The cobbled path framed by the well-arranged, beautiful garden was a sight many admired in the lord’s manor. The cared-for and meticulously trimmed plants, the sweet smell of the many flowers in the garden. For Yuki, each step on the path was one closer to hell.

  Boris walked with his back hunched and shoulders drawn in. Each lurching movement forward was more painful than the one before. Yuki couldn’t hold it anymore. Panicked, still paralyzed and unable to use magic, she did the only sane thing she could think of. She cried out.

  “Heeeeelp! Gemme outta hereeee!”

  Her voice was a low squeak.

  Jenny stopped and turned around. She looked at the rabbit. A flicker of something passed on her face before she smiled at Boris.

  “Is it still alive?”

  Boris nodded so fast that it was surprising he didn’t get whiplash. He raised Yuki, showing his prize. “Right, it is,” he mumbled despite the early energy.

  Jenny stepped closer, invading Boris’s personal space. “Let me handle it?” She asked, her voice sweet.

  Boris turned redder than before and all but threw Yuki at the blonde. Jenny caught the rabbit in both hands. She curtsied.

  “Thank you, Boris,” she said.

  The servant girl turned around, blocking Yuki’s vision from Boris. She looked Yuki over, pausing when she noticed the patch of mangled, bloodied fur Yuki hadn’t managed to untangle. Her face twisted into a scowl before settling again into a pleasant smile.

  Jenny crossed the heavy oak doors into a grand foyer without waiting for the teenager scampering behind her. The cool air carried to Yuki new smells: cooking meat and burning wood. High above, thick wooden beams supported the vaulted ceiling. The walls were full of tapestries depicting scenes of hunting and feasting. The floor was smooth, dark stones worn down by countless steps.

  Yuki’s gaze stuck to the images in the tapestry. The festivities, the feasts, the food. People roasting rabbits. Now truly in the thrall of panic, she yelled even louder, trying to break free. Her limbs responded, but small jolting movements weren’t enough.

  “Shhh, it’s okay.” Jenny brought Yuki closer, whispering in a soothing voice. “You’re going to be okay.”

  The words, even in the unfamiliar language, were calming.

  Yuki stopped struggling.

  The fear remained, but clarity returned. The poison effect was fading. Better to seem compliant and save energy for one last escape attempt. She wouldn’t accept the oven, but if it ever happened, she hoped they at least choked to death on her bones.

  They moved through a series of interconnected rooms. The great hall was expansive and imposing, with a long wooden table that could easily seat dozens of people. Massive chandeliers of wrought iron hung from the ceiling; the candles unlit during the day.

  Adjacent to the great hall was the smaller but no less grand dining room. A large fireplace dominated one wall; the hearth’s fire, too, was unlit. The massive table set with plates and goblets. Rich wooden paneling lined the walls, and a small gallery overlooked the room.

  Jenny crossed the floor into the kitchen. Yuki’s nostrils twitched at the aroma of baking bread and simmering stew. Servants moved with frenetic energy, tending to the fires that each sat beneath an enormous cauldron. On the wall-mounted shelves sat an array of dried sausages with large baskets of produce arrayed on the floor beneath it.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  They climbed a spiraling staircase. At the top, Jenny walked into a long, dimly lit corridor lined with doors. The servant girl ignored all of them, going straight to the last door. Once there, with a quick look behind to make sure Boris still followed, she knocked.

  “My Lord,” she said, “I’ve brought Caretaker Brander’s grandson.”

  Yuki heard rustling on the other side, then a tired voice.

  “Come in.”

  Jenny pushed open the dark, polished wooden door and waved Boris inside. The boy hesitated, bowed, then entered. Jenny followed.

  The interior decoration was rich but functional. A large, heavy desk covered with parchments and quills took almost all the space. Behind the desk, a tall window gave a view of the surrounding lands, the farms, and, in the distance, even the field of gnarled trees. The walls lined with bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes and scrolls.

  Yuki noticed the man sitting behind the desk. He was in his forties, had pale skin, and had an angular beak nose. His dark brown eyes were made more prominent by the man’s huge glasses. Dressed in tasteful yet straightforward clothes; a white shirt and dark pants. But most of all, Yuki felt it more than she smelled it. As soon as they entered the room, it reeked of burnt wood and fresh blood. It had the same texture she came to associate with magic. The scent was so strong that she sneezed.

  The constant noise of quill to parchment stopped for a moment before it started again. Jenny looked at Yuki with a strange gaze, Boris kept his eyes fixed to the floor, the lord hadn’t yet raised his head; instead, he continued with his writing.

  “What is the issue?” The man asked, still without looking up.

  “Er… well, milord… Grandpa—I mean, caretaker Brander found a white rabbit, smaller than the others, with no horn.”

  “Did he now?” The lord said. He kept penning his missive. “Did you bring the specimen?”

  “Yes, milord,” said Boris, bowing again.

  “Jennifer?” The lord asked, without looking from his table.

  “Yes?”

  “Dispose of the thing,” the lord commanded.

  “Of course, my Lord,” Jenny said and curtsied.

  “Boy, tell the caretaker that if he should find any more of this new breed, cull it immediately. We don’t need any contamination of the livestock.”

  The four fell silent, aside from the soft scratching sounds of pen to parchment. Jenny kept looking at Yuki, Boris kept shuffling on his feet, and Yuki kept wishing she was anywhere but in this room; the smell was so strong it almost hurt.

  The lord paused and finally looked up. “Do you have anything else to report?”

  “No sir,” Boris said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

  “You’re dismissed,” said the lord of the house, then turned to his papers again.

  Boris bowed and left. Jenny followed the boy and closed the door behind them. Yuki could finally breathe again. She would have hugged the girl if she could; so great was her relief. She settled for the next best thing. She licked Jenny's palm.

  Maybe caught by surprise, Jenny giggled. It sounded innocent and carefree to Yuki’s ears. Boris looked at the blonde, but she had already recomposed her facade and just nodded for him to continue down the corridor. She led him back to the manor entrance, stopping short of leaving the compound.

  “Give your mother my regards,” she said and picked something from the inner pockets of her uniform. She handed it to Boris. Yuki couldn’t see what it was. “A late birthday gift to Isabella. I didn’t have time to visit, but I didn’t forget. Please give it to her for me.”

  Boris nodded, swallowed. He opened his mouth, seeming to gather his courage to say something.

  Jenny stepped closer and kissed the boy’s cheek. Whatever he was building up the courage to say died in the crib. It was surprising that smoke didn’t come out of his ears.

  “I have to go back, can’t give the others a reason to complain,” Jenny said. She smiled and waved.

  Boris swallowed again, bowed, and left, the heavy gates closing behind him.

  Jenny’s cheerful demeanor evaporated faster than water in the desert. She rolled her eyes, still looking at the gate, spat to the side and cleaned her mouth with the back of her hand. Her gaze wasn’t gentle anymore. It was piercing and predatory. She smiled again, full teeth on display. The dimples on her cheeks would have been cute if Yuki wasn’t so scared.

  “Now, what do we have here?”

  The voice sounded sinister to Yuki’s ears.