“It’s true, sadness clings to us like the mists, which sometimes threatens to pull us under into perpetual despair. But it’s not sadness for the world as it is now, it is sadness for what it once was, and will be again if we are not vigilant.” Hazel looked as if she were stuck somewhere between this world and the one she feared.

“It is our duty to keep and protect this land, and to make sure it never falls into the hands of my mothers again. They would see this become a place of terror, and nightmares, and have their power felt in all the worlds, including yours, James, and even in your beloved Never Land.” Circe’s words sent a deep, penetrating fear into James’s heart.

“But don’t let that frighten you. We are nothing like our mothers and sisters before us,” Primrose said, motioning to a table with a line of portraits of women in oval frames. And there he saw them, the Odd Sisters, the identical witches. Their faces seemed to stare from their place of honor, among the portraits of what he assumed were the many queens that had come before them.

“That’s right, James, this is where we honor the queens of the Dead Woods,” said Circe, reading his mind again and making him flinch. As much as he liked these women he couldn’t get used to them reading his mind, though somehow he could tell they were trying their best not to be intrusive.

“I don’t understand. It seems to me your mothers’ powers are already felt in all the worlds; how else were they able to invite me here? And why on earth did they ask me to bring them a cake?” he asked, unable to look away from the endless graves below that surrounded the mansion, or the skeletal creatures below helping Sir Jacob bring the massive cake inside. These creatures didn’t seem to be imbued with the same spirit Sir Jacob possessed. They were different, unspeaking, and lacking that spark of life James felt in their leader.

“My mothers are in possession of Opal, the Dark Fairy’s cherished crow. She is now their minion, and she dwells in the space between, but unlike my mothers she is free to travel between the worlds. They are able to send messages with her, and speak to us through a magic mirror I gave them if only to save poor Opal from flying back and forth between the worlds with their many messages.” She laughed, but James could tell her laugh was wry, and that Circe was beyond what he would consider heartbroken.