The cottages are nothing but skeletal frames, burnt to a crisp. I spin around and around, desperate to spot some form of life. I ransack the piles of rubble like a mad woman. Over and over again until I must accept my fate. Everyone is dead, and I cannot stay here. But where will I go?Imogen would know what to do.
But she is gone too. I have nothing but the tattered clothes on my back. A well of emotion bursts in my chest, sending me to my knees. I hunch over, sobbing into my hands as the snow falls harder. I will surely die of frostbite before I can find shelter. Ours is the only village as far as the eye can see.
My tears fall so hard I can barely see through them. I hiccup and choke on my own exasperated breaths. What a cruel fate to be spared from fire only to perish from ice. That is, if I don’t starve to death first.
This wasn’t supposed to be my fate. I’m not fierce or brave like Imogen. Nor am I tough like Papa. No… I am too much like Mama—soft and docile and easily startled. While we are only a year apart, I looked up to Imogen for everything. How will I survive without her?
Another fit of uncontrollable sobs seizes my chest, and I think I may hyperventilate. I gaze past the jagged tree line, into the dark brush where monsters lurk. My skin prickles. The bushes shift. It’s either the wind or something is watching me.
Great. I’m to be eaten by wolves before my stomach caves in on itself. Burning alive doesn’t sound as bad in comparison.I’m such a stupid girl!I should’ve followed Imogen into the woods. She would’ve saved us both. Or perhaps I would’ve gotten us both killed.
I’m a nuisance. A silly, helpless girl who can’t even boil soup right. Mama always said if I wanted to find a husband, I’d better be good atotherthings since cooking was not in my skill set.
Dear gods. Is that the sound of hooves?
I spring up from the charred ground and spin in circles, searching for the source of the noise. My breath hitches when I spot the carriage. It races across the frozen fields, pulled by elk instead of horses.How peculiar…
I hope whoever is inside is to be my savior and not another threat to my life. When it comes to men, most are murderous and depraved. I will gladly take my chances with the wolves.
I dart behind a crispy hay bale, its edges blackened, and hide.
The carriage charges into the village square and comes to a halt. With its shiny black paint and golden tassels, it is the fanciest carriage I’ve ever seen. The kind from the fables we used to read as children.
The elk rake the snow with their hooves, impatient. They sniff the air like bloodhounds. I clutch my chest as my heart thumps inside it.
I hold my breath when the carriage door creaks open. A man’s arm extends out first, holding a black cane. He thrusts it into the snow before fully emerging. I clasp my mouth to keep quiet, unsure of my predicament. For, it is not an old man as I had assumed, but a beautiful young gentleman with black hair and pale skin. His thick velvet cloak is the only drop of color in this barren land, ruby red like the blood on the snow.
He leans on the cane, semi-hobbling as he walks through the rubble. “Anyone there?” he calls out. His voice is deep and melodic, buttery, like how I imagine the princes of the fables would sound.
He takes another shaky step. Despite his dependency on the cane, he’s of a strong build. His shoulders are broad and histhighs thick and muscular. “Don’t be afraid. I come bearing gifts.”
The man seems harmless and not very agile. He could help me. Or he could hurt me. Do I risk braving it out here in the elements? But in the pit of my stomach, a darker fear claws. If I let him leave without seeing me, I will lose my chance to get to safety. He’s a rich man, that much is certain.
My teeth chatter as I watch him scour the village. He sighs and removes a sack from his cloak. “Are you hungry?” he calls out again, confident that someone is indeed out here hiding.
My belly betrays me with a rumble when I glimpse him sliding out a loaf of crusty bread. He tears off a chunk and shoves it into his mouth. “Mmm,” he hums. “I have plenty to share.”
I can’t control my hunger any longer. Without waiting to see if this is a trap, I spring up from my hiding spot. “I-I am hungry.”
His face lights up when our eyes lock. He gazes at the length of me from top to bottom, head to toe. “You poor thing. Come, let’s get you warm and fed.”
I don’t move, like a deer caught in the woods. “I-I can’t pay you, sir.”
His smile is warm and kind as it matches his eyes. “No need. I can see your misfortune from here. Consider it a gift. No strings attached.”
Mama warned me about men like him, but Papa would tell me to be pleasant. That a man’s charms should never go wasted. Imogen would tell me to do whatever I can to survive. And so I must. At least for the tiny chance that someday we will be reunited again.
I stumble forward, unsteady on my frozen legs. “I don’t want any trouble, my lord.”
“Oh dear gods, you’re shivering.”
I whimper when he pulls me underneath his cloak and wraps it around the two of us. I’ve never been pressed up against aman before. It’s… lovely. He smells like cinnamon and pine, with subtle traces of vanilla and smoke.
I don’t realize how close I am to freezing to death until I feel the heat from his body and the softness of his cloak. I shudder against him. “Thank you,” I whisper.
He pulls me toward the carriage. “Allow me to get you to safety. I can take you wherever you wish to go.”
I stare into his eyes, bright and evergreen. “I have nowhere to go.”
