Page 47 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

For several minutes, he observed Anala adamantly trying to get inside the tree, but to no avail. Huffing out a sigh, he said, “There’s nothing here.”

Herrick turned and began walking away, but a weight landed on the back of his leg. A quick glance down told him it was Anala. “She’s not here,” he told her. “And from what I can see, she hasn’t been here at all, either.”

Anala chirped angrily at him, clawing at his leg to prevent him from leaving. He picked her up and held her so that their eyes met. “I will find her, Anala. If she disappeared around here, I can’t see anything to prove it or find her. Yet. I won’t give up on her. But I need more help.”

Somehow, the red panda seemed to understand, and her posture slumped. He put her back down on the ground. “I need to tell my superiors about her disappearance and recruit a search party. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

With that, Herrick marched through the woods and back into town, quickly maneuvering his way through the busy streets until he reached the castle. Once there, he reported Zorina’s disappearance to Captain Firmin.

“Another missing blonde woman?” the captain asked, his voice tight. “This is getting out of hand.”

Herrick nodded his agreement. “Based on where the other women had been found wandering aimlessly through the woods, I’d like to send a search party to the area where Zorina had found them.”

“Except she’s the one missing this time, yes?”

Herrick nodded again. “Unfortunately. She previously showed me where she’d found the others, so I’d like to start the search near there.”

Captain Firmin frowned. “She should have accepted our offer to play as a decoy with guards all around. Perhaps we could have prevented this and captured him instead. If the other incidents are anything to go by, we won’t see any sign of her for three more days. She’ll likely return then, with no memory of what happened to her.”

If she returns at all…

The horrific thought would not leave him alone.

“We still need to look for her.”

“Oh, I agree,” the captain said with a succinct nod. “But I don’t think anything will come of it until the Maestro lets her go.”

“If he releases her,” he muttered darkly under his breath.

Herrick’s thoughts spiraled around him, anxiety for her safety burrowing into his every breath. What if she never returned?

Chapter fifteen

Unmasked

Zorina

Everything felt fuzzy, like Zorina was somehow underwater. But I can breathe air, and I don’t feel wet… Her thoughts were vague and indistinct, and all her energy seemed drained away to nothing.

She was lying on something soft, though it did not feel like her own bed. The air was certainly cooler than the warmth she preferred to keep within her home, but there was some sort of blanket covering her, keeping in at least a little heat.

Zorina moaned as she shifted position. Where was she?

Blearily, she opened her eyes.

And nearly jolted out of her skin at the sight of a masked man hovering over her—the same masked man who had driven the red pandas out of town and cast a protective barrier around the city.

But what was he doing here? What was she doing here? Where even were they to begin with?

He pulled back, allowing her to sit up and take in the space. The unfamiliar room was small, but luxurious. Soft, velvety fabrics surrounded her in golden hues. Lavish tapestries hung from the walls, but oddly enough, there were no windows. A compact chandelier hanging from a domed ceiling provided the room with light.

“Oh good; you’re awake.” An amused smile lifted up the corner of the man’s lips—the only part of his face she could see with his mask in place.

“Who are you?”

He straightened for a moment before giving a flourishing bow. “Caliban. You don’t recall seeing me in Adael?”

She did, but she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that. “Caliban? Wh-what am I doing here? Where am I?”