On my left, a dark forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, treetops glistening silver in the light of the full moon. The hills around us undulated into wildflower-filled meadows that lay sleeping in the dewy night.
Far down in the valley, I could see a little village, its lights twinkling in the distance. To my right, a sparkling waterfall splashed into a small river that ran down into a lake, next to which the little village was built. The moon here was fuller and more vibrant than I had ever seen it, and the stars overhead glittered like jewels in the night sky.
I looked around for the tapestry, but it was gone. Where was I? I was still trying to get my bearings after that strange moment when I had been both inside the tapestry and nowhere at the same time. It was a peculiar feeling, as though I had been lifted out of my own consciousness and then put back into my body.
A warm breeze brushed past my face and played with my hair. Gone were the cloudy gray mist and the cold, nipping wind of the English countryside. I drew in a sharp breath of crisp, fresh air perfumed by the sweet scent of strawberry bushes and fragrant wildflowers.
“How did we come here? Where are we?”
Oblek gave me a sidelong glance and his eye narrowed. “You really are an ignorant one,” he snapped. “I take it your uncle didn’t tell you anything about who you really are, or where you are from?”
I shook my head and glanced down. Oblek had tied my hands with a rope he had with him while I was still dazed and looking around. It was humiliating, and the rough ropes cut into my wrists, rubbing them raw every time he pulled me forward.
I had to find some way out of this. And at the moment, the only thing I could do was discover more about where I was. When I got an opportunity, I could escape and find my way back up to the cave on the hill, where we had arrived out of the tapestry.
But then what?
Christopher was probably dead, and Aunt Arianna would doubtless blame me for everything since I had disappeared at the same time. I didn’t really want to go back, and now that my adoptive parents were dead, I had nothing to return to. I had no idea what to do.
A sliver of dread raced down my spine. I had nowhere to go, and my mind conjured an array of horrible outcomes of my kidnapping. My palms had become sweaty, and my racing heart thundered in my chest as I half walked and half ran, desperately trying to keep up with Oblek’s giant strides.
I leveled him a hard look as I tried to reason with him. “You do know that this is called kidnapping?”
But Oblek was silent. He didn’t even look at me. He kept walking ahead and dragging me along behind him, without any explanation as to what he was planning to do with me.
I had no idea if I was going to survive this. But I tried to pull myself together. “Where are you taking me?”
“Queen Morgana will decide what is to be done with you,” said Oblek, finally speaking.
Queen Morgana! The woman from my dream? Fear gripped me and embedded itself deep within. It was not possible that this, too, was a coincidence. It must be the same Morgana, the one who had tried to kill my real mother. Who the hell was she? And what did she want with me?
It was becoming painfully obvious that I really had traveled through a magical tapestry into some strange world. It all seemed very exciting in books. But being kidnapped and then hauled around like an animal, traveling deep into a land I knew nothing about, was not my idea of fun.
I wanted to find out more about what he knew of my parents, but I was getting tired as I trudged along behind him. My legs ached, and my fluffy slippers were wet and dirty. I wondered how much longer we would have to walk.
“Where are you taking me?” I tried again.
Oblek unexpectedly turned toward me to say something. I realized that was my chance, and I took it. I kicked his shin, yanked the rope out of his hands, and tried to make my escape. He hardly felt it; he quickly caught the end of the rope that he had tied around my hands and pulled on it hard, spinning me around. I fell forward onto my hands, pain shooting through my knees.
Oblek sneered at me lying in the mud and held out his huge, beefy right hand, curling his fingers as if he were catching something in the air in front of him. I felt an invisible hand grab my throat. I choked and gagged as Oblek slowly cut off my air supply, while I clawed at the invisible fingers trying to wrench myself free.
It was no use; he used his magic again. The invisible hand pulled me to my feet, lifting me up by my throat. I tried to scream, but only choking sounds escaped my parched lips. I was felt dizzy as I gasped for air, and the world swam before my eyes. I was sure I was about to die.
After moments that felt like hours, he loosened his invisible grip on my neck. I landed on my knees, and with a flick of his hand, Oblek pushed me. I stumbled onto my back and clutched at my neck as I gasped for air.
“That was only a warning, you foolish girl. The next time you try to escape, you will not
