Sophie? Sophie! Lily was screaming in my mind, but I was too focused on the wolves to respond. Did Chestnut and I have any hope of outrunning them? Chestnut squealed again and half reared, flashing her hooves at the wolves. I gasped and hung on, knowing if I was thrown from her back I would have no chance.

When she landed back on the ground, she danced to one side, huffing and snorting. All the wolves were growling now, and I suspected she was about to make a dash for it whether I wanted her to or not. I felt naked and exposed on her back. If only I had something—even a sturdy branch—to defend myself. If a wolf leaped at us, I had no way to whack it away.

I shifted my seat, keeping my eyes on the wolf that seemed to be the leader. Leaning low over Chestnut’s neck, I prepared to urge her into a life and death gallop. My eyes darted around looking for the clearest gap in the circle of the pack.

Sophie!

They’ve got me surrounded, Lily. I knew I must be terrifying her, but I was too scared myself to try to temper the fear that pounded through our connection. Chestnut and I are going to make a run for it. I gulped. But I don’t know if we’ll make it. I love you.

I slammed shut our link and dug my heels into Chestnut’s quivering sides. “Go, girl!” I screamed as she leaped forward. I directed her between the two smallest wolves and, somehow, she managed to break through. The trees flashed past, the short barks of the wolves sounding behind us as they chased us down.

The snow flew up around Chestnut’s hooves, and she kept having to swerve to avoid trees, preventing us from reaching our full speed. I could feel Lily trying to connect with me, a niggling feeling in the back of my mind as I kept myself closed to her. If the worst happened, I didn’t want her inside my head.

Chestnut turned abruptly, and I grabbed at her mane, struggling to keep my seat. Our new path took us along an outcropping of stone, and I could see gray bodies running along the top, somehow ahead of us. Before I could turn Chestnut the other way, one of them leaped from the stone, flying above us and landing on our other side. Somehow, despite our earlier escape, we were once again surrounded.

A growl to my right pulled my eyes back toward the rock just as one of the wolves launched itself at me. I threw myself sideways, knowing it wouldn’t be enough to avoid the deadly claws.

A familiar roar cut through the sound of the wolves as I half hung off Chestnut, unable to see. One of the howls turned into a whimper, and a heavy weight landed hard against my leg and Chestnut’s side, sliding immediately down and away.

I swung myself back up, unable to believe my last-minute reprieve. Looking frantically around between the trees, I found the Beast. He sat atop his stallion, the two fighting as one, hooves and sword flashing. Already gray bodies littered the ground, staining the snow red.

Chestnut neighed and moved toward the safety of the stallion. But before she could place herself behind him, a wolf leaped toward us on the opposite side. I gasped, ducking once more in the saddle. For the briefest moment, as I dipped down, my eyes locked with the Beast’s before his flashed across to the incoming wolf.

A second roar filled the air as, somehow, he swung himself up to a standing position on the stallion’s back, launching himself from the saddle and over my hunched body to collide with the wolf.

I screamed, sitting back up and trying to pull Chestnut around so I could see them. The stallion neighed loudly, the sound a harsh challenge, as his hooves dispatched a final wolf. The last few members of the pack had now retreated. Only the one in a deadly embrace with the Beast remained.

Claws slashed out and red blossomed along one of the Beast’s arms. At the same time the wolf sank its teeth into his opposite shoulder. The Beast roared and ripped the animal’s head away, the muscles of his arms straining. The wolf made a final effort to lunge forward and the Beast let go with his right hand, swinging it up and around so fast that his fist smashed into the skull of the wolf before its teeth could sink in. The animal went limp and fell into the snow.

The Beast stared down at the pile of fur for a moment, swaying as red ran down both his arms. Then he looked up at me, his breath scraping harshly through his throat. Why did you try to leave? You know it isn’t safe out here.

I stared at him. “I wasn’t trying to leave. I was just…” I trailed off, realizing I couldn’t tell him why I had made the excursion outside the grounds.

Are you injured?

I shook my head. “No…no, I’m unharmed.”

