All Glinda wanted to do was run. She wanted to sprint down the halls, her feet pounding against the floor, her breath scraping in and out of her lungs, her heart racing with the rush. Well, her heart was racing, but that was just a result of the emotion and magic and adrenaline pouring through her.
Running would draw attention though, so she forced herself to walk quickly but calmly through the palace. She passed a couple of people, but they only gave her a quick smile or a little bow of their head before continuing with their various tasks. By the time she reached the ground floor, Glinda was trembling with pent up energy. Not that it bothered her, really. She had control of her magic, and if she looked shaken, she would be that much more convincing.
Glinda took a deep breath as she turned into the hallway that led to the dungeons. As usual, two guards were posted outside the staircase. Glinda put on a worried face—not that it was hard—and ran up to them.
"Thank goodness! I've been looking all over for help!" she cried. Both of them turned toward her, and one stopped her, grabbing her arm gently and bending a little to look at her more closely.
"Your Goodness?" he asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It's Madame Morrible," Glinda said breathlessly. "She was attacked. I tried to help, but one of the pillars fell on her—I couldn't lift it, I—"
"Who attacked her?" asked the second guard.
"I don't know!" Glinda cried. "I didn't see them, and I couldn't help her. I called the guards, but it's so heavy. I told them I'd get more help, but I couldn't find anyone, and—"
"Okay, it's okay," the first guard said, squeezing her arm. "Where are they?"
"The sorcery rooms on the third floor. Down the western hallway. Please, you have to help them!"
"We will," he assured her. "But you should get to your chambers. If Morrible was attacked, you could be in danger, too."
Glinda nodded distractedly. "I will, but please, you have to hurry."
"Of course, Your Goodness," said the second guard. "But first, we can escort you—"
"N-no, I'll be fine. I'll head to my room. I just…need a second to catch my breath." They both hesitated, and she met their eyes, pleading. "Go. Help her. Please."
"Yes, Your Goodness," said the first guard. He let go of her arm and nodded at the other, and they both hurried off. Glinda slumped against the wall, breathing hard, until they were out of sight. Then she pushed herself up and hurried down the stairs.
The way down to the jail was creepy—there was no other word for it. The further down she went, the dirtier the hallways became. The polished stone floor turned to cracked rock and dirt. The hallways grew darker, the light from the main part of the palace fading to just the occasional flickering lantern. Every once in a while she would hear a distant cry or rattling chains. Glinda moved forward carefully, making her way through the orange glow of the halls. She scanned the walls as she passed, looking for the little side room that would hold Elphaba's broom.
She reached a little landing between staircases and paused. Two soldiers stood at the bottom of the next flight, leaning on either side of a wooden door. Glinda tilted her head. That had to be it. How badly would they react if they saw her down here? Could she talk her way through them, like she had done with the others?
There wasn't much of a choice. There was only so much time before Morrible would manage to get free, or before she would convince the Gale Force to come after Glinda. She needed to keep moving.
She hurried down the stairs toward the guards, who both jumped a little as they saw her.
"Your Goodness, you shouldn't be down here."
"It's an emergency," said Glinda, putting on her panicked, breathless voice. "Someone broke into the palace."
They glanced at each other, eyebrows raised. The guard on the left, a woman, looked back at Glinda.
"Why hasn't the alarm been raised?"
"It only just happened," Glinda panted. "Madame Morrible and I were attacked during our lesson. Whoever it was ran off before I saw them."
"Are you okay?" said the man on the right.
Glinda nodded. "Yes, but Morrible isn't. A pillar fell. I tried to help her but it was too heavy."
"Why did you come down here?" the female guard asked, looking far less sympathetic than her partner.
"I was looking for help!" Glinda swayed a little and caught herself on the male guard's arm. He wrapped an arm around her, supporting her. "Please. Someone's loose in the castle, and Morrible is stuck up there. Someone has to help her!"
"Someone needs to raise the alarm," said the female guard. "And you need to get to safety, Your Goodness."
"I need to help Morrible!"
"We'll help Morrible," said the male guard, holding her up until she was steady on her feet again. The other guard looked at him, and he added, "And we'll raise the alarm."
