“I’m sure I don’t know,” said the fairy. “West somewhere, I assume. Or is it south? There, that’s all I can tell you. You have to leave now. And don’t ever come back or I’ll... Well, I can’t turn you into anything, but that boy’s a different story. Stay away from my garden or I’ll turn him into something nasty.”
“We’re leaving,” Annie said with a twist to her lips. “Thanks for your help.”
The singing of the fairies that had sounded so sweet just minutes before now sounded off-key and the melody of the magic had become discordant. The fairies stopped singing altogether as Annie and Liam got to their feet, but the jarring melody of the magic continued.
Sweetness N Light frowned and looked around at the flower fairies. “Why did you stop singing? You know your singing makes me happy. Sing or I’ll see that your flowers wilt!”
The flower fairies began to sing again, although with far less enthusiasm. Sweetness N Light was wearing a grim smile when Annie and Liam left her still sitting beside the pool.
“Did you notice that the brook isn’t talking to us anymore?” said Annie as they followed it back toward the forest path. “Do you think it’s because I’ve been around it so long, or that it’s angry?”
Liam laughed. “I don’t care why it’s quiet. I’m just happy that it is!”
“At least someone’s happy,” said Annie. “I know I’d be a lot happier if Sweetness N Light had said the whole hundred years thing didn’t matter. She wouldn’t even have told us what she did if you hadn’t said that we wouldn’t leave until she answered my questions. If she’d wanted us to be happy, she would have given us some real help.”
Liam snorted. “She says she likes to see other people being happy, but it seems to me that the only one whose happiness really matters to Sweetness N Light is her own.”
They had almost reached the edge of the garden when the flower fairy in the bluebell cap landed on Liam’s shoulder. “You didn’t find us!” the fairy complained.
“You’re right,” said Liam. “I guess that just shows how good you are at hiding!”
“Oh!” said the fairy, looking pleased with himself.
As the fairy flew off to join his friends, Liam turned to Annie and said, “Did you see that? I can make people happy when I’m not even trying!”
“Good,” she replied. “Then find Voracia and some more princes for me. I won’t be truly happy until everything is back to normal again.”
CHAPTER 11
“WHERE DO YOU WANT to go next?” asked Liam. His horse pawed at the ground, impatient at standing still. Annie’s horse flicked its ears as if listening for her reply.
It was late afternoon, which meant that it was too early to stop for the night, but too late to get very far before nightfall. Annie peered up the road, using her hand to shade her eyes from the sun. “Where does this road go?”
“Southwest,” said Liam. “If we stay on it long enough, we’ll end up in Wryden.”
“Sweetness N Light said that Voracia was either south or west, so I suppose southwest is a good compromise. We can ask if people have heard of her along the way.”
Annie turned her horse to ride beside Liam and sighed with relief. The only sounds she heard were the clip-clop of their horses’ hooves and the songbirds singing to their neighbors. She welcomed the quiet after the unceasing noise in Sweetness N Light’s garden and was about to say so when Liam spoke up.
“Do you know what you’re going to do once you find Voracia?”
“I have no idea,” Annie replied. “But I’m sure something will come to me. It always does.”
“In other words, you have no plan.”
“None!” she said, and gave him her brightest smile.
Liam scowled and looked as if he wanted to argue, but Annie wasn’t in the mood to discuss their options. Instead, she turned her attention to the countryside and let herself relax.
They rode through forest and open countryside without passing anyone and had just entered another, older wood where the trees were taller and the gloom deeper, when a horse whinnied and their two mounts answered. A minute later a man rode up behind them, hailing them as he approached. “Care for some company?” he said once he was close enough that he didn’t have to shout. “This forest is no place to be alone after dark.”
“Certainly,” said Liam. “The more sword arms, the better. What brings you here at this time of day?”
