by Holly Hook
“You can change your shape,” I told him. “If you can turn into a lettuce leaf and hop into my dinner, then can’t you turn into a bug and fly out of here, then go get some help?”
Stilt nodded. “I can, but I’m terrible with animal transformations. And the ravens would swallow me whole before I had the chance to get off the castle grounds. They see everything. It’s safest if I get to you and back by doing this. And if I turn into something big and fierce, the knights will still destroy me before I get far.”
“Scratch that,” I said, looking out at the ravens. They were watching us, all right, maybe waiting for Stilt to make a move. King Henrik had made this place inescapable. “Is there anything that can distract them?”
“Even if there were, I’d never find anyone to help us in time. None of the other kings want to go against Henrik.”
“Good point,” I said, pacing around the room.
“I'm going to help you,” Stilt said. “It’s…my story. I'd help you even if it weren't. But now that I’m in the dark region—my original home—another part of my story is creeping up on me.” He stared at the piles of gold thread, and my hands ached. “I'm responsible for getting you here. I'm helping you. But I have to do it in exchange for something. The dark part of my nature is coming out.”
I turned to face him. “But you can’t spin gold anymore. Or won't."
I could see the struggle in Stilt’s face, in his limbs and his stance. Were his blue eyes a bit darker tonight? He grimaced. “You can ask me to do something now, anything. But you have to give me something in return. I hate this, Brie. This place is working on me already. I'm going dark."
I balked. “You’re seriously going back to the way you were before?” My heart about shriveled in my chest. Stilt wanted away from his evil ways.
Stilt shifted. There was something different about the elf now, something that matched this dark realm and something that woke a terror in the core of my being.
“I need something,” he repeated, “if I’m going to help you escape.”
I didn’t even know what I wanted him to do. “Stilt—is the dark region that strong?”
He frowned and he looked much younger for a second.
He nodded.
"The longer I'm here, the worse I get," he told me. "If I stay too long...I'll become my former self." Then he took my wrist and curled his fingers around it. "Do you feel the difference?"
The tingling and warmth ran up my arm, but he was right. It was a little different. The tingling was more wild, sharper, and the heat bordered on coolness. His magic was changing.
I looked outside. The ravens still stood there, watching. One cocked its head like it was daring us to try something. "What's wrong with that tree?"
Stilt faced it. "That's King Henrik's prized tree. He made a decree that no one can eat the apples. If someone does, they'll get sucked a hundred leagues into the earth. That's a very long way down. It's not a pleasant place for anyone. In fact, the princess of this castle couldn't resist eating an apple from the tree, and is probably down there now."
"What?" I asked. "You mean, like, the kid I had before I died in my past life?"
"Yes. You won't cross paths. Ever. It's the princess's story."
I grabbed at the bars. "I hate this story crap," I said. "Henrik hasn't sent down a rescue mission? His knights?"
"No. The king has been too concerned with finding you again."
I hated the way Stilt said that, the way he said it like he was talking about a chore or some town gossip or something. There wasn't a shred of compassion in his voice. He was turning dark. I whirled on him. "Then we have to change it. We have to get her out of there. Or find a way to send those knights down--"
The knights.
The apples.
Lavine.
"What are you thinking?" Stilt asked, taking a step towards me.
"Is there any way to get those apples? And plant them in the knights' food? If we could do that, we could get rid of them, and Henrik won't know what happened. That'll be one less thing we have to go through to escape. The ravens and wolves can come later. And maybe, just maybe, they'll help the princess who's down there." I had to do something for her.
Stilt's face lit and the darkness cleared for a second. His energy brightened, even though I couldn't see it. "There might be. If I can turn into a raven, I might be able to pluck a few of them off. Lavine works in the kitchen." But then Stilt's expression hardens. "What can you give me, though?"
I dug around in my dress pocket, and my hand closed around the iPod. "This," I said, pulling it out. "Take this. It still has some battery power left."
