hand up.
She grins evilly, as if enjoying the thought of me slitting her throat. “I’ll make you a deal, Pete. You work with me to create a proper antidote, tell me what you know, and in return I’ll tell you where they went.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?” I say.
“Aside from saving my own life?” Katt grits her teeth, rage in her eyes. “I’m not quite ready to die from the ghastly disease. I have big plans still. Your silly little duchess thinks Doc is the only one who might be able to find us a cure. So far he’s been utterly useless. I’m tired of your empty promises and fabled antidote. Give everyone access to the Professor’s notes, and see if someone else can find the answer.”
There’s a glimmer of reason in her argument. Perhaps someone other than Doc would be able to develop an antidote quicker. The more people working on it, the better the odds. But I trust Katt even less than I trusted Hook’s crocs not to eat Lost Boys for an afternoon snack. “Do you know what would happen if her research was lost, or worse, ended up with the Bloodred Queen? Without the Professor’s findings, we could never hope for a cure. In the Bloodred Queen’s hands, only those she deems worthy would be cured. She would let the rest of us die,” I say, hearing the desperation in my own voice.
“She would let the rest of us die? What about you and your girlfriend, Gwen? You’re the ones keeping the research to yourselves. Have you seen your precious Bella lately? She’s days away from losing her life, and that’s certainly not the Bloodred Queen’s fault. Nor are the dozens of others on the brink of death in the infirmary. That’s on you for keeping vital information from the rest of us,” Katt hisses.
Katt’s words ignite a fury that courses through my veins. Bella, Gwen’s siblings, and the Professor, all of them are either dead or close to it. Katt’s right in some ways, but I didn’t release the bomb. I didn’t poison everyone in London. That bloodshed is the responsibility of the Bloodred Queen.
“You can’t help, Katt! Duchess Alyssa came here to find out about the apple because that is our only hope. I have nothing else to offer you but my word.”
Tilting her head back, Katt bursts out in mocking laughter. “Your word? Why would I ever trust you? Do you take me for a fool? You have what I need to find the cure and I will get it, Lost Boy. When I do, I will earn the respect of my people.”
Good to know that I’m not the only distrustful one here. I shake my head. We’re talking in circles now, and I don’t have time for this. I turn and desperately start weaving among the kids, looking for someone who isn’t completely out of it. Someone must know something.
“Does anyone know where Maddox or the duchess went? Anyone?” I call out over and over again. Some boys swarm me, touching my clothes, sticking their hands in my pockets, looking for things to loot. I have nothing, but I grip my daggers, not wanting anyone to snatch them from me. Others don’t make eye contact. I’m feeling hopeless when I hear the mechanical caw of a raven. I turn around to see Katt open a compartment on what looks like a metal bird. I edge closer, curious. Something gleams in her hand as she pulls it from her pocket. I realize what it is when she drops it into the opening.
A vial of the antidote Doc made in Everland.
“Where did you get that?” I shout, hearing my voice catch as I race back to her.
Katt throws a glance my way. “When you’re as sick as these kids are, it doesn’t take much to bribe them. Even your faithful Lost Boys. Pain relief in exchange for a vial of the antidote. It’s a fair trade,” she says archly. “And soon, I’ll have those research papers as well. The entrance fee into the Poison Garden comes at a steep price, at least with me in charge.”
“Katt, what are you doing?” I ask, bewildered and angry that she’s taking advantage of the Lost Boys. “You know that antidote is responsible for your condition, along with everyone else’s.” I reach to snatch the bird from her hands, but she twirls away from me, clicking the pieces back into place as she goes. I dash after her, but she tosses the bird into the air, where it flaps its wings and lifts into the night.
“Oh, I’m well aware of that,” she says. “But until I get your cooperation, I’ll seek it elsewhere.”
“What have you done?” I say, defeat overcoming me.
“Ensured our survival,” she says. Katt turns to the crowd of people watching our exchange. “Do you hear that, people of Northumberland? I want the Professor’s papers. Until then, no one enters the garden! And if I don’t get them by morning, heads will roll.”
Shouts and protests break out among the kids.
Kat
t spins on her heels and sidles up to me, placing a hand on my cheek. “The offer is the same for you, Pete. Papers for poison. Seems like a fair trade.” She tugs my fingers knowingly.
“Where are you sending it? Who are you handing the vial to?” I ask as I stare at where the raven disappeared into the night sky.
