| |
I woke with a start surrounded by cold water. I felt like a raisin—a soggy, wrinkly, old raisin. A soft knock on the door cleared the last of the fog from my mind. I raised myself from the tub and reached for the towel, then wrapped it tightly around myself. I glanced at my watch on the floor and understood why I was a raisin. A two-hour soak would make anyone look like an old lady.
“Sierra, are you in there?” Ely’s voice was muffled by the heavy door.
“Yes, just a minute,” I replied. “I fell asleep.”
He was silent for a moment, then said, “I... I just need you.”
It pained me to hear the brokenness in his voice knowing there was nothing I could say or do to make it better though it was all he’d done for me since arriving in Philadelphia. I dried and dressed quickly, my skin a bit sensitive after the long soak. I pulled open the door to find not only a broken man but one who’d been crying for some time. His eyes were red and swollen, his cheeks stained with tears. He was dirty from running in the forest and a bit bloody from where branches had torn at his flesh as he ran.
I reached for him, and he fell apart again.
“I was so close, Sierra. So close, it should have been me! I would have survived, but Henry pushed me away.”
Even with Ely’s invincibility, Henry still had the urge to protect his family, a noble trait if I’d ever seen one. Stupid, in hindsight, but noble all the same.
“We don’t know what will happen, Ely. Maybe Ravenna and Fiona will find something to help them? We can’t give up hope, not yet.”
He sniffled against my shoulder. “Nothing ever goes right, nothing.”
I pushed him back a little so I could see his face. “That’s not true at all! You survived Snow, and you’ll survive this. We’ll survive it all together. And when it’s done, we will find a way to save Henry if we must travel to the ends of the earth to do it. You don’t just give up, Ely. You don’t roll over and let them win. If we let Ella and whoever else is out there knock us down, then thousands of people will live in misery. I’d rather fight than live in torment, wouldn’t you?”
The parallel to my past, being tossed around from one abusive foster home to another, it was not lost on Ely. He reached for me again and held me tightly against his chest.
“You’ve had it rough for far too long, but you’re right. I’m going to make this better for everyone. We will win, somehow,” he declared.
I let him hold me there for as long as he wanted, which was quite some time. Eventually, he knew he’d have to put on a brave face for his sister, but he could do that in the morning. I was sure Jack was hogging the entire bed, and rather than risk waking him or Cecily, I took option two.
“Come on, let’s go snuggle and pretend we’re just an old married couple with a kid living in a castle,” I declared and pulled him along behind me.
“We’re technically not married, but I’m down with snuggling,” he replied, the old, flirty Ely from the diner back in full form.
“I said snuggling, not kissing. I’m too tired for anything but sleeping.” I chose to ignore the part about the status of our marriage because I felt that was a conversation that would take far more energy to unravel than I had to give.
I had no idea where Ely’s room was, but it turned out to be just down the long hall from the one I shared with Cecily and Jack. His room was bigger and boasted not one, but two fireplaces both roaring with beautiful fires. There was an overstuffed chair seated by the larger fireplace, and a table stacked with books sat beside it. It looked like a wonderful place to relax. Maybe one day.
“Maybe one day what?” he asked as he turned down the bed covers.
I ran my hands over the velvet chair. “Just thinking about how nice it would be to relax and read here with Hans playing on the floor.”
“Mmm, well, that’s exactly what we did for five years, but now his Mama can join us.” He paused with a deep burgundy comforter in his hand, prepared to spread it on the bed. “That is what you want, right? We haven’t really talked about what will happen if you don’t get your memories back, or even if you do for that matter. Like I said, technically we aren’t married, but... I mean, well... I’d like to be,” he said, hardly whispering the last part.
My heart leaped again, a bit surprised by his admission. I wasn’t prepared to discuss those things, but apparently, he needed encouragement. I was a bit surprised that my feelings for him were not evident, but I supposed he was the type who needed things spelled out for him.
