16. Nelle Eavesdropping Breaks a Heart
Nelle: Eavesdropping Breaks a Heart
Nelle didn’t fall asleep until shortly before dawn, so she was more than a bit miffed when a soft knock on the door awakened her. She stumbled to the door, cursing whoever was behind it, and wrenched it open.
“Good morning.” Kit’s voice held mirth as he took in her rumpled hair and half-open eyelids. “Did you sleep well?”
“Not particularly,” Nelle yawned, trying to rub sleep out of her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Eight-thirty or so,” Kit said. “Both children are awake and ready to face the day.”
“Wonderful,” Nelle said. “Did they find the cardamom buns?”
Kit grinned. “They did, and they pronounced them delicious. They want to know if they can take some back for their father when we take them back to camp.”
“Of course. I made too many for just the three—” She stopped. “Did you say ‘we?’”
“I did,” Kit nodded. “As I was thinking last night, it occurred to me that since those two reprobates set you up to be kidnapped by yours truly, you didn’t have the chance to grab anything that might be of value to you.
And, I’m assuming, you have friends there who you might want to say goodbye to. So I’m asking you to come with me.”
Nelle studied his face. “You’re serious?”
“As the plague,” Kit said solemnly.
Nelle thought for a moment. “Well, who am I to argue? I’ll be down in a moment.”
“Take your time,” Kit said. “I’ll keep the little ones occupied.”
Nelle nodded her thanks and closed the door. To the empty room, she murmured, “That was odd,” before moving to the sink to wash her face.
The journey to the Sherwood Company’s camp was both too long and too short.
Kit ended up carrying both Hansel and Gretyl, as it took several hours to get to the camp and he didn’t want them to get overtired.
To make up for their legs not working, their mouths ran away with them, chattering non-stop, which made the journey feel far too short, at least to Nelle.
Her heart ached when she reflected on how much she’d miss them once she returned to the castle with Kit.
About half a mile to the camp, Kit stopped and let the two children down. “We’re almost there. I will stay behind and wait for you here,” he rumbled, his sharp eyes focused on Nelle.
Hansel looked back and forth between the two. “You mean Nelle isn’t going to stay at camp?”
Nelle kneeled before the little boy. “No, dear heart,” she murmured, speaking around the lump in her throat.
“It’s too dangerous for me to stay at camp now.
I accidentally hurt someone, and the lieutenants decided I needed to leave.
” The lie tasted bitter in her mouth, but she was unwilling to tell Hansel the truth.
“So I’m going to stay with Kit and help him break the spell that turned him into a dragon. ”
“Why?” Hansel frowned, perplexed. “Being a dragon man is awesome.”
Kit smirked. “Perhaps, but it’s also dangerous,” he said. “I can’t get too close to camp, because they might attack me. I can’t go into the village for food or supplies for the same reason. And I have responsibilities I need to get back to.”
Hansel went silent for a moment, then Gretyl asked, “Will you come back and visit?”
Nelle looked back at Kit, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. She turned back to the children. “I will when I can. But it may not be as often as you’d like.”
Gretyl gave a little wail and threw herself into Nelle’s arms. The woman stroked the girl’s hair comfortingly. “Shh, it’s okay,” she soothed. “I’ll always be there if you need me. And next time I visit, I’ll bring Kemma.”
Gretyl hiccupped and nodded. Hansel stepped forward, chewing on his lip. “And what about those spells you talked about last night?” he wondered, peering up at Kit. “Will you still?—”
“I’ll make sure to find the spells and teach them to Nelle, so that she can teach them to you,” Kit promised. He tensed as a branch cracked somewhere in the woods. He scanned the area, before pulling Nelle to her feet. “You’d better go. Someone might be listening.”
Nelle nodded and took both children by the hand. “I won’t be long,” she assured Kit, before straightening her shoulders and marching with her head held high back to camp.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea, you staying with Kit?” Hansel asked as they walked.
“I’m sure,” Nelle lied. “Besides, he’s immune to my magic, so I’m less of a danger with him than I am at camp.”
“You’re not a danger at camp,” Gretyl protested.
Nelle smiled sadly. “I wish that were true, Gret, but the fact remains that I can’t control my magic. If I can’t control it, it’s better that I stay away.”
“I don’t like it,” Gretyl grumped as they approached the gates of the company’s make-shift fortress.
“Who goes—oh, it’s you. I thought we’d got rid of you.” Nelle recognized the voice as that of Saphira.
“She came to bring us home,” Gretyl said.
“I’m not staying,” Nelle muttered. “I’m just going to say goodbye to Kai and grabbing my supplies.”
“Well, I suppose that’s okay. You’d better come in,” their step-mother said, giving the signal to raise the gate.
Nelle released a breath she didn’t know she was holding and followed the children through the gates.
She held her head high as they passed the makeshift huts and cabins, weaving through the narrow ‘streets.’ She tried to ignore the stares of the few people milling about the camp, though ignoring the whispers was harder.
