ex

lie in my bed, trying to pull my entire brain out of sleep. It's a losing

d to do won't allow me to, and a few seconds later,

my bi

ut it's my twent

letters to girls on their twenty-first birthday summoning them to the castle so he can... well, no on

ut on my slippers. Instead, I shuffle into the bathroom, do my business, and throw on a clean dress. I run

ey, but the sun has barely met the top of the tree line, which means it's not even 6:00 in the morning. She s

e glued to

e you been st

s toward me. "Oh, Bexley. You're awake. How did you sleep, dear?" A

id take me a while to fall asleep,

ere for a few moments... looking at th

y, but then, the sun's not all the way up. No bright patches of pink and orange light t

think there's any chance she's actually looking at the sky

post doesn't usually come until

e ever sees who delivers it." I shrug. Saying that story out loud seems so silly to me. It's not as if I bel

y. "Perhaps we should check then. Honestly, Bexley, I

been such a good parent to me. She loves me so much, and I absolutely don't know what I'd do without her. We've been close my entir

e I highly doubt I'm about to be carted off to a castle on top of the mountain, I do hope one day to start a family of my own or

love you so much, Bexley. I don

ght not always live under the same roof, but I'm not going anywh

yes. She nods. "I know, baby. I know. Now, why don

om the hook by the door, I slip it into place and clasp it, taking my ti

'm here-at my house-my mother is inside watching. I'm fine. Everything is fine. There's no letter looming in the mailbox. No car

them twirling as I cross the front yard to the road where the mailbox stands sentinel. Why am I so frightened

n the distance. Mother lifts a hand to wave at me reassuringly as she looks through the f

y downright

as I grab the door lev

it's n

ed envelope tucked inside of the mailbox. It's large, we

aid to

ith lots of curls, such that I can barely read it at an

Kessler"

king knows that Harv

and Mother comes running out onto

, I begin to walk toward her, thinking we can open it together. Each step feels like I'm w

it would be a

man before. What if the tales about those other women aren't true, and the king re

and and carries it inside. Mrs. Jones is awake now. She's wearing a thick blue

n't bothered to wake u

sofa but offers me the le

the moment. I sit on the edge of the cushion next to her and slide my finger under the cell. The letter is beautif

the girls get until I see that it's ac

is evening at seven o'clock. A carriage shall arrive to retrieve you at six o'clock. As your stay will be

nce Wood?" I

with tears as if I've received a death senten

esquire part

wn the stairs in a neatly tied robe, the bottom of his pajamas

e the kitchen, scurries off, and I can tell she's u

nd plucks the letter from my hands. He reads it, shakes hi

n though I don't like what it

he coffee table. "Now, Garth will have no use for you." He turns to look at m

ctive mode. "We don't know that," she says

explode from my throat. He doesn't

ree mugs, but I'll not be having any. I have a lot

her back to Hexeton for a week or so to stay with her grandpa

a chair and begins to sip his coffee, making a face like it's not right. I decide I sh

xpect. He's probably just waiting in his bedroom for someone. Su

oth turn and look at me. Mother whimpers slightly. "I

ks at me as if I'm the most

ll find a way to make sure I'm there. Fiona says no on

ruin everything." He sets his coffee down and flees the room, still mut

and takes my hand. "

lying to one another. "I'm g

ears threatenin

that I am careful. I've spent so much time here, I know all the trails, where the animals tend to hide, what they like to eat, everything. I've learned a lot about animals from my time

g when I see a pair of eyes staring at me from between the hedges. Golden and glo

nitely not t

ir eyes, but this one is different. It's looking at me the same way a human

t's too tall to be a fox or a wolf. I take a few steps closer, but then a cracking sound behind me has me tur

per, but my only answ