A Whisper in the Woods (Fated Folktales #1)

1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Leena

I never knew the woods could be silent.

Teeming with life and the movements of nature, it was impossible for there to be no sound in a place like this. But right now, in these woods, I heard nothing. Even the wind had stopped whistling. One moment, my boot was breaking a twig, my hunting pack dragging empty across brittle leaves, and then it stopped. As if every sound had been ripped away.

An odd sensation rippled through me, like mismatched piano keys playing in the back of my mind. I took my time steadying myself, holding my stomach to fight back the nausea threatening to send bile up my throat. When the feeling passed, I slid my hunting pack under my cloak and focused on the path back home.

Each quiet step unnerved me to the core. All I could think about were the legends that had taken over the village as of late. Of something being in these woods. Something not human.

The leaves were already turning, falling like butterfly wings from the weathered branches of sky-reaching trees. There was something about this place that gave it a haunting glow, no matter the season. A sudden autumn had fallen upon us, turning the forest around our traveling town from a lush green sea to a flash of crisp ruby and burnt orange. Though awe-inspiring, the sudden change was eerie. It shouldn’t have happened in a matter of weeks, and I shouldn’t be able to see my breath in what should have been late summer.

I kept my eyes on the path, occasionally watching the wildlife around me, hoping a threat wouldn’t pounce at me before I returned to Woodsmeadow.

And then it was back.

Every sound all at once, a raucous symphony that almost sent me toppling to my knees. I closed my eyes to stop the world from spinning, but the moment I heard the crunch of a leaf beneath my boot, I choked out a relieved sob. The sounds of the world had sprung back to life. I could even hear the distant chatter of the townsfolk ahead and the chirps and scurries of animals behind me. Letting out a long, thoughtful exhale, I found my bearings and walked into town.

As usual, no one paid me any mind, which didn’t bother me in the slightest. The last thing I wanted was to be noticed, especially right now. I was too focused on ridding myself of the thoughts gnawing at the back of my skull—of ignoring the cause of the strange experience I’d just left behind. Of what could have caused it.

A chill slithered down my spine .

Pulling my cloak’s thick scarlet hood over my head, I let it drape over my face, keeping my head down so all that poked out was the straw-colored braid that snaked nearly to my waist. I wished the old cloak wasn’t such a bold red. It only drew unwanted attention, but it was all I had left of my mother. I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Still, I might as well be wearing a sign for the one person in the village I actively tried to avoid.

“Ah, Leena.” As if on cue, the man’s voice sent something cold bolting through my blood. I cringed before peering up at him. As thin as he was tall, the redhead stared me down in the lecherous way he always did, dragging his gaze from my boots to my hood, taking his time doing so, particularly around my bodice. “How long have you been going into the woods alone?” The words came out dark and playful, like a cat toying with a mouse.

Fear wriggled beneath my skin like a cluster of worms.

“Leave me alone,” I said, my voice clipped.

I tried pushing past him, but he stepped in front of me and continued. “Why were you out there? It’s awfully dangerous for a young maiden to go in there alone, especially with everything that’s been happening.”

“I had an errand to run. It’s not usual for me to go on my own, and I likely won’t do it again.” I didn’t dare tell him the truth—that this was something my uncle had forced upon me due to his supposed injury and our lack of food. I’d been around Casimir long enough to know what to look out for and how to protect myself.

He flashed me an impish grin and circled me.

“Your grandmother and Vasska are keeping you busy, as always, I see.” He stopped just long enough to trail a finger down my jawline to the tip of my chin. I slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!” I hissed, successfully pushing past him this time. He shouted something at me with a chuckle, but I didn’t hear it, nor did I look back. I kept moving, ignoring the heavy thumping in my chest and the frenzied pulsing in my ears. I didn’t stop until I made it safely to the hut.

Before my hand reached the wooden door, my uncle came bursting out. His eyes were fierce as they fixed on mine, his six-foot-two frame looming over me. Vasska was so wide he nearly broke the doorframe every time he came bounding out. I’d been hoping he was in a good mood today, but from the way his pale face was crimson, and his wisps of yellow mustache hairs twitched, it was clear that my wish was a foolish one. His gray eyes fell to my empty arms and limp hunting sack.

“Where is it, girl?” he barked. I tried keeping my gaze on his, but I’d never been able to stand strong against him. Not when I was a child, and not now.

Vasska hated it when I stared at my feet, so I spoke before he could continue. “Th-the rabbit was too difficult to catch—”

“There are plenty of animals in the woods!” he bellowed. “You couldn’t catch one ?” Even with passersby staring, he didn’t hold back. I was surprised anyone stared at this point. Our village was small, and he stopped hiding his personality when he realized he could get away with it—that he could get away with pretty much anything. This display wasn’t new. They knew him. They knew what he was like, even if they turned their heads to avoid my gaze and never intervened, even and especially when things escalated.

“I know, but—”

“But nothing,” he growled, grabbing me by the arm so tightly I let out a high-pitched squeal. “Get in here.” He threw me into the hut, slamming the door behind him and limping to me in an angry hobble. His uneven footsteps shook the small, makeshift cabin. I couldn’t hide the tremor in my legs, especially as he grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to look straight into his soulless eyes. “You were too soft again, weren’t you?”

My mouth went dry. I couldn’t bring myself to kill, and I’d never had hunting duty before the past week. Not until the food started going missing or spoiling at an unnatural rate. Not until Vasska supposedly had a branch fall onto his leg when he was squeezing the life out of some woodland creature. He never even brought back half the creatures he killed.