If they sounded the alarm bell, it would be impossible to get Elphaba out unseen. But before Glinda could protest, the woman walked around the corner and called down the hall to another guard.
A young man jogged up the steps toward them. "Yes ma'am?"
"Escort Her Goodness back to her room, then keep watch on this door until we get back. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am."
The soldier holding Glinda let go. "Everything will be taken care of, Your Goodness. No need to worry anymore."
"Please, hurry!"
The two older guards hurried off, leaving Glinda with the boy. She leaned a little to the side, looking down the hall. No one else was in sight. He looked at her nervously before holding his arm out, gesturing for her to lead. Guilt flashed through Glinda for what she was about to do, but she didn't have time to waste. She touched his arm and smiled reassuringly, then murmured a quick spell. The gun was wrenched out of his hands. It hovered in the air for a split second before slamming back into his gut. The boy doubled over and the gun jerked up, knocking him hard in the forehead. His eyes slid shut and he swayed, but Glinda caught him before he could hit the ground.
"I am so, so sorry," she whispered, easing him down so he was slumped against the wall. She stood up again and tried the door, but the handle only turned a fraction of an inch before stopping. Glinda rolled her eyes and said another quiet spell, and the lock clicked open.
She dragged the guard and his gun into the room and laid them down gently. Glinda paused for a moment, frowning at the boy's face. He couldn't have been much older than her.
She pressed her fingers to his forehead, feeling a little welt start to form. "You're going to have a killer headache when you wake up," she said, almost apologetically. "I suppose that's what you get, working for the Wizard. Occupational hazards and all."
Glinda stood and looked around the room. There were clothes, jewels, weapons, bottles, books—everything imaginable, stacked or crammed or locked in chests and shelves and crates. There was a small, dark cloak hanging on the wall near her, and she swiped it, thinking that it was around her size and could be useful later. She draped it over her arm and turned in a slow circle, looking for the broom, but there was so much stuff. She started to panic as she thought about the seconds ticking by. Soon, they would ring the alarm bell, and guards would start pouring through the dungeons. They would notice that no one was guarding this room, and they would find her. They would drag her back to her rooms or worse, they would drag her to her own cell, and everything would be lost, all because she couldn't find that damn broomstick.
Glinda growled and raised her hand, letting the flames spark to life around it. The pale pink color bounced dimly across the walls, and something caught in the light. Glinda almost ignored it—she wasn't looking for anything that would be shining—but then she did a double take. The broom was there, glowing ever so slightly in her magic, almost as if it wanted to be found.
Impossible, thought Glinda, but she stepped toward it anyway. She wrapped her fingers around the handle, and the wood felt warm beneath her skin. She shook the fire from her other hand, but not before catching a glimpse of the cloak that was on the floor near the broom. Elphaba's, she thought, reaching down and picking it up. It was worn and black and if it wasn't Elphaba's, then it would be soon. Glinda hung it over the broom, along with her own, and hurried back out to the hallway. She shut the door behind her and moved quickly, going still deeper beneath the palace.
She had to hurry now. Every second, she was terrified of hearing the distant, muffled chime that would mean the entire Gale Force was after her.
The hallways stayed surprisingly empty until she reached the bottom floor. The staircase opened up into a medium-sized, square room. Glinda hesitated just outside the glow of the nearest lantern. The room was full of guards—pacing around, leaning against the wall, playing cards around a small, wooden table. She did a quick head count and cursed. Eight of them. That was too many to talk her way through, even if she had the time. Not to mention whoever was past the other side of the room, guarding the first hall of jail cells. Glinda set the broom aside, mumbling, "Stay," to it. Surprisingly, it did, hovering horizontally just a foot or so off the ground, the cloaks still draped over it. Glinda raised an eyebrow, but she didn't have time to focus on that. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, then stepped into the light.
"Your Goodness!" was chorused immediately. Chairs scraped and the soldiers stumbled over themselves trying to reach her. Glinda watched them, noting how flustered they were. If she could get them close enough…
"Please," she said, her voice small. "Please, I need help."
That did it. The ones who weren't already at her side rushed there. They all started talking over each other, asking her what was wrong, telling her she shouldn't be there, making plans to escort her back to her room. For a moment, Glinda was lost in it. Her mind spun as their words ran together, and she was suddenly disgusted by them all. As if she needed them. As if they could take care of her. As if she was ever the helpless little girl they all wanted her to be.
