Chapter 40—"No Change of Heart"

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Rumplestiltskin whispered.

"Work ceaselessly to bury your misery, probably." Belle's tone was light, though, as were the fingers that gently worked through his hair.

Rumplestiltskin had slept through the night, much to his surprise, with only one or two nightmares of letting Bae go or finding Bae's dead body in the corner of some useless little realm. Belle had stayed with him, comforting him and holding him, and Rumplestiltskin really didn't know what he would have done if he'd been alone. Things had been easier when he'd been the Dark One; he could still feel, then, but everything had been a little muted. Now that he was human again, the way he'd failed his son burned.

And they'd been so damned close. There had been an open portal, he'd been ready to find him, and then Bae hadn't been there. Rumplestiltskin still wasn't sure how to process that, not even after nearly a week had passed.

"I should stop wallowing, shouldn't I?" he asked after a long moment.

"Are you ready to face the world?" From anyone else, the words would have sounded judgmental. But not from Belle. She just watched him with compassionate eyes, still stroking his hair.

"No." Rumplestiltskin disliked how petulant that word sounded, though, and he scowled. "But I suppose I must."

"Your mother has been working to find Bae, you know. She went back to the Dark Realm for a crystal ball that might help." Belle frowned a little. "Going back wore her out. I think she's been using less dark magic, and being exposed to it isn't good for her, now."

That made Rumplestiltskin sit up. "She has?"

He generally didn't pay any attention to the sort of magic his mother used; Fiona was the Black Fairy, and a force unto herself. Before his own curse was broken, Rumplestiltskin hadn't really expected anything but dark magic to surround him—or at least not until Belle had walked into his life. She made a True Love potion, he remembered. Rumplestiltskin knew better than anyone that creation of a True Love potion could not be done via dark magic. Such a potion could only be made by focusing on your own love, which why he'd brewed Snow and Charming's with Belle on his mind.

Who had his mother thought of? She mentioned Pan, the voice of doubt pointed out, but Rumplestiltskin shoved that foolish thought aside. No, Fiona hated Pan, which left him. And as much as he knew that his mother loved him, as much as she'd stood by him through so many dark years, that feeling still buoyed him. And she's working to find Bae while I'm drowning in grief.

"I think she's trying." Belle smiled. "Perhaps it runs in the family, after all."

"Well, then, I should do no less." Rumplestiltskin looked down at himself; he was still clad in the same shirt and trousers from several days earlier, and he looked rather frightful. Belle followed his gaze before meeting his eyes pointedly.

"Bath first." She pointed towards the tub. "Then you can get to work. In the meantime, I'll scare you up some breakfast, lest you waste away by not eating."

"I don't—oh." Yes, he did need to eat these days. No wonder his stomach felt so awful.

Taking his hand, Belle tugged him off the bed. "Come on, then. Time to be human."

And then I will find my son. Rumplestiltskin allowed himself to be led towards the tub. He'd wallowed in self-pity long enough. It was time to get back to work. Curse or no curse, he was going to find Baelfire.


She should warn Tiger Lily.

Fiona had been so caught up in her son's non-reaction to Pan's presence in the Enchanted Forest that she hadn't stopped to think about someone else who needed a warning. Pan claimed to be hunting some escaped Lost Boys, but if she knew the little shit—and she did know him unfortunately well—that probably meant he was hunting Tiger Lily as well. Besides which, Tiger was likely to be sheltering said escaped Lost Boys, anyway. So, Fiona summoned another raven, threw together a quick spell, and scrawled a note.

Tiger—Pan is running around out here, says he's looking for Lost Boys. He might be looking for you, too, so be careful.

Call on me if you need help. Just throw the enclosed stone into any body of water, and I'll be there.

-Fiona.


Well, he'd found his witch, and she was a feisty one. A queen, too, which at least made things spicy. This Queen Zelena—known hereabouts as the 'Wicked Queen', which Pan rather appreciated—saw him almost right away, too, which meant he wasn't feeling particularly nasty. It won't do to get in a fight, Pan told himself firmly. No matter how fun it will be. I need a stupid tracking potion from this woman, and maybe it might be fun to have an alliance with someone delightfully amoral.

"You call yourself 'Peter Pan'?" Sitting on her throne, Zelena sneered. "You don't look terribly powerful to me."

"Looks can be deceiving." He smiled lazily. "Particularly mine."

