Chapter Twelve Apples Dipped in Gold

Chapter Twelve

Apples Dipped in Gold

Samara

A terrible sound startled me awake. I lay there for a few seconds on my side, my back to Lore's chest, listening as my heart raced in my chest. Then I heard it again. It was a cry, short and pained.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered.

"Ignore it," Lore replied, his voice still groggy from sleep. His grip tightened around my waist. He didn't even react when the scream sounded again.

"Lore!" I snapped, elbowing him in the stomach. "There is a woman in trouble!"

He groaned and released me. I sat up.

"It isn't a woman," he said, "It's the fucking fox."

"What?"

"It's about time you two woke up. I have been screaming for half an hour."

I looked ahead to see the fox sitting amid the tulips, staring at us.

"Fuck you," said Lore.

"I am only fulfilling your demand, prince," said the fox. "Tonight is the first night of the full moon and your only chance to end your curse."

"A choice I am regretting by the second," said Lore.

"Take heed, Prince," he said. "Without me, you may have never even met your beloved."

"By all means, Fox, take all the credit."

"I will wait for you at the bottom of the hill," said the fox.

I turned and looked at Lore. He lay on his back, staring at the sky. It was barely morning, but thick clouds hung heavy overhead, and the air smelled like rain.

I moved over him, though I questioned if it was the best decision. His arousal was hard beneath me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

His violet eyes met mine, his stare striking deep.

"I don't want you to do this," he said.

I was glad he did not lie.

I leaned over him and kissed him softly, whispering against his lips.

"I know."

* * *

We dressed and headed down the hill where Fox was waiting as promised.

Without a word, he led us up another hill. This one was taller, and once we reached the top, he paused and nodded toward the horizon. Despite the dreary day, I could just make out a faint glimmer in the distance.

"Can you see them?" asked the fox. "Those are the Glass Mountains."

"They seem so far away," I said just as the wind picked up. A chill shivered down my spine.

"Those are the tallest peaks," said Lore. "The range is much closer."

"You have been before?" I asked.

"Regrettably," he said. "The Elder Kingdom lies beyond them. It is where I grew up."

I was surprised. "I didn't realize… But then…how are you Prince of Nightshade?"

"I was designated Prince of Nightshade by my father," he said.

"And where is your father?" I asked.

"He is dead."

The news gave way to a new worry. "I thought fae could not die."

"They can if they choose," said Lore. He paused and then met my gaze. "If anything happened to you, I would choose to die."

I didn't know what to make of his words.

"Don't say that," I whispered.

He was quiet, and there was a sincerity in his eyes that twisted in my gut. Then he slipped his fingers between mine and held my hand as we continued down the other side of the hill and into the forest ahead, though we could not maintain our connection long. The forest was too thick, the underbrush a tangle of brambles and green briar, which not only covered the ground but grew upward into the trees. The stems were impossible to escape; even when I thought I had avoided the sharp thorns, they still managed to scrape across my skin. In some places, the vines were so thick, we had to find a way around.

As we continued through the wood, a horrible smell reached us. It was distinct, putrid and vile, worse even than the witch's cottage.

"What is that horrible stench?" I asked.

"It is the dead," said Lore.

"The dead?" I asked, feeling the blood drain from my face.

"There are dead at the base of the mountains," said Lore. "Many have tried to scale them, and many have failed."

I considered asking why so many had tried to climb the mountains, but I guessed it was likely for the same thing we were after—wishes.

"You do not have to do this, Samara," Lore said.

"I know," I said. "I am choosing to do this, Lore. I will be fine. Fox has not led us astray yet."

At least, that is what I kept telling myself.

That, and I was closer than ever to the truest love I had ever known.

It was nightfall when we broke through the final row of trees. My calves stung, and my skin was shredded and bloody. I was so exhausted, I wanted to collapse, but the moon was out, and she had cast a silver beam of light upon the earth just as the fox had said, only it was guiding us over the first mountaintop, which, as I tilted my head all the way back, seemed to nearly touch the sky.

The height was daunting, but so were the bodies at the base of the mountains, just as Lore had said.

"Fasten the witch's claws to your hands and feet," said the fox. "And you will be able to scale the mountains."

Lore pulled the satchel over his head and withdrew the claws. They were still bloody. I did not have the heart to ask if it was mine.

We each took four and did as the fox instructed. With two remaining, Lore slid one in my hair as he leaned in to kiss me.

"Just in case," he murmured against my lips.