One of the closer soldiers reached for her, and she twisted away, shoving her arms out. Energy pulsed through her, and every single soldier was thrown back, crashing into the walls. Glinda held her breath, her arms still up in front of her, but none of them stirred. She lowered her hands and exhaled, letting her anger and her magic settle back down. There were no sounds from the doorway across the room, but that didn't mean much. She had never been down this far, but she knew that the jail cells were a maze of hallways, with guards posted and pacing randomly throughout. Glinda might have made it this far, but the challenge was only beginning.
She stepped back into the hall and grabbed the broom. If there was ever a point of no return, it was this, so Glinda pulled her cloak from the broom and wrapped it around herself. She drew the hood up and continued on through the room, pausing briefly at one of the unconscious guards to bend over and unhook a ring of keys from his belt.
"Just in case," she whispered to herself, straightening again.
The halls leading down to the dungeons were dark and filthy, but they were nothing compared to the cells themselves. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dirt and straw. Dark stains covered the ground, the walls, the cells, sometimes old and dried, sometimes fresh. Faces peeked at her through the bars. Some of them recognized her, some didn't. Some of them just stared, unseeing. They were gaunt, tired, dangerous, angry. Glinda's heart crawled up to her throat. There were people in here who deserved freeing, but there were also people who didn't. She had no way of telling which was which, so she swallowed hard and crept on, only glancing in the cells long enough to see whether or not it was Elphaba.
She moved quietly and only ran into guards twice. The first time, the soldier was only passing the end of the hall, and she managed to press herself against the wall and wait, unseen, until he decided that all was fine and moved on. The second time, she snuck up on the guard and knocked him sharply over the head with the broom. He crumbled to the ground, and she eased him into a more shadowy spot before continuing.
It smelled awful. Every tiny sound she made seemed far too loud. The hallways twisted and crossed and though she had a pretty good idea of how to get out, she had no way of knowing where Elphaba was. She relied solely on her instinct, the way her heart beat as she looked down two hallways, and maybe the tiniest angle of the broom in her hand as she hesitated at intersections.
And then, suddenly, she knew. Before she saw the subtle magic seal on the cell door, before she heard a soft, familiar cough—she didn't know how, but she knew.
Glinda stopped short just a few feet before reaching the cell, still out of sight. Her mouth felt dry and her throat closed up. Of all the things she had done so far that night, this was by far the most terrifying. What would she find, when she took those few steps forward? What was waiting for her in that cell? Elphaba had looked so terribly, agonizingly awful yesterday. Glinda wasn't ready to see her like that again.
But whatever Elphaba looked like, Glinda was more afraid of what she would say. She remembered Elphaba's glare, burning into her. She remembered Elphaba dragging her through the darkened streets, hissing in her ear. She could hear the hurt, the betrayal, the anger. Morrible had said that Elphaba didn't care about her anymore. That Elphaba despised her.
She shook her head. Those were Morrible's words, and Glinda was done being manipulated by her. She had taken this job so she could help Elphaba. She knew that from the beginning, and there was no more time to doubt it. Glinda straightened her shoulders, set the broom against the wall, and stepped forward.
Elphaba didn't look up when she heard the footsteps approaching her cell. The sound came closer, closer, then stopped. There was a jangling of metal, the clatter of a key against the lock, clumsy and uncertain. The uncertainty was what caught her attention, and Elphaba opened her eyes ever so slightly, squinting.
The figure outside her cell was tiny—certainly smaller than any of the guards she had seen these last few days. They wore a familiar, worn sweater beneath an unfamiliar dark cloak, and wisps of blonde hair stuck out from under the hood.
Elphaba let out a chuckle. "So it really is true. I don't know why it's hitting me now—I've known for weeks."
Now that she had the chance to look at her—really look at her, for the first time since…how long had it been? weeks, months?—Elphaba could see changes. Glinda's hair was a shade or two duller. Worry lines had started to take hold around the corners of her face and the bridge of her nose, especially now, as she fumbled with her ring of keys.
"I suppose it's not that surprising," Elphaba went on. "What did he bribe you? A couple pairs of shoes?"
