I find a note folded in her pocket.
Excitement, or something close to it, wells up in my chest.
I unfold it and find elegant, slanted handwriting.
Dear Dorothy,
I foresaw this moment coming. I tried to fight it, of course, but it’s what I deserve, isn’t it? After everything I’ve done. Please forgive me for provoking you. It had to be this way.
I have two things for you.
A gift and a warning.
First, the gift. Take my golden mask. Use it to protect the flock and use it to find the truth.
And second, a warning. Do not trust the Wizard of Oz. Do not seek him. He is never what he seems. My darling Dorothy, you must destroy him if you—
“Kansas?”
I spin around.
Rook is standing in the witch’s castle.
Rook is here? He’s alive?
“How… Is it really you?”
He smiles. “I think so?”
His hair is mussed and dirt is smudged across his jawline. There’s blood on his hands and more of it staining his shirt.
Tears blur my vision. “I thought you were dead!”
I’m up on my feet in an instant and rushing at him. I slam into him with more force than I meant, and he lets out a huff of air, followed by a chuckle.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in tightly. He smells like him, like earth and winter and magic.
“You’ll never believe what happened.”
His fingers trail in my hair. Everything is going to be okay. We’re going to see the wizard and I’m going to figure out how to get home.
Rook brings his mouth to the soft shell of my ear. “Can I tell you a secret, Kansas?”
I laugh, grateful for him and this game we play. I pull back. “Yes, of course.”
He smiles at me, but the smile is sharp. Sharper than I remember. An uneasy feeling creeps across my shoulders.
He pulls his arm away from me and says, “I’m the Wizard of Oz.”
And then he drives a knife into my ribs.
EPILOGUE
Tinman
I’m barely conscious.
