Page 63 of Apples Dipped in Gold

Now I understood her expression a little better—she was alarmed by the scars on my body. I had a few lashes across my back, one of which curled around my shoulder to my chest.

“I was struck with a whip by a dullahan,” I said, though a little reluctant to approach this subject.

“A dullahan?”

“It is a type of hobgoblin. They are nasty spirits who desire the taste of blood, but only from headless victims.”

“And you encountered one?”

“I have encountered many,” he said.

“Are there a lot here in the Enchanted Forest?” she asked.

I realized my mistake, and I did not want her to be afraid.

“Not really. I went looking for them,” I said.

“Why would you go in search of a dullahan?”

I was quiet because the answer was…her. I went in search of them because the only time I never thought of her was when I was fighting for my life.

“Lore?”

“I’ll take that,” I said, changing the subject and reaching for her dress.

Once it was hung, I opened the satchel and pulledout the only dry blanket we had and handed it to Samara. She took it and slipped it around her shoulders.

“If you sit near the stove, your hair will dry faster,” I said.

She shifted closer as I sorted through the food I’d stolen from Cardic’s pantry—dried meats, fruit, and bread. I organized everything on top of the satchel so Samara could graze.

When I was finished, I sat with my back against the wall and bit into a hard roll. I tried not to look at her, but it was difficult. My eyes drifted to her constantly. When she caught me staring, I looked away.

“Why do you not want to be in love?” she asked.

I clenched my jaw. My chest felt tight as I took a breath.

“I would not mind it if it was returned,” I said.

She said nothing.

“Did you love the prince?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I had only just met him.”

“But you agreed to marry him?”

“I agreed to leave with him and go to his kingdom,” she said. “He told me he would give me time to fall in love with him, but once we were in the carriage, he said we were to be married once we arrived.”

There was a part of me that was glad the thieves had stopped the carriage and a part of me that knew I wasn’t being fair. I could not expect Samara to never fall in love. I could not expect her to never marry.

“So he lied,” I said.

She nodded. “He said his brother had not returned from the Enchanted Forest, and he would have to leave to search for him. He was also looking for golden apples. It seems you are not the only one who desires to make a wish.”

I was not surprised to hear it. I didn’t think there was a person alive who did not want their greatest wish granted.

“What would you wish for?” I asked. “If you could do so without consequence?”