“I’m Prince Cozwald of Bellaroost,” the man replied, positioning his horse so that he rode beside Liam. Even in the gloom of the forest Annie could see that he was exceedingly handsome, with long, blond hair and chiseled features. “An ogre kidnapped the love of my life and I’m going to rescue her. He’s taken her to his castle just over the next hill.”
“You’re going by yourself?” Liam asked.
Prince Cozwald nodded. “I borrowed a magic ax from my father. He got it from his uncle, who got it from his father-in-law, who bought it from someone at a magic marketplace. It’s supposed to kill an ogre with one swipe. I don’t need anyone to go with me as long as I have this ax,” he said, patting the weapon that was strapped to the back of his saddle.
They spoke together in low voices while the shadows deepened, but Annie began to feel uneasy and the young men soon stopped talking as they watched the forest around them. When the road angled uphill, Cozwald tightened his grip on his reins, making his horse prance with excitement.
“The castle is through the woods in that direction,” the prince said as he peered into the gloom. “I was told that a road runs from this one to the castle gate. I’m going to camp in the woods to night and enter the castle at dawn. Ogres are said to sleep during the day.”
“Then we’ll camp here, too, if that’s all right with you, Your Highness,” Liam said, turning to Annie.
“I think we should,” she replied, certain that he’d called her Your Highness just to let Cozwald know that he wasn’t the only royalty around. It had been days since Liam had called her anything but Annie. “I’m Princess Annabelle,” she said, leaning forward so she could see past Liam to the prince. “I’m from the kingdom of Treecrest.”
“I’m honored to make your acquaintance, Princess,” said Cozwald, taking off his cap and inclining his head. “If I might ask the same question your friend asked me, why are you here at this time of day?”
“We’re looking for a wicked fairy,” said Liam. “We need her to undo a spell.”
“Or at least change it,” said Annie. “Then we have to find some more princes. I’d invite you, but you already have a lady love.”
“What do you need the princes for?” asked Cozwald.
“I need to find my sister’s true love. You might have heard of her. She’s Princess Gwendolyn.”
Cozwald nodded. “The most beautiful princess in all the kingdoms? Everyone has heard of her! Say, I have a cousin who is looking for a wife. He lives close to here. I can introduce you—after I rescue my princess, of course.”
“That would be great!” said Annie.
Liam stopped his horse abruptly and pointed to the right, saying, “There’s a road here.”
Annie couldn’t see anything except a gap in the underbrush, but she followed the prince when he turned his horse in that direction. Liam rode behind her with his sword in his hand. They’d ridden only a short distance into the woods when they smelled wood smoke from the castle’s chimneys. It was dark when they dismounted and tied their horses’ reins to branches. The men kept their weapons close at hand while they all collected wood, but when it came time to build the campfire, the prince kept watch while Liam made a ring of stones and lit the firewood inside it. He cooked their meager supper and was handing it out when he noticed that Cozwald had hung the ax from a loop on his belt.
“Is that your magic ax?” he said. “May I see it?” When the prince nodded and handed him the ax, Liam turned it over, inspecting the carving that covered the double headed blade and the writing that ran up the handle. He hefte
d it in his hand and said, “It’s nicely balanced, but are you sure it’s magic? The blade is newer than the handle and looks as if it’s never been tested. Annie, take a look at this.”
Prince Cozwald looked uneasy. “My father said that his uncle swore—”
Annie shook her head when Liam tried to hand her the ax. “You’d better hold on to it,” she told him. Tilting her head, she listened for the sound of some kind of magic, but there was nothing. “I’m sorry,” she told the prince, “but if it ever held any magic, it’s gone now.”
“How would you know?” the prince said, snatching it from Liam’s hand.
Annie sighed. “Because I can hear the presence of magic, and there isn’t any in that ax. Either the magic has worn off or someone lied when they sold it to your uncle’s brother’s... whoever.”
“That’s not possible!” said the prince. “Wouldn’t my father have known...”
“Why would he if no one had ever used it?” said Liam.