Our gazes locked as he pulled away, thumb brushing over my cheek. His eyes were dark, almost swallowed whole by his pupils, and there was a tightness to his mouth that made me think there was more he wanted to say, but I would never know what was poised on the end of this tongue, because his body jerked suddenly, and he roared in pain.

"Lore!" I screamed, fear pounding through my entire body as he reached behind his shoulder and snapped off the shaft of an arrow.

My heart raced at the sight of the familiar fetching. It was Michal's.

I whirled, finding my brothers standing before us.

It had only been seven days since I last saw them, but in that time, they had grown far more severe. Anger settled deep in the lines on their faces, and they looked worn and haggard, their cheeks and lips chapped.

They'd had no one to care for them, and they looked every bit as wretched as they were.

The only one I cared about was who stood behind them—Rooster, my sweet and beautiful stallion.

"I cannot believe it is true," said Hans.

"The little whore really did run away with her lover," said Michal.

I glared at them and stepped in front of Lore, though he quickly pulled me back.

My brothers laughed.

"It seems he has made her brave," said Hans with a laugh.

"I have seen that look before," said Michal, lifting his chin. "It is his cock has made her brave."

A low growl escaped from Lore's mouth, but the sound only made Hans and Michal laugh. Jackal was quiet, but his eyes were full of hatred, and his mouth curled in disgust. It was his silence that scared me the most, his silence that made me wary of what he had planned.

"You think you can battle us, demon?" asked Michal.

Hans chuckled, eyes sparking with humor. "We have hunted and survived this forest for many years."

"So has he," I said through gritted teeth.

Hans and Michal exchanged a look.

"We have a lot to beat out of her," said Michal.

"Where do we start?" asked Hans. "With her lover?"

"No," said Jackal. His tone was too calm for what he intended. He drew his knife—Lore's knife—and grabbed Rooster's reins.

"No!" I screamed, lurching forward, only to be held back by Lore.

The stallion jerked sideways, but Jackal yanked him closer, moving to thrust his blade into Rooster's neck, but all of a sudden, Fox was there. He launched himself at Jackal and bit down on his forearm.

Jackal screamed, and Hans and Michal turned in surprise just as Rooster kicked his front feet. The two stumbled back to avoid his strike.

"Samara," Lore snapped, his hand on my forearm. "Climb!"

I hesitated, desperate. I did not want to leave him and Fox to face my brothers.

"Please," I begged, finishing my plea in my head. Do not leave me .

It wasn't that I did not trust Lore's skill, but my brothers were motivated by a will to see me suffer and it made them strong.

Lore gripped the back of my head and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I know," he said. "Now go!"

With a final look, I turned and raced to the foot of the mountain, piled high with a mix of bleached bones and swollen and rancid bodies. I retched as I navigated the climb, battling maggots and flies and slipping on loose flesh. My eyes watered from the stench, and my throat burned. I did not know how I made it to the top, but the horror of it all made me desperate to put distance between myself and the corpses.

I pressed my hands against the smooth surface of the glass and then slammed my right foot into the mountainside. The witch's claw sank deep with a strange clink, then I lifted my left hand and stabbed the other claw into its surface. With two secured, I began my climb. It was tedious and terrifying. I hated the strange grind of metal sinking into glass. I gritted my teeth with each movement, sure that by the time I reached the peak, I'd have ground them to dust.

It wasn't long before my hands began to bleed. At first, it was only a few drops, but soon it spilled down the side of the mountain in rivulets. My breathing became ragged, and my body shook. I was tiring quickly, and I had not even made it halfway.

As my will weakened, so did my hope.

I looked down, eyes searching the ground below for Lore, who was locked in battle with Michal. Rooster had Jackal cornered near the base of the mountain, but my sweet stallion kept his distance, too afraid of his weapon, Lore's gleaming knife, to get close.

I turned my attention back to climbing, but I had only made a few more feet when I heard a terrible yelp from below. I looked down despite a wave of dizziness barreling through me to see the fox lying on his side. Hans stood over him, and I screamed.

"No!"

My brother whirled, grinning wildly.

"What's the matter, little whore? Did I kill your pet?" he yelled back, his terrible laugh echoing around me.

A terrible pain ripped through my chest, but as I watched, I noticed something strange. The fox's fur was fluttering, as if caressed by the wind, and then suddenly, he transformed into a human man. He was naked and he had a swath of reddish hair. His eyes blinked open. He lay there for a moment and then reached for a nearby rock. Rising to his feet, he slammed it against Hans's head.

My brother went rigid and fell down dead.

