The Woods

Chapter Twenty-Five

In the following days, I heard nothing about Merida. I shouldn't have been surprised; it was likely the story she told me was made up, so no one would be looking for her. And yet I still found myself holding my breath whenever anyone entered the bakery.

Delilah and Daniel had announced their wedding day, and it was to be held in three days' time, at the town centre. Anyone passing by was welcome to attend, and I was asked to bake the bread for the dinner that was held afterwards. It was Daniel who asked me, as Delilah was going out of her way to avoid me. I was sure the only reason they chose me was because of my father's reputation.

And so, I found myself making several trips to the markets, to collect the ingredients for the dozens of loaves I was to bake. I was glad that the smaller bakery was chosen to bake the cake – it was stressful enough to make all of the bread.

"You're busy, aren't you?" I was bustling about the bakery, setting out fresh loaves on the stand while also preparing the ingredients for the wedding. I turned from where I stood to see Daniel standing in front of the counter.

"Well, it is a big wedding," I replied. "Being the Head Representative's grandson, you need to meet the people's expectations."

He frowned, leaning against the counter. "Yes, I would rather have a smaller wedding, but Grandfather wishes for a public event." I tried to give him a sympathetic look, but his slight smile told me I didn't look very sympathetic at all.

"Anyway," I said, "how may I help you?"

"Delilah has been upset recently," he said carefully, watching my expression. I was careful to keep my face blank. "She told me about the night you went to dinner with her, and how you two had a falling out. I would like you to speak to her; make friends again."

"Surely she told you why we had a falling out," I replied. "Her family is afraid of me because I came back from the Woods alive. Your grandfather convinced them to ask me questions, in case I wasn't revealing everything to him." That last part had been an assumption, one I had clung to since that dinner, but his expression told me it was true.

"I apologise for him. He was stressed and wanted answers. Of course, what happened the other night isn't helping him."

I could only assume he was talking about the girl who the Woods had claimed.

"Who was she?" I asked. His face dropped into something like despair.

"Her name was Ginny. She was my little sister."

Of course – I had often seen her following Daniel through the streets. But she was so young, only twelve. Why would the Woods claim her?

"I'm so sorry," I murmured. "But why would she have been taken? She was twelve."

He shook his head. "We don't know. But the poor child . . . I wonder what fate awaits her."

I thought back to the thorned vines that had grabbed me, tearing at my skin and choking me. Fighting the urge to shudder, I simply nodded. Even if I hadn't lied to begin with about my lack of memory, I wouldn't tell him. It would be too cruel.

"Anyway," he said, clearing his throat and trying to smoothen his expression. "I must go help Delilah. But please, Fida, talk to her." I nodded and he returned the gesture before leaving. I stared after him for a few moments, before yelping at the smell of burning.

I had lost a loaf of bread, but even though it frustrated me, a part of me felt it was worth it that Daniel had come to talk to me. I had a chance to make it right with Delilah. Of course, this made guilt gnaw at my stomach, not only from the words I had spoken, but also my selfish wish of who the girl would be.

I decided to go to her after the last loaves were finished, and decided to use the excuse of checking what breads she would want for the wedding. So, once I set the fresh loaves on a rack to cool, I grabbed a file and closed the store, knowing that the afternoon brought few customers anyway.

As I walked through the town centre, I smiled slightly at the people who were setting up decorations for the wedding. Usually, it would be done the night before, but it seemed the Head Representative wanted some sort of statement made with all the attention it was getting.

"Ah, Fida." I turned to see Delilah's mother walking next to me.

"Hello," I greeted.

"I suppose you're on your way to see Delilah about the bread. Let's walk together; she's having a dress fitting and I want to see her." I smiled at the light that filled her eyes, making her look years younger.

"I am so sorry for my behaviour that night," I said.

"You had every right to be upset," she replied. "I did warn my husband not to get involved with the Head Representative, but he just had to offer his help."

"But Delilah was wary of telling me about her engagement. It upset me."

"Of course," she murmured, giving me a sideways glance. "It is a lot to take in, you know. People naturally fear what is different, so she acted on instinct – to shut you out. She truly regrets it, Fida." I nodded, biting my lip to distract myself.

As we walked, I thought over her words. I knew better than to jump to conclusions that night, and even though I had been correct, I didn't even consider Delilah's emotions. It was only natural for her to be nervous around me; I had returned from the dead, in a way.

My stomach was churning with nerves as we reached their house, but I tried to keep my expression as passive as I could. But as soon as we entered the sitting room, I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping.

To say the least, Delilah looked beautiful. The Head Representative had truly given a small fortune towards the wedding. The dress was made from flowing white silk that had sapphires encrusted onto the bodice and small pearls scattered on the skirts. Her wild curls had somehow been tamed and straightened, falling as a curtain to hide her face as her mother complimented her.

"You look beautiful," I said quietly, as Delilah's mother went to speak to the seamstress.

"Thank you," she replied. I offered her a smile, and she returned the gesture, the relief evident on her face. It was enough, it seemed, to put everything behind us. "You're here for the wedding planning, aren't you?" I nodded, and she let out a groan.

"Is it so bad?" I asked, sitting on one of the stools.

"I never knew wedding planning could be so stressful," she replied. "It's all about what decorations would fit the season, who can sit next to who without biting the other guest's head off, and so on. I can't wait until the honeymoon."

"Where will you go?" I asked. I wasn't sure whether I had managed to keep the hint of sadness from my voice. Honeymoons were rare for newlyweds; very few could afford it. But with the Head Representative's money to spend, it was likely a lavish place.

She fiddled with one of the pearls on her dress, likely having the same thought. "There's a country house a few towns over. It belonged to Daniel's mother, and he wants to take me there."

I let out a huff that could've been a laugh; I wasn't sure. "I've hardly returned and now it's your turn to leave for a month." She smiled, albeit weakly.

As she was about to reply, the seamstress returned to take a few final measurements before helping Delilah change back to her normal clothes. I smiled slightly at her deep breaths; the corset of the dress, I noticed, was tighter than her daily ones. Likely some silly trend.

"Now," I said as she sank into a seat next to me, "let's talk about bread."

I passed her a piece of paper with the different types of bread I could make, and we spent about an hour discussing sweet and savoury loaves. We were both glad when we finished deciding what breads I was to make, and soon enough we went back into our old rhythm of gossiping and joking over tea.

It felt nice to have my friend back, and though some pathetic part of me was still upset about the dinner, I knew she had done nothing wrong. It was like some sort of weight had lifted from my shoulder, and I couldn't stop the smile from tugging at my lips. Delilah gave me a curious look, but I just shook my head. I knew things were okay.