As a trio, with the pixies still sitting on my shoulders, we backed away from the Door to Nowhere. A deafening roar exploded from the gateway, the frame juddering violently. Charlotte dropped the shield and instructed everyone to run to safety, with Genie, Nathan, and me bringing up the rear. I looked back as I ran, watching the door beginning to break apart into shards of light that swirled in the center, spinning faster and faster as though the realm itself was imploding.
“Take cover!” I yelled, and not a moment too soon. Everyone dove to the ground as the gateway crumpled in on itself, before unleashing a shockwave so volatile that it took the tops off several headstones. When I glanced back, the Door to Nowhere had vanished, hopefully never to be seen again.
Lying flat on the ground, squelching around in the mud, I realized that it was finally over. The Door wouldn’t take any more victims, and the Wisps had paid for what they’d done—not only to Lorelei, but to everyone they’d dragged into that realm, and everyone before that, whom they’d led to certain death. And my friend had returned to me in one glorious piece.
A voice cut through the ensuing silence. “Are those… pixies?” I didn’t recognize the man who’d spoken, and instinctively lifted a hand to protect my monsters. It came as quite the surprise when Charlotte got to her feet and folded her arms across her chest.
“Yes, they’re pixies, and if anyone even thinks about hurling Chaos at one, they’ll have me to deal with,” she said sternly. “None of you would be here if it weren’t for them, so show some respect. The same goes for Persie.”
I struggled not to cry as Genie helped me up and put her arm around my shoulder. “She saved us.” She glared at the Institute folk. “And so did the pixies.”
“Those monsters… helped?” Xanthippe looked dumbstruck. “Monsters don’t help.”
Charlotte nodded. “Well, these ones did, and a lot of them died to rescue you all. And if we’d kept on thinking they were the bad guys… Well, I don’t need to keep repeating myself.”
“Thank you, Persie, and… uh… thanks, monsters.” Xanthippe took a step forward, looking at Genie sheepishly. “And I guess I owe you both an apology, for things that… I might’ve said. I had a bit of time to think, in that world. I guess people get things wrong sometimes. So, I’m… sorry.”
Genie smiled and gave me a side-squeeze. “Apology accepted.”
“Nathan also helped.” I felt bad leaving him out, when his choice of book had been the catalyst in this rescue mission.
A rumble of gratitude spread across the graveyard, sounding like the murmurs of the dead. But it was a start—a sign of better days to come. Victoria would have to see that my pixies had been instrumental to our success in freeing everyone, and I hoped she’d appreciate their sacrifice. I allowed myself a sad smile, knowing that this victory had come at a price. But I’d succeeded, and I’d proven the innocence of the pixies. Maybe, just maybe, that meant everyone would start to realize that not every Purge beast was a bloodthirsty, mindless monster after all.
Thirty-Four
Genie
Three days passed like three seconds, while life at the Institute gradually returned to normal. Well, sort of. Lessons hadn’t restarted yet. Victoria had put out a blanket order for all of the returnees to spend a week in quarantine, in case of Fergus-world side effects. I’d chosen to quarantine in Persie’s room, or I’d have died of boredom. Plus, Nathan snuck Boudicca out of her orb most mornings so she could keep us entertained. And man, did pixies know how to be the life and soul of the party. She taught us how to jig, pixie-style; she’d snazzed up some flowery headbands for us; and she’d started a tournament of what I liked to call “toothpaste archery.” She’d also given us a few lessons in pixie-speak. Of all the monsters Persie had Purged, she was my fave.
As for my memories of Fergus’s messed-up paradise, they’d grown fuzzy. I knew I’d yammered on about my dad and arranged marriages, but I couldn’t recall the exact words I’d said. Still, it was therapeutic in a way. I felt like I’d hashed out my issues without intending to. That could happen when you were stuck on a loop for… however long I was in there. I knew, more than ever, that I wouldn’t settle for an arranged marriage. The gut-wrenching Fergus-and-Lorelei story had further cemented my thoughts on love. I wanted what they’d had, minus the sacrifice and Wisp-trapping and anguishing death. I wanted a love that made people cry in a good way. If I couldn’t have that, then I didn’t want any of it. End of story.
“Relax, Mom, it’s honestly fine.” Persie’s desperate gaze pulled me from my thoughts and back into reality. She’d called her mom on video chat to relay everything that had happened, and it wasn’t being well received.
I dove into frame. “It really is fine, and you know I wouldn’t fib where Persie’s concerned. Victoria cleared her of all charges, and everyone’s okay. No harm done.”
Nathan had also been cleared and had somehow wrangled the benefit of not being stuck in his room all day. But I was secretly glad about that. I’d started to look forward to his morning Boudicca deliveries. He usually stayed to chat and watch the pixie’s antics, and I sort of liked having him around. He suited a casual atmosphere. It warmed him up and loosened his natural stiff-upper-lip-ness. And, as it turned out, he had some funny bones of his own. Naturally, Persie had told me how livid he’d been when he’d heard me babbling about arranged marriages. I wouldn’t say it had made me swoon, but I liked that he’d jumped to love’s defense.
“I just don’t understand why you didn’t call
