Page 67 of Down from the Tower

Dahlia’s smile falters. “What is still confusing you?”

I wave a hand. “Timelines, mostly. It’s hard to wrap my head around. Zarev is helping.”

“And you two still plan to move onward soon?”

Slowly, I nod. “I think he wants to be on the road by next week.”

“Ah, sounds like him. He gets antsy staying in one spot for too long. But what’s your plan once you head out?”

My eyes dance away. “I don’t know yet.”

“Tressa?” she prods, leaning back in her chair. “Or will you go explore Mystica more? If your parents are busy pretending something didn’t happen, and there’s no news on this side of the wall, you may have time to burn.”

“But I don’t have any idea what’s happening back home either.”

Dalia nods. “True. You’ll have to decide what the most important thing is to you. Rapunzel. It's your choice, so long as you don’t let someone else control you.”

I scoff. “You know, that traveler’s log is full of people who had someone else controlling them.”

‘Oh?”

I nod. “There’s all the people running out of the Red Woods and Wonderland, the wanderers who travel through Sherwood without a plan, even the people trying to get to the coast. Maybe they weren’t being directly controlled, but someone else’s choices influenced them. I’m no different.”

Dahlia leans back again, smiling. “You’re learning, girl. Everyone is influenced by others. It’s a matter of whether or not they can still think and decide for themselves. That’s control.”

I mull that information over in my head, thinking back through the travel log. It was so interesting to read different accounts in different eras, but there’s still no dates. A few spots look to be crossed out, and I can’t figure out why someone would bother to do that. Maybe to make things less confusing.

“So many people bend under others' control,” I grumble. “I did, beneath my parents’. Even the unhappy let it happen. There’s one woman, I feel bad for her, really. Says she was someone’s mistress, and she didn’t think she could ever be more. It sounded so… sad.”

“That’s just one story of many.”

I shrug, standing when she does. “Right, of course. Her name just sounded vaguely familiar.”

“Do you remember it?” Dahlia asks me.

“Yeah, it was a strange one. She signed her entry as Lady Tremaine.”

Dahlia pauses, her eyes widening. “Lady… Tremaine, you say?”

“I just thought it sounded familiar,” I reply, giving Dahlia a forced smile. She seems a little surprised by my comment, but doesn’t say anything else.

I step to the door, giving her a little wave. She doesn’t return my gesture, appearing perplexed as she stares off into space. I don’t have time to question her reaction, however. Elsie catches me at the door.

“Zelle, better get back outside. Zarev’s back.”

“You never explained how you became a Reaper.”

Zarev glares down at me as we walk. When night settles in, the land around The Missing Shoe is absolutely gorgeous. The shoes up high seem to have a bit of pixie dust, making them shine like lights outside of the tavern. I’ve learned it’s best to not hang out directly out front during the busy season, because people walk past the doors all night long, making it impossible to hold a real conversation, not to mention keeping anything confidential.

Just past the treeline, little lights are hung in the branches, giving Sherwood a pretty bluish glow. The lights illuminate a winding path, like walking into a secret garden. This is my favorite spot to be at night. Not in the tavern with company and good food, but out here, beneath the stars.

“It’s not a happy story, Rapunzel.”

I scoff. “You’re dead, Zarev. I assume it’s a sad one.”

He shrugs, glancing away from me. The lights gleam off his scythe as we walk, giving it an unusually pretty glow. It’s too early to see the moon, and he already told me we might miss it with the clouds. “People are traveling all over Sherwood, even across The Barrens from Wonderland.”

I nudge him as we walk. “That has nothing to do with anything, Zarev. You’re stalling.”

---