Cinders

Chapter 10: Lena

"Speak to the shadows," the hag said. I mull over her words as I sit in my room. It is already dark outside. James once again did not come down to dinner. That's two days in a row. My heart tightens with worry. Maybe I should go see him, but no. I must focus.

I look at the candle on my nightstand. It flickers brightly against the dimness of the room. If I blow it out, shadows will be upon me in seconds. Their oppressive nature terrifies me. I breathe in that terror, let it fill me as I slowly breathe out and focus on releasing the tension from my shoulders. But, as much as I try to stay calm, my pulse quickens and I feel the hair on my neck prickle. Well, here goes nothing! I clutch Luminaria's Edge to my chest and with one full breath extinguish the candle.

Whispers. Their soundless voices surround me. They come from every direction and I feel dizzy and lightheaded. I can't make out individual words. It's as if they are speaking a language I don't know. Luminaria's Edge threatens to unleash as the light within its sheath begins to glow. I suppress the sword and clutch it tighter to myself.

"Lena," I say quietly. "I need to find Lady Lena."

My voice is shaking but I repeat my demand. The shadows swirl around me. I can feel their frantic energy.

"Lena, the cursed one," they begin to whisper, their words finally making sense. "The huntress wants to see the cursed one."

"What is her curse?" I ask. The shadows continue to move around me.

"Cursed to love a beast and cursed to bear his child. She now walks between death and dreams, unable to let go," the shadows whisper.

"How do I find her? Can you take me to her?" I ask. There's a shift. It is as if the shadows feel gleeful at my request.

"We can take you to her," they whisper and I can feel the malice in their voices. "You just have to let us in."

"What do you mean?" But before I get an answer, they begin to swirl around me more frantically. They pull and tug at my hair and my clothes. It feels like I am being attacked by a swarm of angry insects. Suddenly they enter through my nose and my mouth. I can't breathe and I flail my limbs as I fight for them to let me go. I feel my body go numb as my breath leaves me. Suddenly all I see around me is darkness.

"Am I dead?" I say out loud. I hear my voice and it's devoid of emotion. It's as if death was an inevitability and I simply want to know the status of my existence.

"Yes," says a low disembodied voice to my left.

"No," says another to my right.

"You are in the realm of shadows," the voice to my left indicates.

"A place between death and dreams," replies the voice to my right.

"How do I find Lena?" I ask.

"Follow the poppies," says the voice to the left and I see a trail of red flowers at my feet. Were they there before?

Without another word, I start to walk forward. The flowers glow red in the darkness like spilled blood in the moonlight. All around me is quiet. There's no wind, no sound, nothing. It feels at once comforting and disorienting.

Soon I come to a field of poppies. The stark contrast between the bright red flowers and the shadows surrounding them is jarring. But, there she is. In the middle of the field, just like in my dream. Lena. She wears a bright red dress and on top of her head is a golden coronet decorated with bright red poppy flowers.

"You came," she says in barely a whisper yet I hear her perfectly. I step towards her but I don't know what to say. She looks so sad, but she smiles warmly at me and walks over to embrace me.

"Thank you," she whispers and I hear hope in her voice. I cringe as the pang of worry hits my heart. What does she want? What does she expect of me?

"I don't know how to help you," I say and take a step back from her. "I have nothing to offer you."

"Your mere presence has given James hope," says Lady Lena. "Stay with him."

"But he expects me to break the curse... you all do! How do I do this if I don't even know what the curse is?" I ask and I feel myself become agitated. Anger bubbles up to the surface and I feel blood rush to my face.

"I was like you once," she says and her eyes grow sad. "A young girl from the village enchanted with a cursed prince. I was scared. I tried my best, but in the end failed."

"What is the nature of the curse?" I ask. No one so far has given me a straight answer. I look at Lady Lena with hope in my eyes.

"You heard the old folk talk of the king being a shapeshifter," said Lena. "He changed once a month and was doomed to that form for a week. He roamed this forest alone. Sometimes I came with him, but he mainly preferred to be by himself."

Something inside of me twisted. Like an alarm bell going off in my head as I ask, "What was the king's form?"

"A giant elk," replies Lady Lena.