I turned my gaze from him and back to the fire, assessing my feelings before blurting them out. Even with the drama surrounding us, I’d never felt more at home in a place than I did there. It wasn’t because there were guards and servants to help me with anything I needed, and it had nothing to do with the hundreds of rooms I’d yet to see. But it did have everything to do with the people inside of the castle walls, the villagers who smiled at me in the square, the boy sleeping soundly in his princely little bedroom just down the hall, and the man patiently waiting for my reply.
I turned back to him absolutely sure what I wanted once Ella was dead and gone.
“I think the first moment we can breathe, we should get remarried and give our son a happy family reunion.”
A beaming smile spread across his face as he soaked in the moment. “Really? You’re not just saying that because you want to live in a castle?”
I giggled and shook my head at the fool. “I’m pretty sure I have a castle somewhere in Goldene Stadt, so no, I’d say it’s you and Hans keeping me here.”
“Eh, the castle in Golden Stadt is, like, half the size of this one.” He tossed the comforter on the bed and sat, waiting to see what I would do.
I liked that despite his previous claims I would fall for him and he would be my king, he never truly pushed me into anything I wasn’t prepared for, aside from urging me to accept my destiny to save my kingdom. Sure, he hinted and suggested things like kissing and getting married, but ultimately, he always let me set the pace. I knew he needed comforting. I also knew he wanted to be strong for his sister and to do that he needed to be weak in front of me.
I crossed the room and climbed into the bed, much more comfortable than the one I was to share with Jack.
“I think we got the crummy beds. That’s hardly fair,” I teased, then reached for him. “Come on, let’s get some sleep. We have a lot of planning to do tomorrow, including how to deal with trolls.”
He blew out a heavy breath and lay beside me, letting me wrap my arms around him. Like Cecily, it didn’t take long for sleep to overtake him. I stared at the fire for a long time, maybe minutes, maybe hours, but when I finally fell asleep, I had a dream that took me by surprise.
“I’m certain I told you not to follow me, Saskia. Will you ever listen to your big brother?”
I giggled and leaped onto his back. “No, it’s not likely, but I do love listening to your speeches about how I should. Now, are you going to tell me where we’re going, or should I guess?”
He readjusted me on his back, then began the trek up the mountain again. I waited for his reply, but when none came, I decided to start guessing. I thought for a while, considering all the possibilities, then began my game of guess what Julian is up to.
“Hmm, are we hunting?” I asked the least likely option.
“No, we’re not hunting. I went hunting with father last week, and it was quite boring,” he replied with an edge to his tone. He and father were fighting again, but I didn’t blame him. He had been hounding Julian to death about an arranged marriage and preparing to inherit the throne.
“Well, are we going into town to buy pretty things?” I asked.
“No, but if you promise to stop following me everywhere I go, then I will take you into town to buy pretty things right after this trip.”
“Oh, bribery. Hmm, doesn’t suit you, brother, but I’ll take the deal. Where are we going?”
He stopped and shrugged me from his back. “We’re here.”
I looked around but saw nothing other than trees and rocks for miles. There were no people, no houses, nothing. I turned to see what he was up to and found him grinning ear-to-ear.
“Surprise!” Julian stepped aside, and Eliot was standing behind him.
“Eliot!” I leaped into my boyfriend’s arms and held him tightly.
“Are you happy, sister?” Julian asked.
I giggled. “How did you know I’d follow you?” I asked, still clutching Eliot.
Julian approached me and playfully flicked my ear. He knew I hated it, but I couldn’t be mad at him. After all, he brought Eliot to me.
“Dear sister, you always follow me everywhere. However, I do have another surprise for you.” He turned toward a hidden cave and called, “You may come out now!”
The Royal Minister from Schwarzwald emerged from the darkened cave with a smile on his face. “Princess Saskia, Prince Eliot,” he began, then bowed. He rose and gave his attention to Eliot. “Shall we?”
