“Do you think if we asked them nicely, Nocturna and Astra could show us how to get back there?” Forrest joked.
I whispered in response. “Maybe.”
Shortly afterward, both Nocturna and Astra growled again. They placed themselves behind Forrest and me, facing the cottage. Maxx must be getting closer.
I reached down to pat Astra. “It’s all right, girl. C’mon, let’s go. You too, Nocturna. Let’s keep moving.” I had started to move forward when Forrest grabbed my arm.
“It’s them. They’re here.”
“Who?” I whispered.
“Maxx and Wyatt. I can hear them. They’ll be coming up to the edge of the woods any second now.”
“So why are we standing here? We should be trying to get further away from them,” I hissed.
Just as the words left my mouth, I could hear in the distance several deep, muffled raised voices. I took a few steps to the side, toward a subtle opening in the trees. The faint flickering of lanterns congregated along the forest boundary. It was hard to know for certain how many there were, but definitely more than two. We were easily outnumbered.
“That’s not just Wyatt and Maxx. That’s an entire mob.” A nervous giggle came out of me at the sight. It was a witch hunt.How hilarious.
Forrest pulled me back into the shadows so we couldn’t be seen.
I turned to him. “We can’t stay here. We have to keep moving.”
As we resumed our trek into the forest, a harsh, singsongy voice stopped me dead in my tracks. The air stilled.
“Aurelia, my dear! If you think hiding from your sins in the Nightwood is going to protect you from the goddesses’ judgment,then you are more stupid than you look,” Maxx taunted. “Violet thought she was smart, like you. She thought running away from her punishment would work. I’d tell you to ask her how that turned out for her, but I’m afraid she wouldn’t be able to answer you, as she is currently hanging in the entryway to the village for all to witness.”
My fists were clenched so tight that my fingernails were starting to break skin on my palms.
“It should bring you comfort to know that she’s not alone. Not long after, sweet little Fiona joined her. They are happily together, rotting within the depths of the Eternal Night, just waiting for you to join them. Oh, and did I mention your little orange-headed friend? We caught her trying to escape your home. Thankfully, we were prepared for this scenario by your old friend Wyatt. None of this would have been possible without his help. Truly a gift sent from the Mothers Above.”
Just then a shadowy figure walked up beside Maxx—presumably, Wyatt. I could physically feel the change in Forrest’s mood. He shifted from a concerned partner to an enraged man.
“Aurelia, I will give you sixty seconds to come out of there of your own accord. If you still have not turned yourself in after that, we will burn down your home with the tiny witch inside it!” Maxx shouted while waving a torch around.
A war was being waged between my head and heart. Magda would be furious with us if we came back to help her, and the practical side of me was telling me to continue running away. My heart, though, was breaking. It was one thing to think Magda had gotten away and could take care of herself, but it was another knowing she had been captured and would be hurt because of me. I knew Forrest would be upset with me for changing my mind, but I couldn’t let this happen to her. She deserved better than being put down like a discarded animal by that fanatical asshole.
I had started to head in the direction of the cottage when Forrest wrapped his arms around me and threw me over his shoulder.
“Put me down right fucking now, Forrest!” I demanded.
His grip on my body was tight. Despite my attempts to get free from his grasp, his resolve never relented.
“Forrest! Put—me—down!”
“Aurelia, you know deep down that Magda didn’t risk everything to come warn you so you could turn around and run right back into danger. For all we know, Maxx is lying and trying to lure you out.”
“But what if he’s not?” I protested.
“Magda gave you the gift of a head start so you could live. The worst thing you could do right now is let that sacrifice be in vain.”
My mind went numb, and my body went limp. He was right. I would end up getting myself killed if I went charging back over there, especially since I had no weapons and no real plan to fight back.
“It feels wrong running away,” I cried. “Everything I’ve ever known is here. Who do they think they are to force me out? Why do they get to win?”
Forrest let out a deep sigh. “It doesn’t make sense, nor does it feel just, but it seems to be the way of things here. But thanks to Magda, you now have a way out,” he said gently. “If I let you down, will you promise me you won’t head back to the cottage?”
I hesitated a moment before responding. “Yes. You can put me down now,” I said, defeated.
