Something in my life has changed recently, and I have to go away for a while.
If you see this note, meet me in the Whispering Woods. I’ll be wearing a red scarf and sitting near the misty brook that’s half a day away from the village.
If you come and you don’t like what you see, leave.
I’ll never know the difference, and I’m honestly not sure if you’ll read this in time anyway.
—You’re Only Friend, Too
I slam the book shut and steal a copy of Hamlet from the wall before running out of the store.
With my heart racing a mile a minute, I head toward the woods again, leaving this life behind once and for all.
Not So Fast
Gabriel
Lafayette is sleeping on the steps when I return to the Arwyns’ home, a rifle perched on his lap.
“Lafayette?” I push his shoulder. “Lafayette?”
“Oh, shit.” He jolts awake and stands to his feet. “Uh, sorry. I was just napping.”
“Is she still inside?” I snap, frustrated.
“Of course,” he says. “I checked every hour on the hour. She’s in her bed.”
I walk past him and push the front door open, heading to Belle’s room.
“It’s time to leave.” I knock on her door. “The quicker you come with me, the better.”
She doesn’t make a sound.
I knock again, a bit harder this time. “Come to the door now or I’ll be forced to knock it down.”
Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t comply, and I give her a full minute before forcing the door open.
Her room is empty, save for a note on her pillow.
Fuck You, Gabriel.
The Whispering Woods
Belle
Hours Later
My mother’s locket held a secret compass in the second chamber. Its brass needle shone under the darkest skies, keeping me safe and in control on the days I ventured away from home.
Without it, I am utterly lost.
I’ve been stumbling through the woods for what feels like forever, attempting to remember all the paths I took before, but every direction looks the same.
The only thing I’ve accomplished thus far is coming full circle.
Leaning against the stump of an oak tree, I let out a weary sigh and mentally recount my steps.
For some strange reason, the trees around me haven’t whispered a hint or offered help. Their leaves have yet to rustle with a message in the wind, and they’re as still as a frozen lake, serving as nothing more than a beautiful backdrop.
“Why are you all so silent now?” I ask. “You told me to run, and I did. What now?”
They give me nothing.
I sling a satchel over my shoulder and pull out my mother’s old notebook, flipping to the last page to reread her notes on all the kingdoms.
* * *
If you ever need to escape, head for the Fourth Kingdom. The people there are kind and open to vagabonds and strangers, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about its Yellow Brick Road.
* * *
It lies beyond the Twisted Rivers, and the moss on the oaks will grow on their south side if you’re close.
* * *
The swallows will know the harmony from the lullaby I sang to you as a child and will lead you the rest of the way.
* * *
It’s pointless to check the moss on the oaks ahead of me; I haven’t traveled long enough to be anywhere near the realm of the Fourth Kingdom.
I’ve yet to come across a stream, let alone a river.
Returning her notes to my bag, I decide to make this clearing a temporary shelter for the night.
I stand up and snap a few branches for firewood, but something large moves through the bushes in the distance.
It sounds too small to be a bear but too large to be a rodent.
I collect more firewood, but the ‘something’ moves again, rattling the leaves near me.
It gets closer and closer, and I stand still, waiting to see what direction it’s coming from, but then I hear a familiar deep voice behind me.
“I’m impressed with how far you’ve traveled in a day,” Gabriel breathes against my neck. “Beyond impressed, actually.”
I slowly turn around to face him, too stunned to speak. He’s dressed in all black, sporting a line of smeared war paint under his eyes.
“Going somewhere important?” He raises his eyebrow.
“No, I…” I stutter as someone presses the cold barrel of a gun against my back. “I was just stretching my legs.”
“After I specifically told you to stay home and wait for me?”
I swallow as more men—at least twenty—slip through the shadows behind him. Their arrows and guns are all aimed directly at my head, and my heart tumbles to the ground.
It knows I’m trapped.
“It looks like you’re trying to get away from me,” he says. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“I think that’s more than obvious…”
He narrows his eyes at me, and I narrow mine in return.
“Here’s the thing, Belle.” He lowers his voice and grabs me by the waist, stilling me in place. “You belong to me now. You’re one-hundred-percent mine, until I get what I need in exchange for you.”