Bella’s expression is bright with excitement. “That storm is close enough that we’ll have plenty of lightning to reflect off of the dust. I’ll go first and leave a trail for Gwen to follow.”
Lily whistles. “That’s bloody brilliant!”
Bella grins and starts up the ladder. “Come on, Gwen. It’s time for your first lesson.”
“Lesson?” I ask.
She winks, her long lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to teach you how to fly.”
“But you don’t have your wings,” I say.
Bella shrugs. “I don’t need wings for this adventure.”
Hesitantly, I follow her. I prop my elbows on the muddy ground and pull myself out of the narrow opening. We find ourselves near a small grove of trees. Two soldiers guard the garden entrance into the palace. Across the vast overgrown lawn in the far distance, torchlight surrounds a large silver zeppelin that hovers above a wooden ship fitted with propellers. A long ramp leads to the door, and dozens of soldiers are carrying crates and boxes into the vehicle. Other smaller zeppelins surround it.
“That must be the Jolly Roger,” Bella says, pointing to the largest ship, which is adorned with a skull-and-crossbones figurehead.
The faint smell of smoke and burnt wood carries on a cool breeze. A crack of thunder bursts through the air, followed by another bolt of lightning, casting the smoke-and-cloud-filled sky in an orange haze. Bella must smell it, too. She turns, facing the palace.
Beyond the palace walls, the city is ablaze.
Everland is on fire.
Bella watches the burning city and her bottom lip turns up in a pout, but she says nothing. A heavy sense of sorrow hangs in the air, mixing with ash as the city burns. The last thread of hope inside of me that believed England would one day be restored snaps. There is nothing left of London. All that remains is Everland, a city of sorrow, destruction, and embers. Although my heart severs in two, I remind myself of Northumberland, a light in the midst of despair.
“Ready?” I ask.
Bella nods and leads the way. We follow the line of trees to the northwest corner of the palace, keeping within the shadows. The palace roof towers above us, nearly three stories high.
“Are you sure about this, Bella?” I ask. “It seems so high. You could fall.”
“We will both be fine. Trust me,” she says with a sly smile.
Another crack of thunder startles me. Bella looks up at me, the light in the sky making her bright eyes appear almost green in its glow. She touches my trembling hands. “We have to hurry before the rain comes. I’ll go first and you follow behind.”
She crouches down and darts from the trees, paying no attention to the soldiers in the distance. I follow her lead. Bella grabs onto a stone in the wall and climbs effortlessly. When she reaches the top ledge of the building, she grunts as she pulls herself up, but her expression shows no hint of discomfort. She is the healthiest she’s been since I’ve met her.
Bella peers over the ledge. She waves a hand at me, coaxing me to join her. Stepping out of the protective cover of the trees, I sprint toward the wall. When I reach it, I close my eyes and take in a breath. The air smells faintly of rain and electricity. Another burst of lightning brushes the sky, but all I see is the fiery red glow behind my eyelids. A light dusting of flecks falls on my cheeks, reminding me of family trips and playing with my sister and brother in the powder of fresh-falling snow, flakes catching on my lashes.
Slowly, I open my eyes and see specks of gold shimmer on my cheeks, barely within my vision. My jacket and boots glitter in an iridescent display. I blink, staring up the wall of the palace. Dust powders the broken and chipped bricks, revealing ledges large enough to stand or hold on to. Like a treasure map, a gold trail leads to the top of the building where Bella waves, beckoning me in whispered excitement.
“Come on, Gwen. You can do it!” she says.
At first, I hesitate, scanning the face of the wall. Bella’s bright blue eyes peer down at me. She radiates with confidence and something else. Faith. Faith in me.
Trust me, she said. The same words Pete offered me at the start of my journey to Everland, to the palace, and to finding my family.
I follow the gold trail with my eyes. Pixie dust, I think. Feeling a smile grow on my face, I curl my fingers over the notches in the stone and climb.
Tilting my face to the sky, I blink as a small drop of warm rain splashes my cheek.
“Are you sure you don’t want to postpone our departure, Captain?” Smeeth says, watching the soldiers heft boxes into the zeppelins.
Closing my weary eyes, I keep my face turned toward the stormy night. “A year, Smeeth. One whole year, I’ve been stuck here in Everland. And all for what? Because my mother wanted to rule the world and now …” I pause and sigh. “And now it’s my chance to be more …”