The book that Lady Strigga mentioned turned out to be helpful, at least regarding the korrigans.

  Lady Strigga was once a powerful faye enchantress, and lived in the Land of Free Men. She had a pet owl- though she never referred to it as such- and took it on great hunts with her. One day, while it was on one of its own journeys, someone killed the owl. Lady Strigga killed the hunter and used his heart for a spell of dark magic; she gave herself the owl’s wings and swore vengeance on men. She flew far to the north- to the Palewood- and grieved her lost friend. The korrigans found her, and the similarities in their wings united them; Lady Strigga became their queen.

  Then it hit me as I closed the book.

  The owl had been Lady Strigga’s companion- and she had merged with it upon its death.

  An image came back of a humanoid creature with deer-horns, stalking through the forest. How many creatures had five-fingered hands? Oto had mentioned others in Cervis’s care-

  I stood abruptly, the realization dawning on me. But that couldn’t be right- Oto would have warned me- Strigga had used the heart for dark magic…

  I turned to Sol, heart pounding with anger.

  “Take me to Cervis. Now.”

  Sol squeaked and began to dash off as I chased after him. He spiraled down the arching paths and bridges, until finally we came to the bedroom, where Cervis stood by the desk, orating to Nyx. The night-fox was in the cloaked messenger form, writing in the journal with a quill and dark green ink. The room was accented lavender with dusk. Cervis went silent as I entered the room. I pointed at the journal.

  “What’s in that?”

  “My private thoughts,” Cervis answered coolly. “Why? What have you discovered?”

  “Lady Strigga fused with her companions- where did the wendigos get their horns?”

  Cervis’ eyes widened. “What? Aster, what are you implying?”

  My eyes narrowed. “You know, Cervis. How long have you lived here? How many companions have you had?”

  “I can’t answer how long I’ve been here or I would already have told you my age! And you are the only companion I’ve brought back to this damnable place!”

  “I can’t believe that.” I took a step back. “I have to leave.”

  “Aster, the sun is setting- you would never survive in the forest-”

  “I can’t stay and get turned into one of those things!”

  “That won’t happen!”

  I turned to the door and began to head for it, but before I could reach it, my head started swimming. “Cervis- what are you doing?”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I stumbled and forced myself still, pressing a hand against my head and willing it to steady again. I closed my eyes, breathing hard, as my vision tunneled.

  “Cervis,” I mumbled. “What did you…”

  My feet vanished from under me and someone caught me just as I would have hit the floor. The person who caught me lifted me up, and my consciousness faded.

  I woke in the morning still just as determined to find answers.

  I had made a deal to be Cervis’ companion, and I was just as aware of that now as five days ago. Perhaps there was magic to the deal- if I left, would I be forced back? Or would my family go poor?

  There was one sure-fire way to get answers. Cervis couldn’t keep me asleep forever, and there was someone else who knew about this situation. Someone not bound by whatever magic held him in place. Someone who, admittedly, was a great threat- and my only potential ally.

  I didn’t know how I was securing her alliance, but I was determined to.

  I headed straight downstairs upon waking at a full run, and headed into that back section of garden out of sight. I checked over my shoulder constantly- no sign of Nyx or Cervis. I steeled my heart, determined to leave this place and get some answers.

  Albie came to greet me and I faced the korrigan full-on. Would the following thing matter if they wanted me to or not?

  “Take me to Lady Strigga.”

  Sol squeaked behind me and raced away. Traitorous Light. Albie screamed and flew off, but a few other korrigans rose in Albie’s place.

  “It wants to go to the Reine Chouette?”

  “Yes.”

  They exchanged excited glances, beady eyes full of evil. Albie flew up and tried to stop them, and I lightly tapped the korrigan out of the way. The others led me to the wall and one turned to me.

  “All you have to do is close your eyes, hold your breath, and walk forward ten paces.”

  I eyed the big silver wall. “Really?”

  “If you do it at the same time as us, the wall becomes a passageway. It’s permeable as long as we’re crossing.”

  I took a deep breath. “Okay.”

  I closed my eyes and stepped forward, holding my breath, and then took ten paces forward. When I opened my eyes, I was in the Palewood.

  The first korrigan that had spoken flew up in front of me. “Are you certain of this, Aster? The Reine Chouette is unlikely to let you go again.”

  “Oh- I’m certain she will.”

  I had figured out my escape route if she turned into an enemy rather than an ally. The korrigans clumped together and began to lead the way through the Palewood in utter silence. The ashen trunks rose around us, sky-hued leaves trembling as cold breezes billowed through. I wished I’d tailored warmer clothes, but it was too late now.

  The wood passed around us and I kept my eye on the sun as best I could, but it seemed like every time I looked up the sun was in a different direction, though we’d only been heading west the whole time. Or I’d thought so- perhaps this was why I couldn’t figure out the layout of the palace.

  We passed few other creatures in our travels. Night-foxes and pastel blue armadillos. Birds I couldn’t dream of naming. Creatures like none I’d seen- hairy six-legged beasts with beaks, feathered turtles with lichen growing on their backs, a squirrel with seven pluming tails and spotted back. At one point, I thought I saw liquid shadows crawling slowly across the leaves, but when I looked again the area was still. Chills ran down my spine as I imagined encountering another wendigo, or, worse, one of the elusive and deadly Palewalkers.

  Then the trees began to turn tawny, the leaves pastel green. The foliage at our feet became shades of gray.

  A shadow loomed in the distance, a great circle woven among the trees.

  We reached a grove of trees in shades of rich brown and emerald green. In the center, a great cave rose of woven russet straw like a nest. Hundreds of korrigans flew around inside it- and two shining topaz eyes stared from the depths.

  “Hello, little heroine- what brings you to my lair?”