I turned toward my boyfriend to find him on bended knee. I gasped, but my little whimper was lost in Eliot’s words.
“This is not the perfect wedding ceremony, but I’m afraid it was the best I could do under the circumstances. Saskia Vogel, would you give me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I felt weak in the knees, caught entirely by surprise. Our parents had gone to great lengths to keep us apart, and we had taken to secret rendezvous in the forest. I glanced at my brother who smiled happily. My little heart pounded, but I knew what I wanted. The consequences didn’t matter.
“Yes. Yes, Eliot, I will marry you!”
“You will?” he asked with relief. “Now?”
“Yes, right now!” I yelled and threw my arms around him again.
I woke with a start and sat straight in bed. I grappled with the blankets that surrounded me and finally managed to free myself. I was desperate to find a pen and paper to write down the details of my dream before they slipped away, but all I saw was Ely’s phone. The notes app would have to do.
Much to my surprise, it didn’t have a lock screen. I opened the app and began typing everything I could remember from the dream—what Julian said, what my surroundings looked like, how it all felt, and most importantly, what my brother looked and sounded like. It was Jack, no doubt in my mind whatsoever. I didn’t know how it was him, but it was.
My nerves were shot, but the dream gave me hope. I was touching my memories; they were there just beyond reach, and if I could just get everything on paper, there was a chance something would trigger the rest. I finished typing and closed the app. I hadn’t noticed the picture on the home screen before, but I did then. It was a sweet picture of Ely and Hans when Hans was much younger, maybe shortly after he arrived in Schwarzwald. Both were laughing and happy, but the happiness didn’t reach Ely’s eyes.
“That’s my favorite picture,” he said softly beside me.
I jumped and dropped the phone onto the plush area rug. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t snooping. I was trying to write down my dream before I forgot.”
He reached across the bed and took my hand, tugging it to get me back to bed. Once I was tucked against him, he said, “What’s mine is yours, Sierra. I have nothing to hide from you.”
“Okay, but I wasn’t snooping, I swear.”
“Hush woman, I know you weren’t. I’m just saying if you were I wouldn’t care. Now, tell me about your dream.”
I glanced at the clock, amazed that it was nearly morning.
“Well, Jack was in it. I’m not sure how it happened, but I’m convinced he is definitely Julian Vogel.”
“Really?”
“Mmm, hmm, no question. But, how do I tell him he’s a long-lost dead prince?” I asked, genuinely seeking advice.
“You’re asking the man who stalked you at a diner, a national park, and your apartment. I don’t think I’m the guy to ask. Maybe talk to the Grimm brothers and see what they can dig up before we throw it on him?”
“Yeah, he’s been through a lot and meeting my father the way he did... well, you were there.”
“Hey, I was just happy I wasn’t the center of his attention for long,” he said with a snicker, then urged me to sit up. “We should join the others. I’m certain Calla is awake. She’s like a dog with a bone, and now she’s angry.”
“Will she be... you know, okay?”
“If you’re asking if she’ll do something stupid, then no. She’s excitable and a little dramatic, but she won’t do anything without running it by us first.”
The way he made the statement indicated he was still a little sore about my running off to rescue Jack, but I didn’t address it. Instead, I stretched and stood, admiring the comfy pajamas Queen Ava had left for me. I also remembered my clean clothing was in the other room.
“I’ll see you in a minute. I’ll go change and meet you in the dining hall,” I said.
He yawned and motioned for me to go. I tried to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake anyone, but I was caught three steps outside of his door.
“You sly little fox.”
I turned to find Jack leaning on the wall, the same grin on his face that he wore in my dream. Seeing him now felt so much different, and I struggled to maintain my composure. I wanted to run to him and hug him, then spill my guts about my dream. Ely, however, was right about one thing—if I threw it on him, it would not go well.
“Hey there,” I said, drawing out the words so my brain could have a moment to find something to say besides admitting he was my brother.