"I should hope so, or else you're not worth my time." She settled back on her throne, still glaring pointlessly at him. Pan found it amusing—or would have, if he hadn't actually needed help from this witch.

"Oh, I am." Pan just let his grin grow. "And I've come to offer you an alliance. It's a one-time offer—if you turn me down, I'll just go elsewhere. But with my power behind you, you'll succeed in anything you want to do."

"I've already made myself queen. I have more than enough power to accomplish my goals." Zelena snorted. "So, what you're really saying is that you need something from me. And you'll offer some nebulous amount of power in exchange that I may or may not be interested in using."

All right, so she was smart enough. Pan supposed having a smart ally could be worth something, although he'd hoped the green wench might be dumber. This necessitated a change in tactics. So, he shrugged as candidly as he could. "You're right. I do need something from you, but it's small. Something easily accomplished by someone as powerful as yourself."

"Such as?"

"A locator spell." He saw no reason to lie; he'd have to tell her sooner or later, and since his magic wasn't terribly cooperative in this realm beyond blasting things to bits or playing tricks, Pan was running out of choices.

Zelena laughed. "You claim to be powerful, and yet can't even create a locator spell? That's child's magic."

"Ah, but my magic isn't from this realm." Now he gave her a secretive smile that Pan knew had her attention. "I'm not from this realm, either. And, quite frankly, I'd like to get back to my world as quickly as I can. Once I find the little ingrates who escaped it, anyway."

"Your world?" Now she looked curious. "What world would that be?"

"Neverland. It's a land where dreams are real—and where I can make anyone's dreams into their nightmares." He couldn't help smirking. Neverland really was everything he'd ever wanted it to be, and he could see a little envy on Zelena's face.

"And who exactly are these people who escaped you?"

Pan waved a hand. "Two boys and an ex-fairy. No one important, except I don't like losing my toys."

"I see." Zelena studied him. "And what will I get in exchange for my help?"

"Have any enemy's children you need to get rid of? I usually only take the willing, but I can make an exception for you."

"Hm. It's a pity my wretched stepdaughter hasn't reproduced yet. That would be marvelous." Zelena looked positively in love with the idea, and Pan saw his opening.

"I can always take a future child away. Time means nothing to me—you pass the word, and I'll take the child." He grinned. "And no one takes toys away from Peter Pan."

Blue eyes sparkled. "In that case, you have yourself a deal."


"You two be careful." Tiger Lily held the small onyx stone in one hand and the letter in the other, wondering exactly what it might mean. Why was Fiona proving so helpful? Yes, she'd been different when Tiger Lily had seen her last—less Black Fairy and more Fiona—but that still didn't explain the unasked-for offer of help.

"Don't worry. We will." Bae spoke for the pair as he and Beans headed to the market. Madam Faustina seemed to be gone, and Tiger Lily knew that she couldn't keep the pair indoors all the time. They'd go stir crazy—and drive her insane while they were at it.

"I mean it!" she shouted at their backs, but both boys only laughed. Beans was still using a walking stick to get around; his leg would heal right if he was careful, but for now, he was still pretty slow. Bae, on the other hand, was full of energy, and Tiger Lily was tired of trying to keep him contained.

Even if there's something going on in his head that I don't understand, she thought, glancing back down at Fiona's letter. He'll tell me when he's ready, I suppose.

She slipped the stone in her pocket as the door slammed shut. Tiger Lily wasn't sure she wanted to pay the price of the Black Fairy's help—dark magic always had a price, after all—but it was nice to know that someone was in her corner. The fact that it was Fiona who was willing to help just made things more special; they'd been so close once, before everything fell apart. Tiger Lily missed that more than she wanted to admit. She missed her friend.

Stop being a nostalgic fool, she told herself firmly. There was no guarantee that she'd ever get Fiona back as a friend; even if Fiona had helped her son back towards the light, that didn't mean Fiona herself had any interest in doing so. Hope was a foolish thing to cherish. Neverland had taught Tiger Lily that if nothing else had, and she needed to be practical above all else. She had two boys to protect, and now Pan to avoid. The latter, of course, was a complication she just didn't need, but one she had anyway.

Should she have warned Bae and Beans? Probably. Feeling like a fool, Tiger Lily headed out of the house and after the boys. At least it wouldn't take long to catch up to them with Beans still hobbling.


