Page 40 of Once Upon an Enchanted Kiss

He grunted in response but didn’t wake.

“Wake up,” she said with another shake.

His eyes popped open as he lunged from the bed, reaching for her. She stumbled back, her hands outstretched.

“It’s me! Rosamund!”

He huffed out a breath. “Gods, you scared me.”

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to tell you…” She paused as her breath hitched.

“Tell me what?” He rubbed his eyes.

“Let’s do it. Let’s find the treasure.”

“That? That’s what you wanted to tell me?” He frowned at her.

“Yes.”

“You could have waited until morning,” he grumbled.

“No, I couldn’t wait,” she said. “I had to tell you now. Good night.”

With that, she crawled back into her bed and pulled up the bedcovers. Before too long she was fast asleep.

Chapter 17

“Rose,wakeup.”

It was Edward’s urgent voice in her ear as he shook her. She blinked open her eyes to see him standing in between the two beds with the strangest look of confusion mixed with unease on his face. She was instantly wide awake and on high alert.

“We have to go.” There was an urgency in his voice that alarmed her.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

The moment she sat up in the bed, she knew. The cabin they were in had somehow changed overnight. She glanced at the window where there had once been shear curtains. Those were gone. The glass was grimy, making it difficult to see outside. Overhead, the roof of the cabin had holes in it, letting in slashes of morning light.

Odd. That wasn’t there last night.

“Comeon,” he said even more urgent.

She sprang from the bed and reached for her boots. He was already moving to the staircase as she pulled them on. She grabbed her cloak from the end of the bed and followed. Once she was at the stairs, though, she halted in confusion. The staircase was not winding as before. Instead, it was replaced by rickety steps that went straight down.

“I don’t understand,” she said, clutching the handrail.

“You said that old hag finding us was a coincidence. I think you may have been right.” He paused at the bottom of the stairs and glanced back up at her. “Let’s go.”

She took the stairs as quickly as she dared. Each one creaked and each one wobbled under her feet. By the time she was at the bottom, he was already out the door but she had paused to take another look around.

The table they sat at the previous night was covered in dust and dirt. The chairs were rickety. The fireplace that had a bright cheerful fire was now dark and cold. The kitchen was in shambles.

“What is going on?”

“Rose!” he shouted from the door.

When she snapped her head in his direction, he waved her out of the cabin. She hurried outside after him. He stood by the horses, holding the reins. When she turned to get a look at the cabin, she saw it was nothing more than a ramshackle building.

“She said be gone before daylight,” she said, gaping at the place.

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