Chapter 12
12
S he fought her way through the rosehip bush back into the forest. When she rose to her feet, she groaned. Shoot. It was pitch black out. Maybe she should have spent the night in the cave. But then she might never have left — and the captain wouldn't have let her go.
She heaved a sigh. She was preoccupied and forced herself to push the conflicting feelings inside her aside. First, she had to get away from the fairy dust source so she wouldn't succumb to the temptation to run back and agree on a plan with the captain. She didn't want that — too much was at stake. Even though the fact that he'd let her go spoke for him and his version of things, there were still the fairies and Anton who had warned her about him. And the pirate who helped her escape. Until she found conclusive evidence, she wanted to exercise caution.
It was so dark she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She slowly walked in the direction she felt she had come from. Her thoughts were racing, but the branches whipping her face kept pulling her back to the present. Struggling to make progress, she tripped over tall roots so much that after a while, she stopped. She would become hopelessly lost in the forest if she didn't find the same path she'd traveled before. How was she supposed to tell in the darkness if she was heading in the right direction?
Carefully, she felt her way along the trees and bushes. She needed a quiet place for the night until it was light again and she could find her way back. A cave, a ledge, or even a tree would do in a pinch. The main thing was to have something to recline against and sleep. Fatigue weighed on her, demanding that she stop and let her mind rest. But was she even safe in the forest? If someone was after her, did they know where she was? Would they take advantage of the darkness and grab her?
She needed to find protection, somewhere to hide. But how could she find suitable shelter in the dark? As she was about to defy her misgivings in her sleepy state and simply lay herself down on the moss, she felt a slight tremor. What was that? An earthquake? Shoot. She was in a forest, where any branches could fall on her head. Anna quickly crouched and crossed her arms over her head when a shout rang out.
"Anemone?"
Who was that? Her pursuer? A trap?
"Anemone? Are you here?"
Wait, she knew that voice. That was…
"Toni?"
"Anemone? Where are you?"
Oh, yes, it was her friend. She felt the earth tremble again. Of course. He was hurrying to her.
"Toni, I'm over here."
"Anemone? I hear you. One more time."
"Heeere!"
The next moment, a huge shadow broke through the canopy and slowly approached the ground. Shortly afterward, it brushed Anna's hands, which she had stretched toward the sky.
"Anemone? Is that you?"
"Yes."
"Climb onto my hand!"
Not needing to be told twice, she quickly climbed onto the giant's warm palm and he carefully lifted her until she broke through the treetops and found herself under the sky that sparkled with stars.
"Finally, I tracked you down. I was so worried about you." The giant stood at the edge of the forest and slowly pulled his hand toward his face. Anna balanced herself so she wouldn't fall and laughed at the huge shadow.
"Toni, I'm so glad you're here. How did you find me?"
"I saw Margerite return without you. Apparently, she felt guilty about leaving you behind, so she pointed me in the direction that I had to take. I set off immediately and have been calling for you for over an hour. Why didn't you hear me before?"
Because I was hidden in a cave with the pirate captain?
Should she tell Anton about the meeting? She hesitated as a loud yawn escaped her throat. She was so exhausted that she could fall asleep on the spot. "I'm tired from walking so far. Can we talk tomorrow?"
"It's okay, little Anemone, I'll take care of you." Here he was. Her protector in the dark. How wonderful it was to have Anton as a friend…
As she wandered into dreamland, she felt the giant spread his handkerchief over her. And even before he sat down on the meadow to get some rest for the night, she was fast asleep.
The first rays of sunlight wandered across her cheek. She stretched and gave a good, long yawn. It only took a moment for her to realize where she'd spent the night. Anton was still snoring loudly, and it was a miracle that Anna hadn't woken up long ago.
Grinning, she sat up and scanned the area. They were at the edge of the forest where the fairy dust source was located. Was the captain still there? Why did she immediately think of him? And why was her heart beating so fast again?
She cleared her throat to drive away the memories of him and combed her fingers through her strawberry-blonde hair, but her thoughts kept returning to their encounter. Back then, she'd taken the fairy dust to him for safekeeping. She'd forgotten to ask if there was any left.
If what he said was true, then she wasn't the one at fault, but rather the one who could incriminate whoever was responsible. What was it that she had discovered? Who had she met back then?
"Anemone?” The drowsy giant stretched out and yawned so vigorously that a strong wind swept through the forest. She gradually came to understand just how powerful a giant's breath and the resulting wind were. "As before, you wake up with the first rays of sunshine. I'm surprised you don't immediately fall asleep when night falls. It was really funny back then." He chuckled.
Was that why, despite her fears, she had almost fallen asleep in the forest yesterday before finding safe shelter? Were the behavioral characteristics of a fairy actually awakening in her?
He nudged her with his finger, interrupting her musings. "Did you find the source without Margerite's help?"
She nodded, and his large mouth widened into a radiant smile.
"That's huge. Your memories are coming back."
"Well, I don't have any real memories, but I still found the way. I think that's a good sign." Her thoughts returned to the captain and she quickly lowered her gaze so that Anton wouldn't notice her telltale red cheeks. But the giant didn't miss anything.
