Rapunzel wrapped the blanket tighter around her. At some point she’d decided that she could tell night from day based on the temperature of the room. The sliver of light that came from the bottom of the doorway never changed, which must mean that it was a lighted hallway, rather than light coming in from outside. So as far as she could tell, it was now sometime deep in the night. The lantern had long since gone out, leaving her in the dark once again.
Gothel hadn’t brought her any food or water today if she was correct in her time approximation. She was thirsty beyond belief, though no longer particularly hungry. With her lack of food, her body had adjusted to not eating so often. Doubting anything was coming this late, she let her eyes drift closed.
Noises outside the door woke her. It sounded like scratching, and at first she thought maybe it was a mouse or a rat trying to get in. She sat up, wondering how much time had gone by while she slept. When the scratching noises continued, it occurred to her that it wasn’t Gothel. Gothel had a key and would have simply unlocked the door to enter. It sounded as though someone were trying to get in who didn’t have a key.
Panic gripped her. She searched around until she found the shard of glass. Pushing herself painfully up from the floor, she moved until she stood next to the door. For one wild second, she imagined that it was Fane, but knew that there was no way he could have found her here. Gothel had assured her that no one would ever find her.
She thought about her nightmares and the chanting people in the room of sixes and her missing time after she’d eaten the oatmeal and was suddenly filled with the surety that one—or all—of them had come for her. After long, tense minutes, the door handle was pushed into the room, clattering to the floor. And then she knew. It had to be Fane. That was the trick he’d used to get her out of her room the first time. The door slowly opened and a flashlight shone in.
“Rapunzel?”
At the sound of his voice, she dropped the glass shard, shattering it. The sound drew Fane’s flashlight her way. She rushed forward and launched herself against him. His arms wrapped around her as he stumbled back, his hands running down her braid.
“Rapunzel,” he said again, more surely. His arms tightened, lifting her, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He held her tight for several minutes before finally lifting his head and saying, “I can’t believe I finally found you.”
He kissed her then, wildly and urgently. Rapunzel met his fervor.
“How did you find me?” she asked.
“Not easily,” he said. “I’ve been searching for you since I last saw you. I snuck in several times but couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“What time is it?” she asked. “In fact, what day is it?”
“It’s been ten days since I saw you last,” he said.
“Ten days? I’ve been down here that long?”
“Yeah, and I’ve been frantic. I’m so glad I finally found you. Oh, and I think it’s about two thirty.”
“In the morning?”
“Yeah. Let’s get you out of here. Now.”
Keeping one arm firmly around her shoulders, Rapunzel’s arms wrapped around his waist, they stepped from the room into the hallway. The brightness blinded her eyes that had not seen light for so long. She wanted to ask Fane what day it was but decided that it was more important to get out of there before all of her questions could be answered.
The stone walls and floor were vaguely familiar from when Gothel had dragged her down, though she had no idea what route would get them out of the house. Now that Fane was here, she knew that together they could find their way. He led them toward up a flight of stairs when suddenly Rapunzel remembered the papers.
“Wait, Fane. We should get the papers from my room.”
“Too risky,” he said. “We’ll have the police come get them.” Fane released her long enough to cup her face with his hands. “You have no idea how good it is to see you.” He kissed her quickly, then put his arm around her again and resumed walking.
“How very touching,” a voice drawled behind them.
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Rapunzel and Fane jumped at the sound of Gothel’s voice behind them. They swung around to see her standing behind them with an evil grin on her face. Fane pushed Rapunzel behind him.
“I’m taking her out of here. You can’t stop me,” he said.
“Can I not?” Gothel pulled a strange-looking object that looked like the handle of a gun from behind her back. She pulled a trigger and some kind of wire shot forward into Fane. He immediately fell to the ground groaning, his body twitching and straining.
Rapunzel screamed and dropped to the floor next to him. “What did you do to him?” she cried.
