"Gone."
"What did you do to him?" she couldn't even raise her voice to shout, what if she had driven him to the unthinkable. Why hadn't she stopped him when he ran to confront the king?
"I let him go as was his wish," the king said as he strode closer to her.
"He wouldn't leave without me," she said. Though, after their fight, she doubted that was still true. She looked down at the ground.
The Thorn King stopped just in front of her, grabbing her chin to tilt her head back and regard him.
She could not look at his alien face and not think of what she had done. She turned her gaze away as she said, "Then let me go, too," her voice sounded small to her own ears. She was too heart weary to pretend to be strong any longer.
"You've never been my prisoner."
Her heart caught in her throat. "That's not true, you told me—"
"It's not too late, you can go if you wish." He pointed toward the end of the room, toward rows of trees all lined in up in a lane. If she squinted she could see the edge of the forest beyond, and home. Thornwood Abbey, mother, father, grandmother. And Edric...
She looked away, how could she face him. If he wanted to give her up, then let him. As much as she'd gotten caught up in this place, the beauty of it, the intoxicating nature of the Thorn King. She ached for home and everything she'd left behind.
"Do not despair, my dear," the king said as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Not all hope is lost."
"How can it not, I've lost the man I love." Tears rolled down her cheek and the Thorn King wiped them away.
"You can learn to love another." He cupped her cheek as she looked up at him. His fingers slide back to tangle in her hair as he cradled the back of her head. "I want to make you my queen."
Her breath caught, this could not be real.
"Why me?"
"You crave adventure and you chafe at the bonds of human life. I can give you everything you dreamed of in the way he never could."
Just the thought of it made her heart flutter. To be dressed in fine clothes every day, and showered with adoration from her subjects. But what was that without love?
"Those would be my reasons. Why do you want me?"
"Because I am in need of a queen," he laid the words out in black and white, no declarations of love, only a role that needed to be filled. And who was she to him but a woman likely to agree.
"You do not love me?"
He smiled at her in a way that made her feel like the question was foolish.
A part of her wished he would declare his love for her, that he would whisper promises and devotion in her ear, as Edric had. But looking into his ageless eyes, she doubted he was capable of love.
"What about my family?"
"You mean your captors?"
She lowered her eyes. "I can't just forget about them."
"And yet you were willing to run away with Edric and leave them all behind."
He eyes shot up to look at the king. "We would have come back...eventually."
He shook his head slowly, "I have watched humans, their lives so full of struggle. Once you were away, it would have been impossible to return." He dropped his hand away from her face. "Besides the forest remembers and she does not forgive."
The wind rustled through the trees, as if voicing their agreement.
She pulled away and turned her back to the Thorn King. "I cannot be your queen."
"That is your choice then?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"I must admit, I am disappointed, but not surprised."
Was it just her imagination or was there a hint of longing in his voice?
"I am sorry, but my heart belongs to Edric."
"Our deal remains, if he is really what your heart most desires than go to him. But you must not cross before the sun rises or you will lose him."
She looked to the edge of the forest, down the row of trees, the night sky was already starting to turn gray. Dawn was approaching, there wasn't much time.
She motioned as if to leave, but then he spoke. "Even if you return to the world of man, a day may come when you can no longer resist our call." She turned to face him one last time. His green eyes darkened by sadness and disappointment. But it was just a flash of emotion quickly buried. "Remember should you ever change your mind..."
She reached up to place her hand against his cheek. "I will never forget you. Thank you."
She took a step back and he bowed to her, the sweep of his cape enveloped him as he transformed from man to a tree, the entwined branches of the room where she had been faded away and all that remained was the forest around her.
"Go to him, before it is too late," his voice whispered across her like the wind.
Brenna turned and ran.
***
Edric stared down at the ring in his hand. The doorway opened out onto the forest. The exit was a large oak tree, he stood just inside the hollowed-out center. The forest was just beyond, and he could see the fading night. He needed to only take one more step and his wildest dreams would come true. But all he could think of was Brenna.
She would be happy here. Brenna who loved to dance and sing, this sort of life suited her. When he thought of her again he could be comforted by the fact that she would never age never change. She'd always be that girl twirling in her favorite dress. The smile that transformed her face.
With him, she'd only be trapped in a miserable marriage. They'd both be happier this way, wouldn't they? He looked down at the ring again.
"Having second thoughts?" Edric startled to see another of the Thorn Dwellers leaning against the old oak tree. It was the same man who had thrown him in the cell.
Edric closed his hand around the ring into a fist. "The Thorn King has let me go, you cannot stop me."
The man leaned against the exit. "And I will not stop you. But why haven't you left yet, the sun has almost risen?" he nodded toward the growing light at the tops of the trees.
"I was just about to," he said, but he couldn't seem to make his feet obey his commands. He looked at the thorn dweller. "Why are you here if not to stop me?"
"How else will the Thorn King know you left in time."
Edric frowned. "I thought he would just know."
The man threw his head back and laughed, the viney ropes of his hair swinging back and forth.
