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A screeching howl tore my eyes open. I winced as harsh daylight struck me across the face. Leaves fluttered around me, brown from the cold, as I lay sprawled out in what seemed to be a dense, winter-kissed forest.

Heart racing, I lifted my hands. Sunlight filtered through strange, pale fingers.

Pushing myself up, I jolted in surprise as long blonde curls tumbled past my shoulders. I ran my fingers through the unfamiliar hair, narrowing my gaze.

Now that I thought about it, everything seemed unfamiliar. My hair. My hands. The short white nightgown on my skin.

Scrunching my eyes shut, I tried to think past the awful headache drilling into my skull. It was as if my mind had been scraped clean. I couldn’t remember anything. Where I was. Who I was. This body felt as unfamiliar as the endless forest closing in on me.

I lifted my hands again, tugging at my strange hair. “Focus!” I hissed, only to jump at the sound of my own voice. Before I could let out a sob, another howl barreled through the forest.

“Who’s there?” I gasped. My gaze darted from tree to tree. Some kind of animal, perhaps? It didn’t sound human.

The howl came again, this time followed by footsteps crunching against the forest floor. Several pairs of footsteps. The sound made my skin crawl even if I couldn’t remember why.

“Show yourself!” I screamed.

Three small men burst out from behind a tree and skidded to a halt in front of me.

My mouth snapped shut. On second thought – not men.

“Be afraid, o’oman!” the beast closest to me snarled. His tiny green frame couldn’t have been taller than two feet, but that didn’t deter his confidence as he waved his pointed staff menacingly.

Nose scrunching, I leaned back against a tree. “What are you?”

“Your worst nightmare, witch!” Another one leapt closer. His mossy lips pulled into a grin, revealing a row of sharp teeth. “Now scream or we—”

“It’s wench.”

Silence fell over the forest as the two beastly men turned to the friend, who’d just spoken.

“What?” he scoffed, folding his green arms. “You said the line wrong. You were supposed to say ‘wench’ not ‘witch’.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“It doesn’t matter,” the one with the sharp teeth hissed, though his odd accent from before had vanished. “We’re in a scene now so just say your line.”

“But it’s not very professional to go off script.”

“I hardly doubt our audience will care.” He jerked his chin towards me.

Leaning forward, I raised my hand to interrupt. “Um, excuse me, is this some kind of play?”

“Quiet, o’oman, or I kill!” The one with the staff jabbed at my hand, and I jerked back.

Not a play.

“Nice improv, Gretel!” Their partner slapped them on the back, grinning. “You even scared me!” He huffed out a cackle while confusion swam in my mind.

The third beast scoffed again. “Are we just abandoning our scripts, then? Is classic theatre well and truly dead?”

“You’re just jealous because Prince Arenn let me have the staff,” Gretel huffed, jabbing their stick in the air as if battling an imaginary opponent.

Prince Arenn? I didn’t have time to ask who in the realm that was as another figure – this one much, much taller – charged out from the trees.

“Get back, you foul goblins!” he roared, thrusting out his palm. I gasped as plants sprung up from the forest floor, twisting and rolling through the dirt until they crashed into the three little beasts.

“That certainly wasn’t in the script!” the complaining one yelped.

Ignoring them, the stranger rushed towards me. “Are you hurt?” he demanded, crouching by my side.

My confused gaze fell over his body before it settled on his handsome, pale face. I didn’t know this man, yet something familiar lurked in his amber eyes. Something that stirred up an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.

I glanced at his tunic, embroidered with silver thread and far too fine for travelling through the woods, and then his hair, dark like a raven. But then my gaze caught on his ears – his pointed ears.

“Are you a faery?” I stammered, not exactly sure how I knew that.

The man appeared taken aback. “Y-you don’t remember me?”

I shook my head.

“But, Naria, you…” His voice trailed off.

“Naria?” I blinked. “Is that my name?”

His lips parted. “You don’t remember anything at all?”

When I didn’t reply, he let out a loud gasp. “Oh, my darling…” He threw his arms around me, tugging me close to his chest. “My poor sweet Naria.” Wincing, I wrestled against his hold, but he held me firm. “What did that awful king do to you?” He brushed the hair from my face.

