The Woods

Chapter Twenty-Two

I must have fallen asleep after taking the bread out of the ovens, as I found myself being shaken awake. I opened my eyes and realised Delilah had been shaking my shoulder.

"Oh, hello," I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes. A glance out the window told me it was already night time.

Delilah offered me a smile. "I came to invite you to dinner," she said. "Mother has made potato soup."

I returned her smile, rising to brush the flour off my dress. "Sounds delightful. I'll bring a loaf of bread." I busied myself with wrapping one of the loaves in paper.

"I'm glad you're baking. It'll be good for you." I nodded. The repetitive process had soothed me and helped clear my mind. It felt nice to think of nothing for a change.

"Yes, I intend to open the bakery soon. I just need to restock."

She placed her hands on my shoulders, stopping me from turning away. "Take all the time you need, Fida. No one is expecting you to snap right back into action. We all get that you're going through a tough time."

I nodded, smiling gratefully. "I think baking will help. After the past month, I just need to clear my mind."

She gave me an odd look but made no further comment, and we soon headed to her house. The air was cool but the weather had settled down, leaving only the dark clouds against the sky. Few people were out, but that was to be expected at that time of night.

At one point we came near to the Woods and I had to pause a moment, staring into its dark depths. I wondered what would happen if I tried to enter it once more. I wouldn't be surprised if I was killed; they had made it clear there were faeries who would like nothing more than to kill me.

I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt Delilah's hand on my arm. "Let's go, Fida." I nodded and we continued once more. As we walked, she kept glancing at me nervously, as if trying to spot something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's probably nothing," she murmured. I frowned, making it clear I didn't buy it. She sighed. "You just seem a bit . . . different since you left." Left. As if I had a choice to go. I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying it.

"In what way?" I decided to remain silent about her wording.

It seemed to take her a few moments to find the words. "It's like you're stronger, in a way. I mean, you definitely have built up muscle, anyone could see that. But the way you act; your way of talking . . . You've changed."

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? She seemed nervous, so perhaps she was just being cautious with the way she acted until she was able to grasp what had happened. I was surprised I could change so much in the period of a month that it was noticeable.

"I'm sure it's nothing," I eventually said. "A lot happened, so there's bound to be some change."

She paused. "I thought you said you couldn't remember anything."

I paled at the mistake, grateful that the darkness hid it. "I was referring to the past few days."

"Oh." Her face dropped. "I'm sorry." I shook my head and linked arms with her. "It is odd, you know. Your muscle, I mean. What were you doing for you to grow so much stronger?"

"I don't know," I murmured. Even I had to admit it was a bit strange for them to train me. Even if there was a chance that the potential skill of fighting got me chosen, I had to agree with Casper's comment on the matter. They were basically training me how to kill them. I could only assume that they had no intention of sending me back. That is, until my presence threatened them. I bit back a sigh.

"Fida, we're here." Delilah nudged me and I was snapped out of my thoughts, glancing around to see we stood before her house. I gave her an apologetic glance for drifting off, and we approached it together.

I was met by hugs and kisses from Delilah's mother, her condolences and sweet murmurs falling on deaf ears. It took all of my will to stand there and bear it all; to fight my urge to run back outside or burst into tears. But I managed it, smiling weakly and thanking her. After a few moments, I showed her the bread, which thankfully distracted her, and she went about setting things out on the table.

When she was finished, we all sat together, the four pairs of Delilah and her family resting on me. They would look down every time I glanced at them, but they weren't quick enough to hide it. So, I spent most of the meal staring down at my bowl, listening as they spoke of recent events.

"So, Fida," Delilah's father suddenly said, "I heard you went to see the Head Representative today."

I nodded. "They wanted to know whether I remembered anything." He raised his eyebrows, as if expecting me to keep going. "I remember nothing, of course. Perhaps my memories will return, but for now, I have no idea what happened."

"What's the last thing you remember?" he pressed. My brow furrowed slightly. This was starting to feel like an interrogation.

"I remember the Head Representative all but shove me into the Woods, leaving me to die," I replied. My words weren't sharp, as I had intended, rather having an icy edge.

"I see," he murmured. "My apologies for – ah – upsetting you." I almost scoffed at his reply. It didn't sound genuine at all.

Delilah's mother was quick to step in, filling the room with bright chatter as we finished our meals. Delilah and I cleared the table and prepared tea. As she filled the kettle with water, I leaned against the kitchen bench and closed my eyes, grateful that no one else had followed us into the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Delilah asked, hanging the kettle over the fire. My eyes opened and I saw her frowning at me. I simply nodded, knowing I could say nothing more. "I hate it when you lie, Fida. It's alright to not feel okay."

I smiled gratefully, taking her hand in my own. "Can we just go back to how we were before? Everything is so different and I just . . . I miss you." Saying the words made my heart ache. It had been so long since I last saw her, and it hurt to think that things had changed between us.

"Of course," she murmured. I squeezed her hand, about to say something else, when I felt something cool and hard. Glancing down, I saw a ring on her finger; one made of silver. My eyes widened.

"Delilah, you're engaged?" I exclaimed, a grin coming to my face.

"Oh," she said. "It had completely slipped my mind that you didn't know. Yes, Daniel proposed to me a week ago."

I blinked, trying to hide my surprise. "The Head Representative's grandson? I thought you two hated each other." The expensive metal suddenly made sense.

Delilah's mother entered the kitchen, likely to help us, and chuckled. "Oh, boys flirt through teasing, Fida. He was making his way to her heart and won it." Delilah pursed her lips, flashing her mother a look I couldn't read.

"When are you to be married?" I asked, a smile blooming on my face.

"No date is set," she said simply. Her response was too fast, making me frown. Something seemed wrong.

"Well, I look forward to it," I replied, my frown disappearing as fast as it had appeared. She turned to pour the tea and her mother busied herself with setting up a plate of biscuits. I stared at Delilah, a new stiffness in the way she held herself.

It wasn't too hard to figure out. She was to wed the grandson of the richest man in town; who happened to be the grandson of the Head Representative. Her father's questions made sense. Closing my eyes for a heartbeat, I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"I get it," I finally said. Both of them turned to me. "I am not welcome here. I am different, or so you say. I left you, as if I had a choice." Blinking back tears, I met Delilah's eyes, her shock evident. "I really thought you were different, Delilah. Have a great life with Daniel."

With that, I excused myself and left them, not bothering to say goodbye to the rest of her family. It was clear where I stood, and that they wanted to protect their name instead of being associated with me. But that was okay. I somehow found it easy to accept being discarded.