Page 4 of Inked in Emeralds (Inkbound #3)

B y the time we reached the massive wall made of colored glass in every shade of the rainbow, I was ready to jump out of my skin and see if Bonnie could fly me the fuck out of here.

Glad for something to break the tension, I’d spent ten minutes of our walk filling Duncan in on all that had happened in Neverland—about Pan and Tink.

About doppelganger O’Donnellys and Cissy Petway, about Noru the Ticking Croc.

Then, I’d spent the last ten in tense silence, treated to a feast of barely concealed contempt and testosterone as the two men did their best to dig at one another with not-so-veiled jabs—verbal only, thank whatever gods were watching this melodrama unfold.

Fun stuff.

And now we were here…

Too bad I didn’t know exactly where “here” was. I wanted to kick myself yet again for being too much of a chickenshit to let my Pawpaw read the scarier looking stories in my book of fairytales. Maybe then I’d have some idea of what we were getting into…

"This is it. Munsch Kin Land,” Duncan said with a sweep of his hand.

The rainbow wall was a real feat of architecture, and I couldn't stop myself from tracing the smooth surface in wonder, my fingers pressing against the cool exterior. "I'm not a big fan of walls, as I’m sure you can imagine, but this one really is gorgeous."

The setting sun blazed through the glass, sending little twinkles of light onto the grass below like so many tiny jewels scattered at our feet. Still, a prison was a prison, no matter how fancy the bars were. I looked the length of it, trying to see an end but not finding anything definitive.

“Meant to keep danger out, or keep people in?”

“The first, it seems, although I haven’t been here long enough to say for sure,” Duncan replied.

"Where's the door? Assuming we go through this?" Hook asked, less impressed by the huge rainbow wall than I was.

"It's—" Before Duncan could finish his sentence, the glass in front of us trembled and shifted, a wide panel slowly sliding to one side.

"Sir Duncan, you're back!" A man with a waxed, red mustache and a bright purple suit stepped into view.

Duncan smiled and turned to me. “This is The Earl of Munsch. As the earl tells it, his father’s father’s father’s father’s father founded Munsch Kin Land centuries ago.” He faced the earl again and gestured toward James and me. “I hope it’s alright that I’ve brought some guests?”

He let out a crow of delight, slapping his barrel chest. "Most excellent, indeed. Please, come in. Friends of Sir Duncan are friends of ours!" He stepped to the side and bowed dramatically before gesturing for us to enter.

I stepped through the entrance with a gasp.

“This is the Yellow Brick Road.” Duncan led the way onto a wide, golden path made of gleaming, neatly hewn bricks that seemed to give off a warmth unlike anything I’d ever felt.

On either side of us, tiny homes lined the walkway, each more adorable than the last. One looked like a giant mushroom, painted white with red spots, and had flower boxes bursting with wildflowers beneath each window.

The next was shaped like a pink, sugar-dusted gum-drop, with a white wraparound porch, and a little garden on the side.

"It looks like something out of a child's dream," James murmured as he looked around. I glanced at him.

“Do you recognize it from the book?”

James shook his head. “You?”

“No.”

Which meant we were running blind. Again.

We turned toward the voices to see streams of people heading our way—some from a group of shops down the road, others emerging from their homes.

The people were as colorful as the village itself. None of the clothing matched—as if every person had chosen to pull pieces from their closets at random, with their eyes closed. Blues, pinks, greens, yellows, oranges, purples.

In the lead was a tall woman, wearing a top hat that added another foot to her already six-foot frame. She swept toward us, a monocle perched over one eye and a strange creature that looked like a mint green weasel snoring in her arms. Her eyes flicked over our guide.

“Ah, the earl has finally done it. You’ve made Munsch Kin Land the mecca of class and sophistication that everyone wants to visit—even more so than the Emerald City. And now, it’s going to be the toast of Oz, as it always deserved to be. Huzzah!” she cried, shooting him a broad wink.

The man with the waxed mustache grinned, his cheeks flushing as he puffed out his chest.

“Yes, well, we all do what we can, don’t we?” he said. “This means a feast, right? A feast, a feast!”

