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"It wasn't supposed to be."

We were already halfway to the door when Zelda sucked in a sharp breath behind me.

The mark jumped. Fast this time, a dark line racing halfway up her forearm in the space of a single breath.

Carol looked genuinely frightened for the first time all night. And when the Baba Yaga was scared– so was everyone else.

"Martha, we need to move."

"How long?"

Carol watched the black and silver line creep another half inch, jaw tight.

"Before the tether becomes a doorway?" A beat. "Not long enough."

I grabbed the crown tighter against my chest and looked at Kai.

"Then let's go invite a Dragon Queen to come Above."

10

Martha stomped through the oldest house in Dragoon Bootay in ruined, bedazzled combat boots, filthy from the swamp, an ancient Dragon Queen's crown clutched against her chest, like she personally owned whatever apocalypse was coming for us next.

For four months, she'd been furious because everybody kept telling her what being Queen meant.

Tonight, nobody was telling her a damn thing.

She started giving orders the second we crossed the threshold. Not asking. Not waiting on Carol's opinion, checking with Fate, or running it past a single living soul.

Orders.

Zelda with her. Me at the Guardian position. Carol close enough to back Zelda up. Barney and the dogs staying outside the inner chamber, full stop.

Chewy, predictably, objected. "I have combat experience."

"You weigh eleven pounds," Martha said.

"And most of that's tacos," Arthur added.

"Body shaming in a crisis. Nice." Chewy huffed and puffed and swished his fluffy tail, but it was all for naught.

Out they went, all four dogs and Barney trailing after them. I felt the weight in my chest ease a little. Six people underfoot for whatever was about to happen down here was five too many.

We descended.

I felt Roy go thin again around the fourth step, same as before, the signal fading the deeper we went. By the time we reached the chamber, he'd gone nearly silent, just a low hum of presence in the back of my skull.

The barrier was where we'd left it. Hadn’t moved a bit.

I tested it once. Old habit, maybe, or just needing to know for certain.

ZAP.

"Did you seriously have to check?" Martha looked irritated.

"Yes."

"Men." She shook her head, then gave me a little grin.