Belle hadn't been expecting a messenger when she'd cajoled Rumplestiltskin out of his misery, but sure enough, one in royal livery showed up not long after breakfast. He seemed relieved to be talking to her instead of the dreaded Dark One, and Belle didn't bother to disabuse him of any notions he cherished concerning Rumplestiltskin's awfulness.

"Beg pardon, my lady, I have an invitation for Ru—the Dark One." The poor young man looked terrified to say Rumplestiltskin's name, so Belle gave him her kindest smile.

"I'll take it to him unless you're required to deliver it in person."

"No! I mean, I'd be grateful, my lady." The messenger fidgeted helplessly. "There's, um, no need for a reply."

Holding her hand out, Belle accepted the beautifully folded paper. Rumplestiltskin's name was written in full-on calligraphy, which meant this was definitely an invitation to something fancy. Granted, the young man in the livery of King George's kingdom—King James', now, Belle supposed—was a dead giveaway on that front. "Thank you. I'll see to this." She gave him another smile, but he only looked more nervous. "Would you care for some refreshment before you go?"

"Oh, no, my lady. I'm fine. Thank you." The poor messenger looked like he thought he'd be poisoned if he so much as touched anything in the castle, so Belle just saw him to the door before going to find Rumplestiltskin.

He was in his tower, now, elbow deep in magic and with a look on his face that said he was anything but happy. Seeing him like this broke Belle's heart; she knew how hard he'd worked to find his son, and to have the opportunity snatched away so cruelly was eating him alive from the inside out. He'd given up on being the Dark One solely for Baelfire's sake, too. Belle wasn't going to fool herself on that front. He loved her, she knew that, but how much Baelfire had hated him being the Dark One had been what had shoved him over the edge. And now he was facing the fact that his son might not be alive—or if he was, he was in some other undetermined realm.

The Apprentice really could have been kinder about that, Belle thought angrily before pushing the thoughts aside. Instead, she put on a cheerful smile. "You were wrong about this, you know."

"Hm?" Rumplestiltskin's head didn't come up, but his brow did furrow in confusion. "Wrong about what?"

"This." Belle held up the invitation. "You didn't think you'd get invited to Snow and Charming's wedding."

"Ah." A strange expression crossed his face. "I can't imagine why I'd care, sweetheart. Everything is different, now."

Belle blinked. "You don't want to go?"

"Disguised as the Dark One?" Rumplestiltskin snorted. "Or revealing everything I am not?"

"Rumple." She walked over and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I thought you were going to try to be a little less caustic?"

"I didn't say—oh, all right." He sighed when she gave him a pleading look. "Only because you're asking, though. Not for any other reason."

"That's good enough for me." Leaning in, Belle kissed him on the cheek. "We can worry about this later—the wedding more than a month away, at least. Let's wait for your mother to return again, and then we can figure out if she was able to determine which realm Baelfire is in, all right?"

"Yeah." Rumplestiltskin nodded quickly, and Belle could see his mind working.

The good news neither mentioned—but both knew—was that any realm other than the Land Without Magic was within reach. There'd be no need for magic beans, curses, or portals made by the Apprentice. They could just ask Jefferson to take them there and that would be that.

"You're still so close," Belle whispered. "Don't give up now."

"I won't." Rumplestiltskin's smile was forced, but she could see the determination in his eyes. "I haven't come this far to give up."

She squeezed his arm again. "And I'll be right beside you the whole way."


Bae almost ran right into Flynnigan Rider. He managed to stop in time, but Beans bumped into his back, grumbling and tripping over his walking stick. Scowling, Bae looked up at the guard who he was starting to think was more of a mercenary and a liar than a guy who protected honest merchants.

"You really are hanging out in this town a lot for someone who was supposed to be just passing through."

"What can I say? I like it here." The way Flynnigan shrugged set Bae's teeth on edge. His expression was just a little too innocent. "Who's your friend?"

"Jus' a friend." Bae was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Beans, meanwhile, squinted at Flynnigan. "Who're you? I sees you following me before."

"You did?" Bae twisted to look at his friend.

"Was watchin' me when you got the book." Beans looked suspicious, too, and Bae tried not to swallow.

That was the same day we saw Madam Faustina, Bae realized. Faustina, who Flynnigan claimed was a 'childhood friend'. This was going from bad to worse in a hurry, wasn't it? He wanted to know what the hell was going on, but prudence said they should get out of there. Bae had never been great about worrying for his own safety, but Beans was still limping, and the last thing they wanted to do was—

"Yes, I was." Flynnigan seemed to abandon all pretense at innocence, reaching into a pouch hanging from his belt. Was that a coin purse of some sort? "I have a friend who wants to meet you."