The word skittered through the growing crowd, blooming from an excited whisper into a rising chant.

“Feast! Feast! Feast! Feast!”

James grunted, his hand twitching toward his blade. I stepped closer and touched his forearm. These people didn’t mean us any harm.

The tension in his arm eased, and I let myself breathe a little easier. We’d be careful, but food and a place to get a bit of rest was too good to pass up.

“It seems the people have spoken,” The earl said, raising both hands in a call for silence. “Who am I to deny them? On this, the fourth day of Inezuary, I, The Earl of Munsch, declare today to be a Traveler’s Feast.”

He shot a glance at the woman in the top hat, and she shrugged. “That’ll do.”

The earl clapped his hands together three times. “We don’t have much time if we’re going to pull this off by supper. Go, go! We’ll meet in the Great Hall when the cuckoo cuckoos seven!”

The townsfolk broke into cheers again, and scattered in all directions, some nearly colliding in their excitement to begin preparations, like a rainbow exploding, dissipating before my eyes.

A man in a white apron smeared with what was either blood or jam (I hoped the latter) fought his way through the crowd until he reached us, cheeks as bright red as the stuff on his apron.

“My Lord, I know both the Lollipop Guild and the Lullaby League were heartbroken that they didn’t get to perform for Sir Duncan when he first arrived. I think another slight might crush them. Is it alright if I let them know their services are welcome this time?”

The Earl of Munsch frowned and sucked in a deep breath like he was preparing to blow out a denial, along with a lot of hot air, when the tall woman interrupted.

“Ooh! I love a good Lollipop Guild performance!”

The earl let out all that hot air with one tiny squeak as his lips spread into a benevolent grin.

“Yes! I was just about to say the exact same thing. Love a good performance from the Lollipop Guild. Absolutely, Crumpet!” He patted the aproned man on the shoulder.

“Let them know we’d love for them to perform.

I assume you’ll be making more of those potato puffs with the leeks and cheese curds?

” he asked, rubbing his round belly, eyes gleaming with hope.

“Can do, My Lord. Can do. See you at seven, then!” Crumpet gave us a nod before turning and heading off himself.

The earl turned to us once more. “Now then, Sir Duncan, introduce me to your friends proper-like, if you please.”

“This here is Miss Harmony, also of Alabaster,” Duncan said, gesturing toward me, “and her friend James?—”

“Hook,” James interjected with a clipped nod.

“Pleased to make your acquaintances. Will you be staying long, I hope?” the earl asked.

“We’ve loved listening to Sir Duncan’s stories about his home of Alabaster,” he said, pronouncing it with the emphasis on the wrong syllable so it came out like ‘ah-LA-bister’.

“We don’t get out of Munsch Kin Land much since—” he broke off, shaking his head.

“Never mind. In any case, please know you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.

We enjoy hosting, and I’m very much looking forward to tonight.

Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll show you to your rooms?

You’ll be staying in the earl’s mansion with me. ”

We followed him along the winding brick road as he played the role of charming host, pointing out everything Munsch Kin Land had to offer.

From the whipped cream shop—which, according to several hand-drawn signs, apparently offered the treat made with both types of milk: graze-horn, and mooligan—to a woman’s hair salon that had me pining for Molly.

She would’ve gone absolutely nuts for that shop.

Wigs, hairpieces, and hats of every color and shape imaginable lined the walls.

I nearly tripped over my own feet watching as one stylist sprayed some kind of shellac over her latest creation, that looked like a giant eagle’s nest made from the woman’s tawny hair, complete with three lacquered eggs tucked inside, pastel blue, pink, and yellow.

Bonnie’s talons dug into my shoulder, and I could feel her thoughts loud and clear—those would make a tasty treat.

No, miss, those are not for you! Be a good girl. We’re guests here.

I could tell she was still considering it—sassy bird that she was—until I made her a silent promise to bring her a plate of the best morsels from the party later, if she behaved. She settled back on my shoulder with a soft chortle as we continued toward the mansion.

“Perfume for the lovely lady!” a woman called as we passed by the last of the shops.

She leaned in and squeezed the ball of a diffuser, sending a mist that smelled like cotton candy straight into my face. I sneezed instantly.