"What is it? Are you sad? Wait, why are your cheeks as red as a tomato?" He snorted. "You saw him!"
Shocked, she glanced up. "How did you know?"
"You've never been able to hide anything from me. What did he do to you? How did you escape him?"
A smile crossed her lips when she imagined his face: the square jaw, the dark eyes, the strong cheekbones, the scar across his cheek, the short black hair that he ran his hands through, and the wicked grin on his face. "He let me go."
Anton's eyes widened. "What? I don't believe you. After everything he did to…"
"Why are you so certain he was the one who erased my memories and took me to the other world?"
The giant's massive shoulders slumped. "Because you wanted to go see him and shortly afterward, you disappeared forever."
Anna nodded to herself. She understood why the giant suspected the captain. But what if everything had happened differently? "According to him, I went to meet Iris and Jasmin and then was going to meet him again — but I never returned."
"That's just like him. Twisting the facts to his liking. Anemone, you must never trust a pirate, especially that sneaky captain!"
Apparently, the captain and the giant had never liked each other. She smiled and stared off into the distance. She wanted to believe both of them, but wasn't that foolish?
"Back then, did I tell you I gave him the fairy dust?"
Carefully, so as not to crush the blades, Anton ran his fingers, long as normal human legs, over the grass. His gigantic size didn't frighten Anna, but it constantly impressed her.
He hesitated. "You hinted you were considering it. But you knew I would have talked you out of it, so you quickly dropped the subject."
Aha. Hinted. "Did I express my concerns that someone was taking the fairy dust?"
Anthony nodded. "According to Margerite and Iris, you only said that to cover up the fact that you were taking fairy dust to the pirates."
This allegation hurt Anna. Even if she couldn't remember the past, she certainly wasn't a bad person. She brushed the accusation aside but noted who had voiced suspicions about her. "Did I ever express concerns about fairies disappearing? Before I gave away the fairy dust?"
He slowly raised his eyebrows. Creases furrowed his forehead like trenches. Then he scratched his head. "It's been so long, Anemone."
She kneeled and peered intently at the giant. "Think about it! It is important. Did I mention the names of any fairies who were missing?"
"Hah, my memory has never been the best." He shook his head leisurely. Anna's shoulders sagged when suddenly he raised his index finger. "Wait a minute, there was something. You… eh… said that you had to work longer than usual. And that you had the impression there were fewer of you. M'hm… and that you really missed someone specific. The names sounded similar. You mentioned something like Ki…, Ko…, Ka…, Calla! Calla and Ka… mille! It was them. You missed those two."
Anna froze. So it was true. The captain had told the truth — at least as far as the fairies were concerned. Was it merely a chain of coincidences or had someone deliberately laid the blame on her for all of this? The scapegoat was gone and wouldn't return to defend themselves?
Anton bowed his head. "What is it? What's on your mind?"
She inhaled deeply and then looked at him determinedly. "Someone framed me for this."
"What? Framed? But you gave the pirates a barrel of fairy dust and then they sailed through the air and took on the giants."
"Yes, but before that, fairies had started to disappear and someone was taking the dust."
Anton's mouth fell open. He stared at her in disbelief but said nothing. Suddenly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a huge sausage. "After that shock, I need something to eat."
Her stomach rumbled loudly at the sight, but when she tried to ask him for a piece, her stomach churned. Now what was happening?
"Here." Anton set her down gently on the meadow and pointed to a blueberry bush. "There's your breakfast."
Her eyes lit up, her stomach growled, and she immediately picked a handful — the bush didn't have more to offer. Her food cravings definitely were crazy in this land. As were her sleeping habits. Okay, she had never liked staying up after sunset and was rather grumpy in the morning before the first rays of sunlight. But the fact that she practically fell over as soon as the sun set was unusual. She probably couldn't blame it on jet lag. Pensive, she tossed blueberry after blueberry into her mouth and after one measly portion, she was full. Strange. She hadn't eaten anything since the raspberries yesterday.
"Your body remembers before your mind does," commented Anton, who had noticed her thoughtful look. Could he read her mind? "Fairies only need a few berries a day, and for some, one is enough. And your sleep rhythm is already syncing with your family."
Were those signs that there was a fairy hiding inside her?
"Oh, Toni…"
"Don't look so skeptical. I would never lie to you. Besides, Margerite and Iris said it too. Why do you think the pirates who abducted you shackled you with iron restraints? So you wouldn't change and fly away."
She was about to wave him off when she remembered the pirate captain's words. "The captain also confirmed it…"
"Well, at least he spoke the truth for once."
Anna ignored Anton's comment. The captain had said it too. He had spoken of her wings and his eyes had lit up. Was that even possible? "How can that be? How am I supposed to be a fairy? Toni, it's beyond my imagination."
The giant merely nodded to himself. "Time will tell, Anemone, time will tell." He wiped his fingers clean on a handkerchief, then ran his fingers over the grass and stared thoughtfully at Anna. "We have to find out who is truly responsible for the deaths of the fairies. How do we go about it?"
Anna let her gaze wander over the meadow, the forest, and the hills in the distance. "We'll start with you showing me the Kingdom of Flowers."