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Rue plucked her roasted squirrel out of the central fire before accepting the bowl of berries from Grun. It was later than normal, but for some reason the family had decided to wait for her return before beginning dinner.
It didn’t really matter. Rue’s mind was back at the haven, with Henry. They had finally been able to communicate a plan to get Henry home, a plan that involved building some sort of raft from fallen trees. But there was little chance of Rue dragging the logs necessary into the haven, meaning she would need to build it herself or somehow hide Henry out in the open.
But he couldn’t leave. Not yet, not when she was so close to understanding, not when they had grown so close. She craved time with him, time that was easy and light, no pressure or expectations.
Time that was another chance to learn the truth.
And he tried. He really did. Every day, she showed him the pendant, and every day he tried to explain again. Every day, he failed, diverting her to a new task or lesson before she could grow too despondent. And despite the language gap, Henry had eagerly learned everything he could from her, teaching what he could in turn.
But not the thing she wanted to know most: who was she? Where did she come from? And if he left... if he left, then she would never know.
And then, today, more unexpected than snow in the middle of summer... Rue could still feel the press of his lips against hers, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach again.
Rue pulled the bowl from Grun, but he didn’t release it, jerking her back to the reality of dinnertime around the social fire. She blinked up at him in confusion, but the look on his face made her release the bowl, a chill spreading down her spine. A sneer crossed his face, an arrogant look that said he knew something she didn’t.
She swallowed and turned her attention back to her own dinner. Whatever it was, either Grun would lord it over her for a few days or she would find out soon. There was nothing she could do to find out on her own.
Sure enough, only a few minutes later, Mother stood on the other side of the fire. “Esteemed Father, sons, daughter. Today is a day we have anticipated since Rue’s arrival.”
Rue’s stomach flopped. No. Not now. It couldn’t be.
“It is time to begin the joining of Rue and Grun, to pass the mantle of the family and continue our line.”
A roaring filled Rue’s ears, and the room wavered around her as if she were underwater.
“There is no point in waiting longer,” Mother continued, oblivious to Rue’s drowning. “We will use the next three days to prepare, and then we will hold the ceremony.”
Rue stood, not really knowing what she was doing or why. She couldn’t blink, much less think.
Everything was happening so fast, faster than she’d expected. She thought there would be more time.
Henry. She had to tell him. Warn him. Get him out of here before she couldn’t help him anymore. Because, much as she’d tried to believe otherwise, Rue knew that once Grun had her under his finger, he would never let her go unsupervised again. He craved power far too much to allow her such freedom.
“Rue?” Mother was saying through the roar of pulsing blood. “Where are you going?”
But she didn’t stop, just kept walking toward the door until her feet carried her into the dimly lit twilight forest. The sun was gold, the insects glittering, but she couldn’t even stop to appreciate them.
And then she was running. Fast. Faster than she ever had before.
She had left her shoes behind, but her feet flew over the forest floor so fast she barely noticed the prick of the pine needles and the stones poking from the earth. She had to get back to Henry, had to warn him that there was no time left, that she wouldn’t be coming back.
But she’d been so careful. She couldn’t ease up now, couldn’t let them find him.
She slowed down briefly, listening for any signs of pursuit. The forest was quiet, other than the calls of the birds. It seemed safe. Yet she couldn’t take the chance.
She took the long way through the forest to the haven, the way that wove through her vegetable patch and then down into a gully with a trickling stream. She increased her speed again as she ran with no sign of pursuit, sure she hadn’t been followed.
The shoreline came into view, and she raced for the stone pathway to her haven, leaping nimbly from stone to stone, barely even pausing to catch her balance. She was so close now.
Even once her feet hit the sand of the hidden beach, she did not stop. She trusted her years of travel through the cave passage to carry her to the haven without light, only stopping once she finally broke into the bright, warm room.
Rue collapsed to the ground, dissolving into sobs she could not control.
This, all of this she’d built for herself. It would disappear around her in only three days’ time.
“Rue?” Henry’s voice cut through the storm of her tears.
Through her blurred vision, she watched him approach from the crackling fire, sinking to his knees next to her and wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace, allowing his gentle touch and soothing voice to calm her.
She sat back, sniffling, her heart still pounding with her anguish, her fear. “Henry...” she choked.
He settled back on his heels, waiting for her to speak.
