Briar Rose (19 page)

Joshua stared at the bedroom ceiling, feeling the minutes slip away. What if he died inside the curse and his parents found him all stiff and cold in his bed? His mother would
lose her mind after being so convinced he was safe now. And when she learned that he’d willingly put himself in danger to help Briar . . .

Joshua’s cellphone vibrated and he jumped in surprise.

It was Reena. ‘You freaking yet?’ she asked.

‘Totally.’

‘I’m going to start now.’

‘OK. Use that dude’s power for all it’s worth.’

‘I will, Josh. Thanks . . . for everything. See you soon.’ She hung up.

Joshua put the phone on the nightstand on top of the lengthy note he’d written to his parents. If something happened to him, he wanted them to understand why he’d had to do this. Why
Briar’s curse was his burden.

With a tortured sigh, Joshua lay back and resumed his study of the ceiling. For a time nothing much happened except that an owl hooted outside his window, which he didn’t think was a great
omen. Then his mind began to fill with an eerie darkness and that same sting of magic he’d felt at the crossroads. It slithered across his body, encasing him like an invisible shroud.

He swore he could smell the pungent scent of herbs and hear Reena’s rich voice along with the pounding of drums. ‘Come on, you can do it,’ he said. ‘Take us to
Briar.’ Then he’d make it right.
Even if she hates me for the rest of my life.

The sound of the door creaking open roused Briar from a troubled sleep. She rolled over, her back tender from the hard floor. Ruric stood in the hallway, and in the dim light
of the candle she saw him carefully shift his feet so as not to create any noise on the loose boards.

She sat up. ‘What’s wrong?’ she whispered.

He returned, closing the door behind him. ‘We have to go. The men are planning to pay us a visit.’

‘But you can take them, right?’

‘I’m a trained fighter, but three large ruffians in a very small room might prove more than I can handle, if I’m also trying to protect you.’

‘Won’t the innkeeper help us?’ she asked, rising to her feet.

‘No. He will remain blind as long as a few coins are offered and none of his property is damaged.’

He stuffed his mattress in the corner, as it had been when they arrived. He indicated she should do the same and Briar hurried to comply.

There was the sound of voices and boots on the stairs.

There was nowhere to hide. ‘Oh, God. What do we do?’ she asked.

‘We become invisible,’ was the reply. Ruric pointed towards the window. ‘I’ll go first, then you follow me.’

He vanished through the opening and then his hand appeared. ‘Come on. There is little time.’

Briar peered out and down, queasy at the sheer drop off the end of the wooden planked roof.

He has to be kidding.

Ruric waved his hand again, more urgently this time. ‘I vow I will not let you fall, but you must hurry.’

The drunken men were in the hallway now. They were coming for her.

Briar hefted up her skirts and climbed out of the window. The moment she was out, Ruric’s arm carefully guided her along the slippery roof.

‘Don’t look down,’ he said.

‘Wasn’t planning to,’ she murmured back.

Once he was certain she was settled into a niche by the stone chimney, he skittered back like a monkey and closed the shutters. Briar continued to quake in fear – she was sure she’d
lose her balance and hit the ground, cracking her skull open. When Ruric’s muscled arm went round her again, she huddled against him, shivering in fright. His cloak settled around them,
fending off the night wind.

‘Stay very quiet,’ he whispered.

The noises came quickly now – the door being forced open, coarse laughter, then the swearing began. Boots stomped around as the shutters were thrown open.

‘Curse that rat. Where has he taken the wench?’ one said.

There were more colourful oaths, some of which were quite crude. In time – after loudly debating the merits of accosting someone else, especially one who might be better armed – the
trio retreated downstairs, their dark intentions thwarted.

Briar sighed in relief. That had been too close, even with Ruric there to help her.

In the moonlight she could see her companion’s pleased smile.

‘You outwitted them. You’re really smart, you know that?’

