Page 63 of The Frog Prince

“Why would I be lying?”

“You tell me.” Henne’s lip curled. “You seem to be hiding a lot from me these days.”

“Like what?” Otto asked, growing increasingly uncomfortable with their conversation.

“Your good luck has been incomparable of late. Some might think something else is responsible for it.”

“I know of nothing that could accomplish such things.”

Henne laughed out loud. “You’re as terrible a liar as your father.”

Otto gritted his teeth. “Stop mentioning him. I am nothing like him.”

“Are you not? Didn’t he risk everything for what he wanted?”

“I wanted my sister well. We are not the same!” Otto hissed.

Henne’s eyes sharpened. “Is that why it granted it to you?”

Otto froze, panic ringing through him like a bell toll. He looked away. “What are you talking about? I told you, I found the herbs alone.”

Henne grabbed an empty bottle and smashed it against the wall in a fit of fury, advancing on a shocked Otto and grabbing his shirtfront. “The Frog Prince! You made a deal with him! Do you think me an imbecile?!”

“The Frog Prince is a rumor,” Otto gasped, pushing at his hand. “A tale mothers tell their children at night to get them to behave. How could I possibly have found a fairy tale?”

Henne yanked them so they were nose to nose. “What did you trade?”

“Nothing.”

“TELL ME!”

Otto shoved the man off him forcefully. “You’ve gone mad. There is no such thing as a Frog Prince.”

He gathered his bag quickly and bolted for the door.

“I’ll find out what you gave it, Otto!” Henne shouted at his back, unable to chase him. “Mark my words!”

Anger and fear made his insides burn and his steps quick. Henne’s dismissal of Alwin’s personhood grated on his nerves, and the panic that was simmering in his gut wouldn’t let go.

It was his original fear come to life.

Henne couldn’t know about Alwin.

He could never know.

Otto stormed down the dimly lit street toward home, steps heavy and rushed.

He was so lost inside his head he didn’t even hear the sound of another set of footsteps before someone barreled into him head-on, long arms wrapping around his waist and thin fingers clutching the back of his shirt.

“Otto!”

He was shocked to find Alwin staring at him, eyes wide and worried, out in the open in the middle of the path.

“Alwin!” Otto gasped, holding on to him so he wouldn’t topple them both over, the panic inside him doubling.

“You’re okay!” Alwin said, patting Otto’s chest and holding his face between cool, damp hands for a moment as he looked him over. He seemed frantic.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Otto asked, looking around in dread as he tried to back him up. “Alwin, you shouldn’t be outside. We need to go.”