A lot might have changed, but when Glinda's eyes flashed up to meet Elphaba's, they were just as bright and striking as ever. Elphaba closed her eyes and leaned back, jerking her wrists a little. The metal cuffs around them bit into her skin, and she welcomed the distraction.
Glinda stayed silent and focused on the keys in her hand. Elphaba thought it odd that she didn't know which one to use, but she chose to ignore it. She tilted her head back so it rested against the stone wall.
"And to think, I thought better of you," Elphaba said, adding an edge to her voice in order to keep the waver out of it. "What was it, in the end? The power? The wealth? Or was it the popularity that you couldn't resist? Glinda the Good, they call you. It's nauseating."
"As if Wicked Witch of the West is any better," Glinda hissed back, finally speaking.
"Glinda the Good," Elphaba went on, ignoring her. "Glinda. Ironic, isn't it? You're just like Galinda, now more than ever."
Glinda inhaled sharply. The keys fell silent. She tried to tell herself it was Morrible's influence, that Elphaba was hurt, that she didn't know. Still, the words felt like blows, and she couldn't help but bite back.
"Say what you will," said Glinda coldly. "But you're the one who ended up in jail."
"Not all prisons have bars, blondie."
"They're not dragging me around the palace and torturing me. Can you say the same?"
Elphaba tensed, and Glinda immediately regretted the words. They weren't even true, really.
"Is that what this is?" Elphaba asked, almost too quiet for Glinda to hear. "That's why they sent you down here? The guards and Morrible aren't working, so they want you to beat the answers out of me now? I should have known."
Glinda flinched, but her voice was sharp when she responded. "Should have known? You idiot. You know nothing."
"I know that whatever you're planning to do, it won't work." Elphaba sat forward, her eyes open and burning dangerously into Glinda's again. "They couldn't break me, and neither can you." She screwed her eyes shut once more, and a tremor passed through her body, lingering in her voice. "I stopped caring about you long ago."
Morrible's words, thought Glinda. She twisted her wrist, and the cell door opened with a sharp click. She didn't even bother pulling the key out before slipping inside. Glinda knelt next to Elphaba and reached up, brushing her fingers over her cheek, caressing a bruise that lingered there.
"Did you?" she asked softly.
It was just a whimper. One tiny, broken sound that escaped from Elphaba's throat, and then she was collapsing into Glinda's arms. Glinda muttered something, and the chains around Elphaba's wrists broke and fell to the ground. And then Glinda was holding her, stroking back her hair, brushing away her tears before they could fall.
"Elphie," she whispered, her voice thick. "I've got you. You're safe now. I've got you."
Elphaba's mind raced, but the only sound she could manage was an unintelligible mumble against Glinda's shoulder.
Glinda hushed her. "It's okay. We're going to get you out of here."
Elphaba pulled away just enough to look up at her, and Glinda gave her a weak smile. She got to her feet and turned toward the door. Elphaba's heart clenched and she couldn't quite bite back her cry, but Glinda was back in an instant, holding something out to her.
The broom.
"You…how did you…?"
Glinda shook her head, and her smile turned into something fonder, though it was still shaky. "Elphie. The only reason I took the Wizard's offer was to help you."
Elphaba stared at the broom, unable to meet Glinda's eyes. She blinked and swallowed, trying to find words. "I…I'm so sorry, Glinda."
But Glinda reached out and cupped her cheek. "I know. I am too. But it doesn't matter anymore, and even if it did, now's not the time." As if to emphasize her point, the distant chiming of bells sounded. Fear flashed through Glinda's eyes, but then it was gone, and her voice was steady as she said, "We have to leave. Can you stand?"
Elphaba nodded, but she had to rely on Glinda to even get to her feet. Every movement seemed to reveal new injuries, and Glinda fought back tears every time Elphaba gasped or winced. She took the cloak off the broom and put it on Elphaba, clasping it around her neck. When Elphaba was somewhat steady on her feet, she took the broom from Glinda, wrapping her fingers firmly around the handle. Glinda covered them briefly with her own, then moved to Elphaba's other side and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"This way," she said, leading them carefully out of the cell. Now that the alarm had been raised, they could hear voices throughout the dungeon, shouting orders to each other. Elphaba held onto the broom and leaned heavily on Glinda, who did her best to get them quickly out of the maze of jail cells. They ran into a single guard on their way out, but before Glinda could do anything, Elphaba had muttered a spell. The guard grunted and collapsed to the ground, and Elphaba slumped further against Glinda.