‘That remains to be seen. I have learned much about those kinds of men over the years. I used to hunt them and bring them to the gallows for their crimes.’

Which is why there is that hard place in your heart.
Apparently there was more to Ruric than just being a noble. When she started to speak again, he held up his hand for silence.

There were shouts on the street now, followed by deep-throated snarls. A piteous scream pierced the air and then there was silence.

‘The wolves?’ she whispered.

‘Yes. Those men were not from the village, so they went out after curfew to try to find us.’

‘They’re . . . dead, then?’

‘That or they have been captured and taken to the castle.’

Briar’s shivering returned, despite the warmth of Ruric’s cloak and he hugged her closer.

‘You are safe now. Do not worry.’

‘I know, it’s just so different to my home.’

‘Then it was fortunate that I found you running from the wolves last night, was it not?’ he said simply.

Or fate.

With great caution, Ruric helped her across the roof and back into the room. The pallets were tossed around and so he moved them back into their original positions.

‘I will leave the candle unlit. I have no wish to let the innkeeper know we’re still here. As it’s after curfew, he will not rent the room to anyone else.’

Briar would never know what made her tug her own pallet closer to his, but she did. Not touching, but within a foot of him. It was her way of saying she had placed her complete faith in man she
barely knew.

Ruric solemnly observed her actions. ‘I am honoured by your trust,’ he said. He rolled on his side, his face towards the door, ever on guard.

At one time, she would have thought his behaviour so very noble, just what a prince should do for a princess: slay the dragon, rescue her from the tower. But this was Ruric, someone she truly
cared about, not some abstract guy in a fairy tale. He’d already shown that he would do anything to protect her, even risk execution or being changed into one of those metal monsters.

Maybe you are my prince, but I can’t be your princess. I have no kingdom for you.

All she had to offer him was a gruesome death.

The dark tunnel gradually gave way to sunlight. As Joshua clawed his way back to consciousness, his skin prickled as if impaled by scores of needles. He shook himself awake,
trying to throw off the magic, which caused his stomach to roil.

When he finally opened his eyes, he found he was lying underneath a tree, an old oak whose massive branches shielded him from the sun. He peered up at it, puzzled. It seemed familiar in some
way, like the one under which he and Briar had sheltered after the re-enactment.

The thought of her made him struggle harder to clear the cobwebs.

Taking stock of his surroundings, he was amused to discover cows and sheep grazing nearby. A young woman sat on a low stool, milking a nanny goat, dressed as if she’d just stepped out of
the Middle Ages.

Did it work?
He’d have to assume it had. But why this pastoral scene?

When Joshua pulled himself to his feet, the surprises kept piling on. His own clothes had changed, now being a pair of dirty leather boots, dun-coloured breeches, a beige linen shirt and a
dark-brown leather jerkin, belted at the waist. A scabbard was attached to the belt, and he pulled the knife free to examine it. Satisfied it was for real, he re-sheathed it.

‘Josh?’

He turned to find Reena hurrying across the field towards him. Her curly hair was down on her shoulders, and she was in a peasant dress, a homespun cloak floating behind her. Slung over a
shoulder was her canvas bag.

As she grew near, he beamed. ‘It worked!’ He picked her up and spun her round as if she weighed nothing.

‘OK. Good,’ she said, taken aback at his enthusiasm. ‘Colour me surprised.’ She eyed his garments. ‘Hey, look at you. It’s good you’re my bud, or
I’d be all over you in a flash. You’re smoking, dude.’

He laughed. That was one of the reasons Reena had become a good friend – she had a great sense of humour even when things were scary.

They turned as one towards the town in the distance. ‘Oh look. It’s got a castle. Go figure,’ he said.

‘Makes sense. I mean, where else would Briar end up but in a fairy tale?’

‘Yeah, but which one?’ he asked.

‘Hopefully one that isn’t lethal,’ Reena replied.

‘There are very few of those. The Dark Rider said that this is a nightmare, more than a dream.’

