Oz

Evangeline let out a pained groan as she sat up and grabbed the back of her head. Opening her eyes to bright sunshine, she felt grass beneath her other hand. She was disoriented – either from hitting her head or the unfamiliar sight of a large, grassy knoll that she was sitting atop of. She didn’t recognize this place and she knew every inch of Oz like the back of her own hand. The trees at the bottom of the hill seemed just as strange and she knew she had never seen that lake before. She tried to stand on wobbly legs and dropped her hand from her head as she moved towards it like it held all the answers for her current predicament.

As she walked unsteadily down the hill, she began to remember things … a girl wielding a wand at her, a bright light and the feeling of being tossed about in a wind tunnel. She struggled to remember more as she finally reached the lake and got on her knees to feel the cool water. Splashing some on her face she recalled that she had been standing beside Zayn and quickly stood, looking around for any sign of her lover but she appeared to be completely alone. Was this her punishment for being evil all these years? Did that girl curse her to be alone forever in a strange place? Living out her days with nothing but the birds to hear her weep for her soul mate?

She collapsed back onto her knees and began to cry. This was a fate worse than death and that girl must have known that. She did this to her on purpose. She turned back to the water and grabbed one of the rocks that laid nearby and picked it up to throw it angrily and let out an agonized scream. It was then that she saw something in the clean waters – a figure. Her heart lurched and she knew, she knew that it was Zayn. She grabbed for her wand but realized it was gone and tried to use her magic to bring him closer to her though nothing happened. Frustrated, she tried again but was met with silence. She was never the strongest swimmer but with the fate of Zayn in her hands she shed her heavy gown and jumped right in. He wasn’t moving, though she know she would feel it in her bones if he was lost to her forever, and yanked him out onto the grassy banks of the lake.

She felt for a heartbeat but found none so she did something she had recalled seeing a villager do once on someone that Zayn had nearly drowned in a barrel. Before Zayn had ripped the man off of his son, they had watched as his mouth and hands brought him back to life in awe. Evangeline did her best to mimic his actions – breathing into his mouth, pumping her hands on his chest over his still heart. Several tries and nothing making her grow more exasperated and desperate. She hit his chest harder, breathed deeper. “No … you will not leave me alone in this foreign land! Come back to me! Zayn, please! I don’t care about the power or about Oz – come back to me!”

Another final hit on his chest and Zayn began to cough out large amounts of water onto the grass beside him. He had no time to register what was happening before she had pulled him up and into her arms to hold onto him. “Eva?” His voice was raspy and she had thought she had never heard a more perfect sound than her name rolling off his lips. “Where are we?” He asked, clearly taking in the strange surroundings, too.

It hit her then – the spell that they had used – they had been sent to Dorothy’s land. “I think … I think we might be in Kansas.”

“What?” Zayn pulled apart and looking around them. He moved his hands and she knew he was seeing if he still had his powers. “They’re gone?” She solemnly nodded.

“We should get up … find a place to stay.”

“You don’t want to go back to Oz? We could find a way to get back, we could -”

Evangeline stopped him with a gentle kiss on his lips. “No, I don’t think that I’d like to return to Oz. I think I’d like to stay here and start over with you.”

“Your wish, as always, is my command, my love.” Zayn stood and pulled her to her feet. “You better put that gown back on before we run into someone. I may not have my powers anymore but I will still hurt any man that touches you.” He grinned, grabbing her discarded dress to hold it out for her. Once she was decent again, he grabbed her hand and gave the field a glance around again. “Which way, darling? I think that I will follow you in this new land.”

Evangeline smiled and gave his hand a squeeze, pointing back to the hill. “I think I’d like to see what’s on the other side of that.”

As it turned out, they were not in Kansas though it became apparent that they were in some part of the same world in which it existed when they entered a village called Rydal. Many curious glances amongst the people in the village were shot at them, making Evangeline cower closer to Zayn. He was always the stronger in the two so he took the lead and asked one of the many older women that had stared them down just where they were exactly. She told them that they were in Cumbria … in England. In the many books in their castle, both of them had read of a historic kingdom in Dorothy’s land called ‘England’. Turning to look at Evangeline, he smiled.

“What do you say? Do you like this small village or shall we set our sights on something bigger?”

“You know me, my love … small towns can’t hold me.”

“Something bigger it is.”

“I’ve read there are many castles in England …”

“And nothing less than a place fit for a queen will do for you, Eva.”