"Elphaba!"
"What? He saw us," Elphaba mumbled, the words slurring slightly.
"I know he saw us, but you have to let me take care of that. I can't get you out of here if you're unconscious."
"I'm fine."
"Clearly."
Elphaba huffed, and Glinda squeezed her hip a little before going on.
The actual jail might have been empty of guards, but the square room Glinda had come through before was not. There were more in there than before, and they were kneeling over their fellow soldiers, looking equally concerned and dangerous.
Glinda pulled them to the side and glanced at Elphaba. "If I tell you to stay here, will you actually listen?"
"What do you think?"
Glinda sighed. "That's what I thought," she said under her breath, peering out into the room. "Fine. Just…don't you dare pass out on me, okay?"
Without waiting for a response, she stepped into the room. She didn't wait to see their surprise or hear them cry out, Your Goodness! She just thrust her free arm out, sending a blast of fire at the nearest cluster of soldiers.
"Still pink," Elphaba murmured, with just a bit of her usual sarcasm. Glinda smirked a little and sent the flames toward another group, blasting them back against the wall. One of the guards raised his gun, but she swung her arm around, switching to ice and freezing the weapon solid in his hands. She threw a blast of energy at him and the soldier standing near him, and they joined their unconscious comrades against the wall.
Elphaba jerked a little, and Glinda turned to see two guards almost next to them, their swords raised. Elphaba snarled and pushed away from Glinda, thrusting her arm toward the guards and sending them flying. She staggered with the spell and would have collapsed if Glinda hadn't caught her.
"Stop that," Glinda hissed, pulling her back up. Elphaba rolled her eyes and replaced her arm around Glinda's shoulders.
"I'm not unconscious, am I?"
Glinda muttered something and shifted her grip, pressing Elphaba closer to her side. "Come on," she said, leading them through the room and toward the staircase.
Climbing back up to the palace was unnerving. Footsteps and shouts echoed through the halls, and Glinda had a hard time telling what was far off and what was just around the corner. Elphaba was breathing hard against her, and she was tempted to stop and cast a few healing spells, but they didn't have time. She knew Elphaba would protest anyway.
They reached a landing between staircases and heard footsteps, much closer than before. Glinda reacted without thinking and pushed Elphaba into the corner, where the light didn't quite reach her.
"Stay," she hissed, letting go of her and straightening.
A single soldier—a pale, skinny boy who had to be younger than them—came running down the stairs. He skidded to a halt when he saw her, his eyes widening.
"Y-Your Goodness?"
Glinda resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead putting on her scared face—not that it was difficult. She was already terrified.
"With all due respect, Your Goodness, what are you thinking, coming down here? There's a resistance agent in the palace."
"I know," Glinda said. "Madame Morrible and I were attacked. I came here to find help."
"You shouldn't be here," he said firmly. "They'll be heading for the dungeons. It's too dangerous."
He stepped forward, putting himself closer to Elphaba. Glinda clasped her hands together in front of her chest and stared pleadingly up at him.
"I-I'm sorry. I was just scared, and there was no one around, and I knew there would be someone down here who could help, so I…"
He softened and touched her shoulder, and Glinda could practically feel Elphaba tensing and growling behind them. She thought fast as the guard leaned toward her.
"I understand your fear, but it was foolish to come down here. What if they had found you?"
"I-I know. I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Let me take you back to your room."
"No!" Glinda nearly flinched at her mistake. The guard's eyes widened, and she quickly recovered, saying, "I-I mean, no, Madame Morrible is hurt. I came down here to find help for her. They knocked a pillar down on top of her, and we couldn't get her free. Please, she's up in the sorcery rooms, you have to help her."
"Are you sure?"
"I can make it to my chambers from here. Please, just help her." She had said it so many times, the words came easily now. The guard nodded and let her go, turning back up the stairs. Glinda let out a breath, figuring they wouldn't get that lucky again, and went back to Elphaba.