“Don’t worry, he’ll recover. Maybe.” Gothel stepped forward and, grabbing Rapunzel’s arm, jerked her away from him. “However, his recovery depends on you, Rapunzel.”
“What do you mean?” Rapunzel couldn’t tear her eyes from Fane, who no longer twitched but now breathed heavily, his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Meaning, Rapunzel, if you want this boy to live, then you will do exactly as I say.”
Rapunzel wished she’d kept her shard of glass. It wasn’t much, but it was something. She looked up at Gothel, anger consuming her. “And if I don’t?” she asked defiantly.
Gothel squeezed the trigger thing again and Fane’s body stiffened and twitched, unearthly groans coming from him.
“Stop!” Rapunzel yelled, defeated. “I’ll do anything you say. Just stop.”
“Move away from him,” Gothel said. Once Rapunzel had done so, Gothel stepped forward and pulled him into a sitting position. She pulled a knife from somewhere and laid it against Fane’s throat.
Rapunzel moaned. “Please, Mother. I said I would do anything that you ask. Please don’t hurt him.”
“Who is this boy to you?” Gothel asked suspiciously.
“He’s my friend,” Rapunzel said.
“How did you manage to make a friend when you have never been outside of your room?”
Rapunzel knew that to lie to Gothel at this point would be to seal Fane’s fate. “On my computer,” she said. “I met him on the Internet.”
“So this is the boy who has caused so much trouble for me.” Gothel yanked Fane’s head upward, pressing the knife more tightly against his skin. “I should just get rid of him now.”
“No!” Rapunzel cried, holding her hands toward Gothel in supplication. “Please don’t hurt him. I’m begging you.”
Her gaze dropped to Fane’s, and she saw that he was coming back around. His eyes met Rapunzel’s, and he gave the tiniest shake of his head. Gothel also seemed to notice that he was nearly back to himself.
Gothel leaned close to Fane’s ear and in a voice full of warning said, “Don’t try anything.” She gave a little tug on the wire thing, still attached to Fane’s abdomen. “I’ll drop you in two seconds flat. Nod if you understand.”
“I won’t leave her here with you,” Fane gritted out angrily.
“I don’t believe you have a choice,” Gothel replied.
“Run, Rapunzel!” Fane said.
“No, I won’t leave you here!”
“Go now,” he said.
Gothel tightened the knife against his throat. “She won’t run if she has any care for you at all.”
“I’d rather die than see her left here at your mercy.”
“Again, touching, but also futile. She has nowhere to go. You, however, I think shall go to your grave for all of the trouble you have brought into my house by coming here. Do you understand what you have done? Do you understand what will be destroyed if anything happens to Rapunzel?”
“You’re crazy,” Fane said.
Gothel pushed the edge of the blade into his skin, far enough to cause a line of blood to form. Fane grunted against the pain, and Rapunzel cried out.
“You care very much for this boy, don’t you?” Gothel said menacingl
y.
Heart pounding, hoping against all hope that she was making the right choice, she said, “Let him go, Gothel. If you don’t, I’ll take my own life.”
Gothel’s hand sagged a little, relieving the pressure of the knife on Fane’s throat. As soon as she did, Fane shoved her hand away. Gothel struggled with him, trying to regain the upper hand. Her hand closed around the trigger again and in horror Rapunzel watched as Fane’s body twitched into a straight line, his head hitting the floor. Rapunzel found a surge of strength she couldn’t have imagined and struggled back to the dungeon, her hand on the wall to steady herself.
“Rapunzel!” Gothel screamed.
Rapunzel pushed into the hated room, searching desperately. There, in the far corner. She hurried over, her hands closing around the tray left earlier by Gothel.
“Rapunzel!” Gothel was closer now. As soon as Gothel burst into the room, she lifted the tray and brought it down on Gothel’s head. In her weakened state, she didn’t do the damage she’d hoped, but Gothel did stumble and go to her knees. Not waiting to see what she’d do next, Rapunzel ran from the room, back to Fane’s side.
