"I will crush your bones, and use your remains to feed this soil." His hollow eyes darkened with anger.
"Then do it!" Aurelie threw her hands up in fury. "Come on! Don't talk about it. Go ahead! I'm not going to help you murder someone, I don't care what you threaten me with." Whatever fear had been buried inside her turned into a fit of rage.
"You think I won't?"
"No, I really hope you do. If I lose any more skin, I'll just be made of bone. So, might as well just get it over with, right?" Aurelie crossed her arms and turned away from Jermyn.
"I didn't ask you to hurt her! I asked you to distract her, but fine." He sighed. "Follow me."
Aurelie gave him a side glance, making sure that he saw the toxicity in her eyes, and walked after him. They moved toward the light. The bark outside it glowed as if made from gold. She stepped through the opening and covered her eyes with her palm. There were no windows and no holes, no fire â this was magic. A seed grew out of the cave's soil, rays of gold radiating from it.
"Take the seed."
"You take it," she said, eyeing the brightness of the seed suspiciously. Fire did not hurt her, but the seed was not fire. It was strange magic.
"If I wanted to kill you, I'd have killed you," he said. He extended one of his branches. It grew until it was long enough to reach the seed. He picked it up and retracted the branch so that it stopped right above Aurelie's hand. "There."
"What is it for?"
"You're going to plant it outside of Marianne's house."
"Oh am I?"
"Yes, you are."
"Look, you don't have to harm her, you don't even have to like helping me, but I've helped you mend your leg, I've gotten you food and drink, and I've given you shelter. I know you weren't asked to come here with me, but you wouldn't have survived the Dead Woods on your own. I've been trapped in this body for years, trapped in these woods. I need it to stop, Aurelie. I really need it to stop. I want to go back home."
She could definitely understand that. There was nothing on earth she wanted more than to go home to. "I'll help you," she said.
Aurelie observed the seed. It was warm and provided light to the dark tunnel. It would definitely come in handy when she'd have to spend a night outside, in the dark.
"How does it even work?"
"When you reach her home, you'll dig a shallow hole, and bury the seed beneath it. Make sure she doesn't see you lurking around when you do it. Then, as we agreed, you leave."
"Where will I find the rebel man you spoke of?"
"Daerious? There's a tavern in Berillian where they meet every day. If you're lucky enough to catch him at the right hour, he'll approach you. They scout that town for new faces, trying to find witches and wizards in need. A new face in that place is always noticed. Just hope it isn't by the guards, and if it is, set the biggest fire they've seen. Someone that isn't interested in the rebellion usually doesn't show their face there. The King keeps a list, you see. That's the only reason they still let the rebels operate in these places. He wants to know who they are."
"What if I'm captured?"
"You won't be. Not in, Berillian. The rebels have deep roots there and you'll be important enough for them to join a fight if they have to. I wouldn't be sending you there alone if I didn't think you'd be safe."
The sentiment made her feel warm inside. "Thank you, Jermyn," she said, almost on the verge of tears.
He led her through a maze of tunnels. Aurelie would never have been able to escape without his help. She had already forgotten half the turns they made a minute ago.
"Plant the seed when you reach her home. It's the one that'll make the hair on the back of your neck rise. Walk straight from here," he pointed ahead of him, "no turns and you'll find the town."
"Do you think it'll work?" she asked.
"What?"
"Us breaking the curse?"
"I do hope so, little dragon, but I'll be content with revenge too."
The cave was at the base of an enormous tree. Its branches almost reached the clouds that moved across the sky. Green leaves hung down from the branches in long spirals.
All the plants around her were dead, the flowers were either discolored and hanging on their dried out stems or were already dead on the floor. The journey was going to be a long one, but at least she was finally on her way.
*****
Aurelie limped through the unfamiliar streets of Neriss Pass. Her dress was torn at the edges, and her skin battered and filthy. She noticed the witch's cottage five minutes into entering the town.
The stones of the cottage were stacked carelessly on top of one another, lacking the perfect pattern of the others that she had passed. It was darker and smaller in size. The windows were covered with rags. The glass was cracked and coated in a thick layer of dust.
A crow sat on the windowsill and called relentlessly as she came nearer. Aurelie shushed the bird and waved him away.
Dropping to her knees, she dug a hole. Mud clogged the gaps under her fingernails. She looked up at the window, making sure she had not been watched, and withdrew the seed from her pocket, placing it into the hole.
Her hands shook. Jermyn had been mad to make her do this. If she turned Jermyn into a tree, what would she do to her? She stood up and moved the earth back into the hole with her foot.
Her job was done. All she had to do now was turn away. But, she wanted to see the witch with her own eyes. She wiped the mud off her hands and came around to the front of the house.
MD was charred into the lapidated, black door. She had potted plants on the porch. The plants were tall and dark green with black dots scattered all over. They looked like the sort even Jermyn would not try to eat.
Shallow footsteps approached from inside. Aurelie's ears pulsed as the door swung open, creaking. In the doorway stood a tiny older woman. Her oily black hair was tied into a chaotic bun at the top of her head.
Aurelie's mouth opened. "Morning, Ma'am," she said. "
"It is indeed," she said. "What brings a dragon to these parts?"
Aurelie smiled, but her heart pounded upon hearing the question. "My aunt and uncle were taken by the King. A maid at the Sproot manor told me that you might be able to help."
"Oh, my," the witch's eyes sparkled, "and what am I to do with you? Shall I hide you? Was that the plan?" She smiled, showing her rotten yellow teeth. "Shall I take you straight to the rebels?"
"I don't know what the plan was," she said.
The witch took three large steps down the steps of her house and came to stand before Aurelie with her head cocked. "But you do know, don't you? Oh, what your father would say." She grabbed Aurelie's hand.
She tried to break free, but her grip was too firm. Her fingers were strong as steel cuffs.
"Let go of me," she ordered, a faint orange light covered her eyes, then disappeared faster than it had crossed her vision.
She made herself focus. The rage glided inside her like a wave of heatâraising the hair on the back of her neckâand settled in her eyes.
Marianna failed to notice. "What lies did they tell you?" The old woman pressed her dirty nails into Aurelie's skin.
"Let go!" Aurelie roared. Her vision beamed crimson. But still, no fire escaped her hands.
"Let's see, let's see," she said, her eyes moving up and down Aurelie's body, rapid and strange, like the stare of a bird. "Oh, how confused you are." She cackled and rubbed Aurelie's hair. "They are liars, those two who raised you. The King would never harm his only child."
"I'm sure he wouldn't." Aurelie yanked her hand, but the witch hardly moved. The witch was mad, perhaps if she played along. She yanked again. This time, the witch released her grip. Aurelie stumbled back, regaining her balance.
"He's coming to take you home." Her head turned to the door. "Come stay for a cup of tea!"
She rubbed the dents in her skin that the witch had dug with her nails. "He knows I'm here?"
The witch spun around and clapped her hands. "Of course he does! He's coming today, tomorrow, or maybe next week," she sang. "Come sit, I'll make you something to eat. He'll want to know that I took care of you."
"I'm not going in there."
"But Iâ"
"Marianne!" Jermyn's voice came from the side of the cabin where Aurelie had planted his seed. His shadow spread on the ground and his leaves stuck out above the roof of the house.
Aurelie sighed in relief and backed away from the witch.