Teague stood up and stared at her, his face filled with disbelief. "You're dismissing me. Me?" His pointed to his chest.

She shook her head. "I've told you. I'm not here to marry you. I'm here to save my family, and I believe that I can do that by making sure you marry the right person.

So don't waste any more time here."

His eyes went dark, and his mouth pressed into an irritated line. "As you wish." He gave her a mock bow, opened her door with a wave of his hand, and slammed it behind him.

She listened carefully and didn't hear the lock click into place. To be safe, she waited another a half hour before opening the door and sneaking into the dark palace corridor. It was empty. Her stomach was growling, and she knew that the guards would probably be back shortly to escort them to dinner.

Which would be an awkward affair. She didn't think she could sit and pretend to be cordial with Annalora any longer. Mina headed down the hallway and tried her best to backtrack to the library, hoping beyond hope that Teague had put the Grimoire back there.

Footsteps and a feminine giggle approached. Mina ducked into an alcove and found herself, once again, in the bathing chamber with the mermaid fountain and the waterfall. If only Nix could see her now. There wasn't much time, so she just hid behind a column as the voices grew louder. And then they were recognizable. She cringed.

"I feel so special that you're sneaking off to be alone with me, my prince." Annalora's voice resounded like nails on chalkboard in Mina's ears. Or it might have been her teeth grinding in anger. This was not what she meant for Teague to do. Annalora? Come on, Teague.

"Think nothing of it, my dear. I've been wanting to be alone with you for a while." His voice sounded husky. Why was he trying to get close to Annalora? Was it just that he was a boy, and they tended to do the opposite of what they were told?

Mina wanted to take off her shoe and throw it at him, until she realized she wasn't wearing them.

Annalora giggled again, making Mina's skin crawl. It was a fake, look-at-me kind of laugh. They walked past the bathing pools, and Mina did her best to stay hidden behind a pillar, but she kept one eagle eye on the couple. Annalora walked arm-in-arm with Teague up to the fountain. She oohed and aahed over the large waterfall and the mermaid statue.

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed.

"Not as beautiful as you." Teague teased, making Annalora let loose her annoying giggle.

"Of course not. There's nothing as beautiful as me." She turned, grabbing his hands, and pulled him toward the water. The closer they came to the pools, the closer they came to large potted ferns surrounding the pools. Then they were out of earshot and covered by the greenery.

Part of Mina wanted seize the moment and escape, but the other part wanted to sneak closer and spy on them.

Teague had never taken her out of her room. He just visited her behind a closed door. Was that because he didn't want the girls to see him wooing her? She'd thought he was showing her favor. But instead, he was just being a guy. Her jealousy won out, and her bare feet made no sound as she tiptoed to the closest ferns to watch the proceedings.

Annalora pretended to slip, throwing herself into Teague's arms. He caught her and held her closely.

"Oh my, I almost landed in the fountain," she breathed out softly, using the moment to wrap her hands around his neck and pull him closer to her. Mina rolled her eyes in disgust. There was no way she would fall into the fountain. The floor wasn't even wet. But Annalora didn't care, and it seemed that Teague didn't mind her forwardness. Annalora came to the same conclusion, because she softly pressed her lips to his.

Teague was only momentarily caught off guard, but he returned the kiss. Or that's how it looked from Mina's angle.

Mina was so furious at the betrayal. She honestly wished the girl would fall into the fountain. A second later, she saw a vine sneak out from the closest potted plant and reach up the girl's leg.

Annalora broke the kiss only long enough to say, "That tickles." She greedily pulled him in for a deeper kiss. Ha! She thought Teague was the one tickling her. A split second later, the vine wrapped around Annalora's legs and pulled her sideways. She plunked into the fountain with a splash.

The girl came up sputtering and crying. Her beautifully coifed hair was a tangled, watery mess. Teague put one boot up on the ledge of the fountain and laughed.

"It's not funny," she yelled.

"Oh, yes it is," he taunted back.

