Chapter 20
Twenty
Wynter
The glass door of the conservatory remains shut, a transparent barrier between me and the world.
Hours crawl by, marked only by the gentle rush of the waterfall and the distant, unseen movements of Kaden’s men.
I try to read my father’s journal, but the words blur on the page.
My mind is a chaotic battlefield, Kaden’s words and actions warring for dominance.
The fairytale words, once a childhood comfort, now feel like a prophecy of my doom.
He sees me as Snow White, but he is no Prince Charming.
He is the Huntsman who brought me to his dark castle, and the Seven Dwarfs are his hardened, silent guards.
This conservatory, for all its beauty, is my glass coffin.
I trace the outline of a fern leaf, its intricate veins a delicate pattern of life. I am alive. That much is true. But what kind of life is this? A life of gilded captivity, where every comfort is a chain, every kindness a calculated manipulation.
But the price… the price is my freedom. My soul.
A flicker of movement at the edge of my vision. A door, previously unnoticed, slides open. Kaden stands there, his presence filling the space, drawing all the air from the room. He doesn’t speak, simply watches me, his blue eyes intense, unreadable.
He gestures with his head. “Come.”
My heart pounds. What now? Another test? Another command? I rise, my legs feeling unsteady, and walk toward him.
He leads me through another series of hidden passages, not the grand hallways of the morning, but narrower, less ornate. These feel like the secret veins of the compound, unseen and unknown. We stop before a heavy, wooden door.
He pushes it open.
And there she is.
Emily.
She’s sitting on a plush armchair, her usually neat hair slightly disheveled, her eyes wide and tear-streaked. She looks terrified, but unharmed. She looks up, her gaze falling on me, and her face crumples.
“Wynter!” she cries, leaping to her feet and rushing toward me.
I run to her, throwing my arms around her, holding her tight. Her familiar scent, the warmth of her body, is a lifeline in this surreal nightmare. “Emily! What are you doing here? Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head, sobbing into my shoulder. “They just… they just took me. Two men. They were so quiet. So fast. I didn’t even see them coming.” She pulls back, her eyes frantic. “Where are we, Wynter? What’s happening?”
I look over her shoulder at Kaden. He stands in the doorway, watching us, his expression unreadable. He brought her here. He brought my only friend into his cage.
“We’re safe, Emily,” I say, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. “We’re safe. For now.”
Emily pulls back, looking from me to Kaden, a dawning horror in her eyes. “He… he did this? He brought me here?”
Kaden steps into the room, his presence filling the space. “Evilin Blanc put a bounty on your head, Emily Carter,” he states, his voice calm, matter-of-fact. “She believes you know where Wynter is. She was coming for you.”
Emily gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “A bounty? But… why?”
“Because Wynter is mine now,” Kaden says, his gaze sweeping over me, possessive and absolute. “And Evilin wants her back. She believes you are her ‘magic mirror,’ the one who can lead her to Wynter. She wants to reclaim her lost prize.”
He walks to a small table, pouring three glasses of water. He offers one to Emily, then to me. His eyes meet mine over the rim of the glass.
“You are a guest here, Emily,” he continues, his voice firm. “You will have every comfort. You are free to move about your wing. But you will not leave the compound. Not without my permission.”
Emily stares at him, her face pale. “You’re… you’re holding me captive?”
“I am protecting you,” Kaden corrects, his voice cold. “From Evilin. From her men. From the dangers of the world outside these walls. You are safer here than you ever were in the city.”
He turns to me, his gaze softening almost imperceptibly. “I know she is important to you, Snowflake. I will protect her, just as I protect you.”
My mind reels. He brought her here for me. To protect her. To show me his power. To show me that he controls everything, even my friendships. It’s a calculated move, a brilliant, cruel manipulation. He has taken the one person who could offer me solace, and made her a hostage in my gilded cage.
Emily looks at me, her eyes pleading for an explanation, for reassurance. But what can I say? That our captor is also our protector? That the monster who stole my freedom also saved my friend?
I look from Emily’s terrified face to Kaden’s unreadable one. He has just tightened the chains, not with force, but with a perverse act of kindness. He has given me a reason to stay. He has given me a reason to embrace his darkness. Because if I want Emily to be safe, I have to play by his rules.
The thought is chilling. And utterly compelling.