Page 38 of Snow White

“We won’t tell a soul,” Belle says with a nod.

I let out a shaky breath.This is it.

“When I was seven, I got lost in the woods that border the Mystic Woodlands.” Azura squeezes my hand before pulling it away. I frown at that, my jitters returning. “It was silly, really. I went for a ride with my brother, and he raced off ahead of me, leaving me behind as we were making our way back to the castle. Then I heard a soft and beautiful voice off in the distance. Curious, I followed the sound and quickly became lost. I turned around, trying to retrace my path, but my horse spooked and threw me. He ran off before I was able to stand, leaving me alone in the woods.”

I pause and take a deep breath, the memory of the fear still vivid. Frost clouds on my fingernails, and slowly travels up my arms.

“I stayed in the same spot for a long time, but the sun was setting. I wandered off, yelling for anyone to find me, but no one came. Night fell, and the trees came alive. Vines and branches reached for me like arms, and glowing eyes glared at me from the deepest shadows. I was horrified. It frightened me so much that I crawled into the hollow of a tree. The voices that night sang to me. They tried to lure me from my hiding spot, threatening to feast on my heart until my blood went dry.”

I look between Azura and Belle, wondering if I should continue. The next part seems like something out of a fairytale. But having started, I realize I want them to know the whole story. I want them to know me.

I gather my courage and say, “I huddled there, cold and terrified as the shadows crept closer. My heart nearly stopped as four wolves slunk out of the dark, three foxes darting past them. I flinched as the small animals crawled over me. But they quickly settled close, providing warmth. The wolves took up sentinel positions around the tree while the foxes scouted. It was then I realized they weren’t there to hurt me. They stood as my guards. Deer, squirrels, and birds brought me food. I was like that for three days until my family found me. Since then… well, I guess that is when the sensation of someone watching me started.”

Azura curses under her breath. “No wonder…. You’re fairy touched.”

“Fairy touched?” I blink.

Belle nods. “Interesting observation.”

Azura looks out into the woods again. “You went to their home and came back. That leaves a mark on you.”

“Is that bad?” I ask, gulping. Though I already know the answer. Azura wouldn’t have cursed when she said the words if it were good.

Fairy touched. Now that the words have been spoken, I remember my mother speaking of this once I returned home. She said that the evils of the forest had marked my soul as theirs, and they would try to take me back.

Azura reaches out, and I place my hand in hers. She flips it over, observing my palm. “You can’t go into the woods alone.”

I tense. “Why?”

“They are trying to take you back,” she says, confirming what my mother said so long ago. “That’s why you feel like you are being watched. Why the trees are moving closer.”

“Fuck,” Belle hisses.

I close my hand in hers. “But… I like the forest.”

“Snow,” Azura says, her hand gripping mine tighter.

“I just… I can’t,” I whisper.

Don’t leave us, Snow. You must return. You must come back.

I need to go back.

“If they take you, you’ll never come back,” Azura says with a snap of her teeth.

I flinch, pulling my hand away from Azura. She is so angry. So… determined about this. She doesn’t want me to get hurt, but how can I go without being in the woods? They are my escape from reality.

“Just promise not to go into the woods without us,” Belle says.

I look down at my hands. “I promise.”

“Snow,” Azura says.

I look up at her as tears fill my eyes. “I. Promise.”

With a sigh, Azura stands and walks back to the balcony.

Chapter Twenty-five

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