How dare he? Mina thought. To tease a girl. Yes, Annalora got what she deserved, but Teague had no right to laugh at her misfortune. Mina made a shooing motion toward the vine, and it rose up behind Teague. With one hard push, the dark prince followed her into the water.

Mina watched the vine go back into the closest pot and quietly congratulated herself on her advancement in Fae magic. She quietly made her exit amid the echoes of screaming and laughing.

She hurried back toward her room but took a wrong turn. She had no idea where she was. Passing a partially opened door, she felt compelled to investigate. The room was empty. Going on gut alone, she slipped inside. It was a sitting room. The furniture was masculine-a large desk and mahogany chair. Expansive gold decorations lined the wall. Mina noticed a silver leaf emblem carved into the bed. This was Teague's suite.

She didn't have much time, so she began to search for the Grimoire. She headed for the bookshelf and gave it a cursory glance, but didn't see anything.

Stressed, she rushed over to the desk and began to open drawers, looking for the book. Then she spotted it-right on the desk. In her panic, she'd missed it. She grabbed the journal and took off running for the door.

A soldier approached, so she paused and ducked back in quickly. She recognized Captain Plaith in his white armor. When he passed, she quietly left and headed back the way she came. Eventually she found her room and closed the door behind her. Mina felt whole with the Grimoire in her hands once again. She crawled into bed and opened it up. Teague had added a new entry.

It's a test. I know I'm being tested. But how can I prove myself?

The next entry was written with a heavier hand-hurriedly.

I will show her. I will make her wish she'd never crossed me. She doesn't tell me what to do.

There was nothing else on the page. Mina ran her fingers along the edges and waited for the familiar hum. It soon came. The Grimoire answered her touch, and it felt so good to have the book in her hands again. As soon as Teague had taken it away, she knew she needed to have it back. It was like a drug, its nearness. She just needed to touch it. She had no idea what would happen if Teague caught her with it, but she would take that chance. Slipping the Grimoire under her pillow, she lay down and rested her hand against the leather cover.

She fell asleep that way, and woke to the young brownie knocking on her door.

"Miss, it's time for dinner."

Mina got ready quickly. So far, she had been very careful to not eat too much of the Fae food, because she wasn't sure what was safe for a human. Tonight that wouldn't be a problem, for her appetite had disappeared...along with her shoes.

The brownie was able to find her a pair of slippers that fit, but Mina felt naked-and terrified-without her shoes. They were her one lifeline home. What was worse was that she wasn't sure when they disappeared. She couldn't remember if they were on her bed when she'd left the room, or if they were there when she returned. Had someone slipped in and stolen them while she slept?

The brownie braided her hair and applied just the lightest touch of blush to her face, probably because Mina looked so pale. Mina picked up the Grimoire and turned her back to the servant, trying to find a place to tuck it without being obvious about it.

"Here. Put it here," the girl piped up. Apparently, Mina hadn't done such a good job being stealthy. The brownie pointed to a hidden slit in Mina's dress, a pocket big enough for a small mirror, handkerchief, or small book. Mina slipped the Grimoire inside and turned to her, trying to gauge her reaction. Maybe she simply assumed it was Mina's and didn't realize it had been stolen from the prince.

The brownie just smiled widely at her, pleased that she was able to help.

Mina still felt disheartened about her missing shoes as she was led down to dinner and escorted to an empty chair next to Dinah. Teague sat at the head of the table, with Annalora at the place of honor on his right, followed by Ever, and Dinah sat to his left.

This dinner was supposed to be a special occasion-for Teague to congratulate the four ladies who had made it through the second test. Tomorrow would hold the last test followed by the official announcement to the whole land. The other three girls genuinely sparkled with excitement, their faces glowing and smiles lighting up the room. Mina couldn't even gather the courage to plaster on a fake smile.

She found the strength to answer a question when directly spoken to, but she floundered when it came to entertaining. She felt hollow, an empty shell of herself. Here she was, at a beautiful table, eating the most extraordinary food, in a fairy-tale castle, and all she could think about was she was now stuck here-permanently.

