Where am I?
Everything is quiet. A blinding light surrounds me. It’s so bright, it hurts. I clench my eyes shut, then slowly open them again.
The room comes into focus. There’s a large bed with a sky-blue comforter against the white wall. Sunlight streams in from the window to my left. To my right, a little desk sits in the corner with stacked books and papers spread everywhere. Above the desk there are photos of smiling strangers.
If I turn, I know I’ll see a closet cluttered with clothes and a long mirror hanging on one side of the door.
I know this place. I’ve been here so many times, and I know what comes next.
As if on cue, footsteps echo behind me. I don’t move. They never see me. Sometimes it’s the man. Sometimes the woman. Today it’s the boy and the little girl.
They’re sad—they’re always sad. The girl starts crying and the boy, who looks barely older than her, hugs her. He says something to her that I can’t hear. I move closer and reach for them, but I know they can’t see or hear me. I’m a ghost in their world. I can only watch.
Watching them makes something crack inside me. A lump lodges in my throat. I blink.
It’s just a dream. This isn’t real. Wake up.
“Rosie, wake up!” a little voice echoes in my thoughts.
The room disappears, along with the strangers. I wake with a gasp, sitting up too fast it makes my head spin.
Black, ink-drop eyes stare into mine. “Were you dreaming again?”
I’m shaking, still recovering from what I’ve seen. Meriwether hovers above me, her dark blue fairy wings making a humming noise as they flutter in the air.
“Come on! Come see what the imps have done,” she says, waving for me to follow.
Her long, white hair glows in the dim light as she floats in the doorway. My door is open. My breath catches in my throat.
Why?
I push the heavy blanket off and swing my legs over the bed to stand up.
“Meriwether, did you open my door?” I ask, knowing full well that’s impossible.
It can only be opened from the inside.
She frowns at me. “Of course not. It was open when I got here.”
Ice fills my veins. Anything could have gotten in while I slept. A dwarf, an imp, or a gargoyle. Even the pixies and other fairies are dangerous.
Meriwether gives me a cautious look. “Princess Maloret wouldn’t let any of her court harm you, Rosie. Not… horribly, anyway. She has rules, you know.”
Her words are not comforting. I know very well the ‘rules’ the fairy princess has in her court. There are places in her castle where she can’t or won’t guarantee my safety. That’s why I mostly stick to the rooms I know.
“Come on! I want to show you,” Meriwether says, waving at me impatiently.
Her gossamer dress clings to her small dark frame, the hem hanging low past her bare feet. Rubbing the chill from my arms, I follow her, throwing one last look back at my room.
Shadows splay across the stone wall behind my giant bed. One waves at me with its claw-like hand. My stomach clenches with dread.
Princess Maloret is back.
Suddenly, following Meriwether through the dark castle sounds like a really, really bad idea. I could run back to my room and shut the door, but that wouldn’t stop the fairy princess from finding me. There’s nothing she likes better than games, and hide and seek is her favorite.
I can’t escape her.
So, I keep moving, one hand on the stone at all times. The wall is ice cold, but I don’t dare let go. I don’t want to lose my way.
“Meri, slow down!” my voice hisses and echoes through the pitch-black hallway.
I hear the steady fluttering of her wings and watch as her shining silhouette grows closer. She pauses right above me and gives me a sympathetic look. “Sorry. I forgot how slow humans are.”
Flames from the wall torches light all once. Fire flickers against stone, highlighting Meriwether’s glowing dark skin. She turns and leads the way, slowing her pace for me.
I follow, one careful step at a time. Soon, the ground slopes, and we make it to the stairs. The smell of smoke and sugary treats fills my lungs. My stomach rolls at the scent. When was the last time I ate? I can’t remember.
Unlike the other creatures, I need food, but the food in Princess Maloret’s court is dangerous. There’s always a ninety-nine percent chance it’s poisoned or cursed. I honestly don’t know how I’ve survived this long, but then again, I don’t know how long I’ve been trapped in her castle. There’s no way to know.
Without Meriwether’s help finding food and avoiding the others, I don’t think I’d still be alive. But even she can’t protect me from the princess.
We make it to the next floor and the air grows slightly warmer. Still, the chill and dampness around us make me shiver. My thin nightgown does little to keep out the cold, and coats and blankets are scarce in the Court of Shadows.
“Look!” Meriwether’s voice startles me.
Her voice echoes around us, fading as it travels farther away. We’re standing just outside one of the princess’s lounges. The smell of candle wax and wood polish hangs in the air.
Carefully, I lower my head under the arched doorway and follow Meriwether into the room.
At first, I think it’s empty, but then I spot something in the corner. Broken shards of wood gleam in the candlelight. The imps have destroyed another spinning wheel. I don’t know whether to be upset or relieved. Spinning is one of the tasks the princess gave me to keep me ‘busy.’ As much as I hate the tedious work, sometimes I’m rewarded with edible food, but the biggest benefit, if the princess approves of my work, is going outside. It’s my only chance to escape the gloom of the castle.
Meriwether glides to my side and shakes her head at the mess. “Stupid imps.”
She turns to me, black eyes staring into mine. “Do you think we can fix it?”
Her hopeful tone makes me smile. Before I can say no, a loud cackle comes from the hall. More laughter follows, along with heavy footsteps and the unmistakable sound of claws scraping against stone.
“Hide!” Meriwether instructs me before she races to the doorway.
I look around at the empty room. There’s nowhere to hide. My heart pounds wildly as the footsteps grow closer. I can’t let them find me.