by M. J. Haag
I gave her a wry smile and followed her into the area I’d made.
“It likely won’t do me any good. I’ve yet to set up my bed.”
She put the candles and the lamp down.
“I’ll do that. Just show me where the bed is.”
She and I worked together to set up the two twin beds. She didn’t comment on my insistence for a second one, and I didn’t explain myself. It wasn’t that I thought Kellen would be captured. I only wanted it to appear that I thought that way. It would likely appease Maeve. And I wanted to appease her. I wanted her to let her guard down. Not that I intended to run—I wasn’t yet well enough to go farther than the drive or to willingly leave Catherine and Heather to their own fates. No, I wanted Maeve to believe I was falling in line with her plans so she would share them with me.
Catherine and I made up both beds with the blankets that we found in one of the trunks. They smelled a bit musty, but I didn’t mind. I knew they would air out in the drafty attic space. We added a table and brought the chair inside the space as well. It was comfortably cozy, yet still had more space than my previous room.
“Nicely done,” Maeve said from the opening to my space, startling both Catherine and me.
I looked up and watched her study the walls.
“You’re more clever than you credit yourself.” Maeve met my gaze. “It’s time for dinner.”
“Yes, Mama,” I said, moving to join her. I didn’t look at Catherine or thank her, feeling that it would be unwise to call attention to her.
I followed Maeve downstairs, wincing at each step. My legs hurt fiercely from climbing up on things. My arms and ribs hurt more from all of the lifting. I most certainly would benefit from a bath after dinner.
Joining Cecilia and Porcia, who already waited at the table, we ate a quiet meal. I stifled more yawns than I could count and could feel Maeve’s gaze on me. She didn’t comment, though.
When she finished, she sat back in her chair and studied me.
“Your concern for your sister hasn’t escaped my notice,” she said.
I kept my expression carefully blank.
“I want her home as badly as you do. Each time I check the mirror for her, however, I cannot tell where she is. I thought the book might help us, but perhaps you know the place.” She leaned forward in her chair. “You will tell me if the place looks familiar, won’t you?”
“Yes, Mama.”
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and I wondered what answer she’d wanted if not that one.
“The trees didn’t look familiar to me. But all I know are the woods here and town,” I said, repeating Hugh’s assessment of my knowledge.
“I think, perhaps, it’s time we look again.”
Porcia and Cecilia rose with her. I hurried to do the same, wincing at the ache in my legs from sitting so long.
The mirror remained in the foyer, uncovered and now mounted to the wall.
Maeve stood before it, gave it a kiss, then repeated the words from the day before.
“Mirror, Mirror against the wall, I summon you now to answer my call. Show me Kellen.”
The glass shimmered with magic again, and once the green faded along with our reflections, Kellen appeared. Her mourning dress was ripped in places, and she had scratches on her skin. However, the state of her dress concerned me less than the fact that she was fast asleep, which I found odd given the time of day. I studied the image, noting her long braid trailed out behind her, ending somewhere off the edge and that the blanket under her looked coarsely woven. Rough and slightly frayed.
“I don’t recognize anything,” I said, just as I caught the edge of her braid move ever so slightly. So focused on my sister and the relief she was safe and resting, I didn’t recognize I was opening my mouth to speak until my words emerged without thought.
“I think someone is with her. Her braid just moved.” I wanted to take my words back as soon as I said them.
Maeve stopped studying me and studied the mirror. The braid moved again. Her black hair in the dim lighting against the dark blanket made it hard to see, but it was there nonetheless.
Silently, I cursed the spell compelling me to speak the truth to Maeve.
“Show me who is with Kellen,” Maeve commanded. The mirror went dark.
I frowned, and Cecilia and Porcia gasped.
“Surely, she’s not—”
Maeve lifted her hand, silencing Porcia.
“I doubt she’s with Prince Greydon. Likely she found herself a caster, thinking another will be able to help her.” Based on the humor lacing Maeve’s words, I knew Maeve believed the opposite.
She looked at me again.
“Does anything else catch your eye, Eloise?”
I studied my sister’s peaceful face for a moment longer, memorizing her features as if this would be my last chance to see her.
“I’m sorry, Mama. Nothing is recognizable or familiar to me except my sister.”
Maeve didn’t get angry this time. She only nodded and asked to see the tracker. The man now sat near a fire. He looked older, and his eyes moved relentlessly as he watched the dark. Wherever he was, he gave the impression he wasn’t safe.
“Do you recognize this place?” Maeve asked.
I shook my head slowly, gaze affixed to the mirror. Behind the man, something flickered. I stepped closer, involuntarily drawn. I barely noticed Maeve step away as I focused on the space beyond the man’s shoulders.
The flicker came again as the flames before the image of the man flared then diminished.
“Eyes,” I said softly, fighting to tamp down my joy.
The tracker might be hunting my sister, but something was hunting him as well.
Chapter Six
I lay in my bed, reading the book from my sister by the light of a candle. The bath Maeve had allowed me, after I had pointed out that her hunter was being hunted, hadn’t been a salt bath, but a hot bath filled with pungent herbs.