The only thing she could come up with was that the shoes might have run out of time and gone into the future-without her. She had made a stupid mistake. Now she'd never see her mother or brother again.

Mina turned her head at the sound of Annalora's voice and noticed how often she accidentally brushed against Teague's arm, or ran her fingers along the cuff of his jacket. She was marking her territory. And at this point, Mina didn't care.

Dinah dropped her napkin between her chair and Mina's, leaning close enough to grab it and whisper, "What's wrong with you? This is no time to give up just because that harlot is trying to mess with your mind."

When Dinah looked into Mina's tear-filled eyes and read the pain there, her voice changed. "Something else has happened."

Mina nodded her head, "Yes, the worst imaginable."

Dinah pinched her lips together and gave Mina's hand a quick squeeze. "Don't worry. It will all be over tomorrow and you can go home."

"That's just it. I can never go home, regardless of the outcome," Mina confided. A single tear slid down her cheek. She tried to wipe it away without making a big fuss about it, but Annalora saw and moved in for the kill.

"So, Elle, crying about the next test already, I see." Her smile was filled with delight. "Maybe you should quit now and save your breath."

Teague didn't say anything. He just sat back and studied the two of them with interest.

Mina didn't have the heart to exchange barbs at the moment. She just reached out and took a sip of water.

Ever, on the other hand, had plenty of fight left. "Why don't you worry about yourself, Annalora?"

"Because I don't have anything to worry about." She scooted closer to Teague and proceeded to look down her nose at the pixie. "But you on the other hand...do. I've heard how you're an embarrassment to your family. Don't go doing something stupid tomorrow, like actually trying to win. Because we all know you'll fail."

Mina felt the air in the room stir as Ever tried to get her temper under control.

Dinah gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth.

The candles flickered more. Ever was about to truly embarrass herself. And that was something Mina didn't want her friend to do. What did she have to lose at this point? She really couldn't stand to see Annalora freely pick on the other girls.

Mina picked up her glass of water and walked past Annalora, dumping it in her lap. Annalora shrieked in anger and jumped up.

"I thought you needed a bath. Oh wait, I forgot. You already had one in the fountain." Mina snarled and let a smile of pleasure show on her face.

"You! You pushed me in the fountain." Annalora's face turned purple with rage. She really looked ugly when she was mad.

Mina shrugged her shoulders, "How could I? I was in my room. Alone."

She had forgotten about Teague, but his laughter was a sudden reminder. Mina raised the empty glass in her hand and made a play of saluting him. He drank the rest of his and returned her salute.

Mina placed her glass on the table and left. Instead of making her way back to her room, she picked up the edge of her skirt and wandered down the corridors until she found the main palace doors. She should have escaped as soon as she could with the shoes and found a way to her ancestors instead of getting distracted by helping Teague. But now, she was trapped on the Fae plane, and she hadn't even been able to help anyone.

The guards at the gate gave her a cursory glance, but let her pass without stopping her. She continued down the steps and walked up to the bridge, looking out over the lake. It was nearing sunset, and it was a terrible time to leave, but she couldn't stay. She needed to find help, to find an ally that would help her find a way back home.

Her feet carried her over the stone bridge, and she hesitated a moment when she heard the sounds of the trolls underneath, their claws scraping along the stone. Her steps piqued their curiosity, and she could see their red eyes watching her through the holes in the bridge. Since she was leaving they had no reason to bother her. Their job was to prevent unwanted arrivals.

When she passed through the hidden veil, her skin buzzed and she heard the pop. She wasn't sure why, but something told her to pick up her skirt and run. She'd made it past the final barrier without being stopped, but now she wanted to get as far away as she could. Maybe she could find another Schumacher to send her into the future.

She was walking into the unknown. But she knew what would happen if she stayed. She'd either fail the test tomorrow, or she'd pass and have to watch as Teague got engaged to Annalora. And then the event she'd been warned about would happen.