“It’s over, Henry,” she croaked. “We have three days. If we don’t get you out of here by then... that’s it. They’ll kill you!”
He lowered his eyebrows, wrinkling his forehead in that way he had every time he concentrated on something he didn’t understand. If she wasn’t so upset, she would have enjoyed it more; it was one of his most adorable features.
He said something, but once again it made no sense to her.
Rue pushed herself to her feet. She couldn’t understand him. She was about to be married off to a monster. And Henry’s very life was in danger.
How could she make him understand?
With a roar of anger, of frustration, she grabbed the closest thing she could get her hands on and hurled it against the wall of the cave. The vase shattered into countless pieces, dropping to the floor in a tinkling of stone and clay.
Henry held up his hands cautiously, questioning her about... something. Again.
Rue searched the room, her gaze crawling over everything she had amassed over the years, looking for anything that could help her explain.
With a cry, she pointed out to the cave passage, toward the lake. “You have to go! We have to get you home! Now!”
He shook his head slowly, clearly still confused.
Hot tears burned tracks down her cheeks again. She grabbed a wreath of purple and yellow flowers, dropping it onto her head and pointing at it. Would he understand what it signified? The joining of her with another?
“I’m to be joined,” she tried. “I won’t be able to help you anymore. I won’t even be able to help myself!”
Another tear slid to the stone floor as he continued to stare at her. What would he understand?
There was one other possibility.
Recklessly, unabashedly, she grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him close, pressing her lips to his. The salt of her tears sealed their kiss, this one language they both understood.
And then a new sound reached the cave: a splash in the hidden beach, louder and closer than anything had ever come to her haven before. It was followed by the thudding of feet and a roar she knew all too well.
Her pulse hummed, and tiny stars floated in her vision. No. No, no, no! Everything was falling apart, everything! Grun was here, in her safe place, in her haven.
With Henry.
He wouldn’t just kill the man. He would maul him. Punish him for Rue’s transgressions.
She had to get him out! Hide him! Do something!
Rue pushed Henry away from her toward the small opening above the fire. He probably wouldn’t fit, but there was nowhere for him to hide, nowhere safe now that she had been discovered.
But it was too late, and as she’d expected, Henry was too large for the small opening that released smoke from the room. Grun barreled into the haven, his brow furrowed and lips snarling in his anger. His gaze passed between Rue and Henry, sweeping over the beauty Rue had created in this place.
He roared again, his fury shaking the very stone beneath Rue’s feet, and all she could do was dive out of the way as Grun lunged forward. He knocked her vases and flowers aside, tore down her loom and half-finished projects. Bits of clay and stone shattered, scattering to every corner of the cave. He tore up her mushroom patch in great clumps, hurling them at her and at Henry.
And then he reached Henry, wrapping his enormous hands around Henry’s neck.
“No!” Rue cried, throwing herself at him. “Grun, stop!”
“What have you hidden from us?” Grun roared. His grip tightened on Henry, and Henry’s face began to turn the dark shade of dusk.
“Let him go!”
“Why should I? This meat is fresh and ready for killing. You should never have hidden such a thing from me!”
“Grun!” another voice roared.
Mother lunged into the room, and Rue took advantage of the distraction to pry Grun’s fingers back just enough for Henry to breathe again.
“Would you dare keep the meat for yourself?” Mother raged. “Both of you ought to be ashamed! We are family!”
“Mother, no!” Rue dropped Grun’s hand, trying to force herself between Grun and Henry, to force the two apart. “It’s not like that!”
Both of them turned burning eyes on her, and she shrank back from their anger. What was she doing? Defying Mother? She wasn’t strong enough, couldn’t protect either of them.
“Then what is it?” Mother demanded.
“It’s...” Rue had to think fast, had to come up with some excuse to save Henry, to at least postpone their rage until she could free him again, get him off this island! “For... the joining feast.”
Even as she said the words, her heart dropped into her feet like a stone. Yet, Mother and Grun both blinked, relaxing.
“That’s all?” Mother said. “That... is a good idea. Grun!” She whirled to her son. “Release him! And bring him to the burrow. We will save him for the feast, as your bride-to-be has gifted to you!”
Mother smiled at Rue then, a yellow, putrid smile that made Rue’s knees shake. Tremulously, she returned the expression with a nod.
Three days. She had three days to save Henry.
If he lasted that long.