She dropped next to him. He looked ghostly pale, clammy and sweating, with eyes closed. “Fane, please, you have to wake up. We need to go!”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Gothel spat, coming toward them. She stumbled as she walked, blood dripping down her face.
“Fane, please,” Rapunzel pleaded, shaking him but not taking her eyes from Gothel.
Gothel lifted the knife above her head, clasped with both hands. Rapunzel threw herself across Fane.
“Now the boy dies!” Gothel yelled.
“Gothel, stop!”
Rapunzel turned at the sound of a strange man’s voice. The man was tall, foreboding, dressed in a flowing black cape. His hair and eyes were as dark as his clothing.
“Why are you stopping me, Vedmak?” Gothel said to the man, halting but not releasing the knife.
Rapunzel shuddered at the name. This evil man was the one who’d fed Gothel’s insanity. Looking at him, she doubted he was any saner than Gothel.
“You don’t want to upset the girl, Gothel. If we’re to complete the transformation, we need her happy. Move away from the boy.”
Gothel seemed to remember Fane and looked at the knife. “I can’t. In order for my daughter to return, he must die. There is too much at stake.”
Gothel gripped the knife tighter and crouched, as if to get better position. She leaped forward, and a loud noise exploded. Gothel flew backward, slamming against the wall, stunned. Gothel’s knife clattered to the floor. Rapunzel gasped and turned to stare at the man. He stepped forward and dropped to his haunches. “It’s going to be okay now.”
“Please,” she whispered, glancing down at Fane.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Vedmak said. Rapunzel’s gaze was drawn back to the man. His eyes were endless, dark swirling pools. “You cooperate with us, and I’ll insist Gothel spare his life.”
Rapunzel’s thoughts were muddled. She knew that they wouldn’t let Fane live. They couldn’t. As if he divined her thoughts, he said, “I can erase his memory, Rapunzel. He won’t remember you. He won’t remember this place. It will seem as a dream. I promise to let him go if you cooperate.” He leaned closer, and Rapunzel felt the pull of his eyes once more.
“Give me your word,” she mumbled.
He placed a hand on her arm, every line of his body and face exuding empathy—except for his eyes, which remained cold and unfathomable. “You have my word, Rapunzel.”
“No!” Gothel protested.
Vedmak’s eyes moved beyond Rapunzel to land on Gothel. Rapunzel was amazed to see Gothel shrink back beneath his look.
“Say your good-byes,” he told Rapunzel.
She turned back to Fane, leaning down to kiss him. He responded weakly, his eyes opening the tiniest slit. “I love you, Fane. I have since I first saw your picture. You made my life worth living, and I’ll never forget you.” A tear dropped onto his chin from her cheek. “Even though you’ll forget me.”
“No, Rapunzel,” he said weakly. “It’s a trap. Run.”
His body suddenly stiffened, jaw clenched, groans rumbling in his throat as he spasmed.
“That’s enough, Gothel,” Vedmak commanded.
Rapunzel turned burning eyes on Gothel, who held the trigger. Suddenly the gun was ripped from her hands by an unseen force. Rapunzel screamed.
Vedmak stepped forward and bent to scoop up the unconscious Fane. Rapunzel tried to hold onto him, but in her weakened state she was no match for the big man. He carried Fane into the dungeon that she’d occupied so recently. She scrambled to her feet and followed.
Vedmak laid him on the floor and turned to Rapunzel. “See?” he asked. “I’m keeping my word. I’ve removed the wires from him. He’ll wake soon enough. I’ll come back after we’re finished and erase his memory as promised.”
He ushered Rapunzel out of the room. She had no choice, it was the only thing she could do for Fane. She glanced back where he lay on the cold floor, his chest rising with his breaths. Vedmak bolted the door behind him, locking Fane in. He took Rapunzel’s arm and steered her away from the room.
“Come, Gothel,” he commanded as they passed where she still sat on the floor. She shot Rapunzel a glare so full of loathing and hostility that Rapunzel cringed away from her. After they passed, Rapunzel heard her rise and follow them.
