Darling, There Are Wolves in the Woods

by Lydia Russell

  Tears spilled over my eyes as I nodded, and I no longer had the strength to keep them away, so they fell unhindered down my cheeks as I slipped back into blackness. Even as I drifted, I felt exposed, lying in his clothes, beneath his blankets, in his bed. From the darkness I heard him mutter something that sounded vaguely like a curse, and then the blanket lifted over my shoulders, swamping me in warmth.

  “Can you lock the door?” I mumbled, my words barely coherent even to my own ears.

  “It doesn't lock.”

  Fear gripped me, lifting me from sleep, the thought of Lily creeping back in when I was sleeping made my chest constrict in panic. I forced my eyes open, the room a blur. “Can you keep her out? Please?”

  Laphaniel's head snapped back to me. “Was Lily in here?” he demanded, a sharp edge entering his voice, cutting through the darkness like shrapnel.

  “That's why I dragged the chair over...” I slurred, blinking back sleep as it began to crawl back over me. “I was going to...push it under the handle...sorry about the marks on the floor.”

  I heard him say something as I closed my eyes, but the words became jumbled as they entered my brain. I could make no sense of them. Just before I drifted, I felt his hand brush against my face again, sweeping away my hair with cool fingers, leaving an echo of his touch on my skin as I slept.

  Chapter Nine

  I woke feeling rested, though whether I had been sleeping for hours or days, I didn't know. The heavy curtains had been pulled back to allow sunlight to stream through unhindered, flooding the bedroom in warmth. I shifted in the bed, reluctant to move from beneath the throws that covered me.

  The fragments of nightmares still clung to my mind, a lingering sense of guilt and dread and horror that was such a part of me I doubted it would ever go. Niven twirled in those dark dreams as she always did, uncaring…unafraid, her bright eyes alight with something I could never place. Among the nightmares, beneath the heavy darkness, I had sensed him standing over me. There had been the feel of cool water against my face, at my lips. Then nothing, not even a whisper.

  I blinked the last clinging fragments of sleep away and rubbed my eyes, stretching until I felt my bones click. Reluctantly I sat up, glancing at the bedside table where fresh water and a plate of food all covered with a glass dome waited for me. My stomach growled just looking at it.

  I drank the cold, crisp water until there was nothing left and then I turned to the food. With the covers still snug around me, I lifted the glass lid and breathed in the delicious scent of warm bread, little cakes and cold meats. I hesitated for a moment, my fingers lingering over the plate as I remembered the stories about eating faerie food. I had to wonder what would happen if I took a mouthful, would I ever want normal food again? Would I starve to death when I returned home, unsatisfied by the ashen meals that failed to quiet my hunger. What would I do when the food my body craved was too far out of reach?

  My stomach grumbled loudly again, and I remembered I hadn't eaten since my father's funeral, and I really didn't know how long ago that was. Too long, it seemed. With all that had happened, I forced my grief for him down into the black space where memories of Niven lingered, although he didn't deserve to be placed there, amongst the taunts, bullying and cruelty that were my memories of my sister.

  No, I had happy times with my dad. We had holidays in Devon, down by the beach with a dripping ice cream in hand. We used to watch old films curled up on the sofa together, and we would mouth along to the words, knowing every line because we had seen them so many times.

  Before Niven was taken, my dad was what every dad should have been to his daughter, he was my hero, and I was his baby.

  I took one of the little cakes, deciding that I wouldn't be able to get much further in my quest to find Niven if I ate nothing. I bit into it, feeling the warm honey that ran through the middle trickle down my chin. It was easily the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. I took one of the warm bread rolls and nibbled on it as I gazed around the room. In the soft sunlight, I could see that the ceiling was criss-crossed with the branches of a living tree. They knotted over each other, growing through the stone walls and up over the window. It was a never-ending twist of bark and root that seemed to envelop the entire room, and I had to wonder if it grew around the whole house. Pale pink blossom sprouted from green buds dotted along the length of the smaller boughs, with leaves gracing most of the larger ones.

