“Do you want to know why your tale isn’t in my copy of the book? It’s because I finished your tale weeks ago. But the Story needed you for one more task. I don’t have a living grandmother. So the Story kept you around long enough to create a grandmother for my current quest. It used you to satisfy the needs of a different tale, to create someone that I loved enough to risk my life for. Nothing more. And I finished that tale moments ago.”
Mina stood up and walked over to Nan, who was lying on the cold floor. She held Nan close, hugging her. “I just killed the wolf and saved my dear grandmother. This tale is over. I won. Check and see.” Mina pointed to the Grimoire as it began to glow. Slowly etched pencil sketches began to fill in a page that mirrored the surrounding scene. Mina knew that somewhere on the Fae plane, a similar picture was appearing in the Fae Book. She could almost hear an audible sigh coming from beyond. Claire dropped the notebook, and Mina saw the words “The End” appearing underneath the picture. With it came a loud rushing wind that rattled the windows, and she felt herself being pulled forward toward the Grimoire.
Mina gripped tightly onto Nan as the earth shook and shelves clanged. The room seemed to spin, and bright light burst from Nan’s body. Mina screamed in fear, worried she was losing her best friend. She, too, was being pulled toward the Grimoire, and Mina wasn’t sure she could hold on.
Suddenly strong hands grabbed her, and Mina recognized Brody as he embraced her and pushed her to the floor, covering her with his body. He must have noticed her disappearance and seen Jared take off running. Like Jared, he must have followed the van here.
“I’ve got you! I won’t let you go. I promise!”
Mina’s eyes stung as she watched the book float off the ground and begin to absorb a scared Lonetree and a screaming Claire. Mina’s teeth chattered in fright as Claire reached toward Mina. Whether she wanted Mina’s help or the last few years of her life, Mina didn’t know. But Claire was sucked into the pages of the Grimoire.
The book fell open the floor with a loud plop. When the wind, the noise, and the ground quit moving, Mina tried to push herself off Nan but was held captive by Brody’s body.
Brody moved off Mina and looked her over for injuries. Other than a cut on her face and a few bruises, she looked okay. “You’re all right! Thank God!” He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her. The kiss tasted salty and sweet. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” he whispered, kissing her head.
Mina pulled away to check on Nan.
Nan’s skin still glowed as she slowly turned back to her normal self. Mina felt her skin start to prickle, the same buildup of power she felt whenever the Story interacted on their plane. She looked around in apprehension and couldn’t find a source. Then she felt it coming from the Grimoire. Mina walked over to the book and could feel a buildup of power before it snapped closed with finality, knocking her and Brody off their feet with its power.
Mina looked over at Brody, who was now lying prostrate on the floor next to Nan; he looked to be out cold.
“Brody!” Mina screamed, running to him. Mina ran her fingers over his tanned skin and around his head, looking for large bumps or bruises. He seemed to be fine.
“Gosh! Stop pawing over him already and help me up,” Nan mumbled sleepily as she tried to pull herself up. She looked around the room. “What are we doing here?”
“Don’t you remember?” Mina asked. “Claire from Babushka’s showed up at the dance and brought us here.”
“Babushka’s what? I have no idea what you’re talking about. And wait – are we missing out on the dance?! And what is he doing here?”
Mina was dumbfounded. Nan didn’t remember anything. Was this a joke or a side effect of being healed too quickly? “Don’t you remember? He was my date.”
“Um, yeah right. I distinctly remember we both had decided to go stag. He was Savannah’s date, not yours.” Nan stood up and began to limp around the room.
“But I saved his life at this bakery, three weeks ago. There was a big rally and we started dating, and he even gave me a cell phone, see.” Mina looked around on the floor for her phone, but couldn’t remember where she had lost it.
“You? Owning a cell phone? Ha! That will be the day. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? I don’t know how to tell you this, but there’s no way we went on a field trip here. Look at this place—it hasn’t been open in years.”
Nan was right. Mina looked around, and what once was a working factory with whitewashed walls and stainless-steel equipment was now a dank, dirty, broken-down warehouse. Broken crates and spray paint littered the inside, and Mina could have sworn she saw a rat.