A look, almost like relief, flashed across his face before his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, falling to lie beside his defeated opponent. My eyes widened, and I drew a shuddering breath. I looked again for any more wolves but could see nothing.

Sophie! Sophie! I must have relaxed because, unconsciously, I had reopened the door to Lily. What happened?

I’m all right. So is Chestnut. We’re both unharmed.

Lily gave a shaky breath of relief. Don’t you ever do that to me again! What happened? Did you manage to get back into the castle grounds?

I sent her an image of my shaking head.

Then what happened? Are you sure there’s no more danger?

It seems clear. For now, at least.

Then you need to get back!

I hesitated.

Sophie? What aren’t you telling me?

I sighed and sent her an image of the forest floor around me.

She gasped. Is that blood? What happened to the wolves? Wait—is that the Beast? She sounded half-horrified, half-fascinated.

Yes.

Is he…is he dead?

I swallowed hard. I don’t know. He just collapsed.

Well he’ll die if he remains there in the snow for long enough.

Her words jolted me into action, and I slid down from Chestnut’s back. Slowly I picked my way toward the Beast, trying to avoid fallen bodies and splashes of red. The stallion snorted behind me, and Chestnut huffed quietly in response.

Sophie, wait. Lily’s soft projection made me pause. I could tell she had more to say, so I waited silently. If…if he dies, you’ll be free. And maybe Palinar with you.

We don’t know that. But I bit my lip, a shiver coursing through me. Free. Free to return home, no longer cut off and alone. My eyes strayed back to his still form, stark against the white snow. I could get back on Chestnut and lead the stallion back to the castle. I could walk away now, and no one but Lily would ever know. If I took his carriage, I could be back in Marin within three days.

He hadn’t shown any consideration when he pulled me from my life; I owed him nothing. But still I hesitated. Because the scattered bodies of the wolves told me otherwise. An image of him, standing on the rearing stallion’s back as he launched himself at the attacking wolf, filled my mind. He had not hesitated for me.

I drew a deep breath. I can’t do that, Lily.

He’s a monster, Sophie. You were there with me in the Tourney. And just look at his face now.

I sighed and projected again the mental image of the forest around me. He may be a monster, but he also saved me. And you can only see the shape of his jaw, not his eyes. My projection dropped to a whisper. They’re so human, Lily.

I could tell she had started crying again. But you could come home to me, right now.

You know I couldn’t, not really. I would never be able to live with myself. And neither would you, if you were here. A realization hit me. For the first time in my life I was having experiences my twin was not a part of and could not understand. I would have to trust in my own judgment. I have to try to help him.

She sighed softly. You were always a better person than me, Sophie.

I shook my head. Not better, Lily. Just different.

Well, you know I’m here for you, no matter what you decide.

I know. But, right now, I’m the one who needs to give help, not receive it. I can do this, Lily. All of it. Only I don’t think I can risk coming out to talk to you again. Not until I’ve found a way to break the curse.

I understand. I love you, Sophie.

I love you, too.

For some reason, when the connection faded, I didn’t feel the same sense of being alone and adrift that I had felt when I first arrived at the Beast’s castle and discovered myself cut off from Lily. I straightened my shoulders and hurried over to drop to my knees beside the Beast.

I tried to put an arm under his shoulders, but couldn’t even reach all the way across, let alone lift them. I bit my lip.

“Wake up, Beas…” I stopped myself and tried again. “Wake up, Dominic. You’ll freeze if you lie here in the snow, but I cannot possibly lift you.”

He stirred, his eyes fluttering partially open before closing again.

I tried more forcefully. “Wake up! Now!”

His eyes snapped open. Sophie. Wonder sounded in his mental voice, but I didn’t stop to analyze the situation.

“I need you to get up. Can you do that?”

He groaned and tried to rise before falling back into the snow. I looked at the height of his mount’s back and realized there was no way he was getting up there. I frowned, wondering if it would take too long for me to go and fetch help. What if more wolves came while I was gone? Or a new snowstorm? What if I couldn’t find my way back?

