Page 86 of Apples Dipped in Gold

“The little whore really did run away with her lover,” said Michal.

I glared at them and stepped in front of Lore, though he quickly pulled me back.

My brothers laughed.

“It seems he has made her brave,” said Hans with a laugh.

“I have seen that look before,” said Michal, lifting his chin. “It is his cock has made her brave.”

A low growl escaped from Lore’s mouth, but the sound only made Hans and Michal laugh. Jackal was quiet, but his eyes were full of hatred, and his mouth curled in disgust. It was his silence that scared me the most, his silence that made me wary of what he had planned.

“You think you can battle us, demon?” asked Michal.

Hans chuckled, eyes sparking with humor. “We have hunted and survived this forest for many years.”

“So has he,” I said through gritted teeth.

Hans and Michal exchanged a look.

“We have a lot to beat out of her,” said Michal.

“Where do we start?” asked Hans. “With her lover?”

“No,” said Jackal. His tone was too calm for what he intended. He drew his knife—Lore’s knife—and grabbed Rooster’s reins.

“No!” I screamed, lurching forward, only to be held back by Lore.

The stallion jerked sideways, but Jackal yanked him closer, moving to thrust his blade into Rooster’s neck, but all of a sudden, Fox was there. He launched himself at Jackal and bit down on his forearm.

Jackal screamed, and Hans and Michal turned in surprise just as Rooster kicked his front feet. The two stumbled back to avoid his strike.

“Samara,” Lore snapped, his hand on my forearm. “Climb!”

I hesitated, desperate. I did not want to leave him and Fox to face my brothers.

“Please,” I begged, finishing my plea in my head.Do not leave me.

It wasn’t that I did not trust Lore’s skill, but my brothers were motivated by a will to see me suffer and it made them strong.

Lore gripped the back of my head and pressed his lips to my forehead. “I know,” he said. “Now go!”

With a final look, I turned and raced to the foot of the mountain, piled high with a mix of bleached bones and swollen and rancid bodies. I retched as I navigated the climb, battling maggots and flies and slipping on loose flesh. My eyes watered from the stench, and my throat burned. I did not know how I made it to the top, but the horror of it all made me desperate to put distance between myself and the corpses.

I pressed my hands against the smooth surface of the glass and then slammed my right foot into the mountainside. The witch’s claw sank deep with a strange clink, then I lifted my left hand and stabbed the other claw into its surface. With two secured, I began my climb. It was tedious and terrifying. I hated the strange grind of metal sinking into glass. I gritted my teeth with each movement, sure that by the time I reached the peak, I’d have ground them to dust.

It wasn’t long before my hands began to bleed. At first, it was only a few drops, but soon it spilled down the side of the mountain in rivulets. My breathing became ragged, and my body shook. I was tiring quickly, and I had not even made it halfway.

As my will weakened, so did my hope.

I looked down, eyes searching the ground below for Lore, who was locked in battle with Michal. Rooster had Jackal cornered near the base of the mountain, but mysweet stallion kept his distance, too afraid of his weapon, Lore’s gleaming knife, to get close.

I turned my attention back to climbing, but I had only made a few more feet when I heard a terrible yelp from below. I looked down despite a wave of dizziness barreling through me to see the fox lying on his side. Hans stood over him, and I screamed.

“No!”

My brother whirled, grinning wildly.

“What’s the matter, little whore? Did I kill your pet?” he yelled back, his terrible laugh echoing around me.

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