"You hit Morrible with a pillar?" Elphaba asked, leaning onto her once more. Glinda just grinned. Elphaba gave a short, somewhat weak laugh. "Since when can you move stone pillars?" she asked. "Since when can you take out an entire dungeon of guards, for that matter?"
This time Glinda's face fell. "Morrible," she said darkly. That's all there was to say. A shadow passed over Elphaba's eyes, and Glinda knew she understood.
There would come a time when they would have to talk about this. Elphaba would have to tell her all that she had seen in the Emerald City, and Glinda would have to share all the horrors that Morrible had put her through. The time would come when they would relive all of it together—not to mention everything that had happened between them—and the thought made Glinda shudder. But that time wasn't now. Right now, all they had to do was get out of the palace safely.
Which was easier said than done, since more footsteps were already thundering down the hall ahead of them. Glinda cursed, but they were directly beneath a lantern, and there was no hiding Elphaba this time. It was too late, anyway. Two guards appeared at the top of the stairs. They saw Elphaba first and raised their guns, but then their eyes caught Glinda.
Glinda pushed Elphaba behind her at the same time that Elphaba shifted her arm, moving it from across Glinda's shoulders to around her neck.
"Shoot and she dies," Elphaba called out hoarsely. The guards hesitated, lowering their guns slightly. They walked slowly toward them. Elphaba tried to step back, but she stumbled and Glinda had to reach back and wrap an arm around her to hold her up.
The guards were getting closer—close enough to shoot around Glinda and hit Elphaba, but still just a little too far to hit with a spell.
"Please," said Glinda. "Please, I'll be fine. Go get Morrible."
"Shut up," Elphaba ordered, her voice cracking as she raised it for the guards to hear. They lifted their guns again, and she shrank further behind Glinda.
"Don't," Glinda said. "Please, find Madame Morrible. Tell her the Witch has escaped."
"Your Goodness," one of them said, but he didn't continue. They both stepped closer, and Glinda saw one of them raise his gun and take aim.
She let go of Elphaba and threw her arms out, sending a wave of energy at them. They were still a little too far away, and the spell didn't hit hard enough to knock them out. Within seconds they were moving again, and this time they would be aiming for Glinda, too.
Elphaba threw her broom. It flew forward, hitting one of the soldiers in the head, then returned to her hand. Glinda ran a few steps forward and swung her arm, shoving the second soldier into the wall.
"You've gotten vicious," Elphaba said, stumbling up to her.
"He's just unconscious," Glinda murmured. "Better him than us."
Still, she shivered and glanced back at the guards before continuing up the stairs. Elphaba squeezed her shoulder weakly, reassuring her, and Glinda focused again.
The next time they heard footsteps, Glinda didn't wait for them to come into view. She summoned her energy and sent a blast of fire up the staircase. Elphaba stared at her, amazed, but she simply pulled her along faster. The walls and ground were scorched, and they passed a few unmoving guards as they went up.
Finally, finally they reached the first floor of the palace. Glinda paused just before stepping out. They needed to get outside, but first…
She looked to make sure no one was around before stepping out, pulling Elphaba with her. They went a little way down the hall, turned once, then ducked into the spare room. Glinda propped Elphaba against the wall and grabbed her bag, checking it quickly before slipping it over her head. She turned back toward Elphaba, who was staring at her, one eyebrow raised.
"How long have you had this planned out?"
"This particularly?" Glinda asked. "Since yesterday. Saving you in general? Since you nearly died on the floor of our dorm room."
Elphaba pressed her lips together and looked down. "I'm sorry I doubted you," she said quietly. "I thought you had betrayed me."
"Did you, really?" Glinda stepped closer. "Or was that just easier than worrying about me?"
Their eyes met, and Elphaba reached up to touch Glinda's cheek. Glinda's eyes fluttered a little, but she took Elphaba's hand and stepped back into place beside her, holding her up again.
"Still not the time," she murmured. "We can make up when we're not still in the Wizard's palace."
She made to open the door and step back into the hallway, but Elphaba tightened her arm around her, stopping her.
"I love you," she said, somewhat urgently.
Glinda paused and looked up at her. Her hand twitched, and she gave in to the urge, reaching up and cupping the back of Elphaba's neck. She leaned up and touched her lips to Elphie's, kissing her with the lightest, briefest pressure, then met her eyes again.