Cozwald plunked down beside the campfire and stared into the flames. “If the ax is no good, how will I kill the ogre and rescue my beloved?”
“I’ll go with you,” said Liam. “I’ve had a little experience with this kind of thing.”
“You have?” said Annie. “When this is over, we have to talk. There’s an awful lot I don’t know about you.”
Liam glanced at her, then looked away as if the thought made him uncomfortable. “Go ahead and eat. Our food is getting cold and we’ll need our energy in the morning.”
“You don’t have to go with me,” said the prince as he tucked the ax back into the loop on his belt. “I appreciate your offer, but this is my fight and I can’t expect you to risk your life for a stranger.”
“I said I’d go,” said Liam. “You need my help and I’m willing to give it freely.”
“And I’ll go, too,” said Annie. “After all, I need you to stay alive so you can introduce me to your cousin. We don’t have much time, but the more princes I can take back with me, the more likely we are to take the right one.”
“But... but...,” the prince spluttered. “You’re a princess. You can’t go into an ogre’s castle on purpose. No princess would willingly spend even a moment in an ogre’s company. You would be in great danger!”
“She’d be a big help,” said Liam. “Believe me, I’ve seen what she can do. Besides, I don’t want to leave her here by herself.” Then he turned to Annie. “I think you’d be safer with me than alone in this forest at night. You’ll have to listen to me, though, and stay back unless I say it’s safe.”
“I’ll be good, I promise.” Annie raised her hand as if she were pledging her fealty, then picked up the cup of broth Liam had given her and used it to soften the corner of a rock-hard crust of bread. She was about to take her first bite when a woman’s shriek rent the silence of the forest.
Liam and Cozwald grabbed their swords and jumped to their feet, their eyes scanning the trees around them. “That must have been my beloved princess, Lizette!” said the prince. “She needs me now. I can’t wait until morning to rescue her. Are you with me?” he asked Liam.
“We’re both with you,” said Annie, giving the crust of bread a regretful glance as she set it down.
It took them some time to reach the castle as they stumbled into trees and tripped over roots and fallen branches in the dark, but even so, Annie didn’t regret her decision to go with them until Cozwald announced that they were going to scale the wall using the rope and weighted hook he’d brought.
“I don’t know about this,” she said, watching as the prince twirled the rope in a circle and tossed the hook up to the lowest window in one of the towers. The hook hit the ledge with a clang and fell back to land at their feet.
“I suppose I should have practiced,” said the prince. Once again he twirled the rope over his head and let go. This time the hook held on to the window frame for a moment, but slipped off when Cozwald put his weight on it.
The hook barely missed hitting Liam when it fell. “Here’s your problem,” he said, picking it up to show the prince. “The tip of the hook is broken off.”
Prince Cozwald looked stricken when he wailed, “How will we ever get in?”
“Leave that to me,” said Liam. “I love rock climbing, and this shouldn’t be very different.”
After a quick smile in Annie’s direction, he hung the hook on his belt and strode to the stone wall, where he raised his hands as high as he could reach. Annie was amazed when he grabbed hold of a tiny projection and pulled himself up the wall. With his toes fitting into small gaps between the stones and his fingers gripping edges so small that Annie couldn’t even see them, Liam climbed the face of the tower. Disappearing through the window, he emerged a moment later without the hook.
“Good thinking,” said Cozwald. Turning to Annie, he added, “He’s fastened it to something. See, he’s coming down now.”
Liam held on to the rope and climbed down the wall even faster than he had climbed up. “Now it’s my turn,” said Cozwald. Grabbing hold of the rope, he climbed hand over hand up the wall with the agility of a squirrel.
“I’m not sure I can do that!” Annie said, turning to Liam.
