23 Rapunzel
I’m still trying to process everything Legs shared with me as we rush across the garden to Zarev’s collapsed form lying in the grass. I kneel down beside him, pressing my hands to his chest.
He’s breathing at a steady pace, no signs of outward distress. I stare down at him, willing my magic into him to heal, but the only hurts my magic can find are the gold points embedded in his chest.
“What’s wrong with him,” I breathe, looking back at the two. The second butterfly woman must be Margo, and they hurry just steps behind to join me at his side, Legs sliding free of her horse.
“Something’s going on,” Legs breathes, and I’m ready to yell at her that I already know that. But the silence that’s cocooned us here in the garden is suddenly shattered, the sounds of wailing voices rising to high pitched screaming around us.
And it’s everywhere.
“What’s going on?” I scream, barely able to hear myself over the commotion. Zarev remains unconscious, but his blade moves, as though the noise is calling to it. I throw myself on top of the handle, covering my ears with my hands, and try to keep the thing from launching itself away from us.
A few moments later, when I feel my eardrums will burst, a gathering of spirits zips past us, the rush of souls energetic enough that it nearly knocks me over. When Legs is dropped as her horse disappears, Margo is there to catch her.
The ringing in my head from the screams is nonstop, and I alternate pressing my hands over Zarev’s ears too, hoping the noise didn’t bother him too much. He doesn’t react, and the silence from my Reaper freaks me out. I turn back to the butterfly women, my desperate eyes searching theirs. As the deafening noise begins to dim, I start to yell. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know,” Legs admits, looking around wide-eyed just like me. Through the insistent ringing in my ears I can just make out her words. “Margo, go see if there’s something going on near The Barrens. The two of us can get Zarev back to the house. Be careful!”
For a moment the two women pause, and when I look up they have pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed. When Margo, the taller of the two even sitting down, kisses Legs, I smile softly and look away. It’s their private moment, so I turn my gaze to Zarev.
Suddenly, the noise stops, but my head still throbs. The inhuman screeching is something I won’t soon forget.
When Margo jogs away, Legs gestures to me. “I can help support his legs but you’re going to have to yank him on the saddle. We can check him out in the house.”
“This has never happened to him before,” I whisper, even as I struggle to my feet. My arms aren’t nearly long enough, and I can barely get leverage despite Leg’s help. We should’ve kept Margo, but as the ringing in my head recedes, I realize we need to know what’s going on.
We heave, but Zarev is quite a bit taller than me and really heavy, even without the scythe. Frustrated, I almost drop him on his face, overwhelmed by how difficult this simple task is right now.
I fidget with my hair, preparing myself to start again as Legs take a couple deep breaths. “I’ll call down the vines to help…”
Her voice fades as I stare down at my hair. Strong, rope-like, and I know I can snap someone’s neck with it. It’s down to brushing the ground as of this morning, and that has to be enough length to get the job done.
“I can do it,” I say, ignoring her curious look as I tear my braid apart, letting the loose hair hang all the way down my back, and it tickles my feet when I move. It’s longer than ever, dragging on the ground now.
I don’t wait for a response. Sectioning it in half I wrap half around Zarev’s middle, Legs grumbling about weird bondage games while I work. I can almost zone her out, but the distraction helps to keep my mind from going into panic mode again.
With her help, I get my hair bound around him before using the second section to twist through the first, creating a type of lever.
“I can do this,” I grumble, and if I can’t get this man inside I think I’m going to hate myself. He’s impossible to drag for some reason, like weighted stone, and if he’s still that heavy when I try to move him, he’s not going anywhere until he wakes.
I hop on the horse, watching Legs scoot back a little, and pull with all my might. He budges, his torso lifting in time with my movements, and I’m so excited for a moment I almost drop him again.
Legs snorts. “Careful there, Princess.”
Ignoring her, I continue to pull him up. When he’s close to me I jump backwards, his body collapsing over the back of the leafy horse, and I groan on the ground. At least he’s up there now.
“Good job,” Legs says, glancing over at me. “Put me up there and we’ll get inside. I need to check him. Can’t say I’ve ever seen a Reaper collapse like that before.”