"I love you," Glinda said. "That part never changed."
Elphaba closed her eyes and nodded, and then they started moving again. Glinda opened the door and they slipped through.
"Ah, Miss Glinda."
Both girls froze. The Wizard stood calmly at the end of the hall, near the entrance of the dungeons.
"I was wondering what your part was in all of this. I'll admit, I'm disappointed—this is just a bit too cliché for my tastes."
Glinda said nothing. He was alone, but she knew it wouldn't be that way for long. He was blocking their path, too, and if they turned and went the opposite direction, they would hit the main entrance hall, which was probably swarming with soldiers by now.
"Although, I suppose things will be more interesting from now on," the Wizard said. "With Miss Glinda in jail, there are so many more ways to get you to talk, Miss Elphaba. I'm sure Madame Morrible will be delighted to try."
He stared coldly at them, and Glinda was terrified. Beside her, Elphaba was trembling. They needed to get out of there, before the Gale Force showed up.
The Wizard has no real power. Elphaba had said it, long ago, and since meeting him, Glinda had known she was right. He wasn't a real wizard. He ruled by reputation and controlled by fear. He wasn't even carrying a weapon. Glinda was sure he could hurt them if he wanted to, but he was relying solely on intimidation. He had never needed anything else.
Glinda steeled her nerve and raised her arm, summoning her flames. She aimed for the ground, creating a ring of fire around the Wizard. He stumbled back, startled, and Glinda poured more of her energy into the spell, letting the flames flare taller and brighter. Then she tightened her grip on Elphaba and forced herself to start down the hall.
The Wizard glared at them as they passed, but Glinda simply raised the flames even more and walked faster.
"Guards!" she heard him yell, and somehow his voice was magnified, reverberating throughout the palace. They started running as the sounds of the soldiers grew louder.
But Glinda knew the palace well enough from here, and she took them down smaller, lesser used corridors. The only people they were likely to run into here were the servants, and with all the commotion, none of them were roaming around. If they could just outrun the guards long enough to get outside…
"This way," she said, turning down a hallway. They heard footsteps behind them, but they had reached one of the little double doors that Glinda was looking for. She pushed it open, and they stumbled out into the night.
"Can you fly?" Glinda asked. Elphaba was already adjusting her grip on the broom. Glinda reached forward, covering Elphaba's fingers with her own, gripping the handle. "I'm going with you."
It was ridiculous, saying it now. If she didn't go with her, she would be killed. But she still needed to say it. And even though Elphaba didn't have to be persuaded this time, Glinda still needed to see her nod.
"Get on," Elphaba said, swinging a leg over the broom. She waited until Glinda had climbed on behind her, then added, "And hold tight."
"There they are! Shoot them!"
Elphaba pushed off from the ground as the first gunshots rang out, and then they were soaring. Glinda yelped and tightened her grip—one hand on the broom, just below Elphaba's, and the other arm wrapped tightly around Elphie's waist.
It took about two seconds for Glinda to realize she hated flying. The wind roared in her ears. The ground shrank and blurred, making her stomach twist. Every movement of the broom made Elphaba hiss and wince, and Glinda held her closer, steadying her. She hated flying, but she loved the rush that went through her as she pressed her face into Elphie's back.
Elphaba let out a laugh—that loud, wild cackle—and Glinda closed her eyes, memorizing the sound. They had done it. They were safe. They were free.
The guns continued to echo beneath them, but they were flying higher and higher, away from the soldiers, away from the city, away from everything.
A few miles out of the Emerald City, Elphaba tilted the broom down to land in a small grove of trees.
Glinda frowned as they landed. She thought of the Wizard and the Gale Force and Morrible, and she knew that their safety was only temporary. What were they going to do now? Where would they go? Glinda had no answers, no plans beyond this point, and she knew Elphie didn't, either.
Elphaba slipped off the broom and reached for her, remarkably calm compared to Glinda's raging thoughts.
"We should keep going," Glinda said, even as she let Elphaba pull her close.
"We will. But first…" Elphaba brought her hands to Glinda's face and, for the first time, allowed herself to believe this was real.
Then she kissed her.