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Rapunzel cringed and pulled back forcefully when she saw that Vedmak led her to the black room of sixes.
“No!” she screamed. “No, please, not in there!”
Vedmak turned to her, calm. “Now, Rapunzel, I kept my word. Won’t you keep yours and cooperate?”
Rapunzel shook her head frantically.
“For the sake of your friend,” he added, his voice cold and firm.
Rapunzel froze and looked up at him. Threat was evident in his words. She immediately quit struggling.
Inside the room that invaded her nightmares was a black cot in the center of the star. He led Rapunzel to it and indicated she should lie down. Fear shook her as she did so.
“You’ve let her become weak,” Vedmak chided Gothel as she entered the room.
“She refused to eat,” Gothel complained.
“You should have taken control,” Vedmak said. “After all, you are the mother.”
Gothel’s nostrils flared at the insult but remained silent. “Shall I get the tube?” she asked.
“Only if you wish her to survive the procedure,” he said.
Gothel left the room. Vedmak turned away from her, doing something on a black table against the wall she didn’t recall seeing before. Rapunzel quickly moved to sit up and run through the open door. She was stumped in her intention by the straps that held her tightly bound. She stared at them. What the . . . ? She couldn’t recall Vedmak placing them on her, yet the black straps clearly crossed her chest, stomach, and legs.
Vedmak clicked his tongue, his back still facing her. “You’re making me question how well you plan to keep your word, child. Please keep in mind your friend’s fate rests on you.”
Rapunzel immediately stilled. Soon Gothel returned, and Rapunzel was forced to submit to a tube being shoved down her throat. She coughed and choked, tears running from her eyes. Once it was inserted, Vedmak hung a can on a pole next to her head and hooked it to the tube. She looked up at the can and read “Ensure” on it.
Vedmak followed her gaze. “Not to worry. It’s nothing more than nutrition.”
Tears continued to flow along with the thick liquid that ran into her stomach.
“When do we start?” Gothel whined. “You promised me my daughter.”
Vedmak turned black eyes on her. “Patience, Gothel. Tomorrow she’ll be stronger and the others will be here. We can’t continue without them.”
Rapunzel had a pretty good idea of who the “other
s” were. Her nightmares were becoming clearer by the moment.
* * *
Gothel sat silently next to her throughout the night. When the can of liquid nutrition emptied, she removed it. Then, two hours later she hung a new one, refusing to look at Rapunzel. This continued for quite some time. Rapunzel watched as the thin line of light around the door brightened. The room warmed up. She figured it to be around noon when Vedmak returned.
“Get some rest,” he told Gothel. “We’ll begin at six.”
Gothel smiled, the expression filled with malevolence. She left, and now Vedmak watched over Rapunzel. He didn’t seem as content as Gothel to let silence reign.
Sitting next to her, he picked up her braid, which lay on the floor off the side of the narrow cot. He clicked his tongue again, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t have done this,” he said, lifting her hair and showing her the slice she’d made. Rapunzel’s eyes widened. She’d forgotten about that and now feared what he’d do to her because of it.
“Do you know how hard I worked to put the magic into your hair?” he asked, fingering the slice, watching the motion. Rapunzel couldn’t speak with the tube down her throat. “It took many, many years of rituals. There were times it nearly drained me of my own power. And now,” his cold, hard eyes turned to hers, “one moment of childish temper may have undone all my work.” He leaned closer. “For your sake, I hope enough remains in the unharmed portion.”
Rapunzel shuddered at his words.
“I’m very close to becoming all-powerful,” he said. “You are my final piece of magic. Learning to harness a specific type of magic and manipulate it at will is the only thing I haven’t done. You’re going to help me do that, you and that hair that I’ve invested so many years in. You released some of the magic when you cut it, but hopefully not all. Once I’ve re-bound the magic to your hair, we will sacrifice you and the magic will become mine. Then I will have everything. I will be everything.”
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