“It’s beautiful,” says Charlie.
“It’s terrifying,” says Maddox.
“Same thing,” says Charlie.
Once the tree has settled in place, Nolan turns toward me. “How do we get below the roots?”
I think back to John sacrificing his little finger to enter the reaping tree in Neverland. “There has to be something missing about you,” I say, then with a nervous chuckle, “I shouldn’t have a problem getting in.”
“Neither should Cap,” says Maddox dryly, glancing at Nolan’s hook.
We make our way to the trunk of the tree, Nolan holding my hand so that I don’t stumble over the roots. When Maddox offers his hand to Charlie, she pretends not to notice.
“What’s going on between those two?” asks Nolan as they, more nimble than me, get ahead of us and reach the trunk first.
“Apparently Maddox kissed Charlie.”
“I can’t see how that would?—”
“Then apologized to her for it.”
“Oh. I see.”
When we reach the tree, the other three look to me for guidance. “The reaping tree in Neverland accepted me right away. All I had to do was place my hand on the trunk,” I say.
“And what happens if the reaping tree doesn’t accept you?” asks Maddox.
I crinkle my brow.
“You don’t know, do you?” he says. “Excellent.”
“You’re right,” I say. “It should just be me and Nolan who go. Just in case.”
“I don’t particularly like the idea of leaving backup behind,” says Nolan.
“Yes, but Wendy won,” says Charlie.
Nolan glares at my friend. She grins back at him.
“Together then?” I ask my husband.
He takes my hand in his, then presses both of our hands to the trunk.
Nothing happens.
I press my palm in with more force, like that’s going to do anything. When I turn to look at Nolan, there’s guilt on his face. Like he’s the one who’s failing me.
But then, behind us, something slithers through the brush.
We all whirl around, Nolan simultaneously unsheathing his sword and pushing me behind him with his hook. It digs into my shoulder blade, puncturing my tunic, but there’s no noticing the pain.
Not when the danger in front of us is so much more terrifying.
A serpent, thick as a bull and long enough that it’s encircled both us and the tree three times, stares, its red eyes flicking between each of us.
“You summoned me?” it hisses.
“Mm-n,” says Maddox. “Definitely wouldn’t have done that.”
