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A tta sat up in bed, unsure for a moment where she was, expecting bramble and bones.

With a few blinks, she recognised her room in Sonder’s manor, her heart rate slowing. She’d had the most peculiar dreams.

Groggily, she stretched and stood from the bed, recalling all the work that needed to be done before the first exorcism appointment. She hadn’t seen Sonder last night either and wanted to ensure everything was all right after their argument.

On her way to the wardrobe, she caught sight of herself in the looking glass. Sucking in a breath, she stumbled backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed, forcing her to sit down. She was covered in dirt and blood.

Tears of fear welled in her eyes as she pulled up the sleeve of her nightgown to look. It couldn’t be real. The dream. The nightmare. It couldn’t.

But there was the evidence, etched out in claw marks up her arm, and teeth marks on her wrist, next to the healing cut from the broken lamp.

With horror and trembling, rose on unsteady feet and looked around the room.

There, next to a tea set she’d seen before, was the book.

Into the Faerie Wood .

* * *

“There she is.” Sonder smiled at her over his newspaper, a sight she was growing fondly used to in the mornings. Immediately, he folded the paper and gave her his full attention. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” she asked, distracted.

“Our argument.”

“Oh, right.” sat across from him and began buttering toast without thought. “It’s nothing.”

He was studying her intently. “Are you all right?”

She should keep her mouth shut. Say nothing. Figure out what happened first. But she looked up from her toast and into his eyes. He’d been what she was running back to from the Faerie Wood. And his mother had been who she’d followed in. didn’t understand what it meant, but it wasn’t right to carry it all alone.

Was it?

“I found a book,” she half-lied.

“A book?”

“Em, sort of a strange book. I think it belonged to your mother.”

Sonder sat forward in his chair. “What kind of book?”

“A collection of fairytales. Into the Faerie Wood .”

Sonder’s face contorted. “But my mother lost that book when I was a baby. She complained about it all the time. Where did you find it?”

To lie or not to lie? settled on a variation of the truth. “In the Hawthorn Grove.”

Sonder’s brows rose. “Tell me you didn’t go out there alone at night.”

Affronted and afraid, started. “It’s just a grove of trees.” Wasn’t it?

“What of the foxes? The stags? It’s not safe alone at night.”

She needed to start the day over. Her belly was on fire or ice, she couldn’t tell which, her blood itchy . “We have a lot to do before we go to our next exorcism. I need to catch you up on my work from last night.”

Sonder studied her face for a long moment, but refused to flinch, refused to look away. “All right,” he finally said and rose. “What’s that on your cheek?” He came forward and swiped at it softly with his thumb. “Dirt?”

She’d forgotten in her dizziness to bathe. tugged at the long sleeve covering the bite and scratch marks. “I might need a bath.”

The concern in his eyes set a guilt in her heart. “I’ll come with you.” Her brows rose and he chuckled. “Not like that. I’ll bring what we need to work on and we can discuss it while you bathe. You look as if you could use a long, comforting soak.”

Tears welled in her eyes at his thoughtfulness and her desire not to be alone. “I’d like that.”

When she made it to the master bathroom with fresh clothing and Into the Faerie Wood , Sonder had the water running, the bath nearly overflowing with bubbles.

“I might have over-poured.” He shrugged apologetically and gestured to the tub. “It’s all yours. I’ll go grab a stool.”

The water was deliciously warm, stinging her cuts and soothing her sore muscles from her fall. Sonder returned with a stool just the right size to put him at eye level with her. He sat, one leg crossed over the other, elbows on his knee, and flipped open Into the Faerie Wood .

As he read her fairytales, closed her eyes, pressing her neck against the lip of the tub, and let his voice drown out her fears, keeping her arm hidden beneath the bubbles.