A Whisper in the Woods (Fated Folktales #1)

26. Chapter 26

Chapter twenty-six

Leena

T wo weeks went by in a haze of happiness. Bratan finally started showing me around the woods and taught me about our relationship with it. We spoke of our lives, and I vaguely told him about mine back in Woodsmeadow, though I didn’t want to spoil my bliss by getting into the details. One day, I would, but for now, the basics were enough. He’d ask me questions, and I’d answer. Mostly questions about Vasska.

“And no one did anything to stand up for you?” he’d asked one day when we were strolling through a section of the woods. “You were hurt by that brute, and no one did anything?”

I sighed. “Unfortunately, no. The only person who cared enough to do anything was too frail, but you know that part. It’s what led me here in the first place.”

His jaw set in cold fury. I put my hand on his shoulder in hopes that it would ease him a bit, but the anger blazed in his eyes. “I’d give anything to get that man over here and—”

“It’s not worth it. It was a hard part of my life, but it’s over now.”

His eyes were still hard stones as I got on my toes to reach my hands to his face. “Let’s not think about him anymore, okay? Let’s just think about us.” It took some more convincing, but I managed to bring him back to our moment together and moved forward.

We enjoyed doing a lot of things together, but my favorite part of each day was when we spent time in our secret world. Today, we were relaxing on the grass, eating blueberries and basking in the sun. The fruit was sweet and plump, and I let out a satisfied sound as I rolled one into my mouth, savoring what once was a delicacy and feeling it pop on my tongue until it was sweet nectar sliding down my throat.

“You have to try this,” I said, offering Bratan an especially large berry.

He opened his mouth, and I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the big bad monster of the woods adorably leaning in for a piece of fruit. The juices spilled onto my fingers as I tucked it into his mouth. His lips closed around my fingertips, then parted. I watched his tongue slowly lick the dark juices off my skin, and the blood buzzed in my veins. He dragged his bottom lip up my fingers, then grabbed them and kissed my palm. His teeth trailed to my wrist before kissing it and biting it until I couldn’t take it anymore.

I leapt on him, knocking him into the grass. Blueberries spilled from the wicker basket at my side, now completely forgotten. I was addicted to his taste—to his touch, his body, the way he felt when we moved together. I’d loved every second of the last two weeks, hiding away, stealing kisses and moments between trees and in this little slice of the woods that was all our own. I’d never known such happiness, and with each passing day, I became more convinced that I was always meant to be the bride of the Leshy.

His hands gripped the back of my thighs, and I hissed in pleasure, a sound both feminine and feral. “You have the most sumptuous legs, little dove,” he said, flicking his tongue along mine and pinning me down. I watched him move down to my hips in ravenous anticipation. He breathed on them, trailing his teeth along my inner thigh. “They’re so delicious.” His grip tightened on the thickest part of my legs. He gently bit my thigh, then guided his tongue in a teasing trail along the inner creases. “I just want to eat them,” he said.My teeth buzzed, desire consuming me. “I want—”

A loud crack tore through trees on the clifftop. It was ferocious and unsettling, accompanied by a low, melancholy groan. The echo that followed was so vicious that it sent ripples shuddering across the lake's surface “Did you hear that?” My heart raced while I waited for an explanation, but he didn’t respond. A sudden eerie chill swept through the clearing. Bratan’s grip loosened, his gaze frantic as it scanned the clifftop. I rose to my feet, frantically searching for any sign of life—maybe even a spirit or something undead—that could have made such a noise .

The strong desire that bubbled up inside me vanished in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming sense of dread. And crippling fear.

Bratan stood and took a step forward, narrowing his eyes in concentration. I followed his line of sight, my heart still pounding.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know.” His voice was tight. “Nothing can enter this portion of the woods without my explicit permission.” That sense of unease amplified. If even Bratan was surprised and didn’t know what was going on, then whatever that was could have been anything.

Images of the darkness sweeping across our bedroom slithered through my mind like a viper. That feeling of the claw returned; I could still feel it ripping down my back.

“I think it’s been haunting me…” My eyes trailed off with my voice, but I felt Bratan’s stare tear from the trees.

“What’s been haunting you?”

I grabbed my elbows to stave off the chill and discomfort, but my skin only grew colder.

“I keep seeing things from the corners of my eyes. And remember that day? That wound? I think I’ve been seeing it— feeling it. I-I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.” I winced. Why did I always do that—dismiss myself in fear of doing anything that could end up being wrong ?