Seeing my shock, she continues. “It’s very simple, really. The Bloodred Queen is determined to achieve world domination and we require a cure. Since the United Kingdom is mine to rule, I have offered her a trade. No need for her to know that you and those brats are trying to strong-arm the crown from me. Rumor has it that the Bloodred Queen has fallen ill. So, I give her the antidote, she uses her resources to create the real cure, benefiting us both. In return, I rule here as the Bloodred Queen’s closest ally, thus ending years of feuding with Germany. We rebuild England while simultaneously curing those of us left. Eventually, together she and I will save the world, and with that comes universal rule. It’s a perfect solution, don’t you think?”
The crowd of partygoers shout their approval.
“You can’t do this,” I say, panic settling over me. “You know she’ll never align with you. She’s just using you, Katt. Germany created the Horologia disease to take over the world. The Bloodred Queen’s the one who had the bombs dropped on your people in the first place. If she does find an antidote, she’ll never share it with you, nor will she align with you.”
Katt smirks, slipping the rose from her hair. She takes a sniff and smiles slyly. “Think about it, Pete. This is just the start. The Bloodred Queen of Germany and Queen Katt, the ruler of all of England including Northumberland. No! Not Northumberland. These are changing times, and with change comes new beginnings. New rulers. New nations. There is no longer a north or south, east or west. All of England has fallen, and under my rule, we will reunite. Everland will be just a long-lost nightmare, and Umberland will be a new era of hope and promise. Rest assured, Lost Boy, Umberland will rise up as a fierce and dominant nation ruled by me.” She glances down at the blossom between her fingers before tucking it back behind her ear. “Katt, the Queen of Umberland.”
“Long live Queen Katt!” the mob cheers, pumping fists in the air. Chester howls with delight. Katt bats her long lashes, her head held high and poised while she scans the crowd. Finally, her attention falls back on me.
I feel as if I’ve been sucker-punched again. She turns and heads back toward the garden.
“Katt, where did Alyssa go?” I plead. Koh blocks me from entering the garden, holding me back by my arms. “Where has Maddox taken her?”
“Right now you should be more worried about getting me the Professor’s papers. The clock’s ticking,” she says. “Now, be gone, or you’ll find yourself burning with the rest of the dead by morning.”
The gates slam behind Katt, and the tumblers in the lock give an audible click. I wrest free from Koh’s hold and grip the cold metal of the fence. “Katt!” I shout, shaking the iron bars.
“Get out of here, traitor,” one boy says, shoving me into the group of teenagers. I am jostled around, lost in a sea of bodies as I watch Katt disappear down the garden path.
Dusting myself off, I wince, feeling the hot sting of burns left by the steam of the boilers. I search my rucksack for the meager first-aid kit I thought to bring along. Fortunately, there is a tin of salve, which I rub over my injuries.
Meanwhile, Hook kneels so his face is close to mine. “Consider us even,” he growls.
“Even?” I ask, confused.
He stands and gestures with his steel hand. “If it weren’t for me, you’d be nothing but one big boil. That’s for not leaving me in Everland. Don’t get used to it.”
I’m no less confused. My stepbrother just saved my life? It’s an act of goodwill, but it feels too suspect.
Hook turns and jams his forged hand into a small crevice between the metal door and frame, trying to pry the exit open. He grunts expletives and finally gives up. “Great, just great. How are we going to get out of here?”
“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t go back through there if it was the only way out,” I say, grimacing as I wrap bandages around my arms.
Protected by his long leather coat, Hook seems relatively unharmed. He peers down the hallway, which extends in both directions. Other passages open up along the way.
“Which way?” Hook asks.
I am about to answer when a loud clang echoes through the hallway, reverberating off the tall metal walls. Above us, large pulleys spin, dragging on an enormous chain. The interior walls shift, rearranging the pathway around us. We find ourselves surrounded by dozens of new hallways, each ending at a chrome door with a symbol welded onto it: some of them with weapons, others with earthly elements, and still others with symbols I don’t recognize.
“Moving walls? This should be fun. I wish I’d brought more rum to the party,” Hook says as he leans up against a metal column. He pulls a flask from his inside coat pocket and takes a long swig of it.
Walking the circumference of the room, I look down each hallway for any sign to indicate which direction to go. Reaching for my multitool belt, I tug on the chain loosely hanging from my hip. My compass pops from its compartment. I wait for the needle to align toward true north, turn to my left, and take the western corridor.
