looked for strange houses, horses, or people. We’d circled the town three times by afternoon, but the town was as cozy and normal as any small town could be. The occasional sensation tugged at me, but every time I tried to focus on it, it faded away.
Alex sighed, annoyed. “There’s nothing here, Care. Are you sure she’s still in the town?”
“Wolf would have told me if she moved.” Except it seemed Wolf was no longer in full control of his senses. The full moon was tonight, though at the very least he wasn’t quite as violent as the night before. At least, so far.
Alex folded his arms, glaring at a nearby field. “Well this is just peachy. Our families don’t have any idea of where we are, we can’t find this mystery kid you’re looking for, and the crazy guy in the barn can’t be trusted.”
“He’s not crazy,” I muttered.
“Right. Sorry. Half-wolf,” Alex said, as if being a half-wolf was any better.
I stared down an alleyway. Maybe the thing had left with Marianne during the night and Wolf just wasn’t aware enough to pick up on it. Maybe the moon had affected his mind and he lied to us. Maybe…
I stomped my foot as if to physically stop myself from thinking. I was sick of doubts, doubting myself, doubting Wolf. I wanted answers; I didn’t want to run around in circles anymore.
“Marianne is here. We just aren’t looking hard enough.”
A couple started down the alleyway, slowed, circled around for a few moments before turning and walking back the way they came. Strange, I thought. The weird pull started again.
“Yeah, but I don’t think we can afford to not find her for much longer. What if this thing wakes up and takes her off again in the meantime?”
Another person, a woman, walked into the alleyway.
“We’ll just have to keep tracking her until we get her,” I said absentmindedly.
The woman turned around a few times, lost, until she walked out again.
“Real reassuring, Caroline.”
I straightened. “There’s something wrong with that alley.”
“What?”
“I just saw three people walk in there and then walk right back out again.”
“So? Alleys are dangerous.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “In this place? During the day? And only six feet long?”
I strode toward the alley. This time an old man started to hobble through it, only to get confused and wander out again. I stopped Alex once we reached it.
“You stay here. Keep an eye on me and see what happens.”
“What kind of plan is that?”
“It just looks like it makes people decide not to go that way. If that’s true, I’ll just come back out and you can snap me out of it.”
He sighed, shifting uncomfortably.
I walked down the alleyway slowly, taking in as much detail as possible before whatever magic was at work hit me. There were two doors on the small walkway, one set into the left house and one in the right. The door on the right had a black square over it. As I drew closer, I realized the square actually had a symbol on it. White—in the shape of a shield or family crest—with a black bird spreading its wings on top of it, and something coiling around it. A snake. Finally I stopped right in front of the door and looked around confused, though not for the reason I expected.
I beckoned to Alex. “Hey, come on down here.”
He came to stand next to me and stared up at the crest. “I don’t get it.”
I shook my head slightly. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we’re not from here.”
Alex grunted. As I stared at the emblem, an image of bluebells flashed through my mind. I tentatively reached out to touch the wall beside the door.
“Caroline, don’t. You don’t want to wake anything up.”
“I don’t think it will,” I said. “I think it’s still resting.”
Alex took his crossbow from his shoulder and pointed it at the door. My fingers met the whitewashed wood. There she was, Marianne. In my mind I could see her, laying on a bale of hay, asleep, her hand clutching at the prickly grass. I gasped and backed off, letting my hand drop.
“What?” Alex glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.
“She’s in there. Marianne. She’s asleep.”
“How do you know that?”
“I saw her. I don’t think this house is real. Or something about it…” I shivered. Everything felt strange in that place. “I don’t think we can open the door. I think we have to kill it.”