His hands found my face, and he slowly turned me to look at him. “Your feelings are valid. Now tell me what you’ve seen. Tell me what’s been haunting you.”

I held myself tighter. “I’ve told you all I know, and you saw me that morning I’d been hurt.”

His brows furrowed; his eyes almost turned black. “We should go.”

The abrupt shift only made things worse. “Do you think it’s the same thing?”

He chewed on his cheek and looked back into the woods. “I don’t know, but I want to get you home. I want you safe. And I’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise you.” He pressed his lips on my forehead and held me close. “I’ll keep you safe at all costs.”

I wasn’t sure if I should find comfort in his words or feel uneasy, but I chose to let them comfort me.

“Okay. Let’s go home.”

***

Theodora accompanied me when Bratan left, busying herself with needlework by the fire. It was jarring to see her hands work; before I saw her face, I swore it was Karina. My stomach sank as I thought about them. I’d avoided following up with Bratan about my grandmother or Woodsmeadow, and I hated myself for it. But I wasn’t ready, in part because I was afraid to know, but mostly because I wanted to wait for the right time. I was finally happy after all these years, and I knew that if something was wrong, Bratan would have taken care of it. He wouldn’t let Grandmother suffer. He’d made a deal and was proactive in his duties. I was sure she was safe.

But I needed to know, and I needed to ask if there was a way for her to be here with me.

I’d ask him when he returned, as long as whatever he was investigating didn’t cause more trouble first.

The chill of his absence was suffocating. He wouldn’t leave until Theodora was at my side, but I still felt safer when he was with me. He’d grumbled something to her before leaving, something about contacting him if anything went awry. Whatever was out there must have been a bigger threat than I realized. It had to be. But I was still in the dark about it, and I was growing extremely tired of being in the dark.

The unease creeping through the house was palpable. I tried ignoring it, but that was like asking the sun not to set. I stayed by the upstairs window, wringing my nightdress and focusing on the yellow eyes of owls poking through dark branches. In the quiet night, the trees looked like blots of ink spilling upwards into the sky. The moon wasn’t out tonight, which made things all the more eerie.

I was scared. I hated to admit it, but I was.

“Your Majesty?” The floorboards squeaked as the maid ascended the stairs. I focused on the trees. “Would you like something to eat? Or maybe some tea? ”

“No, I’m all right. Thank you.” My hands were cold. Everything was too much. It was caving in on me. Would Bratan be all right? Would I be okay? What about Grandmother? What was going on?

My chest tightened, cranking like the turn of a key.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” The word was curt, but I didn’t have the energy to be polite. I could barely stand. My hands were shaking.

“Maybe you should rest. I could get you—”

“I said I’m all right.” My eyes stung, and my body trembled. Suddenly, I was crying, sobbing uncontrollably in a haze of confused fright. I used to be good at suppressing my tears. Maybe being happy lately had allowed me to actually feel again. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Really, I am.” My throat constricted, the sobs forming a knot in the middle.

The floorboards squeaked as Theodora placed her hands on my shoulders. “No need to apologize, but please let me help you.”

The Leena from a month ago would have walked away, pretending to be fine, but today, I surprised myself by sinking my face into the maid’s shoulder and letting her wrap an arm around me. She patted my back as I cried and quietly led me to the bed.

“Try to get some rest, Your Majesty. I’m sure it will help you.”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I was cold, my stomach was sick, and there was such an obvious sense that something was wrong that it made everything unbearable. I felt it in every bone, every joint, every nerve.

“Good night, Your Majesty. Please don’t hesitate to beckon me if you need anything.” Theodora waited for a moment after covering me with the duvet. I was still shaking when she went downstairs.

My eyes fixed on the windowsill as I slowly went numb. It felt like something was sucking the life out of me, draining my insides until I was completely hollow. The night sky went from a scattered black sheet freckled with stars to a faded purple. Soon, it was dawn, and Bratan still wasn’t home. I hadn’t slept all night, and I had no idea where he could be or if he was safe.

A new fear suddenly poured into me, filling me with dread.

Perhaps this was the end of it all.

Happiness hadn’t been my companion for years, and it had never felt like this. Maybe I had used up all my days and years of happiness, and I wasn’t meant for it anymore. Maybe happiness didn’t come to poor orphan girls playing dress-up in a make-believe world.

Ani was right. This life wasn’t truly mine. It couldn’t be. I wasn’t a queen or some deity. The joy I’d felt so briefly had to come to an end eventually. It was never meant to last.

Not for someone like me.