"What's so funny." He glared at him, somehow, he thought he'd become the butt of a cruel joke.
The man wiped laughter-induced tears from his eyes. "The king may be powerful, but he isn't omnipotent."
Edric flushed to realize his mistake, and instead asked another question to cover up. "Is he a kind man?"
The Thorn Dweller's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline. "What sort of question is that."
Edric looked away and rubbed his neck, "Will he treat Brenna kindly?"
The Thorn Dweller tilted his head to the side as he regarded him. "Don't you know? She turned the King down." He shook his head. "What a fool, she would have been Queen of the Thorns."
Without thinking Edric lunged forward and grabbed the man by the shoulders. "What did you say?"
The man gave him a slow smile. "She chose you."
Edric turned and ran down the hallway from where he had come, but it was beginning to fade. The forest was bleeding through.
"You better hurry, it's almost sunrise, " the Thorn Dweller shouted after him.
His heart hammering in his chest, he ran as fast as he could down the stairwell from which he had come, taking steps two by two. With his head down trying to go as fast as he could, he didn't see Brenna running up the stairs toward him. They collided in the center, each of them almost thrown backward, but Edric caught her around the waist and took the fall for the pair of them.
The pain in his back was nothing compared to seeing her face staring down at him. Before he could get out a word of apology, she kissed him fiercely. He put everything he had into that kiss all of his love and regret. They'd done one another wrong, but he c
ouldn't live without her.
They broke apart panting. "I'm sorry," she started to say at the same time as him.
He kissed her again, heedless of the time running out. When he pulled back he said, "No, it was me who was a fool. I shouldn't have been so jealous."
"I should have known it was a trick all along."
He cupped his hand against her cheek and drank her in for a moment. She stared back into his eyes, until her gaze flickered upward toward the top of the stairs. "It's almost daybreak."
Edric gently pushed her off him before leaping upward. "We have to leave this place now before dawn's first break."
He tugged on her hand to follow him up the stairs but she pulled back. "But if I leave before daybreak, I'll lose you."
"The Thorn King told me I had to leave here before the sunrise."
They stood trapped in that limbo, they'd been deceived even in their last minutes. "I'll kill him."
Brenna laid her hand on his shoulder. "No don't you see, it's a riddle."
"We don't have time to solve riddles."
She smiled and somehow that made everything better. "I've already solved it. You must leave before sunrise. And I must leave after."
He kissed her again, and she looked at him with a surprised expression. "What was that for?" she asked.
"I never knew you were so clever."
She gave him a playful hit, before taking his hand and they ran up the stairs together. A golden line lined the tops of the trees, the sun was breaking over the treetops now.
Just as it was about to break, Edric let go of her hand and stepped over the threshold into the forest. As the first rays of sun illuminated the mouth of the tunnel, Brenna stepped out and into the forest, joining Edric. He picked her up into his arms and spun her around.
"We've done it," he cheered.
After spinning her around until she was dizzy, he set her back down again.
Edric cupped her face in his hands. "I've been a fool," he said.
She shook her head. "We both were, can you forgive me?" She rested her forehead against his. "We cannot run away."
He exhaled. "I know. But I'll fight for you, whatever I must do, I'll fight to keep you."
She laced her fingers with his. "And I you, my love, and I you."
***
Thank you for reading Fairy Ring. If you've enjoyed this short tale, you may also enjoy Heart of Thorns set in the same world as Fairy Ring. Continue on for an excerpt from Heart of Thorns.
No one seemed to notice the girl in the corner except Catherine. As the housekeeper, Mrs. Morgan, ushered Catherine into the breakfast room, the girl in all white lifted her head and peered at her with dark eyes, like a pair of bottomless pits. Auburn hair fell in tumbles over her shoulders. It did not completely conceal the bloody gash in her chest, or the stains that ran down the front of her gown.
Catherine's eyes darted to the housekeeper as she wrung her hands. This is a sick joke, surely. The woman in white took a step closer and the butler walked through her without pausing. Catherine knew then that her symptoms had returned. She closed her eyes and counted to ten as the doctor had taught her. When she opened them, the woman in white was close enough that she could see the gaping hole where her heart should be. Catherine's own heart rattled in her chest and she turned around to the banquet. She isn't there, she chanted over and over in her head. With trembling hands she reached for the lid covering a serving dish. An icy hand rested on her shoulder, and Catherine yelped and dropped the lid with a clatter.
"My lady, please let us serve you," Mr. Hobbs, the butler, said as he righted the overturned lid.
He hardly came up to Catherine's chin. Over the top of his head, the woman in white watched her with hooded black eyes. She tore her gaze away as the butler showed her to her seat at the far end of the table. As she walked, she focused on the bald spot on top of his crown. The woman in white hovered at her shoulder demanding attention Catherine was not willing to give. Eyes downcast, she took her seat. The woman in white grasped at the hems of her sleeves, but her hands passed through Catherine and gave her a chill. You are not real. Go away!
Catherine stared down at her platter. She had been famished before but now her stomach was tied in knots. The servants, silent sentinels of the morning room, awaited her command. She picked up the fork and prepared to make a show of eating when the woman in white leaned over the table, coming nose to nose with her.