“Don’t you hey there me! Get your butt in there and change, then come with me to the dining hall. We found something.”
“We? Who are we? How long have you been up?”
“We are Calla and me, and for about an hour. She stayed up all night, but I joined her when I got hungry. She’s a lot like you, did you know that? Stubborn, bull-headed, strong-willed, a little dramatic, sassy—”
“Okay, I get it. We’ll probably be besties by the end of the day, now can I go change so I can hear this grand thing you discovered?”
He pushed off the wall and flicked my ear as he passed. It was a detail of my dream I’d almost forgotten until he did it. He knew I hated it, but he did it all the time just to annoy me. If I didn’t already know Jack was Julian, I would have known it then for sure.
I debated telling Cecily but decided it was best to keep it to myself until I’d spoken with either Wil or Jay. My sister was still asleep in her bed, so I let her get her much-needed rest, dressed and practically ran to the dining hall. Once there, I was surprised to see not only Calla and Jack but several new faces. Ely entered just behind me, telling me who those faces were before I asked.
“Jeanine! Gerald!” He practically ran to them, and Jeanine wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“Ely, I’ve missed you around the house eating everything in sight!” she said, not wanting to let him go.
“And I’ve missed your cooking. Please tell me you’re staying longer this trip?”
Gerald laughed and shook Ely’s hand. “Calla, should we tell him the good news?”
Calla smiled. “Mom and Dad have decided to stay this time. The charity needs Mom around more often, and DAD needs Dad, so...” she trailed, leaving the assumption up to us.
I was bewildered, and it must have been apparent on my face because someone else started giggling.
“I take it this is Sierra?” she asked, pointing to me. I nodded, so she crossed the room and hugged me. “I’m Julianna, also known as Princess Isabella, Ely’s sister—adopted sister, from Spain. These lovely souls are Calla’s adoptive parents from America. And judging from the look on your face, you have no idea what DAD is.”
“Um... to be honest, I have no idea about anything anymore,” I admitted.
Felix wiggled by me and gave me a nod. “Good morning, Princess Saskia. I see you’re meeting some more of the family.”
“Yes, I was just about to tell her what DAD is. Would you like to tackle that?” Julianna asked.
“Maybe the founder and head of the department should explain?” Felix nodded toward Gerald.
“It’s the Defense Against Disasters Council, and I assure you the acronym was purely coincidental. That said, Jeanine and I believe we’ve had enough flying back and forth, so we’ve put the house for sale, and we’re moving here permanently.”
“Wonderful news,” Ely said. “Now, what other news have you this morning?”
Calla went from all smiles to all business in a nanosecond. She pushed a book toward Ely and motioned for me to join. I was still quite confused as to who everyone was but assumed I would figure it out, eventually. I glanced at the book, written in yet another language I did not understand. Being royal was already difficult, and I’d barely begun my journey.
“I have no idea what it says, and neither do Wil and Jay, but Caleb is on the phone with Carlos—that’s Julianna’s father,” she said directly to me, “so with any luck, he can help us. Hopefully, the Ortega’s can fly in or... I don’t know, decipher it by email.”
“They’re coming!” A man said, tall with dark hair. He looked like Marcus, so I guessed he was Caleb, the only other Salien I had yet to meet. “He said it’s ancient, definitely, but he thinks he can decipher enough of it to make sense.”
“Okay,” I said, “I know I’m new here, but I’m so confused. Can we start over?”
Everyone started speaking at once, which sounded like a roaring crowd in the large dining hall. A loud slam on the table stopped all speaking immediately. I flinched, then directed my gaze toward the woman who’d nearly given me a heart attack.
“My goodness, children. You’re going to give the girl more anxiety than she already has,” Jeanine said, then slowly walked toward me. “I’m Calla’s adoptive mother from before, does that make sense?”
“Yes, before she knew about all of this, right?” I asked.
