Page 24

RAPUNZEL

R aw panic floods my veins as I race along the riverbank to the edge of the cliff. Finik clings to my shoulder, his tiny claws digging into my skin, but I barely feel it as I scan for any sign of Ren.

Fog-like mist rises from the waterfall, obscuring most of my view of the churning river and forest below.

“Ren!” His name rips from my throat in a feral cry that’s swallowed by the thunderous roar of the falls.

Devastated, I fall to my knees. “Ren, please.” Tears stream down my face. “You can’t be gone.”

Finik chirps mournfully in my ear, climbing slowly from my shoulder down to the ground. My heart aches as he shuffles to the edge of the cliff and peers over, his tiny nose twitching with confusion and sorrow.

“I know, Finik.” The words escape in a broken sob. “He's gone, and I never told him—”

Emotions lodge in my throat and I cannot speak around them as crushing regret settles deep in my chest. I never told Ren how much he truly meant to me.

Tears blur my vision as I think of his smile, and how my pulse would race each time his eyes danced with mischief whenever he teased me. How I wanted more than anything to give him my heart, despite the uncertainty of my past.

Silent sobs wrack through me. “I should have told him.”

“Told me what?” Ren’s voice echoes nearby.

My head snaps up, my heart freezing in my chest.

“That I'm incredibly handsome?” he continues. “Charming? Witty? Or that I have rather impressive skill at surviving impossible situations?”

“Ren?” Scrambling to the cliff’s edge, I peer directly over the side, searching desperately for him, praying I’m not imagining the sound of his voice. “Where are—”

My breath catches when I see him clinging to a large boulder, protruding from the rushing water, near the top of the falls. Water streams down his face, slicking back his red hair, his fox-amber eyes locked onto mine. Despite his precarious position, he flashes a teasing grin. “Did you miss me?”

“Oh, Ren.” Relief washes through me, and Finik squeaks excitedly, hopping up and down at my side, echoing my joy. “You’re alive.”

Worry grips me anew as water pounds relentlessly against the rock he’s clinging to. “Hold on. I’ll use my power to help you up.” I raise my hands, struggling to call upon my magic. Exhaustion drags at me, but I force myself to push through. “Don’t move.”

“No problem.” He exhales a rough, breathless laugh. “I’ll just wait right here, shall I?” he teases. “And when you rescue me, you can finish telling me all the things you wished you’d said when you thought I was gone.” A handsome smirk curls his lips. “I’m dying to hear all the details.”

Embarrassment heats my cheeks but I push it back down as I concentrate. Closing my eyes, I draw in a deep and steadying breath. Heat fills my palms as magic swirls between my fingers like wisps of green smoke before I send it into the ground.

Green vines surge up through the soil, unfurling and thickening as they stretch down to Ren and coil tightly around his waist. Once I’m sure they’re strong enough to hold onto him, I raise my hands, directing the vines to pull him back to safety.

My arms tremble as I set him on the riverbank beside me.

Soaking wet, he collapses onto his back, panting heavily.

For a moment, I can’t do anything but stare at him, still in disbelief that he’s alive. My shock gives way to joy, and he lets out a startled ‘oof’ when I throw myself into his arms.

“Sorry.” I start to jerk back, remembering his injuries too late, but he tightens his hold, embracing me just as fiercely in return.

Finik scurries up onto Ren’s shoulder and nuzzles his cheek.

Ren huffs a tired laugh, his amber eyes flicking between the two of us. “Perhaps I should almost die more often. I’ve never been greeted this enthusiastically before.”

I lightly swat his shoulder. “That’s not funny.”

He winces, and guilt stabs through me again. “I’m so sorry, Ren.” I sit up, my gaze traveling over his battered and bloodied form. “You’re hurt. We need to—”

“I’ll be fine,” he assures me. “It’s not that bad.”

Not that bad? He looks like death warmed over. “We need to find you a healer.”

“My kind heal quickly. I’ll be all right.” His gaze shifts to the forest around us. “We need to move. We must find shelter before nightfall.”

“Do you think Sevryn survived?” Worry tightens my chest as I think of the Wolf Shifter. “Do you think he’ll come after us?”

“Yes.” Tension lines Ren’s features as he gives me a grim look. “And I doubt he’s the only one the witch sent to hunt us.”

A chill runs down my spine.

He pushes himself to his feet. “We need to get you out of those wet clothes before you freeze.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice our travel pack, caught on a fallen limb at the edge of the water. Ren follows my gaze and then moves to retrieve it. He picks it up, staring at it curiously when he realizes it’s still dry, along with the contents inside.

“How did this survive the water?”

“It was Drusilla’s. She used it to bring me supplies,” I explain. “She spelled it to protect it from the rain.”

I take it from him, slinging it across my shoulders. “I can walk,” I tell him, not wanting him to feel as though he needs to carry me while he’s injured.

Ren shakes his head. “We need to travel fast.”

Before I can argue, he shifts back into his Fox form and crouches down, lowering his back for me to climb up.

I scowl. “Ren, you’re wounded. You shouldn’t carry me. You need to rest.”

His ears flick, unimpressed. “There’s no time, love,” his voice slips into my mind. “We need to go. Now.”

I gather my drenched skirts and climb onto his back. Finik settles between Ren’s shoulders, in front of me, holding tightly to his fur.

Once we’re secure, he breaks into a run, his muscles rippling beneath me as he races through the forest.

My clothes are still damp from the water, and I shiver as the wind whips around my form. “Just hang on,” Ren’s voice whispers in my mind. “As soon as we find shelter, I’ll make a fire to keep you warm.”

Closing my eyes, I think of what happened. Ren could have been killed. I almost lost him today. And the thing that terrifies me most is the knowledge that this may not be the only trial we face in my quest for the truth of my past.

The witch is still hunting us. We are not safe.