She’d washed my hair and spoke to me kindly as she worked. Every touch had been gentle and caring. That was my reward for being helpful. While I was grateful not to ache as I lay down to sleep, I wasn’t foolish enough to want to continue to help Maeve, no matter what anguish it might save me.
I thought of my sister, laying so peacefully, and my heart ached. I missed her with every breath and hoped she was safe from whatever hunted the tracker. Yawning, I tried to focus on the next story but failed. Instead of wasting more of the candle, I blew it out and snuggled under the covers.
It felt as if I’d no sooner closed my eyes than I opened them again. However, the light coming through the window told me I’d slept a full night. I used the chamber pot then the washbasin Catherine had set up for me.
I’d only just laced up my dress when I heard the key turn in my door.
“Eloise, it’s time for breakfast. Please bring the book.”
I grabbed the book and moved quickly to the stairs.
“Did you sleep well?” Maeve asked as I descended.
“Yes, Mama. Thank you for the bath. It was lovely.”
She smiled at me, her expression conveying a fondness for me that I doubted she had ever felt.
“I’m relieved to hear it helped. Is your room comfortable?” she asked, closing the door and leading the way to the stairs.
“Very. Thank you for considering our need for more space,” I said. “Kellen will be pleased when she’s home again.”
Maeve turned sharply, studying me. Whatever she saw on my face seemed to content her because she continued to the dining room without further comment.
“I believe we’ve spent enough idle time here,” Maeve said. “The visitors have stopped appearing of their own volition. Like us, I believe they tire of waiting to hear word of the prince’s arrival. It’s time to adapt.”
Catherine and Heather entered the room and served our breakfast of hot oats. Maeve waited until they left again to continue.
“Cecilia, I believe you’ll have more oppo
rtunity closer to the castle.” Maeve reached into her pocket and withdrew a vial. “Porcia, I’d like you to go to the market.” She handed each girl a vial.
“Where will you be, Mama?” Cecilia asked.
“I will start with the Houses. Many will have heard my name by now, thanks to my loyal followers.”
The girls smiled and started eating their oats.
“What about me, Mama?” I asked.
Maeve paused with a spoon halfway to her mouth.
“How can I help?” I added.
She set her spoon down and clasped my hand across the table.
“Sweet child, you will have your chance to help soon.”
I suppressed the shiver of dread that wanted to run through me at her words.
She released me and returned to her meal. I slowly did the same, the food curdling in my stomach. Before the tracker located my sister, I needed to know what Maeve planned for Kellen and me. Why had Maeve spared us, and what was she doing here? Yet, pressing for information would not help me. It would only make Maeve suspicious. I would continue to recover and read the book to discover where Kellen might be so I could join her when the time was right.
I stood at the attic window, looking out at the trees and blue sky. It was a beautiful day, and more than anything, I wished I could walk out in the sun.
It had been more than a week since Kellen left and four days since I moved into the attic. Yet, there was no sign of help, which made me worry more for Kellen.
Sighing, I glanced at my chair where the book waited. Each day Maeve and her daughters went to town only to return each evening in a more foul mood. Maeve hadn’t even asked me about the book last night, which both relieved and worried me. While Maeve’s distraction meant I could focus on trying to discover why Kellen wanted me to read the book, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding at what might have a greater priority to Maeve than finding Kellen.
Restless, I paced the path I’d created in the attic and focused on what I’d read. The only common theme within the stories was magic. In some way, each character was touched by it. But, I didn’t understand where the message might be in that. Kellen and I had been touched by magic the moment the necklace arrived. The book was a bit late to serve as a warning for that. It either had to be a clue to where she went or a clue to something else she’d discovered.
I returned to my chair, determined to try again, and opened the book at random. The page was in the middle of the story of the enchanted well. One old woman had grown smart and started choosing her words with more care so that the well would grant her precisely what she wanted. I felt much like the old woman. Every time Maeve asked a question, the compulsion to answer honestly almost had me blurting my thoughts without the respectful wording or tone that Maeve expected. Also, like the old woman, I learned there are half-truths that could satisfy the spell.
However, I didn’t think that was the warning Kellen meant. I shifted in my seat. While my bruising had mostly faded, and I breathed with ease once again, the chair wasn’t comfortable. There was something in the back padding that continually dug into my spine. Frustrated, I twisted in my seat, prepared to poke at the backing when the book fell to the floor. I cringed and hoped I hadn’t damaged the spine. Mr. Bentwell would never let me—
I swallowed hard as I remembered Mr. Bentwell’s fate and that he would never see the book again.
Leaning to pick up the volume, I saw the spine had indeed pulled away from the pages. Tears of frustration mixed with sorrow gathered in my eyes. I hated that I was locked up here and that Kellen was out there. Somewhere. Mostly, I hated not doing anything.
As I picked up the book, a small slip of paper fell to the floor. Heart fluttering, I picked it up and read it.
This is but one book of many. Read them all for me. ~K
I stared at the note, dumbfounded. That was it? She wanted me to read more? I thought of poor Mr. Bentwell and wondered what, exactly, Kellen would have wanted me to read there. Her romance books? I scoffed at the idea even as my gaze swung to the back corner of the attic.
