overhear.”
Ella’s mouth formed a thin line, and she eyed Lux and me as if she were searching for any signs that this was a trick. My heart pounded. Of course it was a trick. It had to be—Walter would show himself if he really wanted to talk to Ella and James. And she had to know that, too.
They stared at each other as if they were having some sort of silent conversation, and after several seconds, Ella sighed. “Fine. Come, Cupcake.”
Ella followed James into the woods, and the slobbering dog trotted after them. I wrinkled my nose. Only Ella would name something with that many teeth Cupcake.
As soon as they disappeared, I flew to Lux’s side and started to unknot the glowing ropes. They held fast, and I swore.
“A little help here?” I muttered, and at last Lux came to life. He squirmed like he was trying to shimmy underneath his bonds, and when they began to saw into the trunk of the tree, my eyes widened.
“What the hell are you—”
“Can’t break the ropes,” he said. “Gotta go through the tree.”
“But you’re going to kill it!” I said. My mother would be furious.
“Shut up and watch,” he muttered, and I bristled. Fine. If he didn’t want my help, then I wouldn’t offer it.
After half a minute of sawing, however, the ropes were about a quarter of the way through the thick trunk, and at last Lux had enough room to slip from his restraints. “There,” he said, flexing his muscles. “That was the easy part.”
“If it was so easy, why couldn’t you have done it thirty minutes ago?”
He said nothing, and I sighed. Figured. Whether he was in a talkative mood or not, we had to get out of there before Ella and James returned from their powwow in the trees. Turning her back was one thing; doing nothing while we ran was another.
I grabbed his hand and led him in the opposite direction. “So how are we going to get down into the Underworld to get Casey?”
“ We’re not,” he said. “I might have a shot if I lie low for a while, until they have bigger things to bother with. But this is where we’re parting.”
I scowled. “I’m the one who helped free you, and I don’t exactly C17;="0have anything important to do in the next six months. I want to help you. Please.”
“You’ve already done plenty.” He stopped in a small clearing and squinted up at the sky. The sun was directly overhead by now—it was impossible to tell which direction we were going by looking at it. “And six months won’t be enough. Six years, maybe, but until then—”
“Are you kidding? You can’t possibly let Casey stay down there for six years. Let me help. I promise I’ll find a way to get him to you sooner, and I’ll distract Henry and—”
“No need.” James’s voice cut through the trees, and I jumped, shifting so I stood between him and Lux. Whether or not he’d helped us escape, I hadn’t forgotten that it was his fault Casey and Lux had been caught in the first place.
“What are you talking about?” I said. “Where’s Ella?”
“About a hundred and fifty feet that way, trying to come up with a way to explain to Walter why she let Lux go.”
I frowned. “Well, great. Thank her for me next time you see her. What do you mean, there’s no need to distract Henry?”
“Exactly what I said,” said James. “Casey isn’t in the Underworld anymore.”
Beside me, Lux went rigid. “Where is he?”
Which was the million-dollar question, but there was another surfacing in my mind as well. “Wait, you mean Henry just—”
“No time to explain,” said James. “I’ll take care of Walter when he comes back. In the meantime, you’ll find Casey at the place where this whole mess started.”
I had no idea what James was talking about, but Lux nodded. “Thank you. Even if I should break your jaw for leading the others to us in the first place.”
James shrugged. “Rain check.” But something snuffled behind him, and Ella’s slobbering dog—Cupcake—stepped out
Ella’s mouth formed a thin line, and she eyed Lux and me as if she were searching for any signs that this was a trick. My heart pounded. Of course it was a trick. It had to be—Walter would show himself if he really wanted to talk to Ella and James. And she had to know that, too.
They stared at each other as if they were having some sort of silent conversation, and after several seconds, Ella sighed. “Fine. Come, Cupcake.”
Ella followed James into the woods, and the slobbering dog trotted after them. I wrinkled my nose. Only Ella would name something with that many teeth Cupcake.
As soon as they disappeared, I flew to Lux’s side and started to unknot the glowing ropes. They held fast, and I swore.
“A little help here?” I muttered, and at last Lux came to life. He squirmed like he was trying to shimmy underneath his bonds, and when they began to saw into the trunk of the tree, my eyes widened.
“What the hell are you—”
“Can’t break the ropes,” he said. “Gotta go through the tree.”
“But you’re going to kill it!” I said. My mother would be furious.
“Shut up and watch,” he muttered, and I bristled. Fine. If he didn’t want my help, then I wouldn’t offer it.
After half a minute of sawing, however, the ropes were about a quarter of the way through the thick trunk, and at last Lux had enough room to slip from his restraints. “There,” he said, flexing his muscles. “That was the easy part.”
“If it was so easy, why couldn’t you have done it thirty minutes ago?”
He said nothing, and I sighed. Figured. Whether he was in a talkative mood or not, we had to get out of there before Ella and James returned from their powwow in the trees. Turning her back was one thing; doing nothing while we ran was another.
I grabbed his hand and led him in the opposite direction. “So how are we going to get down into the Underworld to get Casey?”
“ We’re not,” he said. “I might have a shot if I lie low for a while, until they have bigger things to bother with. But this is where we’re parting.”
I scowled. “I’m the one who helped free you, and I don’t exactly C17;="0have anything important to do in the next six months. I want to help you. Please.”
“You’ve already done plenty.” He stopped in a small clearing and squinted up at the sky. The sun was directly overhead by now—it was impossible to tell which direction we were going by looking at it. “And six months won’t be enough. Six years, maybe, but until then—”
“Are you kidding? You can’t possibly let Casey stay down there for six years. Let me help. I promise I’ll find a way to get him to you sooner, and I’ll distract Henry and—”
“No need.” James’s voice cut through the trees, and I jumped, shifting so I stood between him and Lux. Whether or not he’d helped us escape, I hadn’t forgotten that it was his fault Casey and Lux had been caught in the first place.
“What are you talking about?” I said. “Where’s Ella?”
“About a hundred and fifty feet that way, trying to come up with a way to explain to Walter why she let Lux go.”
I frowned. “Well, great. Thank her for me next time you see her. What do you mean, there’s no need to distract Henry?”
“Exactly what I said,” said James. “Casey isn’t in the Underworld anymore.”
Beside me, Lux went rigid. “Where is he?”
Which was the million-dollar question, but there was another surfacing in my mind as well. “Wait, you mean Henry just—”
“No time to explain,” said James. “I’ll take care of Walter when he comes back. In the meantime, you’ll find Casey at the place where this whole mess started.”
I had no idea what James was talking about, but Lux nodded. “Thank you. Even if I should break your jaw for leading the others to us in the first place.”
James shrugged. “Rain check.” But something snuffled behind him, and Ella’s slobbering dog—Cupcake—stepped out
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