by Holly Hook
The ground was bare where my brothers had stood before.
All except for the pure white feathers.
Feathers the color of their shirts.
I stood there for what felt like eternity, staring at those. Annie did the same.
Annie said nothing until the sounds of their cries vanished completely. And then she bent over and seized the knife.
And walked towards me.
"Well," she said. "It's just you and me now. You can die knowing that none of you will ever see your father again. That none of you will ever take my glory away from me."
I struggled to pry my feet from the carpet again. I managed to lift my toes, but I was still stuck. Still frozen. Annie's magic was weaker now that she had cursed my brothers, but it was still strong enough to hold me here.
"I never wanted to take anything away from you," I said. I wanted to cry now that my brothers were gone and they couldn't see, but I still had to be strong for them.
Even if they were--
"You expect me to believe your lies?" Annie asked. She was climbing the deck steps now, only feet away, and she stopped in the middle step with the knife in hand. "Do you expect to marry a prince and become a Queen? I'm going to be the only Queen of the Swan Kingdom now. I hoped you enjoyed my homage to your brothers."
"Who are you?" I asked. "What are you going to do to the kingdom?"
She had—
My brothers were—
The cold around me wavered. Annie climbed the steps of the deck, running her finger down the blade of the knife. Her presence was vile, giving the air a sharp edge. A bit of blood ran down her finger where she had cut herself. It stained the knife. It would be even bloodier in a minute.
“I’ll make this slow for you,” she said, walking around me and into the house.
The cold wavered again, and I managed to uproot my feet from the carpet.
I bolted down the steps of the deck. Invisible cold hands tried to grab me and slow me down, but I pushed through them, raw instinct taking over. Annie’s power was weaker now. I had to take advantage before it grew again.
I ran into the trees, in the direction they had run.
No. Flown.
Annie cursed behind me and pounded down the steps. I didn’t look back. Tall grass slapped at my pants—my jeans—as I ran towards the shed. I caught a flash of purple. The magical yarn. I dove down and scooped it up. It was the only thing I had left.
And ran into the trees.
"Girl!" Annie shouted.
Green surrounded me and leaves hit me from every angle. Loud breathing followed with more crashing of underbrush. I was running into the dark forest and Annie was following, bent on destroying me for the crime of existing.
I might die out here.
She had a knife and dark magic and I had a ball of yarn. It tingled and got warm in my grasp as I gulped down breath after breath of air, begging me to use it. My sides felt ready to split open and my legs protested. I had never run like this before. Princesses weren’t supposed to run. Ever.
“You can’t survive out here," Annie told me. She breathed heavily but not as bad as I. Cold wrapped around me again but I broke its hold. The forest thickened up ahead. I wanted to scream for my brothers, but they wouldn’t hear me. They were gone. Perhaps their human memories were too.
Annie’s hand scraped the back of my shirt.
Terror shot through me and I pumped my legs harder.
I held up the ball of yarn. I didn’t know what else to do.
“Show me an escape!”
The ball trembled in my grasp and the world seemed to slow, but I ran fast as ever. The yarn rose from my grasp, flying through the air to keep pace with me, and unraveled.
String flew in front of me, curving through the trees and making a sharp turn to the right. I slid on the leaves and followed as Annie swung her knife down and impaled it on a tree trunk. I couldn’t stop. My throat burned and my breath came in ragged gasps. I followed the purple yarn as it floated through the air, weaving through the trees, and made another turn downhill through weeds and bushes.
I followed, crashing through the plants, not caring about the webs and the bugs flying into my face. It was so dark no I could barely see. The hill went down so steep that I slid and went down to my bottom, then slid the rest of the way down. Rocks jabbed into me and left what would be bruises later.
The underbrush cleared and the yarn ended. I left it behind me as I slid, but not before I saw it rolling back up again on its own, snapping back together and forming the ball once again.
Water.
Tons and tons of water flowed downhill ahead of me. White blades formed on top and reflected the last of the day’s light.
A river. A raging river. I was going to fall in. The only alternative was to let Annie stab me to death.
“Ignacia!” Annie shouted from the top of the hill. Cold hit me again and the shrubs around me bent in my direction, reaching for me with their wooden fingers, but I went splashing into the river.
Water gushed up my nose. It was the worst feeling. I paddled with my arms, unsure which way was up or down. There was no fighting the water. It was like liquid stone sweeping me away. My lungs burned and I kicked my legs, trying to rise, and at last I broke the surface and sucked in the precious air I ever had. The gloom of dusk surrounded me and I spotted the red flash of Annie standing at the bank of the river, knife in hand and looking after me. The ball of yarn floated after me, rolling around on the water and riding all the choppy blades.
A rock brushed past my legs, and then another. I kicked my legs, trying to stay afloat, but then my ankle struck another rock and pain shot up my shin. I pulled my legs up and hugged them as I floated. I went under again and then came back up as the river got shallower. The water roared in my ears. I was helpless, as helpless as a leaf. The river pulled me around a corner and Annie disappeared from view.
This was like the south end of the river at home, the one we the boys weren't allowed to swim in.