“I…” I couldn’t grasp any words. There weren’t any that could save me from the inevitable. When enough time passed, I winced, bracing myself for the worst. I felt him move closer, leaning in and then slapping me across the face .

Dishes clinked at the table. My grandmother tried not to move as I steadied myself, but I saw her flinch. If Vasska saw her reach for me, she’d be the next one on the ground. My eyes darted to Karina, who was knitting on our one good, upholstered chair by the small fire, ever the dutiful wife Vasska had trained to turn a blind eye.

This life was so different from the one I’d had with my parents. After all this time, I still wasn’t used to it. Fourteen years had passed since they’d died, but sometimes it still felt like I was the same twelve-year-old girl waiting for them to come home.

I tried picking up a saucer that had fallen from the table, but Grandmother took it with shaking hands, whispering low. “I’ve got this, dear. Please get up. You know what he’s like.”

“Leena! Why are you standing there?” he barked. “Make yourself useful.” He nodded toward the scant kitchen where a pot was situated over a crude fire, burbling with days-old porridge. “Wash up and help your grandmother with supper. Then you can at least try to make up for the fact that we won’t have any game for our stew.”

I peered up at him, weighing my options. I so badly wanted to snap at him, but I could still feel the sting on my cheek from his strike.

“Fine.”

“What was that?”

“I said ‘fine,’” I hissed. His jaw set. His eyes widened. Fuming, he grabbed me by the arm and threw me at the pot. Boiling muck and old food splattered across my chest, my fingertips nearly brushing the flames. I had to bite my lip to stave off the pain of hot fluid as I wiped it off.

Grandmother quickly brought over a cloth to help me before returning to set the table. But she didn’t say anything. She never did. Her late husband left her with a lasting injury that clearly ran deeper than the scars along her spine. Whenever Vasska’s hand was raised, she’d flinch and either freeze or panic. It used to bother me that she didn’t speak up, but I understood her better now, and I was more afraid of her frail body crumpling at the hand of the brute than her trying and failing to speak.

Vasska had never laid a hand on his mother until food became scarce. Before now, I’d been the only one he took things out on, and I desperately wished it could go back to that, no matter how twisted that was. But at least if I were the punching bag, Grandmother would be safe.

Everyone sat at the table while I doled out the porridge. I tried not to cringe as it fell like balls of green mud into each bowl. We’d never eaten like royalty, but it had never been like this. Vasska was the only one who wrinkled his nose.

“Is this the best you could do?” He shot me a cutting glare, and again, I tried not to react.

“We’ll eat better when I get better ingredients,” I said, setting the pot back in the kitchen.

“We’ll eat better when you do your damn job and bring us meat. ”

I scooted close to the table, nodding in reply, though I knew I didn’t possess the skill or stomach to kill anything. But as I saw my grandmother pick up her spoon with a weak hand and getting thinner by the day, I had the motivation to at least try.

“Did you hear any news at the pub today, dear?” Karina looked at her husband, doe-like.

He slurped a large spoonful of porridge and grunted. “Something’s out there. A wolf or something.” My eyes instantly met my grandmother’s. Vasska didn’t miss it. “What? Don’t tell me you believe the nonsense being spouted about some ghost or demon.”

“Grandmother and I think it’s—”

She grabbed my hand a little too hard.

“Not now, Leena,” she hissed.

“What? What do you think it is, Mother?” Vasska growled, then shoveled in more porridge. It dribbled off his chin. I tried not to gag.

“Nothing,” she said quickly.

His fist tightened on the table, and he turned to me. “What do you think it is, Leena?”

I stared into my bowl. “We believe it’s something malicious. Not a common beast. Something supernatural.” I looked at her, but she kept her head down. At Vasska’s narrowing eyes, I realized my mistake.“She was going off of what I’d told her,” I lied. “I overheard some women talking about it near the creek outside town. The best news comes on laundry day. ”

Vasska snorted, “Don’t believe anything you hear from those wenches. They’re likely bored housewives looking for gossip.” My fingers tightened around the neck of my spoon. “I’m looking into it, though,” he continued. “Me and a couple other men in town. We’ll figure it out.”

I shot him a look. “ You will figure it out?”

“Leena!” Grandmother gasped. Vasska slammed his spoon against the table. The surface shook, rattling our broken, mismatched silverware as his eyes went wild.

“Yes, me .”

“You and who? Casimir?” I snorted. I knew I would get it, but I couldn’t let him be this arrogant and vile. He made his inexperienced niece hunt because he claimed to have injured himself, even though his limp from his alleged accident switched from leg to leg. “Such brave men. I’m sure you two diligent huntsmen will find the root of our town’s troubles.”

He jumped to his feet and slapped me so hard across the face I fell out of the chair and hit the floor with a pop to my shoulder.

“Leena!” Grandmother cried as she helped me up. I winced, trying my best to stand. I bit my lip to stop the tears and ignore the pain. Vasska kept eating like nothing happened.

“We’ll find out what’s going on, and then we’ll stop it,” he said. His empty words must have been for him alone because he had to know none of us believed him. He couldn’t be that dense. Or maybe he could. I didn’t care either way. I just turned away to head to bed, hoping something—anything—would happen to change things.

I would do anything to live a life better than this one. To give Grandmother a life better than this one. If it were up to me, I’d run so far away that the people I’d meet wouldn’t know the name of this cursed village. But it was a pipe dream. As long as food was scarce and Grandmother was here, where Vasska’s fist was an ever-present threat, I was stuck. I could survive his fury, but she couldn’t.

Until things changed, we were walking a tightrope, praying we wouldn’t fall.