  I untangled myself from the covers and walked over to the huge window at the far side of the room, and my breath caught as I stared at the beautiful world outside. Just beyond the thick stretch of trees was a lake so clear, I could see the shadows of the creatures that swam in it. The surface reflected the sunlight like a mirror; its waters almost still, save for the odd ripple as the wind blew over it. Graceful willows stood at the edge, winding their long fingers over the water, disturbing the calm where they touched. All of it was bathed in warm light, a soft early morning glow that gently roused the sleeping things, and it was then that I marvelled that not one...but two suns burned in the beautiful blue sky.

  “I see you're up.”

  I jumped and smacked my head on one of the lower branches, raining down pretty blossom onto my shoulders. “Don't you knock?”

  Laphaniel lifted a casual shoulder. “It's my house.”

  “I know that,” I said, flicking the flowers onto the floor. “But I could have been changing.”

  “Into what? You have no clothes,” he said, a hint of that wicked grin at his lips. “Who do you think dressed you in that?”

  Laphaniel pointed to the shirt I was wearing, and I quickly wrapped my arms around myself. He took another step into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. I backed further away, wishing I had a big jumper.

  “Were the picksies locked in cages?” He asked, picking up one of the cakes I had left and taking a bite. “Were they swinging from the trees as if someone had purposely put them there?”

  “I’m guessing you already know the answer to that.”

  “Why open them?”

  He watched me, waiting patiently on the bed for me to answer him. I was trying to think of something that wouldn't make me sound like an idiot.

  “Well, I didn't think they would attack me.”

  Laphaniel laughed at me, and I was taken by surprise at just how musical his laughter sounded. "You're really not going to last long here."

  “I'm a fast learner,” I snapped back. “From now on, I'll just assume that everything is trying to kill me.”

  He stood up and crossed the room in two strides, once again standing far too close to me. “That's the first smart thing you've said,” he replied. “But accepting you're going to get ripped apart won't make it any less horrifying.”

  I turned my face away before he could touch me. “I just need to find my sister.”

  “Do you want to die here?” Laphaniel asked. “Because you will.”

  I shrugged, the movement much more carefree than I really felt. Of course, I didn't want to die...but I didn't want to go back to the life I had just left either. I couldn't do that.

  “How many girls have you forgotten about and left to die?” I asked, daring him to answer me and at the same time wishing he wouldn't.

  He hesitated for a moment, sucking the honey from his fingers. “Too many.”

  “Is that what happened to Niven?” I pictured my sister alone and broken beneath some whispering tree.

  “It's what happens to a lot of girls.”

  I sighed. “Do you know where Niven is?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Somewhere I truly hope you'll never find,” he said, a gentleness entering his voice, softening it.

  I said nothing as I turned again to the window. With my arms resting against the cool wood of the windowsill, I stared out at the lake. It should have been a relief to find out that Niven was alive, but it was no consolation to me. Perhaps it was the thought of my sister trapped under Luthien
's cruel gaze that stopped me...I didn't wish that for her, no matter how much I disliked her. I had to wonder what would be left of a person after ten years in hell. Perhaps I should have felt some form of relief if she were dead.

  “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Just go home,” he said, like it was the easiest thing in the world to do. “Live.”

  “I have nothing to go home to,” I said soberly, twisting around to lean against the wall, and felt the cold stone against my back as I slid to the floor.

  “Your parents?” he offered, angling his head as he regarded me. “Friends? Boyfriend? Isn’t that something human…girls, value so highly?”

  I laughed and shook my head, seeing out of the corner of my eye how his almost black hair fell over his face as he watched me. He looked curious, as if my sad little life had piqued his interest. With a silent grace he sat down beside me, waiting for me to answer.

  “Luthien tore my family apart, I guess that left me too messed up to really get close to anyone. Moira says I push people away because I’m scared I’m going to lose them too.”