The one Immanuel had almost--
I took another breath. The yarn ball stayed with me. I flailed and splashed and tried to grab it, but it was just out of my grasp. I went under a third time and came back up. Keeping my legs up to my chest was keeping me from hitting the rocks. The water rushed and surged over them. No one sane would dare dive into this river if they had a choice about it.
I might die in here.
Even Annie's magic couldn't pluck me out of this water.
Nothing could.
Chapter Two
My body had gone numb by time the river slowed and I was able to spread my arms and legs without fear of breaking them on hidden boulders. The trees around me had grown even thicker and the sky much darker. Stars winked down at me as the water around me turned to a gentle flow and I was able to stand for the first time in about fifteen minutes.
I felt like I had traveled miles.
Miles away from Annie.
My shoes sank into mud and I waded towards shore. My limbs trembled. A round, purple form moved with me, floating on the water and almost glowing. The ball of magical yarn. It was following me like a faithful dog as if it, too, wanted away from my stepmother.
She was back there in the dark.
And she would no doubt come down the bank of the river, searching for me. Annie wouldn't rest until I was dead and my brothers were doomed to be swans forever. Until we were all out of the way and she could take our kingdom for herself. Our kingdom was in the light part of Fable.
Annie must have come from the dark part, where Alric the wizard ruled, and if she took the kingdom, she might be able to turn it dark for him.
She might even try to murder my father as soon as she had a couple of heirs with him.
The thought made me wade to shore faster. My shirt and jeans hung like a second skin on my body as I climbed out and the ball of yarn stopped on the edge of the shore, unable to go any further without a command.
I picked it up.
But out in this forest, it was all I had.
I stood there. It was so dark I couldn't see into the trees or what was lurking there. More terror rose inside me like an icy mountain. I could never return to the cabin again, but Father had warned us never to venture into the forest unless it was an emergency.
If he returned to the cabin, he'd only find the feathers near the deck and us gone.
I was alone out here.
I sat down on the shore, too exhausted from staying afloat to move. Insects buzzed around me. I cradled the ball of yarn, relishing its warmth. It tingled, giving off a friendly energy that was unlike what Annie had. This yarn must be full of light magic. Father had said that a wise woman had given it to him when he was younger but he had no idea how it was made.
But it could always show you wherever you wanted to go.
It had saved my life.
And perhaps I could find my brothers again.
My stomach rumbled. I'd been getting ready to make dinner for the boys and I from our dwindling food supply right before Annie had knocked on the door. I thought about the red flower by the shed, the one that had sat there patiently for over and hour for one of us to go out and get the gas. Annie must be able to change her form more easily than she had changed the boys'. She could be any tree, any animal, any rock or plant around me. I would have to be careful. If she was smart, she wouldn't try disguising herself as a flower again.
Heat returned to my body. It was getting cool in the forest and the yarn was helping. I wrung out my shirt the best I could and tried to make out some color around me. It was all dark tree trunks and a deep purple sky with stars. The stars in this world looked just like the ones in Fable, spread across the middle of the sky in a bright ribbon. The same moon rose and fell here. There was a rumor in my kingdom that Fable had been born from the imaginations of the people in this place. For the first time, I wondered if it was true.
Enough thinking.
My brothers were out there in the dark, too, transformed into birds.
I might never see them again if I didn't do something.
The yarn would take me to them. I wasn't lost. I could ask it to help me find food, to help me find a place to hide from Annie. I had an advantage here. The yarn was the only thing keeping me from crying and breaking down.
I had to keep going and save them at all costs. As annoying as they were, I couldn't imagine life without my brothers, or how heartbroken my father would be when he found out about this, or how Annie would turn on him once she didn't need him anymore.
I held up the yarn and the tingling sensation got stronger in my hands.
"Show me a place to hide from Annie tonight," I said.
The yarn obeyed and floated above my hand, then unraveled and hung in the air like purple spider silk on the wind.
This time, I had to grab onto the yarn itself and follow it with touch as it had gotten too dark to see. The yarn didn't seem to mind. It remained warm and I grasped it like a tether as I walked deeper into the forest, through tree trunks and down another small hill. If it wasn't for the yarn, I would have broken down with fear. There were animals out in these woods. I had never seen any bears, but they existed in this world, too--and the bears here wouldn't talk to you. None of the animals would. This world was a strange place.
I followed the string a lot more slowly this time, brushing past trunks and through underbrush. I felt I had walked another mile or two before I reached the end of the string. A large, square form stood in front of me and made me jump, but it wasn't moving. I reached out and touched it. Wooden planks. One moved inward and creaked. A door. I had found a shed.
I stepped inside and more boards creaked underneath. My eyes adjusted a bit as the moon was coming up. I was surrounded by shelves and a musty smell that told me no one had kept this place up in a long time. I closed the door behind me and felt a lot safer. Something snapped outside and I made sure it was shut tight. This might be a shelter for hunters and it was tiny, but it might work at keeping me safe for the night.
Outside, there was a soft rustling as the yarn rolled itself up again. A soft thump followed as it fell to the ground. I dared to open the door and snatch it before closing it again. After feeling around to make sure there were no holes for animals to get in, I settled on the floor, curled up, and tried to go to sleep.
