Page 30 of Apples Dipped in Gold

You will wish it away.

As soon as those words left the Prince of Nightshade’s lips, I ran. I had made one wish in my life, and it had only led to horror. I swore I would never make another, and I certainly wouldn’t for someone else, no matter the debt I owed.

He would just have to hunt me.

Though he may not get the chance if my brothers found me first, which was more likely now that I had fled from the prince’s side. Despite the threat, I was willing to give the forest a chance. I doubted it was any more threatening than the men in my life.

I kept running, weaving what I hoped was a confusing path through the forest. I tore buttons from my cloak and pieces from my dress, leaving them scattered along a path I quickly abandoned for a newdirection. Once I felt safe enough, I would stop and devise a plan.

I had few options. I could not go home or anywhere near Gnat. There were other towns within the shadow of the Enchanted Forest I might be able to reach, but then there was still the matter of the debt I owed to the prince and the lengths the forest would go to see that I fulfill it. Even with all this, I’d rather try something—anything. Even if I died in the process, at least it would be under my control.

As I ran, I glanced over my shoulder to see if anyone was following, when suddenly, my foot dropped into a hole and I fell, striking my knees on moss-covered rocks. Everything hurt, even my hands, which I had used to catch myself. Maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone finding me. Maybe the forest would swallow me whole.

I pulled my foot out from between the rocks. It hurt and was already swollen. I sat for a moment to catch my breath, my chest and ribs aching as I scanned my surroundings, realizing that what I’d thought was just a grassy hill was actually a slope covered in large boulders. Trees sprouted from between them, their branches like bony hands clawing at the air. They’d stopped growing long ago and now seemed to be frozen in time, covered in vibrant, green moss from which golden poppies grew.

It was beautiful, but the descent would be treacherous. I would have to change directions again, but as I got to my feet, there was a faint breeze. I had grown so hot from running, the sudden brush of cool air sent needlelike chills down my spine. Or perhaps it was notthe wind so much as the music it carried. It was airy and soft, and I could barely hear it, but I couldn’t let it go.

It was beckoning, and I wanted to follow it, which meant a descent through the labyrinth of boulders at my feet. The first step was the hardest and most painful. The second wasn’t so bad, and by the third, I could manage the pain if I gritted my teeth hard enough.

There was no true path down, only a narrow space of rocky earth that was sometimes overgrown with moss or ferns. Farther downhill, the boulders towered, and while the path was smoother, it was overgrown with flora. I had no choice but to wade through vibrant poppies as they danced in clusters around my feet. I thought they might be swaying to the music, which was closer now and more distinct. A drum had joined the ensemble, and I took a step with each beat. Soon, the pain in my ankle receded, but my eyes had grown heavy, and I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to sleep.

I stumbled and fell, finding that the earth beneath me was cushioned, far softer than anything I’d ever slept on in my twenty-six years. I tried to rise, but my body was too heavy, and my arms shook with the effort.

“Sleep,” I heard the flowers say, their voices like a soft hum, a lullaby cradling my body. “We will keep you safe.”

I opened my eyes, and I swore the poppies grew taller, blocking out the sun and sky and the twisted branches of the ancient oaks above me until there was nothing but darkness, and I fell asleep believing them more than I believed Lore.

* * *

Something poked me.

I woke instantly, heart already racing as I pushed myself up and scrambled away, expecting to see my brothers standing over me, but as my vision cleared, I realized it was not my brothers who had touched me but a fairy.

She was small, no taller than the poppy stem she gripped between her small hands. She looked as though she were made from a tree, with skin like bark and hair like braided vines. A dryad, I realized. She wore a dress made of dark leaves and rosettes, and the entire thing seemed to shimmer like dew in the early morning light, except it was not early morning at all. It was dusk, and the sky had turned orange in color.

“Oh,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I am so sorry. I thought…you were someone else.”

She stared at me with her large, mossy eyes and asked, “Are you going to the ball?”

I blinked, confused. “The ball?”

“There is a ball down at the old elfin hill,” she said. “If you do not hurry, you will miss the dancing!”

“That sounds lovely,” I said. “But I am afraid I was not invited.”

“You do not have to be invited, silly!” she said. “Everyone may come! The old elf king has declared it so!”

I hesitated again. “I would disgrace him,” I said, looking down at my tattered and worn dress. It was the only thing I’d worn the last ten years. I had mended it to the point that it was now mostly thread and not cloth at all. “I have only these rags to wear.”

“Then we shall dress you,” said the dryad.

“Please,” I said. “I would not ask that of you.”

I did not feel comfortable with the thought ofaccepting such a gift, especially from the fae. Lore had already taught me that nothing was done out of kindness. Everything was an exchange, and I wondered what a pretty new dress would cost.

“You didn’t,” she said. “I have offered. All I ask is that you come to the ball.”

I considered the dryad’s offer, half-afraid this was a trap.

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