  “Who’s Moira?” Laphaniel asked, leaning closer to me, his voice taking on a gentleness that made my heart pause.

  “She’s someone I was made to talk to after Niven was taken by faeries...and I kept telling people that Niven was taken by faeries.” I laughed again, a bubble of hysteria making it sound a little manic. “People don't really like it when children start talking like that. My mother would cry every time I mentioned the word, so I stopped talking altogether. They liked that even less.”

  I paused and glanced up at him, expecting to see boredom in his eyes, but he was just sitting there, watching me.

  “I can't cope with my mother anymore. I can't stay in that house and watch as she waits for her family to come home.” I squeezed my eyes shut, and felt hot tears against my cheeks. “My father killed himself, hence the black dress I was wearing when we met.”

  Laphaniel said nothing as he rose to his feet, not looking at me as he started to walk away.

  “Have I made you uncomfortable?” I asked, staring at his back. "Do you even give a second thought to the people you leave behind? They waste away too you know, hoping that one day their loved ones will return to them.”

  “Do you love your sister then, Teya?”

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “A simple one,” he replied, turning to face me again.

  “I don’t think it’s any of your business,” I snapped, pushing myself to my feet so he was no longer staring down at me. “I know you saved my life, and I’m really thankful for that, but you’re a complete asshole.”

  “An improvement on monster, perhaps?” He smiled, a disarming innocence betraying the wicked streak lingering beneath.

  “I guess,” I found myself smiling back. “Just a little.”

  The breeze from the open window teased against my back, I shivered and moved away, holding my arms around myself. Petals slipped from my shoulders, pale pink and delicate, the edges curling inwards as I held one up.

  “Are you cold?”

  I nodded, releasing the blossom so it spun lazily to the floor. “I'm cold, filthy and I think I have old sick in my hair.”

  “Okay,” Laphaniel said quietly, leaning away from me. “There is a bathroom down the hall with hot water and clean clothes, take as long as you need.”

  I nearly slumped in relief. “That would be great.”

  Laphaniel nodded and turned away from me, and I caught his arm as he made to leave. He looked down at my hand before flicking his gaze back to me, I didn't let go.

  “I am really grateful for what you did." I said, keeping my hand on his arm. "I didn’t want to die with that witch. I didn’t want to die on my own.”

  “And yet you repay me by going back out there, and likely dying anyway?”

  I sighed and went to take my hand back, but he caught it with his quick fingers and held it for a few moments before letting it drop.

  “Enjoy your bath, Teya.”

  I watched as he left, feeling my fingers tingle where he had held onto them, leaving me to wonder what it would feel like to have his lips against mine. It was a thought I really could have done without.

  Chapter Ten

  I walked down the winding corridor that led to the bathroom, fingers trailing along the branches that crisscrossed over the walls. I allowed them to linger over the blossom that peeked out from behind the knotted wood, snaking around the candleholders on the walls, dripping pale flowers onto the floor below.

  I was thankful there was a lock to the door as I closed it behind me, guessing Laphaniel wanted Lily spying on him in the bath as much as I did. The bathroom was a small stone room, with a window that looked out over the forest towards the lake. A basin stood in one corner, a lone shaving brush and straight razor occupying the alcove set above it. The exquisite bath had been carved from frosted green glass that stood away from the wall, sheltered by a screen decorated with emerald dragonflies.

  I turned on the tap, watching the water rush from it pouring down the smooth surface. Steam quickly filled the room, clouding over the mirror and hiding away my ragged reflection. I took another glance around the room before slipping out of my borrowed shirt, placing it neatly beside a stack of wonderfully fluffy towels.

  It was then I noticed the swirl of bruises on my arms. A mess of purple and green that throbbed up my shoulder, the mottled skin covered in teeny-tiny bite marks that had yet to scab over. They didn't hurt much anymore, but it did make me wonder what other things lurked out in the woods, hiding under the guise of innocence.

