AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, Wendy, what will it be first—a ball gown? Ruby earbobs? A prince?” I swallow hard and touch my fingers to her useless eyes. “Or…I might…”
She nods. “Yes, miss, if you please.”
I cover her eyes and will the magic to its purpose. “Did it…,” I begin.
Wendy’s mouth settles into a thin line. “Sorry, miss.”
“You can’t see?”
She shakes her head. “It was too much to hope for.”
“Nothing’s ever too much to hope for,” I say, but my heart is heavy. It is the first limit to the magic: It cannot heal, it would seem. “Is there something else? Anything at all?”
“I’ll show you,” she says, taking my hands. Feeling her way, she leads me outside and around the castle to a small patch of grass bitten with frost. She kneels, pressing her palms to it. A perfect white rose snakes from the ground. Its petals are edged with a deep blood red.
She inhales deeply. A smile crosses her lips. “Is it there?”
“Yes,” I say. “It’s beautiful.”
“Mum sold roses at the pub. I always liked the smell.”
A sweet brown hare hops past, its nose wiggling at the ground.
“Wendy,” I whisper. “Don’t move.”
I brush the frost from a patch of bitter herbs and offer them to the bunny. Curious, he hops closer, and I nestle him into my arms.
“Here, feel,” I say, putting the rabbit near Wendy. She strokes his fur, and a smile lights her face. “What shall we call him?” I ask.
“No, you should name ’im,” Wendy insists.
“Very well.” I peer closely at his twitching nose. There’s something noble and aloof about him. “Mr. Darcy, I should think.”
“Mr. Darcy. I like it.”
I fashion a cage for him of twigs and vines and a bit of magic and place the little fellow inside. Wendy holds fast to the cage as if it contains her dearest dreams.
Though it is hard to say goodbye, our night must come to an end, and we must return to our world. We embrace with promises of tomorrow, and Pippa and the others escort us as far as the bramble wall. We’re on our way to the secret door when the ground begins to shake with the sound of horses.
“Let’s go! Quickly!” I shout.
“What is it?” Ann asks, but we are already running and there is no time for replies.
“They’re cutting us off,” I call. “To the garden.”
We run hard and fast with the riders in pursuit, but we’re no match for them. By the time the river is in view, they’ve got us trapped.
“Use the magic,” Felicity begs, but I’m so frightened I cannot gain control of it. It races through me till I’m on my knees.
Several magnificent centaurs step out from behind the lush ferns. They are led by one named Creostus. He doesn’t care for any mortal, and he especially doesn’t care for me.
He crosses his muscular arms over his broad chest and eyes me with contempt. “Hello, Priestess. I believe you owe my people a visit.”
“Yes. I had planned to do so,” I lie.
Creostus leans close. His eyebrows are thick and his thin wisp of a beard comes to a point beneath a wide, cruel smile. He smells like earth and sweat. “Of course you did.”
“All is in readiness, Most High. I shall take you to Philon now,” Gorgon calls, slipping into view, and I know she’s had a hand in this. She wants me to make the alliance no matter what.
