by Lea Doué
Gwen helped untangle the webs as Bay brought them over. Or tried to. They were strong rather than sticky and nearly impossible to tear or break, even with Holic’s dagger. With some experimenting, she and the girls figured out how to twist the web filaments between their fingers and palms to form a tough yarn that Hazel could work with. Holic made half a dozen hooks and then she sent him off to join Theo.
Between stacking wood inside the entry hall and tending the fire, Gwen watched the forest for signs of Eddy’s return.
Where was he, and why had he run off without a word?
Chapter Fourteen
Gwen was winding Bay’s web yarn into a ball when Eddy strode out of the forest at dusk.
He bypassed Theo and Holic and walked right up to Gwen. “I couldn’t find it. The key. It’s lost in the mud, or she found it.”
Is that why he’d been gone all day? “Do we need it now that you can see?”
Confusion and worry clouded his eyes. “I don’t know. That room was the only place I had that was safe from her. The only place that was mine. You don’t know what she’s capable of.” He sighed. “I hope you never find out.”
She laid her fingers lightly on his arm. “You’re not alone anymore—we’ll look out for each other.”
He looked at her intently, and some of the tension eased around his eyes. His gaze flicked to his arm, where goosebumps rose on his skin.
She dropped her hand. “Have you eaten anything? We should all eat and get some rest. We can figure out tomorrow what to do about getting out of here.”
Hazel led the way, cradling the hooks and rolls of web yarn in her arms. Theo carried Bay piggyback. She was so small, it was easy to forget that she would be fifteen soon. Any day now, in fact. Normally, everyone would have given her a small gift as a token of the occasion. Maybe they could still do something to commemorate the day. Hazel would have some ideas.
Holic offered Gwen his arm with a wide grin. She glanced at Eddy, who watched silently, his expression unreadable. He didn’t seem to be pursuing her as… aggressively as his brothers.
Did she want him to pursue her? She didn’t want him to ignore her the way Holic was doing with Hazel.
She sighed and placed her hand lightly on Holic’s wrist, keeping as much distance between them as she could. “You know this doesn’t mean anything, don’t you?”
“It may mean nothing to you, but anytime you’re near, the sun shines brighter for me.”
At least Eddy wasn’t spouting such lines. “Holic, we’re going to find a way to undo this potion. You’re in love with Hazel, remember?”
“I see no Hazel when you’re here. You’re everything to me, Gwen, and I’ll do whatever I can to prove it.”
“That’s just the potion talking. Think. Remember the first time you saw Hazel at the palace in Eltekon.”
He slowed, and his brows lowered, as if concentrating on the memory took great effort. “It’s like a dream.” He shook his head slowly. “That was my past. This is reality, and you’re my future. I will defy anyone who says otherwise.”
She said no more. Talking certainly wasn’t the cure for a love potion.
After convincing Bay that no one expected her to sleep outside her mistress’s door, Gwen and the girls ended up sharing Eddy’s room. The brothers decided to take turns sleeping in the hallway outside for added protection. They argued over who would take first watch until Eddy pulled rank and ordered his two younger brothers to rest in the nearest bedroom. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to do it long.
The next day passed with the brothers arguing about the best way to handle the stone dragons and discussing tactics now that they had three swords. While they debated, Gwen put them to work gathering wood and chopping it with two axes Bay had found in a lean-to at the side of the fortress. They could add those to their puny arsenal when the time came.
Hazel refused to make winter gear, like capes or blankets, until she’d given up hope of rescue, but her speed picked up as she adjusted to working with the sturdy filaments. As Bay collected webs and twisted them into yarn, Hazel crocheted it into yards and yards of thick silvery-grey rope, or whatever a single line of crochet was called. Gwen had skipped those lessons in favor of embroidery and horseback riding. The pile grew quickly, a visual reminder of their time in captivity.
*
The next morning, Gwen opened the door to the hall and did a double take when she came face to face with a clean-shaven, auburn-haired man. Eddy?
She smiled and ran a hand quickly over his cheek. “How did you manage?”
Patting the knife at his belt, he said, “Holic has some skill as a barber, doesn’t he?” He offered his arm, and they walked to the dining hall.
Just as everyone had settled in to eat, Sissi swept into the room. The brothers rose politely from their seats, and Holic pulled out a chair for her on his other side. He’d taken a seat next to Hazel at Gwen’s request, which left Gwen across the table watching her sister blink back tears as Holic stared.
Sissi, once again overdressed, seemed unaware of the tension in the room. Sleek braids coiled on top of her head, and rubies dripped from her ears. Her knee-length dress, fit snug to her body, shimmered with dozens of snakes’ enameled skins, each tiny scale competing to show off its jeweled colors in the firelight. As usual, her feet were bare.
Bay choked on her bread and then took a gulp of water. Eyes wide, she whispered into Hazel’s ear. She’d talked to Sissi before, but this was the first time she’d seen her. Sissi didn’t acknowledge her presence.
“You started without me,” she said, pouting so much she looked like she was trying to kiss someone.
“Our apologies,” Holic said as he seated her. “We’re delighted you’ve joined us.”
