Pip let out a startled cry and pointed. Descending the stairs was the stretched-out figure of the Pallid King. He should have been too tall for the space, but the walls seemed to stretch around him. He folded his spidery hands and regarded Eleanor with those black eyes that did not catch the light.

“You see?” Melia said, turning to her father. “Your answer. We can use her to find and conquer other worlds. As I promised.”

“Bring her to me,” the Pallid King said in a whisper that skittered along Eleanor’s skin.

“Don’t you dare,” said Pip, bringing Gloaming to bear. The Pallid King extended one long finger, pointing at her. Pip gasped. She dropped to one knee, Gloaming clanging against the floor as her arms went slack. Otto started forward, but the hedgewitch reached out and caught his arm, tugging him back with her, toward the far wall.

Ash stood between Eleanor and his father, his hands in fists at his sides. The Pallid King looked down at the two of them. She looked up and up and up at his towering figure, and discovered that her fear was finally returning.

Looking straight into the Pallid King’s face was hard—like staring at a Wrong Thing. She’d been mistaken when she thought the monarchs didn’t have faces. The Pallid King’s face did have features, a nose and a cruel, downturned mouth. It was just that unless she was staring directly at it, she couldn’t remember it even long enough to realize what she was seeing.

“Move aside, my son,” the Pallid King whispered. Ash trembled. “We admire your cleverness. Obey me now, and you will be forgiven. You will ride with us as we open the doors to many worlds. Yours will be the sword and the crown. Yours will be the throne.”

The growling Eleanor had heard earlier grew louder. Turned to howling. The Pallid King looked toward the noise, frowning.

“What—”

The wall beside him ripped open, and the road came spilling out. The road, and Shatterblack and Rag-a-bone, their eyes blazing. They sailed through the air toward Eleanor.

The next few moments were complete chaos. The Pallid King roared in fury. The hounds, suddenly realizing their prey wasn’t alone, launched themselves at the newly discovered threat. The Empty soldiers rushed to defend their king.

Eleanor whirled around. Now or never, she thought. Come on, Wending.

With all the hope and fear and power she had in her, she reached. And she found it. It was like the moment when you finally understand a tricky math problem. She almost laughed as the sense of the Wending unfolded in her mind. Yes! Open a road. Take us home, she thought, and shouted in triumph as the far wall, where Otto and the hedgewitch were sheltered, vanished. A cobbled road flowed past it—a very familiar cobbled road. It was Eden Eld.