I eyed the sign and I was one hundred percent positive wasn’t there before. After swallowing hard, I address the witch, holding out the wooden box. “Let’s not play games. You know who I am and I know who you are. I have a cursed heart here that I would like to exchange for an elixir.”
The witch raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down. Then she opened the door wider. “Come in.”
Cautiously, I stepped inside. The witch reached for the box but I pulled it closer to me. “The elixir first. And Ella.”
The witch smirked. “I knew it. My sister told me you would come searching for her. You just can’t mind your own business, Little Red. You have to be the hero.”
The witch eyed the box for a moment and then took a seat on the plush red couch.
“Is Ella still alive?” I asked.
The witch rolled her eyes. “Of course, she is.”
“Not that I’m complaining, but why haven’t you killed her?”
“Keeping her alive is the only way we could get you here.”
My chest tightened. “I don’t understand.”
“I have no use for that silly Cinderella girl. But you, you killed my sister. Yours is the blood I want.”
I clutched the box tighter. “So, what are you waiting for?” I was pleased that I sounded a lot braver than I felt.
“Well, you showed up with that heart. I have to keep my part of the bargain and spare your life by offering you an elixir. Rather uneventful and disappointing I must admit. How did you happen to gain access to that cursed heart anyway?”
A wave of sadness washed over me as my thoughts went to Brayden. “Don’t worry about it.”
The witch narrowed her eyes at me, then she made a fist. When she opened her hand, a small purple bottle rested on the palm. I took it from her at the same time I handed her the heart.
She lifted the lid of the box and sniffed it. “Delicious.”
My stomach churned. I didn’t want to know what witches did with hearts. She replaced the lid and watched me. “Well, go on. Drink it. Free yourself.”
“Where’s Ella?”
The witch placed the wooden box on the mantle of the fireplace. “Ella has been in a deep sleep for a while. Now that you’ve come, there’s no reason to keep her around.”
I hurried toward the bedrooms. I pushed the door of the first room I came to open and stuck my head in. There was no sign of Ella. I hurried o the next one and flung myself against the door. On the bed, wearing a white bath robe lay Ella. I ran to her and touched her face. She felt ice cold. Her skin had a blue tint to it and her lips were purple, but she was still alive.
I opened her mouth with my fingers. The witch’s dark figure slinking in the doorway cast a shadow into the room. “Exactly what do you think you’re doing?” She demanded.
“I’m giving her the elixir. Then her curse will be broken and you’ll have to let her go.”
She scoffed. “Oh, you can’t really be that stupid, can you? You have a chance to save yourself, to break your own curse and you’re going to give it to her, a girl you barely know.”
I could have easily swallowed the elixir myself and been freed but that wouldn’t have been right. Brayden gave his life so that Ella could be free. There was no way I could take that away from her after the sacrifice he’d made for his love. Before the witch could convince me to do otherwise, I poured the elixir down Ella’s throat.
The witch stood there calling me everything from an imbecile to an idiot, but I watched Ella and ignored her. I turned to the witch. “Nothing’s happening. How come nothing’s happening?”
She eyed me slyly. “It takes a minute.”
I relaxed as some of the rosiness seemed to return to Ella’s cheeks.
“Of course,” the witch said, “now that you’ve used the elixir on her, that makes you fair game.”
Just then, the room turned pitch black and every muscle in my body tensed. A chill filled the air sending shivers up my body.
“Stupid girl. Now she’s saved and you will die. Why would you risk your life for hers?”
I had no answer for that. I wanted her to keep talking since she was giving away her location.
I heard a bump from the far corner of the room. “You really should have minded your own business that night and then you wouldn’t have been involved, but since you had to be a busy little wolf, I must eat your heart.”
A warmth spread through my body. My gums and the tips of my fingers were sore with meant my fangs and claws were sharpening. If I ever needed to be a bad wolf, it was then.
An invisible force knocked the wind out of me sending me back into a wall. I moaned as my back slammed into it. Sharp nails sank into my neck. I tried to use my hands to push the witch away but I was stuck.
Her rough tongue ran down my cheek. “I wonder what you taste like.”
I closed my eyes and focused all my energy. I groaned as my hands slowly moved away from the wall. The witch had magic, but I was a Wolvenblood. I managed to pull my head away from the wall and I sank my teeth into the side of her throat.
She let out a loud shriek and pulled away from me. I dropped to the ground on my hands and knees as the invisible force finally let go of me.
A rough cough came from the bed where Ella lay. “Who . . . who’s there?”
“Ella, it’s me Scarlett. Get out of here right now. Feel your way to the door and run. Run until your far away from here.”
She said nothing else, but the door opened, her figure disappeared through it and then it was dark again.
The witch pounced me, yanking my hair back as hard as she could. I didn’t give her the satisfaction of making a sound even though I was in great pain. I wondered why she wasn’t using her magic to kill me. Neither did her sister that night in the forest. Now that Ella was free, I had to go ahead and get the job done.