Hook’s brow lifts as I pass by. “Out of the dozens of choices you have, you’re picking that one? May I ask why?”
“If we’re going to the center of the labyrinth, we need to continue southwest,” I say, heading down the path. Carved on the door is a pickax.
Hook rubs his chin. “Any door with weapons on it can’t be a good sign.”
“Pick a different door. I don’t care,” I say, clipping my compass back into place. “Less baggage for me to carry.”
With a disgruntled moan, he joins me.
I shove the door open, and we enter into a vast forest. Rocky cliffs encircle uninhabitable homes of what looks like an old mining village. Rusty tracks lead from collapsed caves to what is left of the town. Empty mining carts are scattered about the tracks as if frozen in time.
“I have a really bad feeling about this,” Hook says, stepping into the wooded area.
The sound of metal upon metal sends a shiver up my spine. I glance left and see several short, stocky men emerge from the mouth of a mine. Their boots hit the ground with loud thuds as they line up in a row. They stand before us with goggle-covered eyes and most have long beards that hang to their waists, washers affixed to keep them tamed. Each one has a gold tooth that shines under the moonlight that breaks through the canopy of trees. Upon closer inspection, I also see signs of the Horologia disease in various stages on their hands. The closest man pulls out a medieval-looking weapon that appears to be a pickax, but even from where I stand, I can tell it is much more than a simple mining tool. He rams the base of the weapon on the ground, which sends a shudder through the earth beneath us. Hook and I are jostled by the earthquake, but we regain our balance.
It takes only a moment for the memory to return to me. The Zwergs were a small community of coal miners. They were a reclusive bunch, only venturing into neighboring towns to sell their wares and buy supplies. They disappeared the day that the hedges grew, their homes swallowed up by the Labyrinth.
The man closest to me spits as he meets my gaze, spinning his ax in front of him with expertise. “State your business,” he growls.
I flip the switch on my belt to engage the built-in gun. “I vote you tell him what our business is,” I mutter to Hook.
Hook’s single eye darts from one man to the next, his lip turned up in a sneer. Taking the safety off his Gatling gun, he says to me, “Six … seven. Two against seven. I’ve been up against worst odds.” I roll my eyes. Hook calls to them, “Stand down and no one gets hurt.”
The Zwerg cackles, and the others follow suit. “We won’t be standing down to anyone, especially to the likes of you. I’d advise you to turn back,” says the Zwerg nearest to us.
The others grunt in approval. Clearly, this is their leader. The other Zwergs brandish similar weapons, spinning them in figure eights, their sharp blades whizzing through the air.
“We mean you no harm,” I say. “All we ask is passage to the other side.”
The Zwergs collectively laugh. “Ah, passage, you say? Well, don’t let us stop you, son. You may carry on, since you asked so kindly.”
I hesitate for just a moment, but when I take a step forward, the Zwerg reaches for his belt, and in a flash there is a dagger stuck in a tree, dangerously close to my head.
Again the Zwergs roar with laughter. The leader shrugs. “Whoops. Pardon my aim. I was due to give Slug a close shave.” He waves to one Zwerg who’s cleanly shaven and obviously not needing a trim of any type. “Must’ve slipped from my clumsy hand. Wouldn’t it be a shame if that happened again? You could lose an ear or something worse, like your liver,” he says, pushing his coat back. Knives of all shapes and sizes line his belt. I swallow hard, unsure how we’re going to get out of this situation alive.
“You want to play games? I’ll show you how to play,” Hook says, sending a spray of bullets at the Zwergs. The men blur in my vision as they swing, climb, and jump from tree to tree.
“Run!” I say, watching the men advance toward us.
Hook dashes to the right, his Gatling gun firing the entire time.
Gathering myself, I dart to the left, heading for the village, while jumping, wobbling, and slipping over the rubble of several buildings. Finally, I race up the roof of a collapsed cottage and leap. As my feet leave the thatched incline, a Zwerg appears on the roof of the next bungalow. Below me a large, cavernous crevice, the darkest shade of black, winds across the village. I swing my arms and legs, hoping to push myself farther. Instead I descend. The other side seems so far away. Time slows as I plunge toward the crack. I reach for my weapons belt and hit a switch. A grappling hook bursts from the belt, its claws springing into place and hooking onto the crevice’s opposite side. I jam the brake hard, and my body jolts as the metal clamps down on the rope. Swinging into the rocky wall of the cavern, I put my feet out, hoping to blunt the impact.
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