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Fern nodded. “You don’t have fairy tales here on Earth?”
I stalled. I’d remembered the fairy tale my mother read me when I was young. The one that had Kellan in it. But none of them had golden spindles in them that I could remember. “Yes, we do.”
“Where could we find them?” she asked.
“The library,” I said, gesturing toward the stairs. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. We’ll go check out the attic.”
We both walked up the staircase, turned off the light and walked into the empty kitchen. I felt better being out of the cold, damp basement.
Fern pointed toward the fridge. “Could I have a glass of water?”
I handed her a bottled water, and she stared at it for a moment before downing it. My gaze moved toward my parents' shut door. I hated to look in the attic, but I would not stop until I found it.
Fern gasped and pointed toward the back door. I followed her pointed finger to see a shadow standing at the door. It wasn’t Deidamia. It lacked the horns.
My mind wandered to on who was watching our house this late, and why. The fear in me subsided. I’d been through much worse than a peeping Tom. I raced toward the back door, swung it open, setting off the alarm.
The shadow ran toward the woods behind our home.
Fern yelled at me from the door as I chased this person down. I was tired of being in the dark. Once I was close enough, I leaped forward and tackled the person to the ground. We rolled around and grappled until I pulled off the hood.
Jenny’s wide eyes stared up at me. “Jenny?” I asked softly.
She looked so sad and afraid. What was she afraid of? I sat on top of her, hearing my parents shouting in the distance. “What are you doing here?”
Jenny let out a shaky breath. “You have to get out of that house.”
I searched her face for something that made sense. “Why? What’s going on. Do you know about the spindle?”
Jenny began to thrash around beneath me. “Let me up. They’re coming.”
I glanced over my shoulder at my parents making their way across the field in their bathrobes. “Tell me who has the spindle. Do you know about the spindle?”
Her bottom lip trembled. “Your mother,” she whispered. “She’s not who you think she is, Josephine. Run.”
My mother? My entire body stilled. My heart skipped several beats, and I watched Jenny’s frightened face. My mother couldn’t have stolen a golden spindle from another realm, could she? “Let me up,” she whispered between us.
Standing up, I watched as she scurried upright. “Get out of that house,” she whispered before running into the forest.
I watched until the trees hid her. My father stopped beside me and grabbed my upper arm. “Honey Dew, are you okay? What happened?”
I felt my mother’s eyes on the side of my face. I did my best to hide the truth that I knew lingered there. “I don’t know.”
“Who was it?” my dad asked.
I met my mother’s stare. She knew who it was. I could see it on her face. “Jenny,” I answered.
Dad sighed heavily. “The girl has not been able to move on. Poor thing. We need to get her help.”
“We should call the authorities,” my mother said nonchalantly.
I kept my mouth closed and wrapped my arms around my stomach. A chill worked its way up my spine. Dad tugged me into the crook of his arm. “Why would you come running after an intruder, Josephine? Never do that again.”
I was utterly happy that I had done that. Now I knew my mother was hiding something. Her gaze settled on mine for several seconds. I didn’t dare look away. If she did know I knew her secret, she better know I wasn’t afraid.
I’d do whatever it took to save Kellan.
He wasn’t the only hero in this story.