‘Yeah, I remember.’

When they approached the milkmaid, she stared up at them. Or, more accurately, stared at Reena.

‘Ah, good day to you. We’re looking for a friend of ours. A girl named Briar,’ Joshua said.

‘Ah, her,’ the woman said. ‘She’s at the stable.’

‘Thank you, good . . . lady.’ They hustled on before she could ask more questions.

As the pair drew closer to the town, Reena slowed her pace, thoughtful.

‘The stable doesn’t sound like Briar’s kind of place. Knowing our girl, she’s inside the castle trying on fancy princess dresses and glass slippers. Probably hitting on a
prince.’

‘She better not be,’ Joshua replied tersely. Especially not the
hitting on a prince
part. ‘Let’s just find out where the stable is and get Briar out of here. I
don’t like the feel of this place.’

‘I don’t think it’s going to be that easy,’ Reena cautioned. ‘The curse brought her here for a reason. We need to know what’s going on before we start
stirring things up, or we might make it worse.’

Joshua thought that through. ‘What if she doesn’t want to leave? She might not realize it’s a dream.’

‘Don’t go there. No need to feed the curse with anything it can twist.’

He stared at his companion. ‘You make it sound as if it’s listening to us,’ he said.

‘Magic isn’t static, Josh. It feeds on what you give it.’ Reena studied the village around them. ‘We’re in the middle of a giant-assed spell and we don’t want
it to get mad at us.’

‘You serious?’ he said, hoping he’d misunderstood.

‘Totally. The curse didn’t plan on us showing up, so there’s no telling how it’s going to react. We need to be very careful.’

Joshua’s good mood flagged. He’d figured it’d be a quick in-and-out rescue mission, snag up Briar and go home. Not a covert action with a hidden enemy that had its own vicious
agenda.

So what else can go wrong?

The next morning the innkeeper gaped at them as Briar and Ruric descended the stairs into the tavern. He gave them a curt nod and went back to counting his coins, though she
could tell he was flustered. That unease proved prophetic when Ruric strode to the counter. He leaned over, then deftly sorted out four copper coins and dropped them in his pouch.

‘What are you doing? That is my money!’ the innkeeper protested.

A thick-bladed knife rammed down into the wood only a few inches from the man’s hand. He jerked back in surprise.

‘As I see it,’ Ruric began, his voice full with menace, ‘you should be pleased I am only reclaiming the payment for the room. You told those roughs precisely where to find us
and that placed my cousin in mortal danger. I should cut your throat for such perfidy.’

‘I had no choice,’ the man said. ‘The reeve . . .’ His ruddy complexion paled.

‘Go on.’

The innkeeper drew a heavy breath. ‘The reeve urged them to pay you a visit. If I had refused, those men would have torn my inn apart.’

‘Would you have wished the same if it had been your daughter?’

The man mumbled in the negative.

‘You always have a choice, innkeeper,’ Ruric replied. ‘Mind that you make the proper ones in future.’

The man huffed in disgust. ‘You are barred from my inn from this day forward.’

Ruric stepped back, sheathing his knife as he did so. ‘As you wish, though I shall miss your most excellent stew. Good day, innkeeper. Do mark my warning.’

As they stepped outside into the morning air, Briar couldn’t help but notice a pile of torn and blood-stained clothes at the edge of the road.

‘It would appear our ruffians met a bad end,’ Ruric said. ‘I, for one, shall not mourn their fate.’

‘Neither will I,’ Briar replied, then realized how heartless that had sounded. That wasn’t like her.

‘You are learning, cousin,’ her companion replied. ‘There are good people in this world, and there are bad. The trick is to keep the former as your friends and the latter as
far away as possible.’

‘So says Ruric.’ He nodded and smiled. ‘Why did the reeve do that?’ she asked.

‘If I was killed or injured, he could easily claim the mare as his own. It appears I have made an enemy.’

‘You could just give him the horse,’ Briar suggested.