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“Illusion magic,” Dax replied sternly. Turning, I glanced over but he wasn’t looking at me, his hard eyes pinned somewhere behind my back.

“Well, shit,” I grumbled as a sinister fog rose from the ground, along with the rancid miasma of dark magic. I swallowed thickly, nausea swirling in my belly. Horror, terror, and frustration combined in an awkward slurry inside my mind as a group of perhaps twenty-five Heechu Hunters appeared, centered in a disorganized, uneven horseshoe no more than a quarter mile away. Plumes of their revolting magic stained the air at their feet, as if it was just waiting to strike.

One witch stepped forward, the deep crimson of her cloak announcing her presence well before she spoke. “I told you that you'd regret ever crossing my path.”

Grimnyr growled low somewhere to my right.

“So, you did,” Bane concurred, sauntering several feet closer, Stilly close at his heels.

I stuck a hand into my pocket, fiddling with the miniature duck stylized as a pink strawberry I discovered while I stretched.

“He'll be fine,” Dax assured me as the shifter edged slightly in front of me, a fine tremor ghosting over his skin as if he were ready to change forms at a moment’s notice. “Gargoyles have an immunity to witches, especially Rumpelstiltskin.”

My confusion abated as little red and a streak of magic colored the murky hue of old blood directly at Bane's chest. Rumpelstiltskin laughed, simply holding up a hand and absorbing the attack. She twisted her wrist and a thin wall of water, rose before her and Bane.

I nodded at Dax. “Further explanation unnecessary.”

He smirked, eyes trained on the enemy.

Bane’s wings drooped. “I had it covered.”

Stilly snorted. “Nein, you didn't.”

Little Red stomped her foot and Grimnyr laughed darkly, drawing her attention to the rest of us. She took a step forward, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “Fucking traitor. Looks like I’ll have to skin your pelt myself.”

Something waivered in my peripheral as what I recognized was a portal rippled with the force of Grimnyr’s amusement. I resisted the urge to tug the mate bond, urging my grotesque to come back. Glancing at my watch, I inhaled shakily. “Five minutes left until three,” I whispered to Dax.

“Don’t worry, darlin’, we’ll call him back to us just before the witching hour strikes,” Grimnyr offered quietly, speaking through the side of his mouth as if he were a puppet.

Bane bounced in place, then flung out his wings and spun. “Fuck me. It's good to see you again Little Red. Honestly, who knew you had it in you? So tenacious. Like a wee bulldog.”

Surprisingly, she ignored his words, her eyes still boring into Grimnyr.

I checked my watch once more. “One minute,” I stated, knowing Bane would pick up my words with his advanced hearing. My shoulders rolled back and I turned toward Grimnyr and Dax. “Do you remember the plan?”

Dax raised a brow but didn’t comment as Grimnyr winked. “You,” Dax said, nodding his chin at me, “go through the portal first. You’re human legs are too slow, and we need to take every advantage available to us.”

I scoffed. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Not a compliment but a fact. You’re a human and need to remember it.”

“I’m well aware. The rest of the plan?”

Dax exhaled sharply through his nose. “Once you’re through, I'll throw a bubble portal over Bane and Stilly, dropping them at the entrance of the portal, then I’ll cross.”

“And I will be the last to enter, ensuring Little Red and the coven give chase,” Grimnyr confirmed.

I nodded, shaking out my legs as if it would restore their normal balance, ridding them of their wobbly, cooked noodle state. My chest tightened as I sent love through my connection to Bane, then took off toward the portal, shrieks of outrage rising from the HHC’s ranks. I ignored it all, running, tripping over rocks, roots, and the grass itself as it tried to grab my ankles.

Muttering a curse, I stared at the portal, its edges turning opaque but holding shape. I sent Mo a silent thank you and darted behind a tree absolutely strangled with verdant vines, whipping away the sweat beading across my forehead. Ugh. The humidity is so thick I imagine it’s no different than wearing a parka in a sauna. What is this shit? Neverland is supposed to be a tropical paradise.

Bane and Stilly bolted through the portal, and I released a breath as they sprinted straight for me. My grotesque snatched my hand with his tail and kept moving, tossing me a wicked grin. “Common, Honeybee. The others are right behind us.”

Narrowing my eyes on him, I panted for breath, my clumsiness worsened by the uneven jungle floor. “One day your erratic behavior will probably give me a heart attack.” I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder, my eyes widening as Dax threw out a hand and icy blue magic streamed from his fingers, seemingly stabilizing the shivering portal.

I tripped and would’ve face-planted if not for Bane’s tightening grip on my hand.

“I love you, Lass, you know that. But for the love of fuck will you look where you’re going?” he insisted.