Sissi seemed oblivious to Theo’s scowl and Eddy’s blank stare. She smiled and broke an orange open with her fingernails. “What have you been up to?”
“Chopping wood,” Theo said.
“I can’t imagine what you would need it for in the middle of summer.”
“Our families will be looking for us,” Holic explained. “It will help them find our location.”
She chewed a slice of orange. Swallowed. “They couldn’t possibly still be looking for you.”
“On the contrary,” Theo said too loudly, “they could be, and they are. They never stopped. I never stopped.”
“But,” she said, her expression worried, “if they find you, what happens to me?”
It was a sensible question. She was too old for an orphanage, too ignorant for skilled work, and too full of herself to train as a servant. “We’ll find a place for you somewhere, don’t worry,” Gwen said.
Sissi glanced sideways at Theo, but if she wanted a crown, she was looking at the wrong prince.
Gwen would rather Sissi not look at either one of them with that in mind.
Theo’s face reddened, and his thumb tapped against the table.
“I thought I would pick some fresh figs for Bay’s birthday,” Gwen said, hoping to change the subject. “I saw a small grove not far into the forest.” It wasn’t a proper birthday gift, but all things considered, it was the best she could come up with.
“I love figs,” Bay said. “I could—”
“A birthday! How wonderful!” Sissi shifted in her seat, and the snakeskin dress winked and sparkled. “I’ve never had a birthday in my life. I don’t even know how old I am, but I can’t be much older than she is.”
She wished. According to Eddy, she was about his own age, which made her older than even Gwen.
“We’ll have a party. A birthday party.” She glanced at Bay. “It can be hers, too.”
Hazel’s lips pursed together, but she remained silent.
“How generous,” Theo mumbled.
“No. We’ll have a ball,” Sissi said. “A proper ball with dancing. Uncle Ris showed me how to dance—a queen needs to know such things—but Eddy never practiced with me.” She frowned at him as if this were a major fault
on his part.
“A ball?” Bay said. “But I’m just a maid.”
Maid or no maid, no one needed a ball right now. Gwen began to protest, “I don’t think—”
“Let her have her ball,” Hazel said.
Both Theo’s thumbs were tapping now, and Eddy’s fists were clenched on either side of his plate. Holic stared at Hazel wide-eyed. At least he was looking at her now.
“Tomorrow night, then.” Sissi slid out of her seat and left the room with a bounce in her step.
“Hazel, what are you thinking?” Gwen said.
“There’s no harm in a ball, and it will keep Sissi busy while we try to do something about the dragons.” She paused. “It never hurts to be kind.”
“I know what you’re doing, and you can’t save them all.” Sissi wasn’t one of Hazel’s orphans.
“She’s never even been given a chance.”
Theo pushed away from the table. “Excuse me,” he said gruffly and stomped out of the room.
Eddy and Holic both rose to follow.
“Please,” Gwen said. “Let me see if I can talk to him.” They didn’t need more arguments.
Theo had opened up to her a little while they were still in Eltekon, and even during their travels, despite her attempts at distancing herself. Whatever was bothering him, it was more than just a silly ball. They all needed to stick together, or they would never find a way out.
The courtyard was empty. Where else would he have gone? The lookout?
Movement at the edge of the woods caught her eye. “Theo!”
He disappeared into the trees without even turning. Great. They didn’t need any more delays. She went after him, thankful Eddy has saved her boots from the dungeon. She had no desire to waste any more time in this place.
Even after breaking into a run, she lost sight of him. “Theo!” There—his blond head flashed among the leaves. She couldn’t keep up this pace. Her shoulder, which had mostly healed, burned from the exertion.
She stuttered to a walk. “Prince Theodric! We do not behave this way!” Maybe his father’s words would slow him down. “And I’m not stopping! So, if you want to tell your brothers that you lost me, keep on walking.” Twigs snapped under her boots. He’d regret making her break into a sweat.
A hand darted out from the bushes and spun her around until she stood in front of Theo. He grabbed her around the waist and planted a quick, firm kiss on her mouth. She pushed against his chest, and he let go.
She slapped him hard. Really hard.
He rubbed his cheek. “Apologies, Your Highness. As you said, I don’t normally behave this way. I guess I got the wrong idea seeing you following me. It won’t happen again.”
She shook her hand, the two middle fingers stinging. “See that it doesn’t.”
“At least he won’t be the first one to kiss you,” he mumbled.
“I’m assuming you’re talking about Eddy, and what gives you the right? This jealousy is ridiculous!” She stomped on his foot with her heel for good measure and then hopped away. Was he a man or a rock? “Where are you going, anyway?”
He rested his hand on his sword hilt and resumed walking. “Someone has to do something.”
She hurried to keep pace. “We need to sit down—all of us together—and figure out what our best move is.”
“I’m tired of committees, Gwen. I’m tired of sitting and listening to everyone’s opinions and suggestions and ideas and daydreams. I need to do something.”
He seemed to be speaking about more than their current situation. “I think I understand.”
He glanced at her.
“There was a point earlier this summer when I thought Lily would walk away from the crown to save us all, and leave me to take her place. It frightened me.” She stepped over a branch. “Not just the thought of losing her, but the idea of inheriting the crown and what it meant. I wasn’t born to do that, and I don’t want that kind of responsibility.”