"He is coming for you next, leave while you can," said the woman in white.
"Go away!" Catherine slammed her fist onto the table. She could ignore her no longer. Screwing her eyes shut, she took ragged shallow breaths.
"My lady, would you rather eat alone?" asked Mr. Hobbs.
Catherine covered her mouth. It never had been her intention to make a scene. They will think I am mad, and rightly so. The woman in white had disappeared. At least she had managed to overcome the delusion. But what if I start seeing things again? She must rid herself of such dangerous thoughts. The agitation only made her condition worse. If she was to avoid another fit, she had to stay calm.
"My lady?" Mr. Hobbs prompted once more with a hint of agitation in his voice.
In need of a new subject, she asked, "Will Lord Thornton be coming down to breakfast?"
The butler raised a skeptical brow. "The master never takes breakfast in the morning room."
Catherine blushed, feeling a fool for asking something the servant considered obvious. There was still much to learn about her husband, she realized. Everything about her new life was different than her old one. She had seen hardly a hint of her husband since they arrived. Is this to be my life, alone in this giant home haunting the halls? She looked back to the place where she had spotted the woman in white. There was no hint she had been there, but the hairs on the back of Catherine's neck still stood on end. I am seeing things because I am fatigued. They are not coming back. They cannot be.
"The former Lady Thornton took her breakfast in bed," said Mrs. Morgan, the housekeeper.
Catherine sank down in her chair as the older woman surveyed her. There was something about the high-collared black gown and her severe expression that reminded Catherine of a governess that had terrified her as a child. "Oh," Catherine squeaked. She had made another mistake. "Then tomorrow I suppose I shall as well." It would be relief to be away of the scrutiny of the staff.
The housekeeper continued seemingly without noticing Catherine's reply. "His lordship sent me to tell you he will be busy tending to his affairs today and wishes that you be at your leisure."" Her lip curled as if the very idea of relaxation was repulsive to her. "He asked that I send you his love, and he says he will see you tonight at the dinner party."
The dinner party. She had been dreading this evening. Edward insisted on having some friends from the neighborhood over to make introductions. I only hope I do not embarrass him tonight. I have never been good in a group. She hated crowds. When her affliction was at its worst, being around others had brought out the worst of the symptoms. And to this day she still feared parties as a result, despite a lack of symptoms for some time. Until today that is.
"That would be pleasing," she lied, thinking that was the answer that was expected of her. What did a lady do with her day? She peered at her soft-boiled egg and toast, the yellow yolk bleeding across the blue pattern of the china. She had no stomach for them after all.
Catherine pushed back her chair, or attempted to, as a footman ran forward and scooted it back for her. Still unaccustomed to so many servants, she smiled at him in thanks. It was going to take time to get used to this lavish lifestyle. But the footman did not return the gesture. His expression was stony and his lips were pressed in a thin line.
"Thank you," she murmured as a flush burned her skin along her cheeks and neck. He nodded his head and stepped back in line with the other two footmen.
"If you are finished eating, my lady, why not take a walk in the gardens?" Mrs. Morgan said, her arms folded over her chest.
"I thought we might speak about the household management: what is expected of me?" When she lived with her mama and papa, she had helped with much of the day-to-day management of their small household.
The housekeeper looked taken aback. "Do not trouble yourself, my lady. I have always managed things here at Thornwood Abbey. If there is an important decision on décor or china, I shall consult you."
She thinks little of my intellect, I suspect. Mrs. Morgan, presumably, had better things to do and headed to the door.
Pale gray light filtered in through the windows of the morning room. "Very well, I shall take a walk, then," Catherine said to her retreating back.
Mrs. Morgan stopped at the door leading out into the hall and said, "Be careful. The lawns can be slippery early in the morning. And there are bushes you could get tangled in. Take care to stick to the marked paths." She took a few steps, hesitated, then turned around and added, "And stay clear of the woods by the south end. They are wild, and there are no pathways."
"Thank you for your kind advice." Catherine made a note to stay clear of that area. She had never like wooded areas, thinking of those long creeping shadows and all manner of beasts terrified her.
After donning an outdoor coat and a pair of boots, provided and draped upon her shoulders by her Lady's maid, Miss Larson, Catherine headed out. She strolled along the well-maintained garden path. A lingering fog clung close to the ground, swirling about her ankles. The gravel path crunched beneath her boots. Gray dominated the scenery but for the green of the lawn and the shrubbery that fought the encroaching fog. Ash and oak trees loomed above everything, seemingly threatening the cultured spaces. The gardeners must be in a constant battle to keep these hedges from going wild. And from the natural flora from encroaching upon the flowerbeds, Catherine mused. Maybe I can speak with the head gardener. I would love to plant irises. Perhaps I can be of some assistance there, at least. She turned a corner, contemplating the notion, when the chatter of two women stopped her in her tracks.
"I cannot understand it, Miss White. Why would he marry such a girl?"
Fairy Ring Page 6