Chapter 23

We travel for what feels like miles through the Woods of the Dead.

The forest somehow manages to be both dead and alive at the same time. Twisted trees stretch toward the gray sky like skeletal fingers, their branches tangled together overhead. Every now and then I catch movement out of the corner of my eye, only for it to disappear when I turn to look.

Completely normal.

Not creepy at all.

Eventually, Mulan comes to a stop.

“There,” she says.

Nestled between a cluster of roots is a single red flower.

I stare at it.

“That’s it?”

Mulan raises an eyebrow.

“That’s the poppy.”

I look between her and the flower.

“You know, for something that puts people into magical comas, I thought it’d look more dangerous.”

Curiosity gets the better of me and I reach toward it.

Smack.

“Ow!”

I jerk my hand back and glare at Mulan.

“What was that for?”

“What was that for?” she repeats. “Did you not listen to anything I said about the flower on the way here?”

“No.”

Mulan closes her eyes.

“I spent an hour explaining—”

“I could give you a penny for every person who’s tried to educate me on something and watched it fly straight out my ear.”

Mulan rolls her eyes.

“That isn’t something to be proud of.”

“I never said I was proud.”

She mutters something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like unbelievable before kneeling beside the flower and carefully cutting it free with her dagger.

Once she’s satisfied, she walks over to Snow.

Snow is already sitting against a tree, her hands folded in her lap.

Emma immediately moves beside her.

“Say hi to Henry for me,” Emma says quietly, squeezing Snow’s hand.

Snow smiles.

“I will.”

For a moment, the worry leaves Emma’s face.

Snow turns to Mulan.

“I’m ready.”

Mulan nods and carefully holds the flower beneath Snow’s nose.

Snow inhales.

A second passes.

Then another.

Then Snow’s eyes roll back.

“And she’s out,” I say.

Snow slumps against the tree.

Emma shoots me a look.

“What? She is.”

Mulan kneels beside Snow, checking her pulse.

“She’ll be fine.”

“Good.”

I clap my hands together.

“Well, ladies, I don’t know about you, but I have absolutely no interest in sitting around watching Sleeping Beauty 2.0.”

Emma immediately narrows her eyes.

“Alex.”

“On the way here, I spotted a lake. I think I’m going for a swim.”

Emma stares at me.

“Are you serious right now? We just ran from an army of zombies trying to kill us and your first thought is to go take a bath?”

“Technically, my first thought was not becoming zombie food.”

“Alex.”

“I’m just saying.”

“I’m with Emma on this one,” Mulan says. “It’s not safe to wander off alone.”

I place a hand over my heart.

“Mulan, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

“At least someone here has common sense,” Emma mutters.

“But,” Mulan continues, “if you insist on going, I’ll go with you.”

Emma’s head whips toward her.

“What?”

Mulan shrugs.

“I don’t want her getting lost. If Snow wakes up and we have to spend hours searching for Alex, it’ll only delay us.”

I point dramatically at Mulan.

“See? She gets me.”

“That’s not what she said.”

“There you have it. Mulan will come with me in case there are zombies, bears, curses, angry trees, or whatever else this forest wants to throw at us.”

Emma pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Fine.”

I grin.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Emma glares at me.

“Be back before Snow wakes up.”

“Relax.”

I start walking before she can change her mind.

“We’ll be back before you know it.”

A few seconds later, I hear Mulan following behind me.

For a while, neither of us said anything.

The forest is quieter away from the others. The wind rustles through the dead branches overhead, and every now and then I catch Mulan carving another mark into a tree with her dagger.

After about ten minutes of silence, I glance sideways at her.

She’s focused on the path ahead, jaw set, shoulders tense.

Definitely hiding something.

I grin.

“So.”

Immediately, Mulan lets out a long sigh.

“No.”

I blink.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

Without slowing down, she sheaths her dagger.

“Yes, I do.”

A laugh escapes me.

“Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Mulan mutters something under her breath that I thankfully don’t catch.

I kick a small rock out of my way and watch it disappear into the underbrush.

“So when are you going to tell her?”

Mulan’s boots stop crunching against the leaves.

The silence stretches for a moment before she slowly turns her head toward me.

“Tell who?”

I stare at her.

She stares back.

Neither of us says anything.

Finally, I throw my hands in the air.

“Really?”

“What?” she asks, looking genuinely confused.

I point dramatically.

“Aurora.”

Mulan immediately turns away and resumes walking.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

I hurry after her.

“What about Aurora?”

The corner of my mouth twitches.

I can practically see her trying to pretend she has no idea what I’m talking about.

“When are you going to tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

A smile spreads across my face.

Mulan refuses to look at me.

Instead, she suddenly becomes very interested in a random tree.

Suspicious.

Extremely suspicious.

I walk faster until I’m directly beside her.

“That you’re in love with her.”

