Page 122 of Locked in Wonderland

“Get them,” Nico said.

Percy puffed out his chest. “You could ask nicely.”

“Costs nothing,” Lola added.

I mustered another smile. This one came a little easier. Apparently, being fake just required practice. “Please, may I have my things back? I’d very much appreciate being able to access my house when I get home.”

Lola muttered something under her breath. When Nico shot her a look, she colored slightly. Or at least I thought she did—the day’s heavy blusher made it difficult to tell.

She performed an exaggerated curtsy. “Of course, sir. Anything you say, sir.”

The pair of them scuttled away before Nico could respond.

We followed. Close enough not to lose sight of them. Far enough back to converse in a low whisper.

“Your things?” Nico raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Do you like flirting with danger that much?”

I caught his wrist and tilted his watch toward me. “The boat isn’t due for another forty-five minutes. We’re only going to be standing around waiting. Another five minutes won’t make a difference.”

To my surprise, he didn’t argue. At the end of the corridor, Lola disappeared through a doorway, leaving us alone with Percy. An awkward silence settled over us.

Either none of us wanted to fill it, or Percy genuinely couldn’t hold a conversation unless Lola started his sentences for him.

A scream echoed from somewhere deeper in the building. While I flinched, Nico didn’t so much as blink. “This place is really messed up,” I muttered.

“It’s a necessary cog in Wonderland’s machinery,” Percy replied proudly, proving he could converse without Lola after all.

“It’s a mannequin factory for perverts,” I shot back.

Thankfully, Lola returned before he could raise any objection to my opinion. She carried a clear plastic bag with my phone, wallet, and keys inside.

Relieved, I snatched it from her. Knowing I wasn’t supposed to leave Wonderland alive, it surprised me that they’d bothered keeping any of it. What else did they store in that room? Was it just shelf after shelf of possessions waiting for owners who’d never come back. The thought sent a chill through me.

“He’s being difficult again,” Percy remarked.

This time I didn’t resist when Nico tugged me down the corridor. We were moving quickly enough that whatever Lola said in reply was lost behind us.

Three more corridors brought us to another locked door.

Another key. Another click. Then fresh air.

I tipped my head back and drew in the deepest breath I’d taken in weeks.

Real air. Not the filtered imitation inside Wonderland. Even the ground beneath my feet felt different, and I had to quash the urge to drop to my knees and kiss it. Clouds overhead threatened rain, and I didn’t give a damn. I might even have welcomed a downpour.

I collected little snippets of reality with greedy abandon. Birdsong. A cool breeze. The distant crash of waves. Loose stones beneath my shoes. All things that made me appreciate that no matter how real Wonderland had tried to be, it had never come close.

While I stood absorbing it all, Nico faced the sea with his hands in his pockets.

“Did you ever leave Wonderland?” I asked. “While I was there?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

A faint smile touched his mouth. “Because I couldn’t trust you not to get yourself into even more trouble.”

I sat on a nearby rock, deliberately leaving enough room next to me for Nico.