Jeanine nodded, then said, “That is my husband, Gerald. He looks mean, but he’s just a teddy bear. Give him a newspaper from this century, and he’ll be happy. That is Julianna, the daughter of Ravenna’s lady-in-waiting. She passed, and Ravenna took Julianna in as her own, but you may hear her referred to as Isabella, her real name. And finally, this is Caleb, my sweet Caleb who grew up way too fast.” She pinched his cheeks, and he blushed though he was probably around the age of twenty.
“If you hear Christian, that’s him. I know all these second names make it difficult, but the thing to remember is, we’re family dear. We’re family, and I’m going to go bake you a cake.”
With that, Jeanine Benson left the dining hall to go bake a cake. I looked at Ely who was laughing hysterically with his siblings and Felix. I glanced at Jack—rather, Jack’s back since he was chasing Jeanine down begging her to let him lick the bowl.
“Don’t mind my wife. She’s a stress baker. Now, back to business. When Carlos arrives, we may have the key to healing Henry,” Gerald said confidently. “At least we should know how to kill a troll.”
“Really?” I asked, leaning over the table.
“Yes, dear. See here, this is definitely a troll. There have been plenty of sightings to know there’s no doubt about that. We assume they are coming from Goldene Stadt, one of Ella’s assault tactics so to speak.” I watched where Gerald’s fingers pointed, not understanding a word on the page, but following the pictures well.
“This is a dead troll which is how we like our trolls around here, but we haven’t found a way to kill them. We can’t even catch one, for that matter. My hope is this book will tell us everything we need to know once the Ortegas arrive. Carlos Ortega studied ancient Spanish civilizations, and with any luck, he will recognize this gibberish I can’t begin to understand.”
I sighed, frustrated and helpless. “I wish I could read this. I feel so useless.”
Calla placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “We all do, don’t worry. It’s a huge learning curve, and we have five years on you. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“So,” Gerald continued, “now we’ll take the horses out to the burned community to see if we can recover anything of use. I’m interested to see why she chose that community when there were many closer to the border. It was a risky move.”
“The horses are prepared, sir,” Felix replied, and I noticed Cecily was standing beside him. I opened my mouth to speak, but once Felix made his announcement, there was a flurry of movement in the room.
Gerald joined Felix, and it appeared Calla and Ely were also going along. Cecily made a move to take one of the horses, and I stepped in.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
She gaped at me with confusion. “Um... to the community?”
“Not with trolls running around out there, you’re not. Get off that horse right now,” I said firmly.
“You can’t tell me what to do. I’m a grown woman, Sierra, now get on your horse and let’s go.”
“My... oh...” I saw an extra horse and everyone else waiting for me.
“Well? Are you coming, Princess?” Ely asked with a smirk. I hesitated, worried it was a horrible idea with trolls and Ella’s men roaming around, but Ely insisted. “Gerald is the fiercest warrior on the face of the earth, Si. We’ll be safe, I promise.”
I walked up to the horse and stared at it, a pretty chestnut who seemed kind enough, but I knew nothing about horses. I hesitated again and looked to my sister for support. I pulled double shifts for two solid months so I could afford riding lessons for her for one summer. It was the best money I ever spent because it made her smile every Friday afternoon.
“It’s not hard, sis. You can do it, I promise,” she encouraged.
I gazed into the horse’s eyes. She seemed to sense my fear and nuzzled my hand, then quite literally pushed me with her nose around to her side, urging me to mount. I put my foot in the stirrup and tried to lift myself over, but she was possibly the tallest horse on the planet.
Felix slid down from his horse and came to my aid. “Here Princess, let me help you.”
He clasped his fingers together and let me place my foot in, then he hoisted me up. I fell onto the horse’s back, and she grunted.
“Sorry... uh...”
“Cinnamon,” Felix said, patting her neck. “She’s my favorite horse, actually.”
Ah, kissing the sister’s butt to earn brownie points. I see. Well, if he thinks he’ll win my approval that easily, he’s mistaken.
