Page 29 of To Ride the Wind

She clasped her hands together, desperately hoping her instincts hadn’t led her astray.

Henry drew back, his expression conveying a level of distress that shouldn’t have been possible on the face of a bear.

“I’m truly sorry,” he said. “I did not intentionally deceive you. If I had dreamed—” He shook his head abruptly. “No, I should have guessed it. It was a reasonable assumption. It is my fault for not foreseeing that you would—”

“No, indeed, you can’t blame yourself!” Charlotte cried, moved by his concern. Clearly it had not been a duplicitous deception. Her heartbeat slowed again, the momentary panic receding. It might not have made logical sense, but she still trusted him.

Their current situation was another matter, however. Was this castle more than a temporary home for him? Had he really muttered something about being a prisoner? She stared at the castle with new eyes.

He wanted her to live here, in this cold and lifeless place, deep in the mountains? Who else lurked behind the castle walls? Were there others like him?

The thought filled her with horror, and she couldn’t entirely keep the emotion from her face. The bear looked from the sky—which was clinging to only the last vestiges of light—to her face, desperation in his eyes.

“This is a truly terrible misunderstanding,” he said, “but night is upon us. Shall we go inside at least?”

The pleading in his voice made her nod, and she followed him silently inside. There was certainly nothing to be gained by standing on the castle’s doorstep as darkness descended.

The great double doors creaked as they opened, revealing a cavernous entryway that was as dark and cold as she had feared. From the outside, the edifice had looked lifeless, and inside it appeared no less so.

She tried to reassure herself that at least there were no fearsome beasts, but the shiver that rocked her made it hard to cling to any positivity. Was she really to sleep—to live—in such a place?

The bear still seemed concerned, but he moved quickly, his actions verging on frantic. Crossing to the mantelpiece over the vast and empty fireplace, he delicately lifted a silver bell, clasping the wooden handle in his jaws.

Shaking his head, he rang the bell, the sound echoing against the stone all around them. Instantly a roaring fire sprang to life in the dead fireplace, and all around her light bloomed as hundreds of candles began to glow.

Charlotte gasped, spinning to take in the whole entranceway. Filled with light and warmth as it now was, the space felt entirely different. Even welcoming.

But how was it possible? Even if the bear had been able to instantly start a large fire, it should have taken time to warm the air.

Her eyes fixed on the bell, and she spoke in reverent tones.

“Is that a godmother object?”

She had heard legends about such objects—gifted to worthy humans by the godmothers who served the High King, they were often passed down through generations.

“It is,” the bear said, although he still seemed distracted and hurried. “And a powerful one.”

“You have a godmother, then?” Charlotte asked, some of her earlier hope rekindling.

The bear hesitated before finally saying, “It wasn’t gifted directly to me. I…acquired it from someone else. I don’t know how old it is.”

Charlotte frowned. The tales she had heard included some that involved nefarious people twisting godmother objects to their own ends. Surely the bear was not such a person? His presence couldn’t fill her with such a sense of safety if he was.

Unless that was part of the enchantment that surrounded him.

She drew back, trembling as she realized yet again how isolated and alone she was. She didn’t even know how far or in what direction lay her home valley.

No, she thought miserably, not my home any longer. This is my home now.

It was a painful thought.

The bear had always been sensible of her moods before, but he didn’t notice this time, approaching her without regard to her new emotions.

“Who are you?” she gasped, needing answers. “If you are not a creature from the Palace of Light, how can you talk?”

The bear halted abruptly, shifting from side to side. Placing the bell carefully on the flagged floor in front of him, he opened his mouth as if to speak but ended up groaning instead.

“Please, just tell me,” she said, her voice shaking.

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