The Witch's Tower, Tamara Grantham [best ereader for academics TXT] 📗

I felt pleased with the way things had turned out. I’d saved Rapunzel from the tower, and there wasn’t much more I could ask for than that.

Well, maybe one thing.

Behind me, I heard voices, and turned around to spot the wolf, Odette, and Raj trudging up the hill toward me.

“Here you are,” Odette said. “We wondered where you’d gone.”

“I suppose I’m not one for parties.”

“We thought you’d escaped back to the tower,” Raj said.

I laughed. “You couldn’t pay me enough to go back there.”

“Then where will you go?” Raj asked.

“Back to the village. I’m hoping to support myself selling herbs and tinctures. It’s the best plan I’ve got.”

“Sounds boring,” Raj said.

“Boring isn’t always so bad, not after the quest we’ve been on.”

“True. But it wasn’t always bad. We did have some nice moments, didn’t we?”

Heat rose to my cheeks, and his words brought back memories I’d rather not think about now.

Odette cleared her throat. “I’m going back to the Ice Mountains,” she said. “Unfortunately, I’ve got a certain drunken yet strangely charming elf to save.”

“Would you like me to come with you?” I asked. “I’m no match for my aunts, but I may be able to persuade them to help you go free.”

“No, that won’t be possible. If you got involved, not even your mother would save you. My people attacked them a long time ago. They’ve never been able to forgive them, so they keep me as prisoner. As long as they have me, they have their revenge. This is a quest I’ll make alone.”

The wolf barked, and Odette scratched his head. He wagged his tail, its thumping sounding loud on the grass. “Before I go, I need to tell you something.” She knelt beside him and whispered something in his ear. His tail stopped moving, and he held still. “Now,” she said, standing straight. “I wish you all farewell. Gothel, Raj, wolf, if our paths cross again, I’ll be sure not to slaughter you.”

She gave us a sly grin, then she walked to the edge of the cliff. Her body glimmered, and she took a diving leap. Wings spread out from her back as she transformed. The last rays of the sun caught her scales, and they sparkled in a prismatic glow. I watched, transfixed, until her body grew smaller and smaller, and I could no longer spot her against the quickly darkening sky.

Raj placed his hand on the small of my back, and I turned to face him.

“Gothel, I’ve been meaning to speak to you.”

“About what?”

“I’m going back to the Outerlands. I have to go home and rebuild my people’s empire. Now that you defeated the high sorcerer, I think it’s time.”

“Doesn’t Prince Merek need you?”

“Not so much anymore. I’ve done all I can to bring peace between what remains of the high sorcerer’s armies and our own. Besides, it was Prince Merek’s idea for me to return home.”

“I see.” I bit my lip, hoping the disappointment didn’t show in my eyes. “I guess this is goodbye, then.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” He took my hands in his. “I want you to come with me.”

“Me?” His confession caught me off guard.

“I don’t think I could leave you even if the king ordered it. I know you wanted to sell potions in the village, but if you’d rather—”

“No,” I interrupted him.

“No?” He raised an eyebrow, confusion showing on his face.

“I mean no, I don’t want to sell potions. I don’t want to be anywhere but with you… as long as you’ll let my cat come along.”

He smiled, pulling me closer to him. “You mean that?”

“About the cat? Absolutely.”

“You know what I meant.”

I couldn’t hide my smile.

“You really want to come with me to the Outerlands?” he asked.

“Yes. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

“Then I’ll have to warn you before you decide for sure. This won’t be an easy task. I have plans to rebuild the city of Al-Maar to its former glory, or perhaps even better. It won’t be easy work, but it will be worth it to see my city as it should be—and see my people restored again.”

“I would love to. I can’t imagine a better life.”

“You would?”

“Yes. You shouldn’t be so surprised.”

“Maybe not.” He smiled, and I was glad he was holding my hands, because my knees felt as if they wouldn’t hold me up. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy.”

“Me either.”

He leaned in to give me a kiss, but the sound of someone clearing his throat stopped us. I turned to find the dwarf standing behind us, his one eye glowing with glee.

“Dwarf, you chose now to interrupt us?” I asked, my voice heated.

“Ha! I knew you two would get together. Didn’t I know it? It was only a matter of time. But that’s not the reason I transformed. Ha! I’ve got some wonderful news to share that I can’t keep inside any longer. Would you like to guess what it is?”

“No, I really wouldn’t,” Raj said dryly.

“Then I shall tell you anyway. It was what the dragon lady said to me, and you’ll never believe it. You’ll never guess. Ha!”

“If you keep saying ha, I’ll transform you to a mute dung beetle,” I said.

“Then let me say this instead. She gave me my name!”

“Your name?” Raj asked.

“Yes, yes! Isn’t this wonderful? I remember it now, and you’ll never believe what it is. Are you ready?”

“Fine, tell me and get it over with. If you don’t mind, Raj and I were in the middle of something.”

“Well, I can hardly understand why you’re so determined to shut me up, so I’ll let you know this and be on my way. My name… It’s Rumpelstiltskin!”

“Rumple what?” Raj asked.

“Rumpelstiltskin, you imbecile. And now that I know it, I no longer need your assistance, my lady, for I have also remembered the witch who gave me this curse, and she’s as good as dead.” His eyes glowed with an evil look. “But first, she owes me. She owes me a lot. Now, that is all. I shall be off. Good night to you both. Ha!”

He skipped down the path as best as he could with one leg, laughing as he went.

“That was strange,” I said.

“I agree,” Raj answered. “What an unusual name. No wonder he couldn’t remember it.”

Raj turned to me, his eyes, dark and dangerous, stirring strong emotions within me. “Now, where did we leave off?”

“Here,” I said, kissing him gently. “We left off right here.”

“Yes, I’m starting to remember.” He pulled me to him in a tight embrace, our bodies pressed together, and I had to remind myself to breathe. “I’ll never let you go.”

“I never want you to.”

As the sun set, he kissed me. For the first time in my life, I realized I’d found the one thing I’d always been searching for, but I didn’t realize I’d been looking for it until this very moment. I’d found someone to spend the rest of my life with.

I’d found true, unconditional love. I’d escaped the tower, and I’d found my home.