One of the helmeted soldiers loads an arrow into a bow and aims at the creature.
“No!” I gasp, scrambling to knock the animal out of the way.
I’m too late.
The arrow whizzes past me and lodges itself in the creature’s chest. It collapses to the ground, its cries of agony cracking my heart. I rush to its side not knowing what to do but knowing I must do something as he stills beneath my hands.
Pull it out,something inside of me whispers.
With no time to second guess, I rip the arrow free from the creature’s limp body. I whirl toward the soldier as he pulls his elbow back, a second arrow at the ready. A large hand on his chest halts him.
“Stop.” The voice is deep and commanding.
“But Captain?—”
“She goes unharmed. Take her to the king.”
The man hauls himself on top of the largest, most intimidating horse and rides off while I am bound at the wrists and ankles, thrown over the side of a glossy black steed, and held there by a faceless armored brute. I try to fight, try to resist, but it’s useless.
As we ride away, I strain my neck to look back at the wounded animal. Blood leaks from its chest, staining the white-floored forest crimson. I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to bear the sight any longer. There’s nothing I can do now.
“Where are you taking me?” I demand.
“To pay a little visit to the king, witch.”
“Witch?” I bark out a laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
He doesn’t answer.
“Where are we?”
“Bone Forest. But I’m sure you already knew that.”
“This isn’t happening. How did I—what happened...”
I trail off, trying to make sense of the past ten minutes. I make zero.
“Please, please, stop. I need help. I think I’m a long way from home. I don’t know how I got here. Whatever it was, it was an accident. Please, just tell me how to get home.”
“Quit your babbling, witch.”
“I said, I’m not a witch!”
“You’d best hold your tongue before the king. He doesn’t take kindly to mouthy little females. No matter how pretty.”
My stomach twists.
We travel on at a swift pace for what feels like hours and each gallop sends me bouncing with a punch to my gut. I crane my neck to take in my surroundings. We’ve passed through the strange whitewashed forest and into one of familiar greens and browns. Night is beginning to fall, and the moon casts an eerie glow over all it touches.
When the sky is finally black, I wonder how any of my captors can navigate the narrow space between trees at a pace like this. I’m filled with apprehension as we approach the side of a massive mountain. Built into the rock is a portcullis that rises noisily as we proceed and are swallowed up by the crag. The gates lower behind me, sealing me in. And likely sealing my tomb.
I can barely see through the dark, but these men seem to have no trouble at all as they dismount and pass the horses off to a worker dressed in ratty clothes. The bindings at my anklesare slashed, and I am pulled from the saddle. A wave of dizziness hits me as I’m jerked upright.
“Walk, witch.” The rider grabs me by my bound arms and marches me into a dark cavernous tunnel.
Flaming lanterns line the walls of the narrow corridor, guiding us deeper into the mountain. A chill rolls through the air, wafting from the other side of the stretch, where a soft bluish-white light gleams with promise. We reach the source as I am guided into a glittering cavern of light and refraction. Diamonds, uncut and raw lace every inch of the space. Massive stalagmites that hold every color of the rainbow jut from the floor. Crystalline icicles drip from the cave's towering arches, dagger-like and dangerous. Pools of water curtain the walkway on which we now stand, the light coming from beneath a mesmerizing sea-foam green. The entire space is sharp, lethal, and filled with searing beauty. I stand breathless, in awe of my surroundings.
But despite the marvelous sight, my gaze is drawn elsewhere. My heart begins to flutter in my chest as I am guided toward a raised dais where two figures wait on crystalline thrones carved into the rock itself.
