Chapter 33
JACOB
WISSEN MANOR
Moonlight casts our shadows into twisted contortions on the soft dirt as I lead Wilhelm and Ella across the orchard, ducking around the holes scattered about, which Ella explains will soon be graves. The ghost-like tree branches claw out as if to stop us.
A grinding creak at the other end of the manor’s grounds draws my attention to the gate at the far end. Guards are swinging it open. A pack of werewolves waits, growling on its other side, jaws frothing, eyes glowing crimson in anticipation to break into a sprint.
“Over there!” a voice cries out from the manor. It’s a group of guards, armed to the hilt.
I swivel left and make for the wall closest to the trees.
Ella’s breathing hitches, which only heightens my panic.
I was a careless fool to bring her here.
This is by far my worst experience with the Forbidden.
The second we get to the tree closest to the wall, I grab Ella, nearly throwing her up into the branches.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm spins around and releases two arrows.
It does nothing to slow the pack hurtling toward us.
A werewolf leaps through the air, aiming its paws at my face. I swing my sword, decapitating the creature. Not that it matters. There are at least twenty more, along with five guards.
“Almost out of arrows,” Wilhelm wheezes.
“Climb the tree,” I command. “I’ll hold them off until you can cover me.”
He tosses me his ax and swings up on the closest branch.
I grip both my weapons and ready myself.
They attack. A cry erupts from my core. I cut, slash, and twirl in a reckless dance.
My arms move faster than I ever remember them moving before.
Blood coats my boots and arms, spraying my face.
The hot stench of the creatures’ breath chokes my lungs.
When the arrows ping down onto the werewolves, it gives me a second to leap into the tree with Wilhelm while Ella scrambles up on the wall, her black skirts snapping against her legs in the harsh wind.
She pelts the creatures with rocks. The werewolves spring up, jaws snapping inches from Ella’s skin, but her blade strikes fast. I ready myself to leap to the wall when the branch I’m standing on slowly lowers, trembling as if the tree purposely wants me to fall into the hands of my enemy.
Wilhelm crouches to jump onto the wall with Ella, but his bough twists, sending him tumbling to the ground.
I belly myself over my branch and grab hold of his cloak. He grunts and cries out in pain as a wolf’s jaw clamps onto his leg.
“Wilhelm!” Ella screams. “Jacob, do something!”
Sweat makes my grip on Wilhelm slick. I will not lose my brother.
My senses and muscles kick into place. With my free hand, I grab my ax, and with a calculated aim, throw.
It plunges into the beast’s back. The creature’s jaws loosen from Wilhelm to howl in pain, allowing me to slowly heave my brother up.
A cry breaks from my throat from the effort.
Wilhelm gets high enough to pull himself up.
“The tree is working with them,” I say, panting. “We must jump now.”
Wide-eyed, Wilhelm nods, and the two of us launch ourselves off the tree just as the branches fall away beneath us.
My body crashes against the stone wall, but I slap my hands over the surface until I find a stone jutting out to cling to.
Then I pull up to where Ella is helping Wilhelm.
A wave of dizziness rushes over me, and I nearly fall off the wall.
Thankfully, Ella clamps a hand on my arm, pulling me closer to her.
“I’m not losing you now,” Ella says. “Stay with me.”
I must have lost a lot more blood than usual. Below, the werewolves whine and turn, sprinting back for the exit, the men joining them.
“It won’t be long until they’re after us on horseback,” I say, my tongue thick in my mouth. But Wilhelm’s shoulders are dipped from where he’s kneeling. His ankle must be wrecked. “Can you make it to the horses?”
“Do I have a choice?” He eyes the drop below warily.
We’re in trouble.
“This way.” Ella waves for us to follow her along the wall. “There’s an easier drop up here.”
Once back onto solid ground, relief hits me when Rumpelstiltskin comes riding up with our horses in tow.
I hate to admit it, but I’m thankful the rascal came.
Even with our healing abilities, Wilhelm and I have both lost a lot of blood, and I’m not sure if we’d have made it back fast enough before they caught us.
“The great and mighty Grimm brothers having a bit of trouble?” He cackles like this pleases him. “Good thing I popped by to rescue you. Like usual.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” Wilhelm says.
“Where’s the other horse?” I snap, scanning the forest for creatures.
“Got spooked and took off,” Rumpelstiltskin says. “But never fear. The lady can ride with me.”