I handed it to him. Stilt screwed his face up in confusion, then reached out and accepted it. "That will work," he said. "I'm sorry, Brie. I'm controlling myself less and less."
"Keep fighting it," I told him. My chest ached for him. For the princess that was trapped underground in some other world.
Stilt pocketed the iPod. "I am," he said. "But I don't know how much longer I can hold out. I think if I turn into a raven, I can get up there and roll some apples off the tree and to the window. You'll have to grab them, but we need to hurry. Lavine can't stay here longer than usual, or they'll suspect her."
Stilt walked up to the window. The ravens still watched.
And then he shrunk right before my eyes.
It only took half a second. There was another flash of bright light, and a black bird stood there. There was one problem. One wing was white.
"Oops," I said, pointing to it.
The Stilt-raven turned his head and checked. There was another flash of light, and the wing went to black.
"Got it," I told him.
The Stilt-raven hopped back and then flew up to the window. The other ravens jumped, then continued to stare. They weren't attacking so far. Maybe we were safe.
All I could do was watch. Stilt flew up to the top of the tree and perched for a bit, trying to blend in. I could barely see in the deepening dark. The tree rustled a bit, and somewhere outside the castle, the wolves howled. Another animal screamed. A deer, maybe.
I hoped.
The raven Stilt waited and waited on top of the tree, maybe making sure that the real ravens weren't going to turn on him. Then he hopped down onto one of the low, hanging branches and pried at the apple stems with his beak.
It took forever, but the apples finally gave. One, then two, then three fell to the ground. At least the curse didn't apply to those who just picked the apples.
This plan had to work.
Stilt managed to get seven of the apples to drop before he landed on the ground with his bird feet and rolled them towards me. He cocked his head at me, and his eyes were black now, merciless. Take them, he meant.
I crept towards the prison window, winced, and reached out.
I rolled the first two apples inside down onto some of the remaining hay, and they landed. The ravens outside went crazy. They charged at my hands, toppling over each other and squawking at the top of their lungs. I backed away while black feathers raged at the bars, trying to get in and peck my eyes out. Someone would hear the squawking for sure. I stood there and watched, waiting, but they never came through. I wondered how the raven Stilt had gotten through the bars.
These birds didn't have the magic he had.
Finally, the ravens all gave up. "I got the message," I told them. "Leave me alone, now. If you want me to spin the gold, I need my eyes. And my limbs. And my skin."
The birds hopped away, leaving the other five apples lying there by the bars. Stilt stood there, rolling them closer, and without another thought, I ran to the window and shoveled the rest of them in. Stilt came in right along with them right before the other birds caught on and tried to attack. He toppled to the floor with the apples and started growing as soon as he hit the floor. Joints popped and skin stretched as Stilt grew to his four foot eleven and stood there, grimacing.
"Please remind me not to do another animal transformation for
a while," he said. Stilt managed a smile, and he rolled down his sleeve to hide his scars.
"It worked," I said, facing the small pile of forbidden apples on the floor. "Am I safe to pick these up?" The poor girl sure hadn't been safe eating them. What if I got some apple residue on my skin and it soaked in, and then I went sinking deep into the ground? At least I would be away from Henrik, but I imagined that my fate down there wouldn't be any better.
"They're safe to touch. Just not safe to eat." Stilt grinned. It wasn't quite like the grin I had gotten used to back in the lighter region. There was something sharp about it, something mischievous. He was changing inside, all right. But then the pain and the struggle returned. "Get these on the platter, and I'll have Lavine carry this back to the kitchen. I can get back into my cell from there. All I need to do is disguise myself as a mouse or something. I'll tell her what you want her to do."
Relief washed over me. We were going to get rid of all the knights. I just hoped Henrik didn't connect it to us.
I was too valuable for him to kill now, though.
But Stilt and Sylvia weren't.
But Henrik still needed a way to control me. He might not kill them just yet.