Bae took a half step back, but Beans was in the way and he couldn't move further. "Yeah, if that 'friend' is Madam Faustina, you can just—"

Magic hit him in the face, and everything went black.


"Hey!" Tiger Lily was close enough to watch both boys fall, close enough to start running. "Stop right there!"

The man who had flung the magical potion at them, however, never even bothered to give her a second glance. He was tall and blond, wearing a sword and the look of a mercenary, and Tiger Lily could tell that it wasn't his magic that he wielded. All the same, the man threw a blanket over both boys—one so enchanted that Tiger Lily could practically smell it from over forty feet away—and all three vanished before she could get any closer.

Tiger Lily slammed to a stop, turning towards the book merchant who was the closest to where the boys had last been. "Do you know that man?"

"I've seen him around, but I can't say I know his name." The bookseller shook his head helplessly, and Tiger Lily groaned, looking around wildly.

"Does anyone know that man or where he came from?" she demanded. "Or where he might have gone?"

No one said a word, and she felt her heart clench. Bae and Beans were gone. She'd failed them utterly, hadn't she? Tiger Lily had left Neverland with the boys to protect them—and to get away from that hellhole herself—and yet she knew who that mysterious man had to be working for. Pan had agents everywhere, and he hadn't needed to come himself to get the boys, had he? She wanted to scream. She never should have let the boys go out, not with Pan in this realm. Even that Madam Faustina—whoever she was—couldn't hold a candle to the demon of Neverland.

She had to help them. Somehow, Tiger Lily had to get them back. Unconsciously, her hand closed around the onyx stone still in her pocket. She could call on Fiona. Fiona would probably even help her; she hated what Malcolm had become. But would Fiona save the boys? What price would there be to pay? Tiger Lily swallowed hard. She wanted to believe the best of her old friend, but could she risk Baelfire and Beans because of that?

No. No, she couldn't.

Walking back to her house, she called on Reul Ghorm. Surely Blue would help innocent children even if she didn't care about Tiger Lily.


He hated that he found himself slinking back to Zelena, but here Killian was. His little ploy with Gaston had failed; King David and Queen Snow had sent them packing, although Killian had managed to leave on better terms than Gaston had. He had no idea where the disgraced knight had gone off to after that, and Killian didn't care. He still had revenge to get; Milah's killer was still prancing about all the realms tormenting people. And since Killian would do whatever it took to achieve his ends, he had ended up back at Zelena's palace.

The Wicked Queen was oddly gracious about that, much to Killian's surprise. Or at least what passed for gracious in Zelena's case.

"I could have told you that going off with that fool would accomplish nothing." She shrugged. "But, I suppose you had to try."

"You weren't exactly helping, love." Killian felt he was entitled to a little glare of his own. "You were more interested in that bloody golden brain."

"Yes, and I got what I wanted, didn't I? Perhaps that should be a lesson to you, Captain."

"Aye, you had your own priorities." He shrugged. "Even a blind man can see that." Killian checked a sigh. His ploy with Gaston had fallen apart, and he could not afford to make an enemy of Zelena by ranting at her. "But that doesn't mean you might not want something else that enhances your power."

"You want to find the Dark One's dagger." Zelena's blue eyes sparkled. The lass was quick, at least. Traveling with Gaston had been like chaining himself to the anchor and trying to swim.

"Aye. I want revenge. I want to see the Dark One suffer. But I'm not particular about being the only one who makes him crawl at my feet." Killian felt himself leaning forward passionately. I will avenge you, Milah. I'll make that demon suffer for what he did to you. "And something tells me you wouldn't mind getting in on that action, if you know what I mean."

A small smile touched Zelena's lips, but he could see the eagerness in her eyes. "I thought you'd be the type to want that power for yourself, Captain."

"I don't need dark magic. I leave that up to you." He'd seen enough of the damage it could do, thank you very much. Killian might have danced in the darkness a time or two himself, but he preferred to keep ownership of his own soul. At least then he owned his misdeeds and made his own choices.

"Well, then." She licked her lips. "Perhaps we can work with one another on this."

"It would be my genuine pleasure."