Panting, I nod and untwist half my hair, curling around the horse to grab Legs and help her onto the creature. She adjusts immediately, and I walk beside them back to the house.
We’ve just gotten him into a narrow cot when Margo comes back through the door, eyes wide. “The Barrens are empty.”
“What?” I’m in disbelief at her words. Surely she doesn’t mean completely empty.
“That can’t be true,” Legs says with a frown. “The spirits cannot leave The Barrens. They are trapped.”
“Well, they’re gone,” Margo argues, and it still sounds surreal. “That could be what caused him to collapse. Too much spiritual energy at once could overwhelm a Reaper.”
That sort of makes sense, but in my world Zarev survives everything. Seeing him actually down and hurt is jarring, since he’s been fighting to keep me at his side since we left Tressa.
Light appears within the dark folds of his cloak, and my brow furrows. But Legs, with all her wisdom, has the answer. “Seeing stone.”
I dig through his cloak until I find the thing, glowing bright around the brown material. I tap the top like Zarev showed me, expecting to see Raymundo on the other side.
It’s not him. Elsie and Genevieve stare back at me, twin looks of panic plastered across their faces. The younger sister speaks first, her eyes full of dread. “Oh no. Is Zarev down as well?”
I wince. “Did Raymundo pass out?”
She nods, and Genevieve speaks. “We were all walking around Swan Lake when it happened. We’re only supposed to be out here for a day or two to check the castle now that the Flowerborne are gone. He just collapsed and this mad rush of spirits flew past.”
“That happened here too.”
“It’s not a good sign,” Genny continues. “I saw the direction they’re headed, but I’m not sure what it means.”
“Which direction?” I ask, trying to remember where Swan Lake is in Mystica. I jump back to the table for my bag, digging as we speak. “The Barrens are empty now too.”
“The dead are rising,” Elsie says, looking towards her sister. Genny shakes her head just as I find my map and start pulling it open. “That’s the only reason that the Reapers would collapse. If there’s too much unrest in the spirit world it can affect them here. They were headed back East.”
I’m barely listening as I stare at the map. “Not northeast?”
“Na,” Elsie replies. “Definitely southeast in a mad rush.”
The only place that’s labeled southeast of Swan Lake is Tressa. I stand, staring down at the map in front of me.
There are no dead in Tressa. Why would the spirits go there?
“Rapunzel,” Genny says, and I glance up at her. Elsie’s eyes go wide, and I’d almost forgotten she thought my name was Zelle. “The Knights from Camelot swept through here yesterday. For the most part they left people alone, but they were asking questions about the wall and gutting anyone who seemed to be hiding information.”
My face pales. “But no one leaves Tressa. We’re trapped behind the wall. The people in Sherwood shouldn’t be getting killed by association.”
“I agree,” she replies, eyes narrowing. “But they were everywhere one day and gone the next. You heard the rumors, didn’t you? If all those spirits are heading off towards Tressa-”
“Somethings going on,” I interrupt, thinking of the golden city I used to call home. The King and Queen might be evil, but the citizens there don’t deserve to be hurt for the King’s greed. “They’re going to attack Tressa.”
Elsie winces before nodding. “That’s what I’m thinking. Ray thought so too when we talked about it. I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. What do we do?”
I glance towards Zarev, but Legs and Margo are deep in conversation. They are as lost as I feel.
Zarev can’t help me. Not while he’s out and possibly suffocating under the weight of all the spirits. Who knows how long he will be unconscious, or if he’ll be ready to assist me when he’s awake.
“Try and pull your brother someplace safe until he wakes up,” I tell them, staring down at Zarev. “Wait it out. If the spirits already passed you and the soldiers already questioned you, you should be safe until he wakes.”
They both nod before Elsie speaks. “We’ll call Ma, too, and let her know.”
“Good. Watch him. Have him call Zarev once he’s up.”
Nodding once more, Genny swats Elsie’s hand away from the screen. “And Rapunzel? Don’t do anything stupid. Zarev likes you too much to welcome you to the afterlife.”
I drag Zarev’s scythe across the room, propping it upright against the wall. Margo is tending to him, checking one last time for wounds, and I can’t sit still.
