Mina stared at Savannah and Pri’s unresponsive bodies, and contemplated what Claire was saying. The two shallow girls seemed completely unaware of their surroundings, staring ahead blankly. Pri might have even let loose a little drool. If Mina named her enemies, she could turn over the Grimoire and still live. But she could never be that manipulative, or that heartless. This was her battle, and she knew she couldn’t complete the tale only halfway. There had to be an ending.
Mina had to think quickly. Maybe Claire thought they were still trapped in the Hansel and Gretel retelling. She didn’t know that the Story had moved on and lost interest in her. If Claire didn’t know that Mina was now rewriting Red Riding Hood, then that could be to her advantage. But she was going to need help. Looking to her left, Mina caught Nan’s angry glare. She only hoped Jared would come in time.
“Sorry, Nan, but I choose us. Let Savannah and Pri go. Nan and I will go with you, but not here. We need to know that the rest of the students will be unharmed.” Nan whimpered, but Mina tried to relay through her eyes that everything would be okay.
A cackling laugh erupted from Claire’s cracked lips. “You fool. I knew you would choose to save your friends. You Grimms are so predictable.” Claire walked forward and through – literally through—Savannah and Pri, who disappeared into thin puffs of smoke. Illusions, the girls were illusions. Simply one of Claire’s Fae tricks.
Claire roughly gripped Mina’s chin and pulled the stage curtain to the side so she could see the real Savannah and Pri on the dance floor, arms waving above their heads, carefree and obviously alive.
“You made your deal, and so you’ll come with us. It’s easier when you don’t fight it. But I’m warning you, any tricks, and it won’t be the students who are harmed. It will be your mother and brother.” She turned to Lonetree and Grey Tail. “Take them both—we need to leave. Now! I can feel something. Something is coming, and I don’t like it.”
Snapping jaws answered Claire, doubly grotesque as the wolves were still in their human form. Mina had only a moment to struggle before she was lifted into the air and then hauled over Lonetree’s shoulder, which smelled of nicotine and sweat. Mina tried to scream, but his shoulder dug deeply into her stomach, cutting off her breath.
Nan fought harder and spouted incessant derogative remarks at her assailant until he knocked her unconscious. Mina cringed at the sound of fist hitting jaw.
Mina suddenly smelled a whiff of wet dog, and found it disorienting to be coming from the back of a fully dressed man. Think, Mina, think. How does this story end?
Footsteps, car doors opening, and Mina felt herself falling to land on the metal floor of a delivery van. Scrambling to gain footing, she tried kicking at the man crawling in next to her. Mina opened her mouth to scream, but an old rag quickly filled her mouth, followed by rope around her wrists.
“Just in case you get any ideas,” Lonetree hissed into her ear.
She pushed herself into a sitting position in the far corner of the truck. The van dipped as more people clambered in. Mina saw them lower Nan’s unconscious body next to her. The engine turned over, and they were moving. Out the back window she could see the brick gym slowly getting smaller as they pulled away.
What now?
As the van chugged along, Mina heard the distant hum of a far-off motor and barely gave it any thought until it grew louder the closer it came. She almost cried with relief when she saw a familiar black motorcycle pull up behind the delivery van and spotted Jared’s shock of dark hair. The bike disappeared around the side of the van, and Mina mentally cheered for her hero. Jared would save them. She listened for the sounds of a struggle, but she was slammed into the side of the van as it swerved quickly to one side. Either they were trying to cut Jared off, or run him over. The van hit its brakes, and this time she was thrown against the driver’s seat. She struggled to her knees and could see Jared out the front windshield. The driver picked up speed once more, to position the van next to Jared.
She screamed his name and could have sworn he looked her way into the darkened van, even though he couldn’t possibly see her. The driver swerved, and she watched as the front headlight struck Jared’s leg and he began to lose control of the motorcycle. Her heart was in her throat as she jumped forward between the seats and tried to pull the gearshift into neutral with her tied hands.
The driver yelled angrily, and Mina felt herself picked up and tossed into the back of the van as it careened wildly. Quickly, it was under control and speeding along again.
“What did I tell you about interfering?” Grey Tail growled. “Just for that, I’m gonna kill him. Jared appeared behind the van once more, and Mina saw Grey Tail pick up a spare car battery from the truck bed and fling open the doors. The whoosh of air caught her hair as she struggled to see Jared behind him, to let him know that she was okay. As the truck swerved again, Grey Tail threw the car battery out at Jared but just missed him, growling in anger.