Chapter 28
The town’s hustle and bustle filled the air, like nothing had changed. The world had gone on even after I’d gone.
I winced with each step, my eyes darting from left to right. I didn’t know if Rumple or one of his men would come jumping out of the crowds to snatch me up.
Though he wouldn’t, would he? He had his spell doing all the work for him. He knew I’d come back to him or die.
A few villagers gave me odd looks as I passed by. No one stopped me, though. No one cared about another one of Rumple’s people, too busy with their own lives to give two shits about the people enslaved right under their noses.
I arrived at the doors to the factory far sooner than I hoped. The doors were back in place, as if they had never been smashed in. I stood outside those doors and took a deep breath, not knowing what was waiting for me inside.
Would Rumple punish me? Even if everyone told him I’d been taken, he might still take it out on me, blaming me for not coming back sooner.
Whatever waited for me, I knew I couldn’t delay any longer.
The spell had been quiet since I’d started back toward the factory, but I didn’t want to chance it waking again because I hesitated.
My hands braced on the heavy door and pushed it in. The sting of soaps and dyes hit my nose first, then the quiet chatter of the factory floor. The door creaking open made several heads turn my way. Their eyes widened, then one by one, they bumped the person next to them and pointed at me.
Little Joe, Mila, and a few others rushed to my side, all of them talking at the same time. Their hands touched my face, taking in my bruises and cuts. Others touched my gown, ooh over how fine of fabric it was made of, even a bit torn and dirty.
“Mara, where have you been?” Mila cupped my face in her hands. “When you were taken, we thought for sure you were doomed. But here you are... alive.” She grabbed my hands in her hands. “You stupid girl. Why did you come back? You were free.”
I opened my mouth to tell her about the spell, but a familiar greasy voice answered for me.
“She had no choice.”
Everyone froze, then turned as one to the speaker.
On the second floor, standing outside of his open office door stood Rumpelstiltskin, a short and stout man with orange hair that stood on his head as if he’d been hit by lightning.
Grubby fingers curled over the iron bar of the walkway, his lips curled up into a smug grin.
“Rumple.” I dipped my head, everyone around me scurrying back to their workstations.
“When they told me you were kidnapped, I didn’t quite believe it.
” He sauntered across the metal pathway, his boot clanking on each rung as he stalked down the stairs.
“And yet here you are... back. Usually, on the rare occasion someone does try to run away, they choose death over coming back here. The contract makes sure of it.”
“I didn’t run away,” I argued, wrapping my arms around my waist. I didn’t tell him that, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t have come back either. My own desire to live was the only reason I’d come back.
Rumple nodded, stepping up to me. “I can see that now. And who was it that stole you away?” He looked over me, taking in my dress and injuries. “How did they even know to come for you?”
I opened my mouth to tell him to go to hell and then clipped it shut, taking a breath. “A misunderstanding, but I’m back now.”
He paused, watching me closely. “Yes, so you are. Well,” he clapped his hands together, “work has certainly piled up while you were gone. Best get changed. You’ll be having a lot of long days ahead of you.
To make up for the lost time, of course.
” His tone was polite with an undertone of threats in every word.
“Of course, sir.”
Extra work was a mild punishment for what I expected on my return. A beating. A week in the bin. Any of that and more. So why was Rumple being easy on me? I didn’t trust it.
Without questioning, I made my way to my assigned room, wondering if they had given it to someone else while I was gone. I was strangely relieved to find my things still where they were when I left.
Surprising, since they didn’t know if I’d actually come back or choose death.
I slowly removed the remains of my gown, laying it on my bed with reverence. The last piece I had of my time with Blackthorn. A longing filled my heart to turn on my heels and run out of the factory, all the way through the Candy Forest to stand before those castle doors once more.
Swiping at my eyes, I blew out a breath and dragged out the shapeless colorless dress I’d worn for the last few years. I winced as the fabric scraped against my body, the material so much harsher than that of the gowns I’d become accustomed to.
Once dressed, I picked up the gown and held it for a long moment, just staring at it. Then I bundled it up and shoved it into the bottom of my trunk, closing the lid with a thud. That sound was the final nail in the coffin of my wild love story.
I took a deep breath and stepped back out into the factory floor, my life once again a dreary place. All the colors had been sucked out by Rumple.
By the time lunchtime came around, I was dead on my feet. I’d gotten used to being up all night and sleeping during the day. After being beaten by the spell and blood loss, as well as other things with Blackthorn, I was two seconds away from passing out in my cold porridge.
“Hey.” A hand shook my shoulder. “Wake up, Mara. Rumple is watching.”
I lifted my gaze to the head of the room, where Rumple stood watching. He never watched us work or eat or anything really, so arrogant and confident in his spells that he never thought of keeping an eye on his possessions. We were well-trained dogs who would never dare to run away from him.
And yet he watched me now.
Forcing myself to sit straighter, I shoveled food into my mouth, determined not to give him a reason to punish me further. The day moved slowly and, by the time night fell, I didn’t care enough about Rumple watching me as I dragged myself to my little cot, throwing myself down onto it.
Thankfully, I was too tired to think about Blackthorn or the others I left behind at his castle. I don’t think I even dreamed. Nothing mattered but the deep dark nothingness.
Someone banged on my door, shouting at me to wake up.
My mind was sluggish. My body tired and worn, I practically rolled out of bed, falling to my hands and knees on the grimy floor. Slowly, I moved so slowly.
I pushed the door to my room open and dragged myself to the washroom. I splashed water on my face until I felt like I could fully open my eyes without the threat of passing out.
Then my day continued. Breakfast. Work. Lunch. Work. Dinner. Work. Until I was too tired to care about anything but getting back to my bed.
Even this weary, Blackthorn was never far from my mind. Every look, every word, every touch, played on repeat while I mixed and folded and bagged up clothes.
It’d only been a day, but it already felt like a world away. A world I couldn’t believe I’d been a part of for a short time. One that I knew I’d long for the rest of my days.
The night came, and I stared up at the ceiling, replaying my last night with Blackthorn when there was thudding somewhere out on the factory floor. Brows furrowed, I sat up in bed. A sudden crash and a series of screams made me jolt.
I rushed to my bedroom door, yanking it open without a second thought.
I stumbled through the factory, a handful of moonlit columns lit up the way until I reached a crowd of workers.
They all stared at a dark cloaked figure standing in the doorway.
Whispers broke out amongst the group as I shoved my way toward the front of them.
Only one person would have the guts to break into Rumple’s factory. Not once but twice. Only one person was crazy enough to come on his own.
Blackthorn.