Legs watches me pace, shaking her head. “I believe he brought you here for answers, not so you would feel cocky enough to run towards Death.”
“What else do I do,” I ask, spinning around. I’ve dragged my hands through my hair so much over the last hour I swear it’s grown another two inches. It’s dark outside now, and even if I start my journey home it’ll take me days to travel to Tressa, possibly longer since I know nothing about survival. “My kingdom is probably under attack as we speak. I killed Modred of Camelot and now the consequences fall on people who are innocent.”
But waiting could take too long. Zarev slumbers on and if I thought it would do any good, I’d slap some sense into him.
Sighing, Legs crosses her arms. “You’re exaggerating, dear. Arthur’s been looking for reasons to stir up problems in Mystica for years. Ever since he pulled that sword from the stone he’s had a big head. You might have been the final straw when Modred died, but you aren’t the instigator. You’re the excuse.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” I grumble.
“How do you plan on getting back there anyway?” Legs goes on. “How long did it take you both to travel here? You don’t have Zarev’s shadow abilities, so you cannot shadow hop your way back home. If there’s war brewing, it’ll be underway long before you reach the wall.”
I tug at my hair anxiously. She’s right, but hearing the facts doesn’t help me accept them. I gaze at Zarev, willing him to just wake up and help me fix this, but he remains oblivious.
I don’t have his help or his strength to rely on. The only person who can help me right now is me. Margo and Legs are tied here, and I would never ask either of them to leave and help me on what may very well be a suicide mission.
Legs clicks her tongue, gesturing to me. “You’re making me nervous with your jitters, Princess. Come, let’s go walk through the gardens in the back for a few minutes. The rarest plants are back there.”
“I don’t know-”
“Oh, hush. You need something to take your mind off things for a moment.” She’s insistent, coaxing Philippe to come over and nudge my arm. I give in, mostly because I could keep doing this until he wakes up, and Margo’s given me tight lipped smiles but it's obvious I’m making her anxious, too.
I can’t just sit around. I know Tressa is in trouble, but I’m helpless here. It’s like being locked in the tower all over again.
Legs guides us to the back, and while I admit the luminescent plants and gorgeous flowers are a sight to behold, it’s hard for me to really take in the beauty around me. I’m too worked up to truly appreciate it.
“Come, I’ll show you the plant Gothel stole from.”
That’s enough to jar me from my thoughts. “It’s still here?”
“Oh, yes.” She steps ahead on the path, and I follow along, taking in the plants a little bit more now that she’s knocked the shock out of me. “I hide my plants back here. The Mad Queen will send someone to collect tomorrow, so we’ll be hiding the two of you before then. Lucky that you arrived on a day when they don’t stop by.”
I wince. That would be a very difficult, very awkward talk. “You’re able to hide things from the Queen?”
“Oh, she stopped fretting about my hobbies when the Flowerborne came to be. They keep me busy, and Margo visits often to help me out. She still has to maintain a facade for the Queen so she’s not suspicious, but the Queen is looking for someone she’ll never find.”
I frown. “Who is she looking for?”
Legs glances back, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. “A shadow man. Not one of the Reapers, another being entirely.”
Zarev’s origin story flickers through my head, but before I can ask her about that we come to a stop. “Ah, here we go.”
I look down and take a step back. I expected a massive rose bush, and while there are some normal sized bushes in there, the main attraction is one massive rose that’s glazed in gold and tipped in red around the edges.
“I expected it to be a regular sized flower,” I admit.
“Oh, I nurtured this one for years,” Legs replies. “I was heartbroken when Gothel stole the new growths from me. These roses are rare, growing only in my garden before she came along. I’ve tried planting some seeds in other spots, but if it’s not my magic-touched earth they don’t grow for long. Fascinating really.”
I nod, leaning in closer. It looks vaguely familiar…
“It’s too bad that Gothel stole them,” Legs goes on. “These plants are extraordinarily powerful. I had wanted to give a select few out to trusted individuals, but with some of my plants missing I couldn’t trust it.”
“Why does that matter?” I grumble, touching the leaves. Even that calls to a memory I can’t quite grasp.
