“So why does Red think they were stolen?”
“Because Red thinks everything that’s not under her heel has been stolen from her,” Tani said primly.“She lives in Wonderland.The name alone should tell you she’s not exactly plugged into reality.”She straightened and pinned me with her bright blue stare.“The real question is are you going to help me?”
“I have other more pressing matters,” I said.“Like closing the portal before anything else crawls through.I need the gate potion.And I need to figure out who killed Alice.”
“You’re not going to figure that out overnight.”
“I know.But I have to try.”
Footsteps sounded on the stairs.Owen reappeared.
“Her majesty is sleeping,” he said.
Tani snorted.“Must be nice.Some of us have to do all the real work.”
“Did you find anything out?”he asked me.
“Yes,” I said, already heading toward the basement door.“Tani brought the relics with her.Alice was safeguarding them.I’ll explain everything on the way, but right now I want the right potion and I want to get back to the trees before the ley breach gets worse.”
Owen fell into step beside me.Tani trailed after us.
“I’m coming with you this time,” Tani announced.
“No.You’re staying here.”I halted and gave her the best intimidating stare I could muster.
“You’re not the boss of me,” Tani said breezily.“I’ll meet you there.”
Before I could object, the fairy queen vanished in a puff of pink dust.
I sighed.“Of course she will.”
“Fairies,” Owen said.“Zero respect for road trips.”
I pushed open the basement door.“She told me she gave the treasures to Alice for safekeeping,” I said as we descended the stairs.“She needs them to get Oberon out.Red’s version is… not accurate.”
“You think Tani’s telling the truth?”he asked.
“Yes.Or as much of it as she ever tells.”I stopped halfway down and turned to face him, closer than I’d intended.“Owen, what was my aunt into?”
“I’m not sure,” he said.“My dad didn’t know the whole story.He knew she was binding something nasty under that tree.It seems like she trusted you to finish what she started.”
“Great.No pressure or anything.”I exhaled.“Will you take me back to the woods?”
“Of course,” he said.“I’m not letting you walk into a demon-infested Crossroads alone.”
I grabbed the correct potion from Alice’s neatly labeled shelves, tucked it securely into my pocket, and we headed for his car.
Chapter Eleven
Bythetimeweneared the woods, a column of white smoke curled up from the tree line, smearing the sky.
My stomach clenched.“What is that?”
“Not sure.”Owen parked on the shoulder and we both jumped out.
We ran through the trees.The smoke thickened the closer we got, carrying the bitter tang of sulfur and something burned.When we burst into the clearing, I skidded to a stop.
The ground at the base of the hickory tree roiled.
