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Victor shoved Zee toward me, I pulled him along, and our little train stepped out from behind the bar, ankle deep in wriggling, writhing, hopping frogs.

CHAPTER 6

The frogs hopped, skipped, jumped, ribbited, croaked, and leaped in all directions.

Zee’s right eye twitched. “This is fine, this is fine, this is fine thisisfine thisisfinethisisfineisfine.”

Victor and I flanked him, but he had to be the one to move forward, step by step. His knee-high boots had to have helped, though, keeping their little froggy bodies from touching his skin. Honestly, I’d have screamed too if I hadn’t been holding his hand and trying to prop up his nerves.

“You’re doing great,” I told him, forcing the words through a grin.

The jukebox had started playing “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell. I gave it the side-eye as we passed. I swear that thing was sentient.

“There are some highly poisonous varieties of frogs among this collection,” Victor said. “One touch could in fact mean death for mortals.”

I glared at Victor. “Not helping.”

“Just that we should perhaps avoid the brightly colored variety.”

“It’s dark. Two of us don’t have night vision.”

“Ah yes, of course, my mistake. Well then, perhaps we should steer to the right a little . . . and avoid the smaller ones.” Victor guided us right. More frogs scattered.

Avoid the small ones? They were all small. Apart from the big ones that ate the small ones. Honestly, it was carnage among the frogs. I’d have preferred gremlins, at least their skin wasn’t lethal and they didn’t eat your face—mostly.

Zee’s death grip on my hand tightened, crushing my fingers. “Thisisfinethisisfinethisisfine.”

The door was just a few steps away now. But of course it opened inward, which meant we’d have to sweep the frogs toward us to get out.

“Look, almost there,” I said, brightly.

Zee whimpered.

“You’re so brave,” I crooned, tapping his hand in mine. “Isn’t he brave, Victor?”

“So brave. I am proud of you. Just a few more steps now.”

Sweat glistened on Zee’s face. He breathed hard, chest heaving. His stare fixed on that door, and every foot he pushed through the frogs must have felt like battling against a mountain.

“You’re amazing,” I told him. “You’ve got this. You can do anything.”

“I’m amazing.”

“Yes you are.”

“I’m the best.”

“You are the best.”

“I’ve got this.”

“You’ve got this.”

He stopped. Frozen. He blinked.

The door was right there, just a few more steps . . .

“Uh . . . Zee?” I asked.