THE GROWN-UPS' CRUSADE
Audrey Greathouse
Clean Teen Publishing
Contents
The Grown-Ups’ Crusade
Also by Audrey Greathouse
Copyright
Content Disclosure
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
About the Author
Acknowledgments
CTP Email List
Bellamy and the Brute
The Viking’s Chosen
The Grown-Ups’ Crusade
By: Audrey Greathouse
Gwen has returned to Neverland with Peter Pan and the lost children, but this time, the adults are following close behind. The Anomalous Activity Department has plans to finally conquer Neverland by bringing the final battle to the vulnerable island. The children will have to rally fairies, mermaids, and allies from other magical realms to stand a chance against the shadow-casting army of grown-ups heading for them.
Also by Audrey Greathouse
Book 1: The Neverland Wars
Book 2: The Piper’s Price
Book 3: The Grown-Ups’ Crusade
THIS book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
NO part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
The Grown-Ups’ Crusade
Copyright ©2018 Audrey Greathouse
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63422-283-9
Cover Design by: Marya Heidel
Typography by: Courtney Knight
Editing by: Cynthia Shepp
Cover Art:
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To my love, my Zaq—
The boy I will grow old with
Chapter 1
Gwen gathered fruit as fast as she could in the dim of the early morning. Mangos and marionberries, peaches and papayas, star fruit and oranges… she shoved the land fruit into her bag, never breaking pace as she trekked weast across the island. She needed to get to the coast and back before any fairies awoke. The entire fairy population had indulged in joyful revelries the night before, celebrating some amorphous holiday unknown to humans. The dawn would find even the most temperate fairies still lolling in drunken dreams and merry slumber. But dawn had not yet arrived and not everyone slept; stars still speckled the bluing sky and certain inhabitants of Neverland were still speaking with them.
Tromping over vines and fungi, Gwen bushwhacked her way through the forest-jungle on anxious feet. The mermaids had not been helpful as of late.
The new mermaids she'd met wouldn't even give her their names. Eglantine and Cynara had been snide at best, and contemptuous at worst. Gwen wouldn't have minded it—she didn't care what mermaids thought of her—but she felt certain they knew what had happened to Lasiandra and refused to tell her. This drowsy morning offered her a chance to tempt them with an overabundance of land fruit without anyone noticing. She would persuade the mermaids to cede their starry secrets and hurry back before any stray fairy or curious child found her out at the incriminating lagoon.
She reached the wood's end and hurried down the steps carved into the chalky cliff face. She moved so fast, she half-flew toward the slender figures half-submerged in the lagoon.
Gwen had not seen Lasiandra since the night she escaped with Jay from Lake Agana. In the chaos, she had never retrieved the scale from Lasiandra, and thus lost her ability to call her friend. She hadn't worried about it—until days and weeks passed without sight of her at the lagoon.
“What business have you with Lasiandra?” Eglantine had demanded last time Gwen visited. “What matter is she to you?”
“I'm just worried about her,” Gwen had answered, innocent and truthful. The region's entire Anomalous Activity Department had been on duty that night, trying to apprehend lost children and capture whatever magic followed them. Lasiandra's disappearance was ominous, to say the least. A few fairies had not returned from the mission, and there was no question of what fate had befallen them.
In response, the mermaids had only mocked her, contorting their melodic voices into cackling imitations of her land-dwelling accent, “I'm just worried about her.”
“Worried about her! Concerned about a mermaid?” Cynara had declared, insulted and amused. “We are not of such a feeble nature as you landmaids. Mermaids have more strength in a single scale than you have in all of your heart. You need not worry for a mermaid, girl. We can take care of ourselves.”
Gwen had wanted to believe her.
“If you want to see Lasiandra,” Eglantine had suggested, suddenly and suspiciously civil, “we'll take you to her. Come into the water, come swim with us, and we'll look for her together in the places where sea dragons sew their treasures and where Atlantian dreams dwell.”
But Gwen had known better than to accept her offer. Of course, they'd also volunteered to find Lasiandra in exchange for a sky glass, but Gwen couldn't have given them one even if she wanted. She had forfeited her compact mirror to Lasiandra in exchange for Jay's safe return. If the mermaids' confidence in Lasiandra was well placed, certainly the mirror would only solidify her ability to fend for herself, and fulfill her promise to keep Jay safe.
Gwen whizzed by the steps of the cliff, not even conscious of them. She clung to her bag—a canvass sack from the dress-up chest far larger than her usual satchel. She had stuffed ten pounds fruit or more into the raggedy bag. Gwen had attempted to barter with fruit before, but the offers were never to the mermaids' liking. She had everything this time though. They would have to give her more than scorn in exchange.
On the pebbly beach, Gwen felt herself sinking into the ground with every uneven step. She approached the
