Come Away

Chapter 17 - Entrance

I rely on the Witch's long fingernails digging into my arm, and even the sensation of my bare feet colliding with cold dirt and cobblestone, to distract my senses from being completely washed out by absolute fear.

She's taking me to the King.

What King could it be other than the one who wants all mortals dead?

The guard at the glass gate swings it open to let us out. I catch a glimpse of a pale face beneath the shadow of a hood, and immediately wish I hadn't looked. The girl's face is ashen, and her eyes are bulging as she locks her gaze onto mine. In that instant I can sense the silent message she's sending me.

Pity. Grief. Warning. Terror.

Maybe I should run while I can. Tear myself away from the Wicked Witch and bolt for the safety of the nearby forest that trails along the front side of the castle like an ominous picket fence. But something tells me those trees aren't meant to offer refuge. They're meant to keep people near the castle. Near the eyes of the King and his servants. If this is the same forest where creatures like the púka live, I doubt anyone with their logic still intact would willingly step inside it.

I'm still struggling to form an escape plan—that won't end with me running a few feet before getting shot down by the people holding crossbows along the edge of the castle wall—when the Witch suddenly shoves me into the arms of a guard. My face ricocheted off his armored chest with a loud clang before he grabs my arm and starts leading me along the drawbridge and through the front gate. I'm practically running to keep up with his longer stride as we enter the castle.

The transformation between the outside and the inside of the castle walls is stark. Simple clothing and unadorned faces milling around outside are replaced by fine materials and glittering jewels. Individuals passing us now are all draped in silks, their shiny hair falling loosely around proud shoulders, and their critical gazes observe me with snarling upper lips.

I'm kind of glad the guard is moving too fast to stop and chitchat with anyone. I thought this navy dress was an upgrade compared to my tattered clothes. Now I feel more like a sore thumb than ever. The ugly miss-fit no one wants.

We turn a corner and my feet slide along the glass floor, trying to gain some friction before the guard rips my arm out of its socket. That's when I notice the large double doors at the end of the hall. My stomach churns, threatening to reject the carrot I inhaled earlier. The guard starts to slow his pace, and as we near the doors they slowly swing open.

And after all we've been through together, the guard drops my arm and walks back down the hall, leaving me standing there with nowhere to hide from the dozens of eyes drawn to me like lasers.

This is it. This is how I'll die.

Nobody speaks, nobody seems to even be breathing. The edge of my vision blurs and black spots encroach on my mind. I'm not breathing either, but what's the point when someone will probably chop my head off any second now?

My knees waver just slightly. I consider how pathetic it would be to pass out right now and not even give this a fighting chance. That's when I hear his voice.

"You may enter, mortal."

He sits on a powerful throne at the end of the room. All eyes flicker from me, to him, and back to me. I take a step forward.

It's him, the dark being from my nightmares, the one who tricked me into coming here. He is the King. His blue eyes sparkle like crystals, pulling me closer with just his presence alone. My bare feet continue to move across the floor despite my choking fear. It's as if I'm magnetized to him. The harder I try and retreat, or even stop moving altogether, the more resistance I feel.