Story's End by Marissa Burt Page B

his own didn’t seem malicious. Secondly, she determined that Horror Hollow wasn’t nearly as scary a place as she had once thought. In fact, the characters seated at the table with her were quite possibly the most interesting ones she had come across in Story. And finally, she was absolutely positive that she would have to find the cemetery soon—before she fell asleep. The effort of dancing and her full stomach made her fight to keep her eyes open.
    Until she heard what the witch was saying. “The Tale Master’s going to make a big announcement at Perrault tomorrow. About the Tale station being shut down and all. Did you hear that out in the Badlands, Kai?”
    “He’s shut down the Tale station?” Kai set his chair down on the floor with a thud and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But what good have the Talekeeper Tales ever done us anyway?”
    “That’s for sure,” the sorcerer said. “Better Tales when the Muses were around.”
    “And less bossing,” the crone cackled. “My mam had some Witch in her, true enough, but she was a Romantic at heart. The Muses would’ve written her a witch’s love story instead of the same-old same-old witch-who-eats-children nonsense she got from the Talekeepers.”
    There was much nodding all around, and then Kai raised his tankard with a grin. “To Villainy! And to Villains being whoever they want to be!”
    Una didn’t join the toast, but she took a sip from the mug of tea in front of her. She eyed the group around the table. Maybe the Resistance had been looking for support in all the wrong places. Hearing Kai’s friends go on about the Talekeepers and the shoddy way they were running things made her think that some of the Hollow folk, at least the Villains seated around her, weren’t falling for Elton’s lies.
    “What we need is some new leadership,” the dwarf said around his pipe. “No more of this Talekeeper nonsense.” He chewed the stem. “Copies of Tales and all that rubbish. My granddad wouldn’t have stood for it, I tell you that.”
    “What we need is a Villain running things, not some puffed-up Hero.” The sorcerer was smiling as he said this, but the way he bared his pointed teeth made Una sit up a little straighter in her chair.
    “What we need is the return of the King.” The fox had spoken very little the entire meal, and Una was surprised at how deep his voice was. “What say you, Kai?”
    “Sure, the King’ll return someday.” Kai waved the fox’s words away. “The same day foxes fly.” A loud chorus of laughter followed this statement, and the innkeeper began serving giant slices of chocolate cake to everyone. As Una took her first bite, Kai bent down.
    “I know of a cemetery that leads to a castle,” he said in a near whisper. “But it’s very dangerous.”
    “Oh, I’m not going there tonight,” Una said. Unless I can find Peter and Indy first .
    “And why not?” Kai asked. “I didn’t say you shouldn’t go. Just that it was dangerous.” He leaned in close. “All the more reason to go, if you ask me. At least if you want an adventure. Do you?”
    Una swallowed the cake and then tried out Kai’s tactic. “What do you know of the Lost Elements of Story?”
    “Depends on who’s asking.” Kai’s face split into a broad grin. “And if they’re telling the truth.” Una liked how friendly his eyes looked.
    “My name is Una Fairchild,” Una said, “and I need to find the Lost Elements to make something right.” There. All true.
    “I see,” Kai said, and, impossible as it was, Una thought he really did see. “The cemetery’s half a mile south of here. Take the last right before you come to the Pit of Doom.”
    Una had thought she’d be pleased to have the information. Instead, she felt like she was going to throw up. Kai must have seen it on her face.
    “I don’t know if you’re in some kind of trouble, lass, and I don’t care.” His words were barely more than a whisper. “I make it a rule not to get