I grabbed either side of the witch’s head and twisted as hard as I could. Her neck made a sickening snap and the witch fell limp on top of me. Breathing hard, I attempted to catch my breath. After a few moments, I pushed the witch’s body off me and left the hotel as fast as I could.
8
After soaking my worries away in a long hot bath, I pulled my favorite version of Red Riding Hood from my dresser—the original version by Charles Perrault. It was simple and to the point. I always thought the girl in the red hood who didn’t have a name was a little daft, but maybe I was more like her than I cared to admit. She didn’t see the danger when the wolf said he would go to her grandmother’s house. She stopped to play in the woods and pick flowers. It was foolish, like I had foolishly betrayed Nana by running off with Brayden and having her sick with worry.
I closed my eyes, waiting for nightfall and for the moon to rise so I could escape my Human form. A sudden chill bought me out of my light sleep. My open window showed nothing but darkness. I didn’t understand because Nana should have woken me up so we could head out. The moon should have changed me by now, but it hadn’t. I opened the back door and stepped out. I quickly realized there was no moon. My heart shuddered. There was only one other night I remembered when the moon had first come out and then someone had stolen it. That was the night the witch attacked Ella.
“Close the door,” a rush voice called from behind me. I slammed the door shut. “Nana, what’s happening? Where’s the moon?”
She shook her head and pointed to the roof. That was when I heard it—a soft thud, thud, thud. Someone was walking on the roof over our heads. Nana held me tight to her. I wanted to speak, but I knew at that moment it was best for us to listen and not make a sound.
“My, my, what a bad wolf you’ve been.” I would never forget that voice. It was the same heart-chilling voice I’d heard that night. “As you can see, Little Red, I’ve taken the moon before you could become that ferocious beast that lives inside you. Now you must face me as a mere girl. Oh, wait a minute, you can’t be a mere girl, can you? That beast is always dwelling inside. No matter, I like a challenge.”
The footsteps resumed. The witch took her time walking across the roof of our cabin knowing full well that we were inside holding our breaths waiting to see what she would do.
At last the footsteps stopped. Nana pressed her fingers into my forearm. I was worried for her more than anything. Right now, she was just an old woman, strong for her age, but still an old woman who was no match for a witch. Whatever was about to go down I had to protect her from it. My heart stilled at the sudden silence. It was too quiet. There was no wind blowing. No forest sounds. Nothing.
In one quick motion, both the front and back doors of our cabin blew open as if a giant had blown its breath on our tiny cabin. I jumped at the sudden noise. Nana and I stayed in place since we had no idea which direction the witch would be coming from. Finally, the dark silhouette of a tall, slender woman appeared in the back doorway. A long dress train trailed behind her. “Sorry about the doors, dears. I’ve never been one for knocking.”
She threw her hands forward, both Nana and I flew back and landed near the front door. I climbed to my feet as fast as I could. Nana stood behind me. By the way she moved, I could sense she was hurt. I felt that familiar warmth—I welcomed it this time. I got into the crouching position and growled.
The witch cackled. “Isn’t that cute? You want to use my own curse against me, do you?”
I waited to see what her next move would be.
She flicked her hands again and I flew to the side like a rag doll. I was ashamed to have no control over my body. I slammed against the wall, knocking down a picture of a glistening lake. Pain shot through my body but I had no time to recover. The witch reached toward Nana, then brought her hands back toward her own body, bringing Nana closer and closer to her. I stood to run in between them, but the witch held me back with her other hand, an invisible force holding me in place. I fought against it with all my might, but it was futile.
I watched in horror as she lifted Nana in the air. Nana’s face was twisted in a painful looking grimace. She coughed and choked because the witch was squeezing the life out of her. Her body twitched and I wished I could do anything to help her. I would have gladly traded places with her. Nana flopped around like a ragdoll for a minute before she stopped moving completely.
The witch looked at me and sneered. “My, my, what a dead grandmother you have.”
I had never been as angry as I had been in that moment. The witch had just taken everything away from me. My best friend, my teacher, and protector, the only family I had.
“You take my blood. I take yours. That was for my sisters.” She backed toward the door, her feet levitating just above the ground. She pulled Nana along with her, my grandmother’s body floating along like a lifeless puppet. “Your days are numbered, girl. All of you. You will never break those curses in time.” She let out an evil cackle, then she was gone.
She didn’t even leave Nana’s body for me to give her the proper burial she deserved. I couldn’t keep her favorite necklace that was still wrapped around her neck. She’d left me with nothing and there was nothing I could do about it. In the darkness, I dropped to my knees and cried like I had never cried in my life.
9
For the next three days, I floated in a gray depression, doing nothing. Nana was the only reason I had to live. This world didn’t feel like a place that belonged to me anymore and Nana was the only thing that made me feel like I belonged.
I could still hunt and tend to the garden but earning money was going to be a challenge. I helped Nana make jewelry and furniture, but she had done most of the work. I guessed I could carry on filling her orders if I really tried. The problem was I didn’t know if I could do that. I didn’t know how to carry on by myself and I didn’t see what other options I had. The worst part was spending all those dark nights alone in the woods when I transformed into a wolf.