The fox, who was now a man, looked up at me.

"Hurry, Samara!"

It was then I looked to see that Jackal had begun to climb the mountain behind me. Panic shot through my limbs, and all of a sudden, I felt numb. I looked up, still unable to see the top of the Glass Mountains, but the fear of Jackal catching up to me spurred me on. It was fuel that did not last the higher I climbed.

My mouth grew dry, and my lips chapped. I found it hard to swallow, and each attempt to move higher made my entire body shake. Then I felt the brush of fingers against my foot. I looked down to see that Jackal had caught up with me.

It was the shock I needed.

"Don't fucking touch me!" I screamed, scrambling higher.

"I gave you a place to sleep and food to eat," Jackal said, his voice trembled with anger. "I gave you more than you deserved and it was still not enough."

"I gave you everything!" I yelled. My breaths came in wild, wheezing gasps as I tried to climb, though everything in me wanted to stop. "I gave you soft beds and warm rooms, I gave you hot meals and cold beer. I washed your clothes and cut your hair. I kept house like mother did—"

"Do not speak of her!" Jackal yelled so loud, the mountains shook beneath me. "You may look like her and sound like her and move like her, but you are not her. You could never be!"

"Fuck you," I said, and as I looked down at him, I spit in his face.

Jackal roared. "You forget your place, fairy fucker!"

"You're wrong," I said as he neared, pausing my ascent. He glared at me, his teeth bared. "I found my fucking place."

His eyes, full of rage, widened with fear as I let myself drop, smashing my feet into his face. His screams echoed as he fell until his body slammed against the mountain slope. He landed with a final crack atop the pile of corpses at the bottom.

In the silence that followed, all I could hear was my ragged breathing, and then I opened my mouth and began to wail. I had never uttered such a sound, but it came from deep inside me, tearing at my lungs and my throat, and when I could no longer make it, I sobbed.

I don't know how long I clung to the side of the mountain, but I felt unable to move. My hands were sticky but also dried with blood, and the parts of my skin that touched the mountain were raw. I felt as though I was melting, fusing with the glass beneath me.

My thoughts turned to Lore and the fox and Rooster. I could no longer see the ground, as thick clouds had gathered below me. I wondered if they were alive. I prayed that they were, though I had never really believed in a God.

My eyes grew heavy with exhaustion.

"Samara!"

Lore's voice echoed around me. It sounded so far away, I thought I had only imagined it. Perhaps I had started to slip into a dream or maybe even accepted death's embrace, but then I heard it again.

"Samara, beloved, I am coming!"

Hope swelled in my chest.

He was alive! He was alive, and he was coming for me!

"Lore! Lore, I am here!" I called. "I am waiting!"

I could have cried with happiness, but I had no tears left. The feeling was short lived, however, as a massive shadow passed over me. I looked up to see a large, black raven circling overhead. I had forgotten Cardic's caution, about the raven who guarded the wishing tree and his iron talons.

He gave a sharp cry and then sank his awful claws into my shoulders.

"Lore!"

My scream curdled even my blood as the raven carried me higher and higher, his claws digging deeper as he rose over the mountain's peak. My terror gave way to wonder as I came to see the silver beam of moonlight flooding the valley below.

Where the light touched, everything was green, not glass, and at its center, I saw it.

The wishing tree.

It was more beautiful than I had imagined.

The trunk was massive and the roots were deep. The branches too were long and thick and dense with evergreen foliage and large golden apples. They were so bright against the dark leaves, they almost blinded me.

The raven carried me near, but panic rose inside me as I realized I couldn't let this creature take me any farther, but I had no idea how I was going to get down with his claws locked so keep inside me.

"Please," I tried to speak, but my throat was so dry, I could not raise my voice.

Then I remembered the claw. The one Lore had threaded into my hair as he kissed me goodbye.

I reached to pull it free, screaming through the pain as I hacked at the raven's feet. The bird gave a harsh cry and released me just as he flew over the wishing tree.

I fell, hitting the branches as I landed hard on my back.

I knew I was broken as I lay there on the ground, yet I felt no pain, only wonder as I stared up at the emerald canopy, heavy with golden fruit.

Something dropped near me, and I turned my head to the side. An apple had fallen within reach. I stretched, grazing its smooth skin with my fingertips, rolling it closer until I could take it in hand. I held it against my heart, and closed my eyes, wishing that Lore was no longer cursed.

Then I took a bite.

The skin was crisp and broke easily, flooding my mouth with sweetness.

It was the last thing I remembered and nothing more.