The man blinks, and some of the fear dissipates from his expression. “I’m here. I made it. Please help me. I’m looking for my wife—”
“Help you?” My voice bellows like the depths of an icy chasm. “How dare a criminal ask for help? You have wandered into magic beyond your comprehension. Leave now, and be grateful you return with your life, however short it may be.”
But the human falls to his knees. “Please, sir. The rose was but a humble gift for my daughter. I’ve been searching for this realm for twenty-five years. My wife is here somewhere and—”
There is a part of me, deep within, that respects the courage of this pitiful human. But it is clear he has no idea what he has done. He does not understand the true meaning of fear.
And so, with slow, deliberate steps, I walk into the light.
The man falls backwards, eyes wide and glassy, mouth cast in a horrified O. He scrambles away but I descend faster, lurching toward him, pinning him on both sides with my massive paws. Baring my fangs, I am about to roar for him to leave when a light catches my gaze. A crystallized rose made of moonstone hangs from a chain around his neck, the intricate metalwork glittering in the firelight.
I pull back. Stare at the human.
And with twenty-five years’ worth of wrath and suffering, I straighten to my full height and say, “You want to stay in the Enchanted Vale? Then stay you shall.”
I snatch his coat in my jaws and haul him up the stairs. To the dungeon.
5
Rosalina
Allmylife,Papahas been called crazy for going on about magic and wicked faeries that steal you from this world and take you far away to enchanted lands. They said he was crazy, that it was his way to cope with the grief of a runaway wife. But here, in the deep dark of the forest, Thomas’s pale fingers tremble on the flashlight. I wonder if there’s a part of him that’s starting to believe my father.
And maybe there’s a part of me too.
“This is pointless,” Lucas grumbles from behind me. He insisted on coming, and neither of us have forgotten I haven’t given him an answer on his proposal. Nor did the shocked crowd when I ran out after Thomas, all whispering I was mad for not saying yes to Lucas. Maybe I really am as crazy as my father.
None of it bothers me right now. Because I need to find him. Papa’s gone out many times before, but he’s always come back. My heart races, and not just because of the blood on the jacket. Something is terribly wrong.
Lucas and I creep behind Thomas as he tries his best to remember the path, only the dim gleam of our flashlights guiding our way. I should be grateful for Lucas’s presence, his protection, but the way his hunting rifle glints in the moonlight makes my skin prickle.
“Uh,” Thomas’s voice wavers. “Maybe we’re getting close. I’m not sure.”
I squint my eyes, but every time I focus on something, the flashlight blinds me. “Turn off the lights.”
“You’re mad,” Lucas says. “We should come back in the morning. I’ll get the lodge to organize a search party.”
“Just turn off the light,” I snap. “Please.”
He groans but shuts off his flashlight. While my eyes adjust to the dark, the sounds of the forest come alive: the scraping of branches in the wind, the soft hoot of owls, and the scurry of little creatures in the underbrush.
And Thomas’s wheezing breath.
A small light flickers at the edge of my vision, and I cut through the mist toward it.
The wind plays with my hair.This way, this way,I swear it says.
An overgrown rosebush stops my advance. The thorny vines twist into the trees, and the roses are heavy in bloom, dark red petals carpeting the forest floor. Strange for roses to bloom in October. Something wet glistens on the petals in the moonlight.
“What the fuck is that?” Lucas turns on his flashlight, and I blink at the sudden brightness.
But there, illuminated by the light, is red blood and torn patches of fabric.
“This is where I found the coat,” Thomas stammers.
Lucas leans close. “The blood is fresh. He couldn’t have gone far.”
There’s a broken section of the rosebush near my feet, thorns and flowers torn away. “He went through here.”