Cecily blushed deeply. “Oh, Si.”
Felix bit his lip to keep from laughing, then said, “Maybe a little butt kissing, but she really is my favorite horse.”
I ducked my head in embarrassment. It was going to be a long day if I didn’t keep my thoughts to myself. The others stifled their laughter and turned their horses easily. Ely kept pace with me—which was embarrassingly slow, but I was too afraid to go fast.
We traveled quietly into the forest. Nothing about it felt right, but I didn’t exactly know how it should feel. Gerald seemed tense and scanned the trees religiously. Felix did the same, and I noticed they were flanking the rest of us. Ely stayed by me, perhaps a bit behind, and Calla, Cecily and I were in the middle of a protective sandwich. I was grateful for it, but I also wondered if I was equipped to take care of myself in the dense forest. I had spent a little time studying the predator population in the area, and while I knew there were no bears and few wolves—besides us, of course—there were still snakes and badgers, which I had no desire to go against. Trolls, now those weren’t in any tourist guides I’d read.
We were about ten miles or so from the castle when the air became heavy, acrid and dense with a haze that indicated we were growing closer to the burned community Ella had attacked. Just over the next hill, we came upon the first of the destroyed homes. It was leveled, charred nearly unrecognizable.
Cecily gasped and instinctively reached for me. I took her hand, chancing Cinnamon wouldn’t toss me onto the ground.
“Did they recover everyone?” Calla asked Felix.
“Nearly. No survivors, but all villagers were accounted for except one. Joseph Hines is still missing, but we have a small team still scouring the forest for him.”
Calla nodded, then slipped from her horse to better observe the devastation. Ely dismounted and followed her, taking her hand as they passed through the smoldering remains of their people’s homes. The full weight of the situation took its toll on Calla, and she began to weep for her lost countrymen. Ely comforted her as best he could, but I had a feeling there was only one person who could make her happy when she was that sad.
I averted my gaze, thinking I saw something to my left. I was a second too slow and whatever it was snatched Calla’s horse and took off into the distance.
“Troll!” Gerald screamed, and he slipped from his horse to protect his daughter and Ely.
Felix circled around and urged Cinnamon and Cecily’s horse closer to a crumbling wall where he would only have to watch us from the front. I started to panic, but Cecily was calm and collected. She urged her horse to back up, which looked like quite the feat for a horse. Cinnamon was getting a little antsy, so I patted her head.
Calla’s horse screamed in the distance, but only for a moment. I tried not to let the death of a horse get to me, but it was so violent it made a mark on me. I knew I would dream about it later, but I tried to stay present and alert, nonetheless.
Felix slid from his horse, sword drawn and ready to attack anything that came near either of us. Gerald was the same, but the three of them were slowly inching back toward us. When they were close enough to the remaining horses, Ely mounted one while Gerald pulled Calla onto his with him. Felix was about to remount his horse when something breezed past and ripped it right away from him.
“Well, at least we know it prefers horses to humans!” he yelled, then leaped onto Cecily’s horse behind her.”
“Go!” Gerald yelled, “While we still can!”
Cecily kicked her horse, and it bolted forward, kicking up the soft forest floor as it did. The dirt was black and wet from the vast amounts of water used to quell the fires, wet enough that Cinnamon lost her footing when she tried to spin and run. She slipped and fell on her side, throwing me a few yards away from her. No, no, no. Not Cinnamon.
Cinnamon managed to find her footing in the mud and galloped away, forgetting her rider. She was decidedly not my favorite horse, but her passing the others riderless was not lost on them. Cecily skidded to a stop, and Felix slid from the back of the horse. I scrambled to get up but paused when I heard heavy breathing behind me. Oh man, you have got to be kidding me.
I rolled over to find the nastiest-looking thing I’d ever seen staring back at me. Easily seven feet tall, bulky with a hunched back that dripped with a thick, yellowish discharge. Its entire body oozed like a festering wound, and it nearly made me gag. The smell was worse, pungent like a rotting corpse right around the putrefaction stage—putrid, the best word to describe the nasty thing.