“Want it or not, you’re a natural at taking charge and putting others first.”
She shook her head. “I don’t take charge. I just order people around. And I’m stubborn.”
“I’m just as stubborn as you. Why do you think I kept looking for Eddy and my mother?” He looked up into the canopy, and his voice softened. “You know, part of me didn’t really think they were alive, but I refused to give up until I had some clue what happened. There had to be a clue. And you found it. You found him.”
She concentrated on the ground so she didn’t have to see the intensity of his gaze. Weaver webs littered the bushes like silver frost. “I also got us trapped in here.”
He didn’t seem to hear. “I don’t blame Eddy for falling in love with you, potion or no potion. But I’m selfish. I wanted you by my side to help me rule when my time came, and I still want you now.”
Did he? Or did he not want to lose both his title and his girl to his brother? Not that she was ever his.
“Don’t write me off just because I have a temper.”
“I’m not writing anyone off.”
He smiled.
Oh, great. “I’m not writing at all right now.”
He chuckled.
“I mean… you know what I mean.” He didn’t seem to count Holic as a rival for her affections, yet Holic had taken the same potion Eddy had. Interesting. She walked past him and then stopped. “Where are we going, anyway?”
He pointed straight ahead. “There’s a stone dragon just there. It’s where we came in. Where they chased us. Or stopped chasing us.”
He knew the Ling better than she did, even if he’d never been in this particular area of the forest before a few days ago. Maybe having Eddy regain the title was the best thing for Theo—he’d be able to spend more time outdoors and less in committees.
She squinted, trying see the dragon past the shrubs and trees. There. A glimpse of grey stone that could be either the dragon or more ruins.
“I want to test a theory,” he said. “Can you climb a tree?”
She put her hands on her hips and raised her chin. “Of course.” It had been years since she’d followed Melantha into one, but that didn’t matter.
He walked in a circle, eyeing the trees up and down, then stopped in front of a fat yew. The lowest branch jutted out just above her head. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“Not until you tell me what you’re up to.”
He mirrored her, hands on hips, and stared her down.
She stood her ground.
“Fine.” He grinned. “I’m going to break a dragon.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gwen crossed her arms. “How exactly to you intend to break a dragon? They’re enormous.”
“The dragons are stone, and stone can be broken,” Theo said. “Look at the ruins around here.”
She frowned and shook her head.
“I’ll lure it out, get it to follow me into the forest. Eddy drew a rough map of the area, including the falls.”
A small tickle of excitement raced up her spine, but there were other matters to consider. “I don’t think it will follow you. They seem to stop when they reach whatever invisible boundary is around this place.”
He waved off her argument. “Doesn’t matter. Let me test a theory and run off some energy, all right? I’ll get my brothers to help do it better tomorrow.”
She shrugged. If running in circles put him in a better mood, she wouldn’t stand in his way.
“What are you waiting for?” He nodded towards the tree.
Rubbing her hands together, she surveyed the first branch. The trunk itself, wide and knobby, slanted away from her ever so slightly. She backed up a few yards and took a running leap, using one of the big knobs as a step, and managed to heave herself up without help. She even went one branch further and then stood with her arms wrapped around the trunk.
Theo snorted.
“Stop smiling.”
“I’m not smiling.”
“Yes, you are. Now be a gentleman
and tell me what a good job I did climbing the big tree all by myself.”
“You are a master tree climber, Your Highness, surpassed only by the squirrel above your head.”
She crouched too quickly and thumped down onto the branch, trying to pretend she didn’t hear it snap a bit. She looked up, and sure enough, a squirrel watched her from above.
She laughed. “All right, I’m in the tree. You may proceed to slay the dragon.”
He bowed dramatically. “Here goes nothing.” He scooped up a large stone and approached the dragon. Eight yards. Five yards. Two. If it woke, he’d have to watch out for the tail. He threw the stone, and it sailed past the dragon’s head and bounced into the underbrush well beyond.
The dragon didn’t even twitch.
He inched closer.
Her nails dug into the bark as she shifted on the branch. They’d all agreed the dragons didn’t want to kill them, or even hurt them, but the creatures were massive and incredibly heavy. One wrong move, and Theo would be flattened.
The squirrel had disappeared, but the birds twittered and chirped, unconcerned. Theo threw a smaller rock past the dragon. Again, nothing. He walked farther away from it, just along where the invisible boundary might have been, and then he made a daring dash for freedom.
The dragon reacted instantly, joints grinding into motion, and cut him off just as he picked up speed. He tried to sidestep the creature, but it was impossible. He ran back along the boundary line, and the dragon followed, herding him along. Theo paused and then feinted towards the dragon, as if he would engage it in hand-to-hand combat. The dragon leaned back onto its haunches and flapped its stone wings, talons flashing. Leaves and twigs rained down on Theo’s head. He turned and dashed back into the forest, and it followed.
It worked. But how long would the creature give chase before resuming its post?
She couldn’t stay in the tree to watch. She would have, gladly, but the branch had had enough of her and dumped her on the ground.