But all I could think of were my brothers, flying away and forgetting about me.
And Annie, approaching with her knife.
I wasn't sure how much I slept on the floor of that old shed, but the musty smell seemed to fade after a few minutes. I had never slept in anything but a bed before and this must be the way the poorest peasants had to do it. If I ever got back to the Swan Kingdom, I would help them. Poverty existed in Fable and sometimes people even starved to death.
At last, I drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
“Ignacia! Ignacia!”
I drew my gaze up from the book I was reading, a story about a brave boy who explored Fable’s underworld. Our head maid, Bernice, ran towards me, her skirts swishing around her. She had a strange look on her face.
I dropped the book on the boulder I had been sitting on. Nearby, the river gurgled and several ducks and swans swam around in the sun, grooming themselves and ducking their heads underwater to catch fish. Ike surfaced, catching a breath, while Isaac dipped his toes into the cold river and drew them out again. The other boys splashed each other in the river and ignored Bernice like they always did. I checked for Immanuel. He was okay, having fun with the others.
“What’s the matter?” I asked. I wasn’t sure I liked the redness on the maid’s face or the way she was breathing heavily. “Did the dark spot get any bigger?”
“No,” she said. “It’s your father. The king has returned from his hunt. With a bride.”
“What?” I stood up from the boulder, leaving my book upside down. “He said he would never marry again.” Father had always sworn up and down that he would never love another woman.
“I’m surprised,” Bernice said. “Her name is Annie. He won’t say where he found her or how they met, but I can’t see how this happened. Your father’s only been gone since yesterday.”
I caught my breath. Father went out on hunts every once in a while like any king, but he had been going less and less lately with the darkness in Fable getting worse. “He promised he would never do this. He promised.”
“I know he did,” Bernice said. “And this lady…I don’t think I like her. There’s something about her that sends a shiver down my spine.”
“I have to see.” Hope rose inside me that this was some lie, that Bernice was pulling one over on me. But she grabbed my arm and led me over to the castle, which stood in the distance on our hill with its white waving flags. After glancing at the boys again to make sure they were safe, I followed Bernice. Irving was here. He was almost fifteen and he could make sure the younger brothers stayed in line.
Irving swung on his rope and jumped away from the tree, landing in the river with a giant splash.
He had to. Just this once.
They might not even notice me gone.
It was a long walk to the castle, up the hill and through the gardens. I spotted Father’s favorite horse, Lightning, tied by the stables. Lightning had a pack on his back. My heart sank. Father hadn’t left with any luggage.
“You might not want her to spot you,” Bernice said. “Let’s go through the kitchens.”
Bernice held the door open for me and the two of us went through the steamy kitchen, where servants kept their hands in scalding water and chopped vegetables for dinner later. None of them gave us any notice as we walked across the brick floor and through intoxicating food smells. They were busy, much busier than normal, almost as if they were getting ready for a big occasion.
A thought formed, but I wouldn't finish it. Bernice guided me through the dining hal
l and then to the entrance hall. She waved me behind one of our large potted shrubs and motioned for me to look.
I did.
Father stood there under the chandelier in his green hunting clothes and next to his advisor, Larry. He was covered in leaf bits as if he had run through the forest for some time. He was talking, but he was too far away for me to hear. He motioned around the entrance hall and faced away from where the portraits of my brothers hung, fresh and new. The seventh space was still empty. The artist hadn’t done my portrait yet. There was still an empty space on the wall, waiting for it to go up.
“How many children?” a woman asked with a booming voice.
And then I saw her.
The woman in the red and black dress, with hair almost as dark and eyes that were sharp and piercing. She faced the paintings with disapproval.
“My sons will not be a bother,” Father said, raising his own voice. Fear made his words jumpy. “I promise. I was married once.”
The woman stepped closer to the paintings. She put her hands on her hips and surveyed my brothers. “How old is your eldest?”
Father paused. He cleared his throat. “Almost fifteen,” he said.
He was hiding my existence. He could--for now.
“Sir, do you really wish to be married tonight?” Larry asked, leaning closer to my father.
“Yes,” he said. “It must be tonight.” There was no smile. “She saved me from being lost forever. I must do what’s right.”
The woman smiled and drew closer to Father. She slung her arm over his shoulders and he cringed.
Something had happened.
Something was forcing Father into this. He must have entered into some deal.
Bernice pulled me back from the plant. “This woman doesn’t know you’re here,” she whispered to me as we walked back down the hall towards the kitchens. “I have no doubt she’s dangerous. She knows about your brothers. You need to blend in with the servants until we can figure out what’s going on.”
I glanced down at my white-blue dress, my one that shimmered in the sun, and as much as I loved it, I knew it would mark me as a target the moment Annie saw me. Servants didn't wear this. I let Bernice lead me up to the servants' quarters, to a place I had been only a handful of times. The narrow hallway was lined with wooden doors and lit with candles. I was shocked at how small the rooms were now that I was older. Bernice opened a door and pushed me inside.