I crossed over to the stallion who snorted and danced but, when I crooned softly, let me approach. I found a coil of rope attached to his saddle. Working as swiftly as I could, I led the horse over to his master and then looped the rope under the Beast’s arms. I attached the other end to the Stallion’s saddle, apologizing to the Beast as I did so.

“I’m sorry, but it’s the only way. The snow will cushion you, and your cloak will protect you a little. But I need to get you inside to the warmth.”

He groaned again but made no protest, so I hurried ahead with my plan. Walking in the front, leading both horses, I attempted to pick the smoothest course through the trees, avoiding any rocks that broke through the snow. I kept glancing at the dark shape dragging behind us and wincing. I would never have attempted such a plan if I could think of any other option.

It seemed an interminably long journey, far longer than seemed possible given my short trip away from the castle. When I caught sight of the gardens in the distance, my knees wobbled, and I had to force a final burst of strength into them. As I closed the distance, I remembered the only other time I had tried to leave the grounds. Only now did I realize the motivation behind the Beast’s actions in spooking Chestnut. Not that he had needed to be so imperious in his note forbidding me to leave. A little explanation would have been appreciated.

When we actually crossed into the grounds, I almost went limp with relief. But the Beast wasn’t safe yet, the cold and blood loss were as great a danger to him at this point as a further attack.

“Help!” I screamed as loudly as I could. “Help!”

Your Highness? The unknown voice sounded confused. Are you hurt in some way? A tiny pause. Why do you have His Highness’ stallion?

“It’s not me who is injured, it’s your prince.” I pointed behind the horses to where he lay on the ground. “He’s been mauled by a wolf. Call for the castle doctor, and gather some others, too—we need to get him inside as quickly as possible.”

The man, whoever he was, launched into action, calling loudly for a great number of people. We were soon joined by a crowd of voices. I stopped trying to pick out the individual words and let myself be swept along, glad to hand over the responsibility to someone more qualified.

The horses pulled away from me, led toward the stables by a lead line that floated, taut, in the air. A particularly loud cacophony preceded the Beast lurching from the ground. I trailed behind him, trying to leave enough of a wide berth that I wouldn’t run into anyone.

Princess! Princess! A familiar voice penetrated through the fog.

“Tara?”

Yes, I’m here. What has happened? There’s the most terrible story going around—oh! From the shocked tone of her exclamation, I assumed she had just seen the state of the Beast. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper I had to strain to hear. So, it’s true, then. You were both outside the grounds.

I couldn’t focus properly on her words, distracted as I was trying to keep track of the Beast from a distance. I had expected to see more signs of consciousness from him now that we had arrived back to such a hubbub of people. But he lay unnaturally still, only the rise and fall of his broad chest assuring me he still lived.

Our strange procession made it into the entrance hall, and the chorus of voices seemed to swell even louder. I decided to risk an invisible collision—if such a thing were possible, I wasn’t even sure—and approach the Beast. But I had no sooner taken a step in his direction than warm heavy material settled around my shoulders.

I looked down to discover I was now wearing a cloak. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, a bone deep shudder rocked me. When had it become so cold?

Oh, Your Highness! Apparently, Lottie had joined us, and she sounded horrified. She must have seen the Beast’s injuries, then. Half of your dress is soaked, and your face looks blue. You’ll catch your death! Come quickly, and we’ll draw you a bath.

Oh. Not the Beast, then. I looked down and discovered to my surprise that I was indeed wet and racked with constant shivers. Somehow in the excitement of talking to Lily and the fear of the wolves, I hadn’t noticed the temperature, or my own state.

You’re in shock, I expect, offered Tara. I saw a similar thing when Gordon went skating on the small pond in the east gardens and fell through the ice.

Skating! Surely, he must have known it wasn’t safe.

Well, he did after he fell through. That child is always stumbling into mischief, though he always means well enough. But the doctor told us to warm him up and to keep him awake.

I had been certain of my intention to check on the Beast but, somehow, I found myself in my room, soaking in a hot bath, while Tara and Lottie fussed over me, instead. Night had fallen outside—the first night since my arrival that the Beast had not asked me if I would marry him in the morning. Would he even be alive come morning?