Page 61 of To Ride the Wind

Creeping fingers of cold slid up Gwen’s spine. Her friend had said she only ever encountered her husband as a man in the pitch dark. She had never seen him, not once. Did his dread enchantments allow him to assume the voice and size of a man but not a proper appearance? Was that why he hid in darkness?

Charlotte’s bright smile was fading in the wake of Gwen’s long silence, and she knew she needed to speak.

“Charlotte,” she gasped, “are you sure you’ve never seen his face?”

“No, never.” Charlotte leaned forward, looking concerned. “Are you well, Gwen? You look ill.”

“I…I’m well enough.” Gwen exerted all her will power to push down the horror that was making her sick. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

Charlotte laughed and waved a hand as if to brush off Gwen’s concerns. “I know it’s an unusual situation—to say the least!—but Henry is everything considerate.”

Gwen caught the soft glow in her friend’s eyes when she spoke his name, and her heart sank. She had spent years forced to attend the events of her mother’s court, always watching and listening from the sidelines. While she might have engaged in few conversations herself, she had long ago learned that sometimes the most charming of faces concealed a rotten core. This Henry had clearly won Charlotte over, but that fact provided Gwen little reassurance. He would show his true colors eventually, but when he did, Charlotte would be trapped alone in his castle.

What could Gwen do about it, though? Charlotte had known her for less than a day. Why would she listen to her speaking against her beloved husband? In any ordinary situation, Gwen would even have applauded Charlotte for that loyalty.

But her friend was caught up in a dark enchantment, and Gwen couldn’t leave her to fight it alone. Especially when Charlotte didn’t even know the danger she was in.

“Don’t you think you should at least insist on seeing him once?” Gwen suggested tentatively.

Impatience crept over Charlotte’s face, as if she was disappointed in her friend’s reaction.

“I can’t do that. Of course I’d like to see his face—I’ve imagined it too many times to count—but I trust him. He has a reason for keeping it hidden, and he’ll show me his full self when the time is right.”

But will you like that full self when you see it? Gwen pleaded in her mind.

Aloud, she said, “But surely it couldn’t hurt to see him only once?”

Charlotte shrugged. “Even if I wanted to, it’s impossible. The castle is Henry’s, and he controls the sources of light. None of them work during the nighttime hours. It’s not just a matter of taking a peek.”

Gwen bit her lip. She could think of strategies that might circumvent the enchanter’s machinations, but it was clear her friend didn’t want to hear them. Already Charlotte had deflated at Gwen’s questions. She feared that if she pressed any harder, Charlotte would close herself off from Gwen entirely.

Gwen couldn’t risk that. Not when she had finally found someone who might become a friend, someone who would help her make a plan for finding Easton. And even for Charlotte’s sake she didn’t want to destroy the fragile beginnings of their friendship. If her suspicions were even partially correct, Charlotte would need every possible ally in the future.

“I’m sorry,” Gwen said softly. “It’s just such an…incredible story.”

Charlotte relaxed, laughing. “Imagine what it was like living it! I wasn’t sure if I was in a dream half the time.”

The two chattered on a little until Charlotte noticed the afternoon sun waning. She leaped to her feet.

“We really must be getting back. Otherwise my family will start worrying, and you might miss your evening meal.” She smiled at Gwen. “Shall we meet again?”

Gwen agreed eagerly, and the two began the walk back, staying together until they had to part ways to reach their separate destinations. As they walked, Gwen’s mind raced, and when they paused for a final farewell, she made a suggestion.

“I could meet you at your house tomorrow, if you’d like. I remember where it is, and I’d be happy to have the chance to greet your parents and sisters again.”

Charlotte paused for the briefest moment, and Gwen wondered if she’d rather keep their friendship separate from whatever complicated dynamic Charlotte shared with her family. Gwen could certainly understand that desire. In ordinary circumstances she wouldn’t have dreamed of intruding. But the circumstances weren’t ordinary, and while they were walking, she’d realized what she should do. She just needed a chance for a quiet word with one of Charlotte’s parents.

Charlotte might not have a reason to listen to a friend of a few hours’ standing, but surely she would listen to her own parents. Gwen just needed to convince them there was something terribly wrong with Charlotte’s husband—something beyond the fact he turned into a bear each day.

CHARLOTTE

Although Charlotte had been hesitant at the idea, Gwen’s visit to Charlotte’s family home had been a success. With no one else present to provoke her sisters’ sense of competition and comparison, they were welcoming to the visitor. And Charlotte’s parents seemed delighted to hear she had a local friend, even if only of recent standing.

Gwen herself was everything that was charming and polite. She even graciously accepted a tour of the new stable, conducted while Charlotte was caught inside by her sisters. Elizabeth and Odelia had somehow talked her into helping with the food preparation their mother had assigned them, and Charlotte wasn’t able to extricate herself before her proud mother swept Gwen off to complete the tour. Given Gwen’s true status, Charlotte could only hope she wouldn’t take offense. But she couldn’t warn her family that Gwen was a princess when her friend hadn’t even fully confided in her.

Thankfully Gwen’s royal manners were more than adequate for Charlotte’s absence. But she still felt guilty enough to stick closely to her friend for the rest of her stay. So it was only after Gwen left that Charlotte noticed how distracted her parents seemed. With the excitement of the visit over it was impossible to miss.

When her mother dropped her third bowl in a row, Charlotte asked what was wrong.

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