Page 41 of Switched

Jax balls his hands into fists. “Gilly, Stiltskin is expecting you to follow him! He knows how worried you must be about Anna and how badly you want her to come home. I told you before: he could be leading you into a trap.”

I don’t have time to come up with a fancy argument. Instead, I go with the truth. “She’s my sister, and it’s my fault she’s with Rump. I have to try to get to her. I know she’s still good! I just know it! Even if she’s not, if there’s the slightest chance that she’s in danger, I have to try to help her. If I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Jax groans in frustration as Maximus paws at the rubble. “Fine. But we’re going with you.”

“You are?” I say with a mixture of relief and hope.

I stare at Jax’s face covered with ash and his dress uniform torn and tattered. He seems to struggle to find the words. “I may not trust Jack, but I trust you. We have to try to stop Stiltskin from getting Alva. If Anna wants to come home, I’ll do my best to help make that happen too.”

I grab Jax tight and don’t let go. He holds me just as tight.

Tessa’s voice cuts through the darkness. “Are we getting out of this dungeon or what?”

Jax and I quickly pull apart, helping Tessa and Raza on Maximus before we take off in flight. Maximus flies quickly through the smoky sky to what’s left of the wall we left just a short time ago. In the distance, I can see the giants already climbing back up the beanstalk with their Alva statue. The FTRS grounds are a mess of flattened rubble. When Maximus lands, Tessa and Raza run off to find more RLWs. But Jocelyn, Maxine, Ollie, Kayla, and AG are waiting by the wall, safe and sound, and Blue is hovering nearby. Maxine pulls us in for a group hug.

“When we saw the giants with the statue, we thought the worst!” Maxine sniffs, practically suffocating me with her right arm. “Are Peaches and Wilson okay? Kayla’s mom is fine. Blackbeard’s ship caught fire from a training wand misfire, and the professors are helping put it out. We should go help them and then figure out how to get that statue back.”

I pull out of the hug. “I already have a plan.” The others look at me. “We’re going up the beanstalk after Alva’s statue. Hopefully we can bring Anna and any other squad members who have changed their minds about working with Stiltskin home too. But first we have to get up the beanstalk and find our way to Cloud City. I think that’s where Stiltskin’s hiding.” I quickly explain what Kayla and I saw in Jack’s mirror and what Jack told me before. The others don’t fight me.

“If we’re going up there, Jack should lead us,” Jocelyn says. “He’s been there before. I’m sure there is more than one giant city in the clouds. We need to make sure we find the right one. Has anyone seen him?”

“Not since before the battle,” Ollie points out.

AG points to the shimmering beanstalk and its tangle of vines. “Is that him over there?” It’s hard to see through all the smoke, but I can make out a boy who looks like Jack and is about to climb a beanstalk.

“I think so,” I say.

Jax whistles for Blue. “Let’s go!” Ollie and AG climb on with him, while Jocelyn and I take Maximus with Maxine. Kayla flies alongside us at warp speed. Maximus and Blue land before the tangle of vines, right next to where Jack is surveying the beanstalk.

Jack turns toward us. “Gilly! Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you.”

“You did?” Jax is skeptical. “Funny, you seemed to disappear when things got hairy.”

“I had to go get these.” Jack holds up a small, shiny knife. “Coal miner daggers. The only dagger tough enough to stick to a beanstalk vine and help you climb it. I brought one for you. Are you coming? We have to get up there before Stiltskin cuts down the stalk so no one can follow.”

I didn’t even think of that problem. He hands me a dagger, and I stake it easily into the vine, making my first foothold. Jax puts out a hand to stop Jack from doing the same.

“We’re coming with you too,” Jax tells him.

“No way,” Jack says. “This is a dangerous mission! Do you want to become giant stew? I can help one person hide out in Cloud City from those nasty giants. Not a whole crew.”

“You’re going to have to,” Kayla says. “Gilly helped me get my family back, and now I’m going to help her get hers. And, you know, save Enchantasia too.”

“We’re a team,” Ollie adds, “and teams stick together.”

The others agree.

“Do you know where the harp is?” Maxine asks.

“Where Stiltskin’s camping out?” Jocelyn wonders.

“Are you sure you can even find your way back to the city?” Jax adds.

“Relax,” Jack tells us. “I’ve found the harp before. I can find it again.”

“Gilly, are you sure this is a good idea?” Maxine whispers to me. “How do you know we can trust Jack? We barely know him. What if he leaves us up there?”

“We’ll be okay if we’re together,” I promise Maxine.