For a second, she was glad she’d be returning to Kit’s castle.
Just as the thought passed through her head, they came to Kai’s abode. Hansel pushed the door open with the hand that wasn’t clutching Nelle’s, and pulled her inside. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Hansel released her hand and called, “Papa! Papa, where are you?”
Unnatural silence met the little boy’s words. Peering around the cottage, Nelle said, “I don’t think he’s home, love.”
Gretyl’s lower lip trembled. “I want Papa,” she wailed.
“Shh. It’s okay,” Nelle soothed. “He’s probably at the Big House. Or just out on an errand.” Or looking for you, she added silently. There was no use worrying the kids. “Why don’t you two stay here, in case he comes back, and I’ll see if I can find him at the Big House?”
Gretyl gave a hesitant nod, but Hansel crossed his arms over his chest. “And you’ll come right back?” he asked.
“Of course,” Nelle promised. “I won’t leave without saying goodbye to you two.” She kneeled in front of him. “You stay here with Gretyl, okay? Maybe you can read to her from that storybook your papa gave you?”
Hansel sighed heavily, but he nodded and turned to Gretyl. “Come on, Gret. We can sit over here until Papa gets back.” He led his sister to the table and helped her into her chair before fixing his eyes on Nelle. “See you soon.”
Nelle nodded and backed out of the hut, her heart in her throat.
She couldn’t believe that soon, she wouldn’t be near either of the siblings, nor the dozens of other children she’d helped watch over since coming to the camp.
She hated they would now be separated, but she knew it was for the best. As long as she stayed away from them, she wouldn’t put them or anyone else in the camp in danger.
With that thought in mind, Nelle picked up her worn skirts and headed for the Big House. If Kai wasn’t in his cottage or out hunting, he would probably be there, reporting to the lieutenants.
She made it across the camp in record time, not stopping to talk to any of the other refugees. None of them would meet her eye, anyway. They pretended to be focused on their various tasks and responsibilities, not wanting to attract her attention. Now her heart ached for another reason.
She shook away the distractions as she arrived at the Big House. Pressing her hand against the worn wooden door, she thanked the Maker that she’d been able to find shelter at the camp for so long. At least at the camp, she’d been safe. She was about to go inside when raucous laughter stopped her.
Guy’s voice bled through the door. “So, how does it feel, Will, not to have the girl following you around all the time, mooning over you?”
Nelle’s stomach tightened, and the air around her seemed to drop ten degrees, with no help at all from her magic. She leaned closer as Will said, “What are you talking about, Guy?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Guy sneered. “Ever since you came here to stay, Nelle was mooning over you like a lovesick cow. Now that she’s gone, you have your freedom back.”
Will laughed. “Well, it’s not like I ever lost it. After all, who cares whether Jelly Nellie was following me? It’s not like I could ever be attracted to someone like that.”
Bile and tears welled up in Nelle, but she fought them back when she registered Kai’s voice. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Who cares, huntsman?” Will sneered. “Certainly not you. We both know you were only close to her out of loyalty to her mother.”
“That’s not true,” Kai protested.
“Sure it is. Queen Snow White gave you this assignment on purpose. She knew how close the two of you were when you lived in the Ice Palace,” Will said. “Come on, you can’t pretend you actually care for the ugly thing.”
Nelle had heard enough. She tried to back away slowly, without drawing attention from the men inside, but, to her horror, she tripped over a clay jar that had been lying on the porch.
“What was that?” Guy’s voice was taut with fear.
Footsteps echoed from inside the Big House. In the seconds before the door opened, Nelle threw back her shoulders and schooled her expression to ensure whoever opened it didn’t see her pain.
“Who—Nelle?” Kai’s dark eyes widened when he saw her. “What are you doing here? I thought you?—”
“I brought your children back,” Nelle said stiffly, not meeting his gaze. “They’re waiting for you back at home.” Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.
“Nelle, wait!” Kai called, hurrying after her.
“You don’t have to worry; I won’t come back again,” Nelle said over her shoulder. “You can tell Queen Snow White or whoever that you completed your assignment.”
“No, Nelle, you don’t understand,” Kai said, grabbing her wrist. “I wasn’t?—”
Nelle whirled on him. “Don’t tell me I don’t understand,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“For almost two years, I’ve been wandering around this camp like an idiot, looking for any clue about my past that I could find, and now, come to find out, you knew who I was the whole time.
And, more than that, you were apparently working for the queen.
Somehow, you know all about my past. So, yes, maybe I don’t understand. And I don’t want to.”
She pulled her wrist out of his grasp and stomped into his hut, where the two kids were still sitting at the table. “Your papa is back. And I have to go,” she said, giving each child a brief hug. “I love you both.”
Without giving Hansel and Gretyl a chance to respond, Nelle forced herself to march out of the camp and into the woods where Kit was waiting. She found her way to him with relative ease. Taking one look at her face as she approached, he frowned. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” Nelle whispered, wiping a tear from her eyes. “Let’s go home.”
Kit studied her face for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”