Something would launch the prince onto a terrible warpath of destruction, and she needed to be as far away from him as she could when that happened.

Tears filled her eyes, and it was difficult to see where she was going.

The two suns had finally set just as she made it into the woods. She wandered around and eventually found a small grove of twisted trees with the familiar purple fruit Nix had shown her. She plucked some low-hanging fruit from a branch and sat down to eat.

What was her next move?

The bushes closest to her started to move, and Mina jumped, alarmed.

Suddenly, someone darted out from between the branches. Ferah! Bedraggled, pale, and wide-eyed with fright, she tripped and fell on the ground next to Mina in exhaustion.

Her hand gripped Mina's forearm as she choked out one raspy word. "Run."

Chapter 26.

That was the only warning Mina received before a scythe sliced through the bushes-quick and clean. The Reaper stepped into the open and pulled back his hood. His black face accentuated his evil yellow eyes. In the darkness, they seemed to glow like a cat as they followed her movements.

Ferah whimpered and tried to move away, but it was clear that she was exhausted and couldn't run any farther. Her lips were dry and cracked and even her eyes were losing their luster. What had the Reaper done to her? She looked inches from death.

Mina stepped in front of Ferah, protecting her from the Reaper.

"Go away. You've done enough," Mina warned, her hand slowly reaching for the Grimoire.

The Reaper laughed, or tried to laugh. A weird hacking noise came from his throat. "Move, or you'll die with your friend," his coarse voice rang out, silencing the sounds of the forest.

"I won't be the one dying this night. Now leave. This is the only warning I'm giving you," Mina called out boldly. In the face of death, she wasn't afraid. If she couldn't save her family, then she would die trying to save one of the Fae.

"You mean you won't be the only one dying tonight. For I shall kill you both." His hand gripped his scythe and the silver blade grew longer, creating an arc over four feet long.

Mina couldn't let this girl die. Not if she had any say in the matter.

She held the Grimoire out in front of her, and it grew in size to a shimmering golden version of the Reaper's own weapon. She changed her stance, gripped the scythe over her shoulder like a baseball bat, and beckoned with her hand.

"What's this, girl? You intend to mock me before you die? Do you know who I am? I'm a Reaper. I'm the killer of dreams."

"Well, I'm the Grimm...and I'm a Reaper's worst nightmare." Mina didn't wait. She rushed forward intent on catching him off guard. The Reaper swung his scythe to meet hers and the blades rang as they collided. She turned, using her momentum to swing her smaller scythe at his thighs. He had to lower his own blade to stop her from cutting his legs.

They paused, staring each other down.

The Reaper hissed. "I'm surprised at your enthusiasm to meet your death. Weren't you one of the young ladies at the palace? I believe you were. You protected the prince from this one, and now you defend her? Were you in league with her from the start?"

"No, I've never met her before. But I do believe in second chances. Except when it comes to you," she growled.

This time it was the Reaper who led the attack, while Mina parried his blows. The clash of metal filled the forest, and she thought she saw a shadow pass overhead. But she didn't have time to be distracted. The Reaper feinted and took a Superman-like leap straight up into the trees. She lost him in the canopy of darkness above and slashed at the shadows that danced near her. Goose bumps ran up her arms, and she thought she saw movement to her left. She screamed and sliced, connecting with nothing but air.

Breathing hard, Mina tightened her grip on her weapon and closed her eyes to listen. She knew the Reaper was hiding in the shadows above her. The wind blew softly through the trees, and she waited...listening...until she heard it.

The rattle that comes before death strikes.

She screamed and held the scythe above her, using it to blast a golden beam of light into the face of the Reaper as he leapt at her from the trees. He screeched in pain, covering his eyes from the blinding light that pulsed from her weapon. Mina used the distraction to spin and cut the Reaper out of the sky. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud, wounded but not dead.

But it was enough. He was weakened enough for the Grimoire to entrap him. The scythe changed into the Grimoire again. More light emanated into the forest, wind picked up, and she heard him scream in terror.