Bae had woken up in far too many cells over the years. Okay, so there had just been a few in Neverland, and they'd been more like cages, but he'd had enough. This one felt like Neverland, too; it was out in the open in the middle of an empty field where the only sounds were eerie owls hooting and a fire crackling. The cell was bigger than the tiny cages Pan favored, but it still felt too much like Neverland, particularly since the trees to the right loomed over them forebodingly. At least it's not a jungle, right? Bae swallowed hard.

But he wasn't alone, and that meant he should do something. "Beans?" Scooting over, he reached out to shake his friend's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Mmm." Beans sat up, blinking dizzily. "Think so."

Beans was ridiculously pale, though, and Bae frowned. "You sure? You look awful."

"Landed on my leg."

"Liar." Bae had woken up first. Of their many problems, Beans' game leg wasn't one of them.

Beans sighed. "Been here before. Or somewhere like it."

"Madam Faustina." Bae felt his stomach drop. He'd almost hope for Pan over her. Almost.

"That is what they call me, yes."

Her voice made Bae spin to face the door as it opened. Sure enough, there she was, tall and blonde and eerily familiar. Madam Faustina didn't look happy at all, though, even with Flynnigan Rider standing over her shoulder. Some friend he turned out to be. Jerk.

Bae scrambled to his feet. "What do you want with us?"

Much to his surprise, she turned to glare at Flynnigan. "I told you that I did not want him."

"Couldn't get one without the other." Flynnigan shrugged.

"That was your problem. Not mine." Her eyes flashed, and Madam Faustina's anger tugged on a strand of old memory. There was something in that glare—

"Morraine?"

The name escaped before Bae realized what he was saying, but when 'Madam Faustina' spun back to face him with wide eyes, he knew he was right. She was taller and older, bitter and burned out, but this was his friend. Centuries after Morraine had sent him after the Blue Fairy for help, here she was. And just like me, dark magic ruined her life. Bae felt cold. She was the witch who'd cursed Beans. Morraine was an evil witch.

The boy he'd been wanted to cry.

"Hello, Baelfire." Her voice was soft, and more than a little scared.

"What happened to you? How are you still alive?"

"That doesn't matter." Her face closed off. "You are safe here, no matter what happens."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Beans interjected before Bae could reply.

Morraine—or 'Madam Faustina', he supposed; Bae burned to know how she'd gotten that silly name—did not answer. She just turned strangely hungry eyes on Beans, who was now glaring at Baelfire. Great. Now Beans thought it was his fault.

He swallowed hard. "We're from the same village. I haven't seen her since before I wound up in Neverland."

"How'd you not recognize her?"

"She was a lot younger, then." Bae shot another look at Morraine. She was a woman, now, in addition to being a witch. She was some sort of immortal, but looked like she was in her twenties, which made Bae feel stupidly young. They were the same age, technically, but he was still fifteen. Stupid magic. "She was different," Bae added after a moment, not knowing what else to say.

Beans scowled. "I hope so."


He'd had to go back to Neverland to retrieve something that had belonged to Baelfire, an inconvenience Pan did not relish. Still, going had provided an opportunity to make sure the Lost Boys were obeying Felix and that Felix wasn't enjoying his temporary role too much, so Pan made the best of it. The good news was that Felix was behaving loyally, if sadistically, so Pan returned to the Enchanted Forest with Baelfire's ridiculous coconut shell star map. Zelena enchanted it, even if he was certain she'd taken far longer than necessary. Eventually, however, the witch ponied up the locator spell, which put Pan back on track to find his escaped Lost Boys.

He was going to make them pay. Pan didn't like having to work for anything, and he didn't like owing favors to a self-important witch, either. However, he couldn't just leave it be. Baelfire's escape was a blow to his prestige on his island, and Pan couldn't have that. Beans could probably live, since having a Seer was worth some trouble, but from here on out, he'd stay in a cage next to Wendy. His bothersome grandson, on the other hand, had clearly outlived his usefulness.

Tormenting Baelfire just wasn't enough compensation for dealing with the trouble the brat caused. At least I'll get something out of killing him. It'll break Rumple in two! That was a cheerful thought.

The Shadow tugged on him again, but Pan ignored it with a scowl. He didn't have to listen to the Shadow. He had the power, now. So, he lifted the coconut with a sly smile.

"Fly, little coconut. Take me to Baelfire."