“The lady will be riding with me,” I announce as Wilhelm and I climb on our steeds. I reach out a hand to Ella, and she swings up behind me. “Tell me you still have the frog.”
“Tucked safely in my pocket,” she says.
Relief floods me. If we lost the prince, it’d be an utter disaster.
“Hold on tight,” I tell her. The moment her arms wrap around my chest, my heart pounds louder than it ever did in battle. I let Storm loose as fast as he can go with two of us on him, but as we careen around the bend in the road, we discover it lined with men holding weapons.
“When did the doctor get so many people working for him?” I mutter.
“I think we’ve discovered where all of the village’s missing young men went,” Wilhelm says.
“And the king’s weapons,” I add, pulling on the reins. “Looks like the road is off limits for us.”
“I vote we go deeper into the forest,” Rumpelstiltskin says. “Wear them out.”
“It’s our best chance,” I agree. Except as fast as our horses are, the werewolves are having an easier time, ducking and racing through the old woods.
“The river,” Ella says. “It’s not far from here. If we cross it, they’ll lose our scent.”
“Excellent idea,” I say, eyeing Wilhelm, who’s gotten far too quiet for my liking.
I allow her to guide us to the riverbank.
The water is fairly deep, and the rushing current makes the horses nervous, but we manage to cross.
By the time we reach the other side and slip into the shadows of the trees, the horses are tired and lathered.
Wilhelm is sagging on his horse. He needs to get home and rest.
“We’re far from the village now, aren’t we?” I ask. “My brother needs to rest.”
“I think I know where we are,” Ella says. “There’s an old fortress, perhaps a half-an-hour ride. We could hide out there.”
I nod. “If they do manage to track us, it will offer a good defense until the horses are rested. I admit I’m not used to being hunted. Usually, it’s the other way around. The doctor was far more equipped than we were. We underestimated him.”
“Yes. I had no idea such horrors could exist,” Ella whispers. She lays her head against my back. It melts my pent-up anger.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I say.
“I’m not,” she says. “If I hadn’t seen the doctor for the true man he was, I wouldn’t have known what he was capable of.”
Then she tells me what she discovered from the old woman and how Wissen uses the trees to create magic in the wood.
“That makes sense,” I say. “Upstairs in his study, he had saws that looked like mirrors into other places. He is spying on the town.”
“It also explains how he knows everything that’s going on,” Ella finishes.
“To think you thought I was the wicked one.” Rumpelstiltskin chuckles from behind us. “Clearly, you’ve been setting your standards far too low.”
As we ride, Ella’s arms tighten around me.
The horse’s steady footfall creates a rhythm around us, making me wish I could just take Ella with me and ride far away from reality.
Finally, we arrive at the ruins. The full moon gives us a clear view of the abandoned area.
I let my muscles ease, tension slipping from my shoulders at the sight of shelter.
Only a single turret still stands whole while a thicket of vines trails up the crumbling walls.
The courtyard lies barren except for a few scraggly shrubs and rocks.
Ella slides from the saddle but crumples before her boots hit the ground. My chest seizes, and I’m at her side in an instant.
“Ella.” Her name scrapes from my throat. “Are you hurt?”
Her skin is damp with sweat, lips pale, but somehow she still gives me a faint smile. “I’m fine. Just need a moment.”
“Today was horrifying,” I breathe. “And yet you were braver than I ever thought anyone could be.”
She fumbles for the flask at her belt, hands trembling as she tries to lift it. The sight twists something deep inside me, and it takes everything in me not to pull her into my arms. I catch her fingers, steadying them.
“Here,” I murmur, taking it from her. “Let me.”
After I help her drink, I assist Wilhelm to a smooth rock to rest while Rumpelstiltskin grumbles about being hungry.
I tie up the horses, glad to find my wounds are healing quickly as usual, and set off to scout the area.
I find a whole portion of the wall still standing, strong enough for me to walk along it and get a clear view of our location.
The valley below stretches wide and hushed beneath the silvery glow of the moon. It’s so peaceful, as if none of the horrors we experienced even existed.
“We’re higher than I thought,” I call down to the others from the top of the wall. “I imagine the view is quite stunning in daylight.”
Wilhelm grunts but remains lying on his slab of rock. I scramble back down to join the others. Relief pours through me at the sight of Ella, steadier on her feet, as she bends beside Wilhelm and lifts his flask to his lips.
“I’m going to find myself a snack,” Rumpelstiltskin says. “This little outing of yours is turning out to be exhausting.”