There was only one set of books that had interested Kellen after Maeve’s arrival. The books of magic. Since being locked up, I’d been too nervous to venture into the hidden space that Kellen had found. Maeve tended to want me downstairs at the most unexpected times.
I chewed my lip and checked the window. No one was home now.
Decided, I quietly crossed the space and climbed into the small burrow. The books weren’t where I last saw them. Instead of stacked neatly in the open, I found them wrapped and tucked away in Mother’s trunk.
On a whim, I checked for the King’s letter and found it missing. In its place, I found another note.
My throat tightened as I recognized my sister’s neat writing.
If you find this, I’m likely gone. You were chained and beaten for our attempt to leave. Maeve locked me up here to store away Father’s things. I took some time to read. Read what you can. There’s knowledge in words. Perhaps you will find an answer where I did not. There must be a connection between our home and what’s happened to us. I took the letter for safe keeping as I believe it’s what Maeve was searching for as we went through Father’s things. I’ll find him and bring him home. He’s the only one who can help us now.
Dread filled my heart as I understood where my sister had gone and why I’d glimpsed her running in terror. The tracker’s fear now made more sense, too. Tales of the Dark Forest were told to children the moment they were born. No one entered the dark woods if they wanted to live. No one except my foolish, brave sister.
I folded the letter and tucked it back into place, tears blurring my vision. Without looking at the books or the letters from Elspeth, I left the burrow and returned to my chair.
The sun slowly sank as I sat there trying to sort through what I knew. Outside, the sound of hooves brought me out of my own thoughts. I rose and caught a glimpse of the rider before he rounded the house.
The tracker had returned, and he’d been alone. I paced back and forth, worrying my lip. Surely Maeve hadn’t ordered for Kellen to be killed. Maeve had said Kellen and I were important to her and asked that Kellen be returned alive first, her safety a condition on my behavior. And I had behaved. I’d done everything Maeve had asked of me. My gaze fell on the book. Everything except for determining where my sister had gone. Was that why Maeve had stopped asking about the book? Because Kellen was dead?
Fear twisted my middle until I was sick with it, and no amount of pacing alleviated my anguish as I watched the window for my tormentor’s return.
It took another hour before the carriage rolled into the yard. I hurried to the stairway, a bundle of nervous energy. The lock turned in the door almost immediately.
“Your mother would like you to join them in the sitting room,” Catherine said when she saw me already descending.
“Any news?” I asked softly.
“The man didn’t speak to us.”
I hastened to the sitting room and found Maeve, Cecilia, and Porcia already comfortably seated. The tracker stood before them, a displeased scowl on his face. New lines marked the skin around his eyes and strands of white now intermingled with his dark hair.
“Here, Eloise,” Maeve said, patting the chair to her left.
I quickly sat, watching Maeve.
“Thank you for waiting,” she said to the man. “Tell us what you’ve learned and why you’ve returned without my daughter.” Her words to the tracker and the underlying note of threat in them relieved me.
“She’s in the Dark Forest,” he said bluntly. He withdrew the box from his jacket pocket and handed it to Maeve. “The box led me straight to her, but something was hunting her. When it caught my scent, it started hunting me, too. The fire kept it at bay at night. Using that box kept it away during the day. It didn’t like the magic.”
“The girl,” Maeve said lowly. “Where is she?”
“She found a cottage before I could get to her. There�
�s a group of little men there guarding it. I couldn’t get past them.”
“Little men?” Maeve asked.
The man held out his hand at thigh height and raising it to about his waist.
“Somewhere in that range,” he said.
“You couldn’t defeat a group of short men?”
“Short, My Lady. Not weak.”
From the corner of my eye, I watched Maeve’s expression change from slightly annoyed to pleasant and charming.
“Is there anything else helpful you can tell us?”
“The cottage is in a sunny clearing.”
“How is that helpful?” she asked.
“Your girl is stuck there until someone saves her. She’ll never make it past the beast a second time, now that it knows she’s there.”
“Hmm,” Maeve said, tapping her chin lightly. “I suppose that is helpful to know.” She looked at me. “Are you content with the information he’s provided?”
I looked at the tracker.
“Can you tell me more about these little men? Why were they defending her?”
“They weren’t. They were defending their home. Not sure they even knew she was inside. With them at my front and the beast at my back, I didn’t have much choice but to leave and return with this news while I could still tell it.”
I looked at Maeve, trying to gauge if I’d heard everything or if something had been said before I’d arrived. What proof did I have that my sister was still alive?
“How do we know his words are true?” I asked.
Maeve smiled at me and lifted a hand to stroke my cheek at the area that still held a hint of fading bruise.
“You are a smart one, Eloise. Never doubt that.”
She went to the man. Before I knew what was happening, blood showered my skirt, the carpet, and Maeve as the man clutched at his throat. The glint of light near Maeve’s hand drew my eye to the blade she still held before I looked back at the tracker. I blinked at the red cascading through the man’s fingers as he gasped and choked. Only Maeve’s firm grip on his shoulder kept him standing.