  It made me suddenly very afraid of Laphaniel who had never made a pretence of being anything near innocent.

  Slowly, I lowered myself into the bath and enjoyed the feeling of the hot water sliding over my skin, melting away the aches and pains in a way only a bath can. I took the bar of soap resting on the side and lathered it between my hands. It smelled earthy and it didn't sting my sensitive skin as I rubbed the bubbles over my legs and arms. I soaped up my hair and scrubbed it until I was sure it was clean, and then I sank back until I was fully submerged and could hear nothing but the whoosh of water around my ears.

  I came up for air, drained the water, watching as the murk and filth that had clung to me pooled down the plughole. Knowing that I had just dissolved the grime, I popped the plug back in and refilled the bath.

  After my second soak, I wrapped myself in the thick towel and picked up the clean clothes Laphaniel had left out for me. I shook my head at the fresh shirt with sleeves already rolled back and trousers with the hems rolled up. I slipped into the clothes and fastened the belt he had left as tight as I could, but the trousers still slipped past my hips and I had to keep hitching them back up. Pulling on the worn black boots, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I was clean, my hair was clean, but I looked like a small pirate.

  Feeling much better and refreshed...much more human, I unlocked the door and made my way back to the hall and to a staircase that seemed to twist down from the walls like one huge branch. Ivy covered the banister, snaking around it trailing down over the steps just itching to trip me up. Gripping the wood, I took a careful step, pausing for a moment to take in the amazing window just above the front door. Its stained glass cast a warm pinkish hue over the pristine white stone. The lean branches of a sapling tree grew elegantly over the window frame, its thin adolescent boughs winding down over the glass before joining the arm of a larger tree on the far wall. I watched as its fragile blossom slipped free and floated to the floor, joining the petals that had fallen before, coming together to create a sweet-smelling carpet. It was so utterly otherworldly, that for just a moment I felt homesick.

  My breath caught as I noticed Laphaniel waiting at the bottom of the stairs, leaning casually against the wall with his face turned away from me.

  “I think I've used up all your hot water.”

  He twisted his body in my direction, a
smile itching at his lips as he stepped closer. He raised a hand to my collar as I froze; tracing the edge of my neckline before fastening a button I had missed.

  “The water comes from a spring beneath the house," Laphaniel explained. "There is endless hot water whenever you want it.”

  “I won't be staying much longer.” The echo of his touch lingered on my skin as he dropped his hand. “I don't want to outstay my welcome.”

  Laphaniel took a seat on the stone bench nestled neatly into an alcove to the left of the front door, reaching up onto one of the shelves above him. He began to thumb through a worn book, and I raised my eyebrows as I noticed the title, Jane Eyre.

  “‘I am no bird, and no net ensnares me,’” I said, reaching to take the book from him, shaking my head as I looked inside. “This is a first edition.”

  “Would you like it?” Laphaniel asked, surprising me. “I’ve read it many times.”

  “This is worth a fortune,” I said. “Even in this condition. I can’t accept this.”

  I passed him back the book, and he shrugged, folding the page back to mark his place as I winced.

  “So, where will you be going?” he asked.

  “You know where,” I replied. “Don't roll your eyes at me.”

  Laphaniel sighed. “Do you know how to get there?”

  “No, but...”

  “But what?” he replied. “Are you expecting me to tell you?”

  “Would you?”

  “Okay, Teya.” He said it with a laugh, the sound mocking and suddenly cruel. “Go north through the woods for about a night and a day, take a left past the three lakes on the eastern side for about a day and a half, and then left again before taking a right into the marshlands. Pack some food, don't drink the water and try not to talk to anyone.”

  “Laphaniel...” I began, ducking as he threw the book at me, wincing as the spine broke and pages fluttered across the floor.

  “Get out!” he snapped. “Go into the woods you foolish girl, I am done trying to help you. Go wander the shadows and die somewhere else.”