“Run Princess! Go now!” Felix screamed as he put himself between the troll and me. Okay, massive brownie points for that... Wait... I’m invincible in wolf form!
I let the fear wash over me, flooding my senses until my entire body quivered. In one swift movement, I shifted and shoved Felix behind me. The troll who, oddly, had facial expressions resembling a human, was taken by surprise and stepped back.
I lowered my head slightly as my hackles stood on end. I bared my teeth and growled, a deep rumbling I’d never achieved before, but I’d never been so scared. My vision was still crummy in wolf form, but my sense of smell was more acute, my hearing off the charts. There were more trolls, surrounding us on three sides. I couldn’t speak in wolf form but shifting human would surely be a death sentence. I didn’t know what to do, but the standoff gave me an idea. Pull rank. Be the alpha.
I growled again, hoping trolls understood pack order or at least knew when to run when facing a stronger opponent.
I heard a voice I recognized, but it wasn’t so much a voice as a thought—just not my thought.
You’re not stronger, Sierra, just less killable than Felix. Don’t get cocky. Take a small step closer. I think it’s afraid of you.
It was Ely, and somehow, I heard his thoughts. I felt something on my right. A quick glance showed it was Cecily in wolf form, protecting my weaker side as she always did.
I’ve got your back, sis.
Calla and Ely were somewhere behind us. I could sense them, feel them backing us up. I took the step, baring my teeth in a vicious growl. I heard a shuffling on both sides, retreat. The troll in front of me slowly backed away, then turned and ran on all fours. I didn’t want to wait around to see if they would return, so I turned on my heel and pointed myself in the direction of the castle. With the four of us as wolves, Felix and Gerald would have to manage the horses alone.
We flanked them, protecting the horses as we ran. We only made it a few miles before it became a chaotic mess. Gerald skidded to stop, unable to hold the reins of his scared horse while another tugged in the opposite direction. Cecily shifted and quickly jumped on its back, then took off again with Gerald. Calla did the same with the other horse, and we were off again, only less protected.
Up ahead I could see the castle walls, so close yet so far. I pushed on but was startled by an out-of-place noise. It was a cell phone ringing—Cecily’s. I saw her reach into her pocket and pull it out, surely not to answer it, but the silly girl did just that.
“What Brian? I’m kinda busy right now.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. I thought, and Ely heard.
This should be fun. Running from a troll and the ex-boyfriend calls.
I wanted to laugh, but we were running from trolls in the middle of a mythical land. There was nothing funny about it.
“I told you where I was going, not that it matters because you broke up with me!” she shouted, then, “I’m running from trolls right now, can this wait?”
Felix caught up with her and reached for her phone. He grasped it in his hand and tossed it into the forest. Cecily gaped at him as their horses continued to gallop along. I’d have fallen right off the horse trying to answer a phone, but I was glad the riding lessons paid off for her.
“Why’d you do that?” she barked.
“Trolls, Cecily! We’re running from trolls! And you are far too good a woman for the likes of him. Mostly the second.”
“Jealous?” she asked with a smirk, then the unthinkable happened. Something darted out of the trees and grabbed my sister’s horse. Her foot was caught in the stirrup, and it dragged her deep into the forest.
I veered off and ran after her, but she shifted, freeing her foot from the stirrup. She ran toward me, but the troll left the horse and chased Cecily. I put myself between them and crouched, daring it to come near her again. Again, it backed down and ran away.
We were close enough to the castle that the guard in the high tower saw what happened. Within seconds, dozens of guardsmen in full armor surrounded us. Between the running and the fear, I was spent. I collapsed, whimpering. Ely nuzzled my face, urging me to make the last of the trek home. Home...
I stood with a whine and followed while our knights in shining armor guided us back to the Salien castle.
Back home...