“You won’t have to. Here,” he said, tying a loop in the rope. “When I reach the window, put your foot in this loop, wrap the rope around you like this, and I’ll pull you up.” He demonstrated what he meant until she was sure she could do it. When she was ready, he took the rope in his hand and peered up at the window. “You know, you really don’t have to do this. I’ve fought ogres before without anyone’s help.”
“And did those ogres have magic?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then I’m coming with you, because this one does. I can hear it from here. It’s faint, but it’s definitely there.”
Liam grinned and bent down. Before she knew what he was doing, he had kissed her on the cheek and climbed the rope, leaving her surprised and breathless. “Ready?” he called softly from the window ledge.
“Give me a minute,” she replied. Since the day the fairy had given her the gift that protected her from magic, no one had kissed Annie. Her parents had never come close enough, the servants wouldn’t have dared, and it hadn’t occurred to her friends. But now Liam, a guard without a drop of noble blood, had actually kissed her.
Annie touched her cheek and would have stood there savoring the warm feeling that left her shaky and confused if Cozwald hadn’t called, “Hurry up or we’ll leave you there!”
Sticking her foot in the loop, Annie wrapped the rope around her waist, then called back, “I’m ready!” A moment later she was gliding up the side of the tower, watching the window as it seemed to grow larger. When she reached the ledge, Liam helped her into the room. The moment she set foot on the floor, Cozwald rushed down the hall, his sword in his hand.
Liam shook his head. “The fool has no understanding of stealth. We should have tried to surprise the ogre, but there’s no chance of that now. I want you to stay behind me,” he said, glancing at Annie. “Just let me know when you sense magic.” He took off running after Cozwald with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Annie hitched up her skirts and dashed after him, muttering, “How can I tell him if he runs ahead?”
They found the prince waiting for them at a door at the end of the hall. He was about to open it when Liam put a hand on his arm and turned to Annie. “Does this door have any magic?” he asked her.
Annie shook her head. “Not that I can tell.”
Tightening his grip on his sword, Cozwald shoved the door open and dashed inside. Torches flickered and burst into flame, illuminating the room that had been dark until he entered. A table and two chairs occupied the center of the room. The remnants of someone’s supper covered the table, the grease on the trenchers already congealed. Aside from a cat licking a platter, the room was unoccupied.
Annie followed the two young men into the room and paused to look around. It seemed innocent
enough, although the floor was dirty and the sticky smears on the table showed that it hadn’t been washed for a very long time. The room smelled musky, and she’d just decided that the smell was probably ogre when Cozwald opened the door opposite the one they had entered.
“Wait!” said Annie. She could hear a faint tune coming from the hallway—five notes playing over and over again. The tune was peppy and didn’t sound like anything bad or evil, but any magic meant that they should be cautious. Cozwald didn’t wait, however, and ran out the door, turning down the hallway that ran past it. Liam swore and ran after him. Annie took only a few steps before the door behind her burst open, although she couldn’t recall closing it. She turned, expecting to see a horrible ogre, and was surprised when Cozwald and Liam ran into the room.
They looked stunned to see her. “How did you get ahead of us?” asked Cozwald.
“I asked you to stay behind me,” Liam said.
“I did stay behind,” said Annie.
There was a soft creak as the door began to close on its own. Cozwald turned so abruptly that his sword hit one of the clay mugs on the table, knocking it to the floor, where it shattered with a crash.
Startled, the cat jumped off the table and ran out of the room before the door had closed all the way. “I tried to tell you that there’s magic around,” said Annie as the two young men headed for the opposite door.
“That cat was probably enchanted,” said Cozwald.
“No, I don’t think that was—,” Annie began, but a loud shriek that seemed to come from everywhere made her stop and look around. The sound was fading away when someone laughed maniacally. Liam and the prince tore out the door.
This time when they disappeared, Annie didn’t try to follow. She had noticed another door covered with the same wood paneling as the walls, as if it was meant to blend in. The floor in front of it was so scuffed, however, that she found it easily. She had started toward the door when Liam and Cozwald burst into the room.