I piled the apples onto the platter, making a small pyramid with them. They were unnaturally red, with no spots. Almost glowing. I wondered if this was the poison apple from Snow White. That story must be here in Fable, too.
Stilt put the lid on the platter just as Lavine opened the door again. The key dangled from her hand. If we did this right, she could use it to get us out of here.
"Finished eating?" she asked.
"Yes," I told her. She wasn't shocked to see Stilt standing there at all. Stilt nodded to her and shrunk back down, turning back into a piece of lettuce. I opened the platter lid and stuck him in there, trying not to pinch too hard. My brain was never going to get used to this kind of stuff. Not all of Fable was this crazy.
"Are those the forbidden apples?" Lavine asked, eyes huge.
I nodded. " Stilt will tell you the plan as soon as you get him to the kitchens."
Lavine blanched. "The plan? We're going to try feeding this to his guards?"
"Correct." We had brought her into something dangerous. "But you can't make it look like it was you who did this. Make it look like the knights were getting drunk or something, and they decided to try the apples on a dare. You have to take the suspicion off yourself." I swallowed. "Is there a way to feed this to Henrik? That would make things a lot easier."
"I can't. He has his cooks and servers. I'm not one of them. Only his most loyal subjects can serve him."
"Let me at least give you something for this," I said, picking up a length of the golden thread. Lavine deserved it, and I had to keep her on our side. "Here."
"You don't have to," Lavine said. "I've had enough of wealth and gold. I'm quite happy keeping a low profile--just not here."
"Really. You should take it." I extended my hand, and the thread sparkled in the dull light.
But Lavine turned away. "You don't have to," she says. "I'm helping you because we're on the same side. It's not because I want things from you."
And she turned away, closing the door behind her. Lavine's words hung in the air.
There had to be a trick in here somewhere.
Stilt sure wouldn't help me now unless I gave him something. That's the way it was supposed to be. His story. My story. We were both trapped all over again.
My eyes watered and I turned back to the spinning wheel. The needle still glowed, begging me to use it. My hands ached, but the tingle returned.
Our roles might have been a bit different now, but we were still acting out the same drama.
And we would for the rest of time, over and over, in one way or another.
I plopped down on the stool. The ravens skittered around outside. I wondered if they could talk to Henrik. Weren't there talking animals in fairy tales?
I jammed the straw into the wheel and started spinning all over again.
I had to save us both. I studied Hannah's friendship ring on my finger as I worked. More golden thread emerged from the end of the wheel and piled up, ready for Henrik's greedy fingers. I'd have to give Stilt my friendship ring tomorrow when he returned, eyes darker than before.
And on the third night, what would he want?
If I were escaping from Henrik, it wouldn't be my firstborn. Or would it?
It would be something I couldn't give.
Chapter Ten
"Splendid! Absolutely splendid!"
I jarred out of sleep and sat up all the way. Forgetting where I was for a few blissful seconds, I looked around at my surroundings and saw sparkling gold thread. The weak light came in through the barred window and hit the piles and piles of golden thread that had risen around me all night.
I was in the straw room, leaning over the spinning wheel. A bit of straw still lay on the floor here and there, but it wasn't that noticeable and blended right in with the sparkling gold thread all around me.
I turned.
King Henrik stood in the doorway of my prison, clapping. He still wore his golden crown with the encrusted red jewels and his red cape. He took a step into the room. His eyes were as poisonous as ever. "My dear Brie," he said. "I am impressed. You are in fact the richest woman in the world, and it fills my heart with joy knowing that it is, in fact, you who are spinning this gold. Your life will not end in the blade as it has more times than I know."
And he smiled. There was no warmth in it. It was a greedy, hungry smile.
I sat there, trying not to back away, trying not to show him any fear. I didn't even want Henrik near me. He was worse today. I could sense his cold magic radiating off of him in waves. The air about crackled with it. He was getting more powerful. The thread all around us was lending him its energy, or something.