“Maxime!” The earl huffed. “It won’t do for you to accost our guests like that. Ask before you spritz next time.”

She apologized under her breath, looking cowed.

“Don’t worry,” I called over my shoulder, rubbing my itchy nose. “It’s…lovely!”

James gave me a surreptitious sniff. “You smell like burnt sugar.”

A few minutes later, we stood in front of the earl’s mansion.

Given the size of the other homes, I’d expected something more modest. Instead, the sprawling structure looked like it had been plucked straight out of Little Alabaster.

Not as grand or ornate, but large enough to house twenty people or more—each with their own bedroom.

“Celia!” the earl bellowed the moment we stepped through the front door and into the foyer.

A young maid with a lime-green bonnet and a cheery yellow uniform came scampering down the stairs, her face lit with excitement.

“More company?”

The earl clapped his hands again. “Indeed. And another feast, in short order. Let’s find them a place to lay their heads, then get to work.”

“This has been a banner week,” she marveled, her pansy-colored eyes wide. “Luckily, I just finished my monthly deep-cleaning of even the empty rooms, so we’ve got plenty of space for you. This way! Come, come!”

Duncan motioned for me to go ahead of him, as she led James and me up the spiral staircase and down a long hallway. Bonnie left my shoulder and flew back to Duncan, leaving me feeling bereft. The constant absence of Fetch had for a moment been eased with her weight on my shoulder.

“That’s where Sir Duncan has been sleeping,” Celia said, jerking a thumb at the first closed door on the right.

“And this one will be perfect for you, Miss.” She opened the next door wide to reveal a room done up in every possible shade of purple, and again, I found myself thinking of Molly again, the twinge of grief at having left her behind expanding to a near-physical pain.

It hadn’t been long since I’d seen her, but not knowing when—or if—I’d see her again was weighing heavy on me.

I swallowed the ball in my throat and managed a smile. “This is perfect. Thank you so much.”

“And you, sir,” she said, turning to James, who couldn’t hide his horrified expression, “can take the next one down the hall. Don’t worry, though. That room is nothing like this one,” she said with a wink. That seemed to ease him some, until she added, “Nope. That room is done entirely in pink.”

Hook met my gaze over her head, his dark eyes filled with something like fear, and I nearly let out a snort of laughter. Served him right, the cranky bastard.

“Feel free to take your time, have a wash up if you like, and I’ll come get you when it’s time for the party. Would you like me to bring you something to wear, miss?”

A bath and a clean set of clothes sounded blissful, and I nodded with a grateful smile. “That would be appreciated.”

She left me in the room, closing the door between us, chattering away to Hook as they continued down the hall to his pink room.

I glanced around and wrinkled my nose. Lavender covers lay atop a heart-shaped bed shrouded by a sheer canopy the color of fresh lilacs.

Amethyst walls and a fluffy royal purple rug completed the look.

This place was a lot, even for me. For a man like Hook, it was surely something akin to torture.

Munsch Kin Land and it’s over the top colors and joyous people were like a rainbow, opposite the darkness that was Hook.

Who knew, maybe it’d do him some good?

I, for one, was thrilled that this place was loud, busy, and a little chaotic. It had taken the attention away from one very messy problem, at least for a short while.

A problem that came back in a nauseating rush as I crossed the room toward the violet, claw-footed tub…

There were two men, each with a bedroom on either side of mine.

One with a death wish and a chip on his shoulder a mile wide…that I still dreamed about, despite knowing the truth about him.

The other, a Prince Charming come to life, who had turned everything I believed about wealthy men in power on its head.

Both owned a piece of my heart. Both had played a key part in my journey to this point, and as far as I could tell?

Both still wanted me …

The question was, what did I want?

Fucked if I knew, but for now, I’d settle with not dying in the next week or so.

Because, like Pawpaw always said, “Shoot for the stars, Ella, but make sure to carry a ladder—just in case.”

I let out a groan and tugged off my shirt.

“From your lips to the fates’ ears, Pawpaw. From your lips to the fates’ ears…I just hope I don’t need a ladder.”