Page 25

She nods slowly as his lack of a heartbeat suddenly dawns on her.

"This is a fucking nightmare," Leo grumbles.

I can't blame him for being freaked the fuck out. I’m still trying to come to terms with having burlap skin and straw for insides, but at least I didn't sprout enormous wings or wake up covered in fur.

"Can you fly?" I ask, focusing on what seems like the most important question right now.

Leo shrugs, and his wings shift with the movement, lifting him about a foot off the ground.

Toto claps excitedly. "Good job!"

Leo looks down at his paws dangling above the ground. “Oh, fuck me.”

We all start talking at once, our voices rising as the sheer insanity of the situation tumbles out in a mixture of anger, fear, and confusion.

"Oh, Screaming Woods holds the answers, all right," Nick says sarcastically.

"I didn't see you stopping us," Leo bites back.

Nick glares at him.

I ignore them. "Could somebody help me figure out how to walk, please?"

Toto rushes to my side and slides under my arm. I lean on her as she helps me find my balance.

“There you go,” she says, smiling up at me.

Her smile makes everything better, and I grin at her despite my frustration and panic.

We take a few shaky steps, and Toto props me up against a tree before marching over to Nick and Leo, who are still bickering back and forth.

“Would you two stop—”

Nick disappears.

A gust of wind whips past me as he circles Leo like a tornado.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Leo growls.

He sticks out one enormous paw, and Nick hits it at full speed.

Leo howls and grabs his foot.

Nick goes flying at the same time and lies there for a second. “That fucking hurt.”

Leo glares at him while hopping on one foot. “You think?”

Toto plants both hands on her hips. "Are you three finished?”

I raise a burlap hand. “In my defense, I’m leaning against a tree.”

“You’re the only one behaving,” she says, her gaze bouncing from me back to Leo and Nick. “We need to remember that Vera's still out here somewhere."

Her words bring the moment into perspective.

"I can't imagine how you must feel right now, but I didn't turn into anything when we passed through the barrier." She runs her hands down her sides as if to demonstrate she’s still entirely human.

All three of us track the movement.