When Pan opened his hand, the coconut bounced right into the air.


If Blue had taken any longer to appear, Tiger Lily would have called on Fiona. She was already standing by the well, poised to drop the stone in her hand. But dark magic always came with a price, and besides, Fiona was only one woman. Blue had a legion of fairies at her disposal, fairies who were supposed to save innocents where they could.

"Tiger Lily." Blue looked less than delighted to see her, but apparently Tiger Lily's urgency had gotten through.

"Blue." She nodded respectfully. "I know you probably don't want to see me, but I need your help."

Blue folded her hands primly. "With what, exactly?"

"I've been caring for two boys who I escaped Neverland with." Now was not the time to say what she thought of Blue never acting against Pan, Tiger Lily told herself firmly before continuing. "They're missing. Someone with magic took them, and I don't know where."

"And?" Blue's only response beyond that word was a blink.

"And I need help. Please. They're innocents, and good boys. I fear Pan may have taken them. Whatever you blame me for doesn't extend to them, and—"

"I cannot help you, Tiger Lily. I am sorry." Blue shook her head, looking maternally sad. "Fairies ought not interfere in human matters like this. You, of all people, should remember the consequences of doing so."

Tiger Lily jerked back, feeling like she'd been slapped. Speaking of slapping, she wanted to wanted to whack that superiorly sad expression right off of Blue's face, and her words came out in a snarl. "And you're still mad at me, I get it. But do you have to take it out on innocent children?"

"If that's your argument, you never understood a fairy's true purpose at all." Blue pursed her lips.

"Fine," she snapped. "Then I'll call on someone who will help." She brandished the stone, and Blue blanched.

"You wouldn't—"

Tiger Lily dropped the onyx stone in the well.


Morraine turned to Flynnigan, gesturing at Bae. "Take him out of here."

"No way." Bae knew were this was going, and he wasn't going to abandon Beans. "I'm not letting you hurt him. And you wouldn't, not if you were who you used to be."

"I am not." Morraine swallowed sadly. "I wish I was, but that girl died a long time ago."

"So, you're just going to kill him so that you can live forever?" Bae scoffed. "You're right. You're not the Morraine I knew."

"Take him away, Flynnigan."

She didn't like what he was saying, Bae knew. That meant he could get through to her if given half a chance. This was still Morraine; he could see the regret in her eyes. Something happened to make her like this, or maybe dark magic just ate at your soul. Either way, his friend was still in there. Like Papa is? That thought hit unbidden, but Bae pushed it aside. He could think about his father later.

"I'm not going anywhere."

No sooner were the words out of Bae's mouth than Flynnigan grabbed him roughly, pinning Bae's arms at his sides with a bear hug. He hauled Bae off the ground bodily as he kicked and struggled, sounding annoyingly cheerful. "Sure you are."

"No!" Bae tried to bite him, but Flynnigan had a strong grip and dragged him towards the door.

"Quit it, kid! I'm saving your life here!"

"I don't care!" Bae kicked wildly, missing Flynnigan's knees by miles. "Run, Beans!"

Beans tried to limp forward, but purple light flashed out and slammed him back against the bars at the back of the cell. Bae kicked harder, but Morraine moved out of the way and Flynnigan had almost dragged him to the door. Meanwhile, Morraine began chanting words Bae couldn't understand, and the air crackled with power. Almost immediately, Beans went as rigid as a board, his eyes wide and terrified.

One more desperate kick got Bae nowhere; he needed help and couldn't do this himself. And there was only one person he knew would come. "Rumplestiltskin!"

"Stop him!" Morraine's head whipped around, her spell stalling out.

"Ru—umph!" Flynnigan's hand clamped over Bae's mouth, and Morraine went back to chanting.

"Are you mad, kid?" Flynnigan sounded outraged. Bae bit down hard. "Ouch!"

"Rumplestiltskin, Rumplestiltskin!"

But Morraine's spell was in the air, and Beans screamed as a white light tore out of him. Kicking back viciously, Bae finally made contact, and Flynnigan yelped as he let him go. Without thinking, Bae threw himself forward, slamming into Morraine just as that white light enveloped her.


Author's Note: Thank you again for reading! And if you're in the US and haven't checked out my new original fantasy, Night Rider, head on over to Kindle Vella: ama (removeeverythinginparentheses) zon (period) com (no spaces) /kindle-vella/story/B09JYYRY58 and see if you like it!