I burst through first and skidded to a halt.Owen ran smack into my back, making me stumble a few steps into the wrecked living room.
The Red Queen was crouched behind one sofa.Tani—a life-sized Tani—hid behind the other.They were popping up to hurl things at each other.Breakable things.Lamps.Vases.A ceramic rooster I was pretty sure had belonged to Alice since the seventies.Shattered glass glittered across the hardwood like deadly confetti.
At least they’d spared the family photos on the mantel.
“What on earth is going on in here?”
“Uh oh.Mom’s home,” Tani muttered.
She straightened and smoothed her hands down her pants.Then she spotted Owen and lit up like Christmas.
“Oh.Ohhhh.He’s even cuter full-size.I should be big more often.”
She started to saunter toward him, but I threw out a hand.
“Stay where you are.I want an explanation.”
Now that Tani was roughly my height, I finally got a good, full look at the fairy queen.She was unfairly gorgeous—more ethereal supermodel than woodland sprite—with pale gold hair, bright blue eyes, and delicate pointed ears.She still wore her tunic and vest, soft brown pants tucked into shiny black boots.More “Robin Hood’s hot lieutenant” than sparkly pixie.
“She started it,” Tani said, pointing accusingly at the Red Queen.
“I most certainly did not,” the queen sniffed.
“I don’t care who started it,” I snapped.“Someone is going to clean up this mess.”
Willow meowed from the staircase, then hopped down and twined around my legs as if in agreement.
“Well it won’t be me,” the Red Queen declared.She folded her arms across her bodice and turned away, chin tipped high.“I am a queen.”
“You,” I said, stabbing a finger in her direction.“I told you to stay in your room.”
“Like a commoner?I think not.Queens do not languish in guest chambers.”
“And she was hungry,” Tani added.“I caught her rummaging through the fridge.And she can’t cook.”
“Maybe I should get the broom,” Owen suggested, edging toward the kitchen—probably trying to stay out of the blast radius.
No way.I latched onto his hand, keeping him beside me.I was not being left alone between two supernatural monarchs.
“She doesn’t belong here, Piper,” Tani insisted.
“I belong here far more than you do, fairy,” the Red Queen shot back.
“And you,” I whirled on Tani, temper finally snapping.“She’s here because of you.You gave me the conjuring potion, not the one to close the portal.”
Tani at least had the decency to look guilty.“Oops?”
“No oops.”My voice went sharp.“Why did you do it?”
“Yes,” the Red Queen said.“Why did you?”
“Stay out of this, Red.”
Tani glared at the queen, then turned back to me.“I didn’t mean to.I thought it was something else.”
“Like what?”
“Like… it was an accident, okay?”Tani waved a hand, irritation sparking in her eyes.
