Chapter 56
- Some shadows appear in the distance, so no more talking. The kids/spirits set off for the portal in silence.
- Wisty notices it has gotten really cold—apparently the Lost Ones steal heat from living souls. Rude.
- Sasha stops. The string he's been using as a breadcrumb trail has been broken and they're not at the portal. Unfortunately, the Lost Ones are closing in.
- Everyone's running. Wisty makes the mistake of looking back; she freezes and screams. Whit picks her up, running.
Chapter 57
- Feffer is bleeding from some sort of injury, but she jumps through a portal. Yay—looks like our friends are going to make it after all.
- Minor snafu: A Lost One has somehow managed to block the portal. It's vaguely human with yellow eyes, and it's decidedly uncool.
- Sasha comes to the rescue with a clever grift. He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and tells the Lost Ones it's a special map.
- He throws it on the ground and the Lost One goes after it.
- Sasha, Whit, and Wisty go through the portal. Whew, that was close.
Chapter 58
- Whit observes the Lost Ones seemed keen to get out of the Shadowland. Sasha explains that, yeah, they're looking for an exit, and also human flesh.
- Whit's worried they're going to use the map Sasha threw on the ground, but Sasha tells him not to worry; it was just a to-do list.
- Their conversation is interrupted by something speeding toward them. Something loud. Bombs, maybe? They take cover.
- When the dust clears, Sasha confirms it was a bomb. No biggie. They must be in a war zone, that's all.
- Wisty looks around and realizes the landscape has been half blown to bits. Apparently the New Order has been bombing this place, which is called Freeland, daily.
- Whit says he and Wisty need to find their parents. Sasha's all like, well, about that… it's not safe.
Chapter 59
- Wisty agrees with Whit that the most important thing is finding their parents. Sasha says the bombing is bad everywhere, though, and there's no telling where their parents might be. Heck, they could even be dead.
- Wisty's not going anywhere until she gets some answers, but Celia reiterates that it's not safe and they need to get going.
Chapter 60
- Whit and Wisty are stopped by eleven soldiers who want to see their IDs.
- Whit tries to talk the soldiers down, but it doesn't work and they attack.
- Whit decides he's going to handle this situation. He uses his wizard powers to move around with super speed, taking the soldiers' weapons and knocking them over.
- Sasha's totally impressed. So is Celia.