Rosalind's Arc

Chapter 4 of 4

Rosalind heard the wolves before she saw the tower. Paws in wet leaves. Breath behind her. She ran. The map shook in her fist. The trees thinned. A field opened. In the middle of the field stood the clocktower, pale stone wrapped in carved roses, its face lit by the rising moon. She sprinted for the door. A wolf clipped her heel. She kicked back and hit muzzle. She threw herself against the tower door. It opened. She fell inside and slammed it shut. Something heavy struck the wood. Then nothing. She sat on the stone floor with her back against the door and shook. Her feet were bleeding. Her lungs burned. The tower was quiet. Roses were carved into every beam. A staircase spiraled up into dark. She did not climb it. She stayed where she was and let her breathing slow. She had crossed. She was not dead. That was the whole of what she had. She crawled to the wall and pressed her cheek to the cold stone. She had not slept in a full day. She closed her eyes for one moment. She opened them and the room had changed. A small woman stood near the stairs. White hair to her waist. A crown of lilies. Wings that caught light that wasn't there. She held a wand and was inspecting the carved roses like a customer at a market. "You're not fae," Rosalind said. Her hand went to her sleeve. One pin left. "Not the kind that bothers you." The woman turned. Her eyes were gold. "I'm Meadow. I grant wishes. I heard yours from a long way off." "I didn't wish." "You did. You just didn't say it out loud." Meadow crouched in front of her. "You want true love. Honestly, that's a hard one. Most people wish for money." Rosalind's throat was raw. "Can you give it to me." "No. Nobody can hand you that. I can tell you where to look." Meadow tapped the wand against her palm. "There's a man in a castle north of here. Under a curse. A friend of mine has six days left with him and she's running out. She asked me to send someone kind. You'll do." "Belle," Rosalind said. "She drew you a map. She didn't draw you that road. I will." Meadow touched the wand to the floor. A line of light ran from Rosalind's feet toward the north wall and stopped at a small door Rosalind had not seen. "Rest first. The wolves won't come in. I've asked the tower nicely." Rosalind lay on the stone. Her eyes closed against her will. She had reached the clocktower. She had a new road. She had a name for where it led. The door in the north wall waited.