A week later I was making a small pot of soup for lunch when there was a light knock on the door.
I peered through the peephole to see a short and stout woman with silver hair wearing a perfectly tailored purple suit with a navy-blue bow tie nestled right under her chin. Although it had literally been ages since I’d last seen her, I knew exactly who she was. Miss Beatrice. I flung the door open, happy to see a familiar face.
Bea puffed her cheeks and gave me a small smile. “You poor dear. I heard about your grandmother. I am so sorry. I would have come sooner, but I thought I would give you some time to grieve.”
I collapsed in her arms. She was strong enough to hold me up. She guided me inside and sat me on the sofa. Stroking my hair, she let me cry until I couldn’t cry anymore. I rested my head in her lap as if I’d known her forever. “What am I going to do now?” I didn’t know how a complete stranger was supposed to know, but it didn’t hurt to ask.
She sighed, still stroking my hair. “I know it seems impossible right now, but you carry on by carrying on. You and your grandmother are some of the strongest women I know. She wouldn’t have wanted you to just lie down and give up.”
But she didn’t know us enough to be making suck a statement. “How did you know Nana was dead?” I asked.
“I am a fairy. I know a lot about you. I’ve been watching. I have eyes and ears everywhere. I hate to say it, but I told your grandmother that at some point she wouldn’t be with you and that you would be on your own and that she should prepare you for that.”
A balled a handful of her dress in my hand. “It’s not fair.”
“I know it’s not. But you’ve had it better than most. The girls in my school, they’ve been without their families and loved ones for over two hundred years. As least you had your Nana for as long as you did.”
I didn’t feel lucky at all.
Bea laid her hand on my cheek. “But, it’s okay. These girls . . . in no time they’ll feel like your family. They’re all like sisters.”
A sadness tugged my heart as I thought about the sisters I’d lost long ago. “What is this place exactly?”
“Oh, it’s a lovely home on a large estate where you will be given absolutely everything you need and desire. We have a full staff including chefs and housekeepers. There’s a hair salon and a wardrobe stylist. There’s a pool out back and behind the estate there’s a large wooded area for you to roam at night. We have a library filled with all the greatest literature ever written, a theatre—absolutely anything you need, we have. There’s no reason to ever leave.”
“What are the other girls like?” Aside from my sisters centuries ago, I had little dealings with other girls. I wasn’t sure how to behave around them or if they would even like me.
“Oh, the girls are wonderful . . . for the most part. I’m sure you’ll fit right in and find a best friend in no time.”
I bit my bottom lip, a nervous habit of mine.
“There’s even a girl like you.”
“What does that mean?”
“She’s a Caniform.”
I’d heard of those before. Caniforms were people who shifted into bears at night. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not afraid of her.”
Bea shook her head. “No, we let her out at night and she comes back in the morning when she’s ready. We can do the same for you. Her name is Oriana and she’s a real sweet heart.”
I thought about that and weighed my options. At the present moment, I didn’t have very many.
“If I don’t like it I can always leave, right?”
Bea pressed her lips together until they turned white.
“What? What is it, some kind of prison?”
She shook her head. “No, but there is an enchantment over the place and once you enter you won’t be able to leave until the curses are broken. I’m sorry but it’s the only way I can keep t
he girls safe.”
“You can’t leave.”
“Because I’m a fairy. I’m immune from the enchantment. Besides, my business requires me to leave the estate from time to time.”
Although I didn’t like the thought if not being able to leave, I figured there was a way I could always get around that. One night while I was in the woods I could just keep running. It was either that or risk being by myself in a world hunted by witches where I had no one.
I bit my bottom lip. “There’s something you should know about me. Sometimes . . .”
Bea patted my knee. “I know all about the bad wolf thing and I have the complete confidence in you to know that you can control it.”
“Okay, I’ll come. How do we get there?”
Bea opened the door and I got a first look at the vehicle that had brought her there. A horse and carriage--but the carriage was round, white, silver, and covered with diamonds and crystal embellishments. It looked like a beautiful Christmas ornament.
“Take some time and pack some things if you wish,” she told me. “We’ll have everything you need at the estate, but I understand how you would like to have some things that belonged to you.”
I hurried to the back and grabbed a suitcase. I threw in a few outfits and a hair brush, but mostly I filled it with books. Then I went to Nana’s room and grabbed her favorite scarf and a picture of the two of us the rested on her dresser. We were smiling and happy, completely unaware of the tragedy that would eventually find us. I took one last look around her bedroom, inhaled her scent for the last time and closed the door behind me. I realized then that if I decided to stay in that house, just the memories alone would kill me.
With my packed suitcase, I climbed into the gorgeous carriage behind Ms. Bea.
10
We rode along steadily for what felt like hours, the white majestic horses pulled us along the crowded streets.
Forever Scarlett: The Everly Girls Book 3 Page 6