I widened my eyes as if I had no idea what he was talking about, even though I knew what was coming.

“Dorothy,” the Nome King said, “will you rule at my side . . . forever? As my queen?”

Forever. That was a word I didn’t like the sound of. Especially not coming from him. Forever was an awfully long time.

But queen. Now that was a word I liked quite a lot. None of this “interim ruler until Ozma cleans the bats out of her belfry” nonsense. No frumpy little coven of wicked witches breathing down my neck. No backstabbing Glamora. Glinda. Whoever she was now. And, best of all, no Amy Gumm. I’d have as long as I needed to restore my magic, thwart the Nome King, find a way back to Oz, and take back my throne. The Nome King was offering me the best possible solution to my dilemma, and I hadn’t even had to ask for his help. Plus, while I figured out how to get Oz back, I’d be in charge of Ev. My first order of business would be doing something about the food. And then I’d get some new clothes.

The only thing I’d have to worry about if I was Queen of Ev would be its king. And I was sure I could handle him.

Pretty sure, anyway.

I realized everyone in the banquet hall was staring at me, even the Munchkins.

“I won’t take no for an answer,” he purred. He even managed to make it sound not menacing. How sweet.

“My lord,” I gasped prettily, fluttering one hand over my (lovely, if I do say so myself) bosom. “What a marvelous shock you have given me!”

I rose to my feet, gazing proudly out over the silent hall. I’d show them what a queen looked like. My chin was high, my hair glossy, my waist tiny. I had more power in my two red shoes than the rest of these creepshow carnies had in the entire room. I was going to show them just what Dorothy Gale was made of.

And they weren’t going to forget it.

I took the Nome King’s hand and held it high over our heads. “I am honored to accept your proposal,” I said regally.

The room was absolutely silent. The Munchkins stood motionless, gaping up at me. I saw a gray blur out of the corner of one eye that might, just might, have been Bupu.

“Well, my darling, you could hardly refuse,” the Nome King said in a low voice at my side. He reached out with his bony fingers and traced the outline of my cheek, a smile ghosting across his death-white face. I shot him a radiant look.

“I wouldn’t dream of turning down such a marvelous offer from such a wonderful man,” I said, my voice husky. Once again, I saw the faintest flicker of uncertainty cross his face.

He’d expected me to put up a fuss. To make demands. And the fact that I was going along with him without a peep of protest was making him nervous. My smile got even brighter.

Two could play at this game.

“In fact, my lord—” I began, but then something happened that I hadn’t expected at all.

My shoes flared to life with a stabbing red light that split the still air with a sudden resounding crack like a clap of thunder. The shoes were blazing like a bonfire, scattering dazzling, bloodred sparks.

I was so surprised I didn’t even realize the light was coming from me for several seconds. I took a startled step backward. Diggers leapt to their feet; Munchkins scattered. The Nome King grabbed my hand again, this time squeezing so tightly I thought he’d snap the bones of my fingers.

“What are you doing?” he hissed in my ear.

“I don’t know! It isn’t me!” I protested, but I could tell he didn’t believe me. He yanked me fiercely from the banquet hall, practically dragging me down the hallway back to my chambers. Behind me, I could hear frantic panting—poor Bupu, desperate to catch up.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” he snarled, flinging me into my room, “but you’re not going to get away with it in my palace, darling.” Just in time, Bupu darted in behind me. The Nome King stared at me, his silver eyes burning with rage. “Stay here until I figure out what you’ve done,” he growled.

“My lord—” I protested.

But he had slammed the door in my face. I sank down on the edge of the bed while Bupu tried to comfort me.

But I wasn’t distraught. I was in shock at what I’d seen in the Nome King’s banquet hall.

In that first flash of red light, it had been unmistakable. Amy. I’d seen a vision of Amy. In a cavern somewhere, with that tedious little warrior boy behind her. She had my shoes. But that wasn’t the most important part. I knew, as surely as I’d ever known anything, that my vision was real. And that Amy was in Ev.

Amy was here.

And from the slow-sparking tingle in my toes, I knew I could use my magic again.

“Mistress?” Bupu asked in a quavering voice.

“I need to think,” I snapped.

The little Munchkin tugged at my sleeve. “Mistress, please forgive me, but it’s very important.”

“Be silent, curse you!” I screeched. She cowered but continued to pluck at my dress.

“I learned something very important at the banquet!”

Finally I opened my eyes and looked at her. “You did? How?”

“I hid under the table,” she said proudly. But then an expression of terrible anxiety flitted across her homely face. “But I heard the king’s guards whispering about you,” she said. “It’s very bad news.”

“Oh? How bad?”

She looked around, her eyes huge, and then lowered her voice even further.

“Mistress, the Nome King isn’t going to marry you. He’s going to murder you.”

TEN

Nox, Madison, and Langwidere’s palace vanished in a flash as I tumbled forward into darkness. I cried out in surprise and fear but my scream was swallowed by the thick dark that surrounded me.

But I wasn’t falling, I realized.

I was flying.

At my feet, the shoes glowed faintly with a comforting silver light. And suddenly I wasn’t afraid. I felt the same rush of emotion that had gone through me as I reached out to Lurline.

Home. I felt home.

All around me, the darkness began to glow. Golden rays of light streaked past me as I flew, and overhead, the sky lightened as if the sun was rising somewhere. I was flying over a lush, beautiful jungle. Towering trees carpeted the earth below me with green. At their tops, huge red flowers bloomed, unfolding to greet the warm golden light. I gasped. I’d seen a lot of beautiful things in Oz, but this was something else. Something totally alien and strange—and impossibly familiar at the same time.

I’d never been here. But I knew where I was.

“Welcome back, Amy,” Lurline’s voice said. She was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Her voice surrounded me. It was part of the air I breathed and the breeze that carried me endlessly forward over the blooming forest.

“Where am I?” I asked. But before she answered, I already knew.

“You are back in my country,” she replied. “The world between worlds. In this moment, you are safe. But I am afraid it won’t be for long, my dear. As I told you the first time we met, your task is not yet finished.”

“I know,” I said. “But it seems . . . impossible. Not that we can’t tackle it,” I added hastily, in case she thought I hadn’t learned anything since the last time I’d seen her. “I’m just not sure what to do next. Mombi’s dead, we can’t reach anyone back in Oz, Dorothy’s allied with the Nome King, Lang doesn’t want our help—I’m not sure why the road brought us to her.”