“Because the Phoenix flower has another purpose,” she replies. “Sure, from the ashes a new plant is born each time, and I truly believe Midas gave you the plant and infused your lifeline with it’s, but there’s another reason I worked to create this. See the big rose? It’s large enough for a person to stand in. If someone with a connecting flower were to step in you could be transported to the other destination.”
Her words wash over me, and I realize where I’ve seen the plant before. “There’s one of these in Dorah’s garden!”
Legs frowns. “The Queen of Tressa?”
“Yes! Yes. I used to think it was cool when I was allowed outside. But once I was locked away I never saw them again.” My eyes slant to hers. “Do you think, if that flower is still alive, I could use it to travel back to Tressa?”
She laughs, but it’s humorless. “I’ve never tried it before, but anything is possible in my garden.”
I hold out my hands. “It would be the fastest way home.”
“If it’s the same flower,” Legs chirps. “And if the flower isn’t dead, and the connection is strong enough to send you such a long way.”
I’ll take halfway if I can stop chaos from reigning down on Tressa. “I could try it.”
She raises a brow. “And Zarev?”
I look back, but I can’t see him from here. Zarev encourages me to hone in my magic, but he can’t help me right now. “Zarev can shadow hop, or if the plants connect he can use that to come find me.”
“And you’re okay leaving him here?”
Holding up my hands helplessly, I meet her eyes. “I can’t heal him. The gold is an ongoing problem, and what knocked him out isn’t something that I can help with. He’s probably safest here with you.”
“Unless the Queen appears,” she argues.
“Yes, aside from that. But if I think about all the what ifs, I’ll never get around to doing anything. Zarev would want me to do what I must.”
Legs appraises me, and I wait for her to shoot me down. “If you believe that’s best, Princess. We can try, but you should grab whatever you might need. I don’t know if it works to come back this way, or if it’ll work at all..”
Nodding, I jog back towards the house. I need my bag and maybe the letters, and a blade. I don’t have control of my magic yet but I can’t spend any more time learning now.
Margo glances up when I rush back in. “Nothing yet, love.”
“I know,” I mutter, grabbing my bag. I toss it over my shoulder before turning to Zarev, digging through his pockets until I find the smaller curved blade he carries. Guilt rocks through me, and I lean down and press a kiss to his lips, willing that to be enough to wake him up.
It’s not. He doesn’t even react. With a sigh I stand and hurry past Margo before she asks questions.
Legs is still in the backyard, watching as I rush towards her. When I reach the rose again, completely out of breath, she’s watching me critically.
“Be careful,” she warns, and there’s resignation in her voice. “If your father kills you I will never hear the end of it from Zarev.”
I smile, knowing she’s right. I take a couple breaths, hoping I haven’t completely lost my mind, and step towards the flower. “Do I have to do anything special?”
“No, just step into the petals. If there’s another connection, it will pull you through. And Rapunzel?”
I pause, meeting her eyes. She offers me a sad smile. “Remember, you are stronger than you think. Your gifts are beyond what any of us really know, so don’t count yourself out. Just because no one’s given you the support you deserve before doesn’t mean you aren’t able to care for yourself.” There’s a twinkle in her eye. “I think that magic hair does more than you give it credit for. Like the leaves of a bloom, it will grow to its full potential. If it’s strong enough to lift a grown man, what else can you do?”
Nodding, I swallow. Her words are a puzzle, but at least there’s some faith for me in her voice. It’s more than either of my parents gave me in times of uncertainty. I glance around the garden, trying to take in the beauty I’ve only just discovered. I love this garden, and I barely had any time to explore. But if I go back, there’s the slimmest chance I can keep Zarev and thousands of citizens from suffering at Midas’ hand.
Or worse, at Arthur’s if he wins.
Stepping up, Legs slides backward. The flower is strong and beautiful, and standing there is kind of like floating on a cloud. We wait several moments, but nothing happens.
My shoulders deflate. “Well, I tried-”
Golden light engulfs me, Legs’ startled expression the last thing I see before my body shifts and twists, making my stomach roll as I disappear all together.
As quickly as the light swallowed me, it spits me back out. I fall onto my hands and knees, barely keeping from slamming my head into the ground.
Raising my head, I look around. I’m back in the gardens of Tressa, and I’ve never felt more alone.