Wicked Origins by Paula Black

Author:Paula Black [Black, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-10T08:00:00+00:00

At the house, Gin, in human form, had already gathered almost everything needed for the trip. They had only three packs for carrying everything, but found an additional bag for me to take which held blankets and a kind of food stuff that I’d only ever seen in movies or in a museum. I held up one of the large dry, cracker-like things. “Is this hardtack?”

Gin nods, a smile parting his full lips. “I’ve been baking them in anticipation that we might be going on a journey like this soon.”

Joon steps forward, his tall, human form striking against the mid afternoon sun. “I’d rather we’d gotten started on this journey this morning instead of setting off now. But I guess we’ll do what we need to. I’m not waiting until tomorrow morning. If we walk through part of the night, we’ll be fine, provided we make it well past the Cursed Woods before then.”

My chest tightens. I really don’t want to see one of those night beasts again. I’d prefer it if I’d never seen one at all. The thing is the stuff of nightmares, and I fear that it might visit my dreams. I shiver at the thought.

Chimmy pulls the bag from my hands. “Let me carry that.”

I grab the bag back. “No. You already have a pack. I need to carry my own weight around here. I’m not a delicate little girl. Don’t treat me like one.”

He releases the bag, his eyes widening slightly. “I wasn’t trying to treat you like one.”

After swinging the bag over my shoulder, I shrug. Then I follow Joon out onto the front porch and say over my shoulder, “Good. Don’t even start.”

All three of the brothers are in human form as we start the journey to the west. We hadn’t really quite gone in this direction yet, but I could still see the cursed woods not too far ahead of us, as the black trees spread out in the south and west. The sun gets lower on the horizon as we approach the shadowy woods, and I finally see why they call it the yellow brick road. It’s literally a road of yellow brick. It reminds me of the brick roads that I’d seen in history class pictures. “All roads lead to Rome,” I whisper.

“What’s that?” Chimmy asks, tilting his head toward me as he leans forward so he can see directly into my face.

I shake my head. “Nothing important. So, this road leads to Emerald City?”

He nods, his thumbs looping into his back just under his shoulders. “Each territory has a yellow brick road in it. They all lead to the capital of Oz, Emerald City.”

“Oz? Is that the state we’re in?”

A crease forms between his brows. “State? Oz is our country. Its split into four territories and the capital. On all sides, we’re surrounded by the impassable desert. What’s beyond that, no one really knows for sure. The Wizard says that there’s an ocean beyond, with several islands. Is Kans-zaas one of those islands?”

I shake my head.

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