"You obviously never had a problem with that," I said. My skin tightened in revulsion. Henrik was everything evil rolled into one. I had no advantage against Henrik here. Giving him what he wanted would only chain me to him more and more. It was just like Hardy all over again.
"Things are different now," Henrik said, drawing even closer. He put his hands behind his back. "You can spin the gold. That elf gave me exactly what I wanted, even if it wasn't what he meant to do. You like him, don't you?"
I didn't understand his words. How did Stilt give Henrik what he wanted? By telling Henrik I could spin gold during the torture?
He was gaining more and more power by the second. "What about him?" I asked. I had to say the right thing here. I was treading a scary, narrow tightrope here.
Henrik showed his teeth. "I know that you like him and that he likes you--even if that could be changing very soon."
I tried to say something to him, something sarcastic that I would have said to Hardy, but nothing came out. Henrik's eyes had a deep red tint in their depths.
"You will give me your vow," he said, "in only a couple of days. You will be mine, and we will rule Fable together."
And then he seized my hand and kissed it.
His lips were cold. Freezing, as if Henrik were a vampire risen from the grave. Were there vampires in the old fairy tales? Maybe the answer was yes.
He lowered my hand. "I will see you tomorrow," he said. "My server girl will move you to the next room in a few moments. Do not try to escape. My knights are everywhere."
I let my hand slap to my side and forced myself not to wipe it off on my dress. My skin recoiled from the sharp pricks of dark magic. Henrik turned and strode out of the room, closing the door behind him.
I stared at the gray, steely sky on the other side of the window as I waited for Lavine. She had gone through with the plan--hadn't she?
I didn't need to wait long. The door opened and framed the servant girl. She still wore the same blue and white dress, and she seemed paler than before.
"Come on," she said, backing into the hall. "I need to take you to the next spinning room. Follow me."
&nb
sp; There was nothing on her face to tell me whether or not she had planted the apples in the knights' food. I followed her, my stomach tensing and heaving. I needed to eat, but I needed to throw up even more. I had two days before Henrik would have his hands all over me and before my chains went on and locked forever.
We walked down the hallway, and I stayed close to Lavine. "Did you?" I whispered once we passed a knight who was standing at the end.
She said nothing until we got through a doorway and made a right down another hall.
"Not yet. But I'm having one of the cooks do it. They want out as much as I do."
"Good," I said. I lowered my gaze as we passed another knight, who stood in silence and stared at us through that visor. By tonight, the knights would be out of the way. We would still have the birds and the wolves to worry about, but they'd be simpler to trick--right?
Lavine led me to a darker hallway in a lower part of the castle. We were getting farther away from my original dungeon. It might be where Stilt and Sylvia waited for their fate. If Stilt went dark, I might have to use my talent to keep us all together, at least until we could get back to the light region.
Lavine opened the door. "In," she ordered, stony. "King Henrik wants this room filled with gold by morning tomorrow, or the girl in the cell loses her head. You don't want that, do you?"
I balked at her sudden harshness. Did the dark region effect everybody like this? But another knight was standing there at the end of this hall, torchlight shining off his breastplate. It was an act. She had to do it.
I stepped into the room, and she slammed the door.
I swore.
There was so much straw in this room that it touched the ceiling in places. Another oil lamp hung from the ceiling, and it was barely enough to light the chamber. I had to let my eyes adjust. And this time, there was an even smaller barred window that looked out on a very, very dark forest. I'd been placed on the outside of the castle somewhere.
I ran around the spinning wheel in the middle of the room and climbed up on the straw, peeking out. The forest looked like a black wall of trees imposed over the gray sky. Another howl echoed out of it. It was a dangerous place full of horrors. A flock of ravens flew out of the trees and away. These were wild ravens. Not all the animals here were serving Henrik, at least. But I know the ones he'd trained were still hanging out on top of the castle, ready for me to make a run for it.