took a lot of getting used to. And there was Cezar . . . I’ve gone over and over what happened, wondering how I could have handled it better. And . . . I wasn’t sure you’d feel the same about me, now that I wasn’t Gogu anymore. I was afraid to ask you. I couldn’t b-bear it if you said no.”
“Costi, I don’t remember you stammering like this when you were a boy.”
“I don’t think I did. It’s just when I’m scared. Back then, I wasn’t afraid of anything.”
“You’re scared now? Why?”
“Because this is new and good and so p-precious I’m afraid it’s just a dream. I had a lot of d-dreams when I was a frog, and I hated waking up.”
I stopped walking, took both his hands in mine, and looked him in the eye. It was dark in the forest, but not so dark I could not see that here was my childhood playmate, my beloved companion of nine years, and the man of my dreams—
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miraculously rolled into one. Suddenly this wasn’t difficult at all. “I love you, Costi,” I said. “That’s the truest truth I ever said. Forever and always. There’s no need to be afraid anymore.”
“I love you, Jena. I always did. When you couldn’t trust me, you broke my heart.”
Tears spilled from my eyes. He leaned forward and kissed them away.
“Me too,” I said. “But it looks as if broken hearts can mend.
It’s quite remarkable. A phenomenon, Paula would say.”
“I suppose,” said Costi, “it is no more remarkable than boys turning into frogs, and frogs into men. Oh, Jena . . . When we’re married—that’s if you’ll have me—I want to keep on coming out here, and sitting by a campfire, and doing all the things we love doing.”
“Was that a proposal?” I asked, smiling through my tears.
“I can do better with practice,” Costi said, a little abashed.
“Shall I try again tomorrow?”
“If you want. I plan to say yes. It’s best if I tell you that now, so you won’t get anxious and go off to hide in the leaves.
I hope Aunt Bogdana will approve.”
“Mother will be delighted. She’s been nagging me ever since we got home to go down and mend things with you; she could see how miserable I was. But I couldn’t make myself do it.
You were braver than I was.”
“I was petrified,” I said, slipping my arm around his waist.
“But it was worth the effort. You played my game very well.”
“You know,” said Costi, “I did think I smelled pancakes the 381
moment I got off my horse. But I dismissed it as wishful thinking.” He was suddenly serious. “Jena, what’s going to happen tonight? Sorrow and Tati, I mean?”
“I don’t know.” As we walked on I explained how weak and dispirited Tati was, and what she had dreamed about Sorrow’s journey. Then we fell silent, thinking about what might happen if Sorrow didn’t come back. If Tati was prevented from being with her sweetheart, she might actually allow herself to die of a broken heart. It hardly seemed worth considering such practical questions as how we could get her across. Now that I had taken back my little crown and given up my free entry to the Other Kingdom, I did not think the old way would work anymore. Dr?agu?ta had granted Costi, Cezar, and me our wishes for a purpose, and that purpose was achieved now. Still, there must be some way for Sorrow to win his reward if he completed the quest. Let him reach us first, and perhaps the issue of a portal would take care of itself.
“You’re shivering,” Costi said, wrapping his arm around me. “Not far to go now.”
Then we froze. Someone was coming up the path through the forest. A small light bobbed into view, accompanied by scrabbling, hurried footsteps and the gasping breaths of someone who has run a long way in the cold. Costi moved me behind him. A moment later we could see a cloaked figure, face white and pinched, with lantern in hand.
“Paula!” I exclaimed. “What is it? What’s happened? Is Tati—?” I could not say it.
My sister was bent double, trying to catch her breath. She had set the lantern down.
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“Take it slowly, Paula,” said Costi. “We’re here, and we’ll help, whatever it is. Deep breaths if you can.”
“Sorrow—” she gasped. “Someone saw Sorrow in the woods. Now the men from the village are out after him —
scythes and pitchforks—come now, quickly!”
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Chapter Sixteen
“Where are they?” I asked as terror filled my heart.
“I saw them . . . I hid while they went past. They were saying . . . they were saying”—Paula hugged her arms around herself—“horrible things, Jena. . . . I heard what they’ll do to him if they catch him—”
“Which direction, Paula?” Costi had put a reassuring hand on her arm.
“Over toward the Deadwash, northeast of Piscul Dracului.
Jena . . . Costi, I . . .”
“What, Paula?”