“What king?” I asked, finally managing to break free of his grip.

The stranger paused as if considering something. But then he shook his head, and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “Worry not, dear fiancée,” he purred. “It’s all in the past now.”

“We’re engaged?” I gasped. Maybe this was all just a dream? A bizarre, confusion-filled dream.

“Of course.” His lips tipped into a smile. “Now let me take you home.” He held out his palm. “You’ve had quite a difficult few weeks, my dear.”

When my hand slipped into his, his grin widened, but for some reason, I couldn’t quite bring myself to smile back.

“So, I am a healer, and we me t a few seasons ago when you saved me from a horde of goblins?” I clarified as the prince and I walked hand in hand. Trees stood tall around us, puddles of sunlight speckling the brown wintery floor while the occasional mushroom peeked through the dirt.

“Put simply, yes,” he agreed, leading us on through the forest. We’d been walking for no more than ten minutes, Arenn filling me in on various parts of my life as birds and critters chirped around us.

“And where is home for us?” I asked curiously. “Do you have a palace?”

He chuckled before lifting me by my waist over a fallen log. “You could say that.” He grinned.

“And what else is there that you know about me?” I sidestepped a pile of acorns. “Do I have friends? A family?”

“No,” he said coldly as something sank in my chest. “There’s no one outside of our palace right now who would miss you. Aside from me, of course.” His golden eyes glinted.

“Really?” My voice grew quiet.

“Faeries cannot lie, my darling,” he told me with a squeeze of my hand. “Or had you forgotten that too?”

My gaze fell to the damp forest floor. “I suppose I had.”

We walked in silence for a few more minutes until we reached a small clearing. Standing by the edge, shaded by a large fir tree was another unfamiliar faery wrapped up in a blue cloak.

The moment she saw me, her lips parted and she raced towards us.

“Naria.” Her arms engulfed me in a fierce hug. “How do you feel? How’s your head?” There was genuine concern in her tone.

“I-it hurts a little. Not as much as it did before though,” I said as she pulled away.

“Good.” She nodded. “The pain shouldn’t last much longer. It’s just an unfortunate side effect, you see. After we took your memories—” She doubled over as Arenn kicked her in the shin.

“Sorry!” she squeaked. “It’s been a while since I’ve been outside. I meant to say, umm…” But I had already heard enough.

“ You took my memories?” Anger rising, I backed away from them both.

Arenn slid the other faery a burning glare before returning his focus to me. “We had to, my darling. You went through a very traumatising event. It was for your own good!”

“For my own good?” I choked. I didn’t even know these people. Didn’t know anything!

“Listen to me.” He matched my steps until my back scraped against a tree. “You begged me to do it. That brute had ruined you for me. I didn’t want it to come to this, but you left me no choice.” His voice softened as he brushed his fingers against my cheek. “I know you’re scared, but you have to trust me, human. Please.”

Wind tousled the dark waves of his hair. He was handsome, and my heart did seem to race around him – but was this really love? Every time he touched me, all I felt was the overwhelming urge to run.

“Fine,” I said finally. Even if I did run, I wouldn’t get very far.

“There’s my clever human,” he purred, pressing a cold kiss to my forehead.

The other faery stepped towards us, burying her hands in her cloak. “How are your other memories?” she asked quietly. “Of your love?” She glanced between the two of us.

Arenn’s smile dropped. “She doesn’t remember me.”

“What?” she blurted. “But I made sure to spare you from the charm! I said specifically she would remember your love.” Her lips thinned. “Unless…”

“Say another word, Lyssandra, and I will have you thrown back in your bedchamber with your orb lights permanently off,” my fiancé growled. “You’ve already caused me enough trouble for one day. Don’t test my patience.”

A scowl settled onto her face, but before she could argue, I stepped forward and gripped Arenn’s sleeve.

“Would you just…” I sighed, battling a sudden wave of exhaustion. “Would you just take me home, please?”

Arenn’s glare softened, and he took me into his arms before I could say another word.

“Of course,” he said, his voice smooth and wrapping around me. “The willow is just beyond those trees.”