Page 144 of Witch Queens: Tales from Oz

“Magic, El,” my pleading eyes met my sisters, and we nodded together.

“What?” Glinda cocked her head, “Are you using your evil twin powers again?”

I snorted, “You need to get out more, Lin. We don’t have any twin powers.”

I heard her mumble something about the twins being super pain the asses, which was rather clever for our stick in the mud sister.

“I read somewhere that quicksand is rarely more than a few feet deep,” El tapped her chin, “They said that you need to lay back and try to swim away from the sand.”

Scarecrow snorted his annoyance, “I am not in a form where I can lay on my back and swim!”

My lips twitched.

“It isn’t funny, Indy!”

My smile gave way to surprise, “I wasn’t even talking.”

“But I know you,” Scarecrow warned, “I know you have visions of the three of us guys trapped. So, if your mind is doing what I think it is, you and the girls will not be moving on without us.”

I flushed, “I would never suggest such a thing!”

He grumbled something under his breath and then I felt him trying to buck me off.

“Indy, can you climb from my back to dry land?”

I looked over to dry ground.

“Yeah, I think so.” I stood up in the saddle and then leapt for what seemed like my life.

I landed none too gently.

“Those of you that are stuck. Lay back and slowly make your way over to Indy. She will help to pull you out.”

Listening to Scarecrow, they all fell back and began the strangest backstroke I have even seen.

Scarecrow continued to sink.

I helped Glinda and El out before El could undo the enchantment on Gregory. As soon as he was human again, he flopped onto his back and began to come towards us. We grabbed him by the arms and pulled for all we were worth. Slowly the quicksand lost its grasp on him.

I turned back to Scarecrow, “Hurry up, you need to transition back into a man.”

He snorted derisively, “Do you think I have any idea how to do that?”

“Use your freaky unicorn powers, Goddess, Scarecrow, problem solving—you should try it.”

Scarecrow’s eyes flashed to Gregory and me.

I could have sworn that Gregory took a giant step back.

Suddenly, Scarecrow’s horn began to glow. There was a hush across the forest as if it knew that we were witnessing something special.

“We might want to move back,” El suggested when the ground began to shake.

“I am not leaving him,” I yelled. “I won’t do it!”

Glinda sighed, “Fine.”

“Can you not leave him for another?” El gently asked.

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