Beyond the Mist and Trees

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I knew the answer before I even thought about it. My sister would have to come first. If the only way I could take her back was to let Diana cross the mist, then I shall. Bride or not, it didn't matter. Her sister was chosen not because she was the fairest, but because she could endure.

Leaving everything behind meant being selfless. The Snow King's bride had to endure not just being away from her family, but she would have to be selfless. Soon, she would eventually understand.

So, yes, it didn't matter. It could be Diana, I thought. After everything she did, she had shown far more endurance than anyone I had ever known. My only problem, of course, was that she did not intend to cross the mist to be the bride. She wanted to kill the Snow King. My father. The only man who could control the other creatures in the forest. Our savior.

I could just let her because I knew she'd fail. She did not have the only weapon that could do it. And I would not be the one to tell her that.

"You're not focused," the voice said beside me.

My thoughts drifted back to the present—to the mist before me. And to the cloaked shadow figure standing close by. He was one of the ciarans—the bringer of nightmares, the only creatures who could talk that had passed through the mist. Except, of course, Ivy.

Today, he was sent here to help me with the mist. I had never been able to part the mist before. Yes, I could lift it for the ciarans, but it was a different thing. They could take the form of shadows and slither through with just the tiniest opening. But for the bride to cross, I would have to make a bigger opening.

"She will have to go through without getting lost," said the ciaran. "And I tell you, Wren, that it can be quite a long journey."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

His hooded head faced the thick mist. It looked alive. The moonlight seemed to illuminate it from within, making the white lace of smoke visible. Like sheer curtains blown by the wind. If one was to stare at it long enough, they could be trapped in a trance—somewhere between a dream and sleep.

"The first time I crossed, it tried to lure me in. It asked me to stay," the ciaran said. "The souls of the humans it trapped, of the creatures from the forest it tricked inside, and even of the other ciarans... they called out to me."

I focused on the village beyond the mist, the yellow lights that glowed through their windows. If I didn't know better, it looked like it was made of gold. A treasure I would want to cross the mist for. But there was nothing there. Just humans. And my sister.

"They will make you see things," the ciaran continued. "Things that will make you want to stay." The creature turned to face me again. "As ciarans, we are stronger against its wiles. We, after all, are masters of the mind. We create nightmares. We make dreams. But still, for some, the mist can be more powerful."

My jaw tightened. I wanted to tell him my sister had crossed the mist unharmed. But what good would that do? It might just bring me and Ivy trouble.

"For a human, the crossing will be difficult."

I sighed. "That's why I have to cross it with her," I said, looking at the mist again. "If I don't, she'll die."

"Precisely," said the ciaran. "That's why you have to focus. Try again."

I took a lungful of air and lifted my arms. The mist parted as I willed it, but it also spread outward. Like water in a clay jar, it spilled at the first crack. I cursed under my breath, breathing hard as I tried to will the spilled mist back into the mist.