Chapter 20
DAHLIA
Wind whips through my hair, my skirt billowing like a cloud. Gripping Velvet’s reins, I throw my head back, laughing over the sound of his powerful gallop. I’ve never felt so free. Pumpkin yips excitedly in my lap.
“We’re doing it, Pumpkin,” I squeal at her. “We’re actually getting out of here!”
The wall of gnarled trees grows closer, marking the edge of the castle grounds. I’m so close, and this time I’m not stopping. I squeeze my eyes shut as we dive through the trees.
When I open them, my cheer echoes through the dark forest.
“That was so easy!” I laugh. “Stars, I should’ve done this months ago.” Low branches scrape my arms and face, but I don’t care. With the light of the demon castle now only a dim glow through the trees, I’m free to do anything. Go anywhere. Be anyone!
No more Princess Dahlia. I could change my name, travel across kingdoms, join a pirate crew and sail far beyond the realm. The possibilities are endless!
After ten minutes of galloping, Velvet slows to a walk, his breath heavy.
“Are you tired, boy?” I stroke his raven flank. Perhaps we’ll save travelling across the realm for another day.
The horse huffs, but doesn’t stop. Moonlight spills through the treetops, lighting up the path ahead of us.
It’s not as dark anymore. The once-black sky is fading into an early morning blue as the moon sinks behind the trees. It’ll be dawn soon, and the thought of that makes me yawn.
Checking over my shoulder, I try to spot any sign of the demon castle through the forest. But I see nothing. Not even a turret pokes over the treetops.
There’s more life here, too. In the demon court, nothing but strange dark plants and gnarled trees seemed to grow. Here, the trees are bursting with green leaves, and even at night I can hear the faint scratching sounds of animals lurking in the bushes.
Something about that makes me shudder.
“Perhaps we should stop and rest for a bit?” I say to Velvet, pulling on the reins.
He ignores me. When I tug on his reins again, he huffs and twists his head to shoot me a beady glare.
“Hey, I’m the one riding you.” I squeeze my thighs, trying everything to get him to stop.
The silly beast just keeps walking.
“Damn you. You’re just as stubborn as Tauren.”
The horse snorts, shaking his head.
A few feet to my left, I can make out the shimmering waters of a small river. The water looks much cleaner than the pond I threw myself in this morning. Its damp smell still clings to my hair and clothes.
“If you don’t stop, I’m going to jump off anyway.” I yank on Velvet’s reins. “We should stop for a drink, and I want to wash my hair.” I bet even the smelliest pirate ship would turn me away in my current state. I’m surprised Tauren swallowed his pride enough to marry me.
Velvet lets out a frustrated whine but still refuses to stop. Even Pumpkin whimpers nervously in my lap.
“What is wrong with you two?” Scooping up Pumpkin, I slip out of the saddle, ignoring Velvet’s impatient huffs. He stops walking, thankfully, but judging by his twitching ears, he’s not happy about it.
After placing Pumpkin down, I kick through the leafy shrubs to drink from the river. The clear water feels divine against my tongue, and when I strip off my gown and soak it below the surface, it works wonders on the fabric. Within seconds, my dress returns to a gorgeous snowdrop white.
Once I’m satisfied with the gown, I hang it over a branch to dry and get to work on myself. It doesn’t take long for my hair to return to silky black strands and for the mud to slide off my skin.
Hugging my knees to my chest, I tip my head back, sighing at the stars as they fade out into the dawn sky above me. I think I could get used to this life…
A cold shiver rocks my spine. Maybe I need a fire first.
Stepping out of the river, my hands instinctively reach for a towel being held out for me.
Only the dark trees stare back. A cold wind rustles their leaves like they’re laughing.
“Fine. No towel. I don’t need a towel,” I whisper to myself, shaking the droplets from my skin. My wedding gown is still soaked, along with my undergarments. But I can’t search for firewood while naked, so I slip on my wet corset, bloomers, and boots with a scowl.
After wringing out my hair, I kick around the shoreline of the river. The sticks here are all damp from the river, and I’m sure someone once told me that kindling needs to be dry to light, right?
I should’ve brought Claren with me. He’s clever. I bet he’d know how to light a fire.
“Stop it. I can do this myself,” I grumble under my breath. I don’t need Claren, or anyone. I’m fine.
Abandoning the river, I search for dry wood around Velvet’s legs. Pumpkin paces between us, panting nervously. I’m about to gather her into my chest to soothe her when I notice she’s staring at something.
Following her gaze, my lips twitch. A few feet away, hiding behind an oak tree, is a small cave opening. Moss lines the stone entrance, and feathers decorate the floor outside.
It might not be a castle, but anything would be better than out here.
“Pumpkin, you lovely clever little creature!” I scoop her up and kiss her head. She squirms, scratching me with her little paws. “Hey!” I drop her, wincing.
Maybe they’re both just hungry. My stomach lets out a gurgle of agreement.
“We’ll have to worry about food later,” I tell them. “Maybe I can find us some berries or something.” The thought of hunting an animal, even to feed my own, makes me feel unwell. But I could live on berries for a while. Mushrooms, too.
After gathering a few more sticks, I march towards the cave. Once I get a fire going, I can lay down my wedding dress and use it as a bed. I’m sure if I close my eyes, it’ll feel just like I’m at home.
A loud hoot makes me drop all my sticks.
Perched on a nearby tree branch, a white-faced owl with a dappled brown body watches me with intense coal eyes.
“Can I help you?” I murmur.
The owl chirps quietly but doesn’t move, staring down at me like I’m a naughty child.
“Creepy thing.” I bend down to pick up my sticks. When I start towards the cave again, the owl lets out an angry screech.
“Stop doing that!” I yell. The early morning wind licks at my skin, making me shiver again. “I’m cold and I’m wet, and unless you can find a better place for me to stay, I’ll be getting some sleep in there.” I point at the dark cave. “Pumpkin.” I whip my head towards my trembling dog. “Come.”
Pumpkin stays rooted to the ground.
“Coward,” I grumble, before ignoring another screech from the owl and marching into the cave.
It takes a second for my eyes to adjust. The stone chamber is about the size of a horse stall, with more than enough space for Pumpkin and I to settle down in. The ground is mostly clean, with a few small boulders dotted around the floor. One of the boulders stands up and stretches its legs.
My throat constricts.
The grey shape sniffs the floor, then jerks its head towards me, snarling and revealing a row of sharp white teeth. The other ‘boulders’ scramble to their feet, yelping and growling as they notice me.
Not boulders. Wolves.
Hungry, growling wolves that are stalking towards me.
I make it halfway out of the cave before my scream shakes the forest.