Mulan’s foot catches on a root.

She stumbles.

Not enough to fall, but enough to make me notice.

And enough to make me grin like an idiot.

“I am not.”

The denial comes a little too fast.

“Oh, come on.”

She shoots me a glare.

“I am not.”

“Mulan.”

“No.”

“Mulan.”

“No.”

I gesture wildly with both hands.

“You literally carried her through a zombie attack.”

“She was unconscious.”

“You looked ready to fight death itself.”

Mulan folds her arms.

“Anyone would have.”

I stop walking.

She takes three more steps before realizing I’ve stopped.

When she turns around, I’m standing there with my arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.

“What?”

I don’t say anything.

“What?” she repeats.

I continue staring.

Slowly, color begins creeping into her cheeks.

Victory.

I point at her face.

“There.”

“What?”

“That.”

Mulan’s eyes narrow.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I nod thoughtfully.

“Okay.”

Confusion flashes across her face.

“Okay?”

“Yep.”

“That’s it?”

“Yep.”

I turn around and continue walking.

Behind me, I hear her quicken her pace to catch up.

The moment she reaches my side, I can feel her looking at me.

Waiting.

Suspicious.

Eventually, she breaks.

“You’re being strangely quiet.”

I smile to myself.

Hook.

Line.

Sinker.

“Nothing.”

Mulan groans.

I clap my hands together.

“You know what helps me when I’m confused?”

“No.”

“A song.”

The look she gives me is priceless.

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

I clear my throat dramatically.

“Mulan and Aurora sitting in a tree—”

“No.”

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G—”

Mulan immediately lunges forward.

Unfortunately, her foot catches another root.

This time she actually falls.

A loud thud echoes through the forest.

For a second there’s complete silence.

Then I double over laughing.

“Oh my God.”

Mulan pushes herself up, leaves tangled in her hair.

“You did that on purpose.”

“I absolutely did not!”

She points at me accusingly.

“You distracted me.”

I can’t even breathe properly anymore.

“You distracted yourself!”

Mulan brushes dirt off her sleeves and starts walking again, much faster than before.

“Wait!” I call, still laughing. “Come on, that was funny.”

“It wasn’t.”

“It was a little funny.”

“No.”

“A tiny bit funny.”

“No.”

I jog after her.

When I finally catch up, I notice something.

The tips of her ears are bright red.

I grin.

“Your face says otherwise.”

I poke her cheek.

Without missing a beat, she smacks my hand away.

“Are you always this annoying?”

I place a hand over my heart.

“Only when my sugar is low.”

“You haven’t had sugar in days.”

I think about that.

“That actually explains a lot.”

Even Mulan has to fight back a smile.

Mulan’s expression changes.

Not angry.

Not playful.

Focused but with a hint of sadness

“Alex,” she says.

“What—”

Pain explodes at the side of my neck.

I barely even see her move.

“What the hell—?!” I stagger back, hand flying up instantly.

“Sorry,” she says quickly, already stepping in.

“For WHAT exactly?!”

My vision starts to blur almost immediately.

“Oh my God,” I mutter, stumbling. “Why is this everyone’s solution for me?”

Mulan catches me before I hit the ground.

“I need time,” she says.

“For what?”

“To think.”

“That’s not a reason to knock someone unconscious!”

My words slur halfway through.

“Seriously,” I mumble, eyelids heavy. “I’m starting to take this personally…”

The forest tilts.

Mulan gently lowers me to the ground.

The last thing I see is her turning and sprinting deeper into the trees.

“Rude…” I whisper.

Then nothing.

————————————————————————————–

Something wet brushes my cheek.

I groan.

It happens again.

My eyes snap open—

Bad idea.

A shriek rips out of me as a rat-sized creature with leathery wings and glowing eyes hovers inches from my face.

“What the—GET OFF!”

I shove it away hard.

It screeches indignantly and disappears into the trees.

Of course it does.

I sit up too fast and instantly regret it.

Pain slams into my skull.

“Why am I always the one getting knocked out?”

I grab a nearby tree just to stay upright.

The forest spins slightly.

“Okay, Alex… you’re alone. In the middle of nowhere. With flying nightmare rats. What now?”

Silence.

“…Right.”

I look around.

No Emma.

No Snow.

No Mulan.

No Zombies.

I pause.

“…That might actually be peaceful for five seconds.”

I push myself up fully, testing my balance.

Still standing.

Barely.

“Great. I’ve achieved survival.”

Something crunches nearby.

I freeze.

Slowly turn.

Nothing.

“…Love that.”

My eyes drop to the ground.

Footprints.

Fresh.

Leading deeper into the forest.

“Well,” I sigh, “follow the footprints or get eaten. Love nature.”

I start walking.

Every step makes my head throb harder.

“Beast mode,” I mutter to myself. “Come on. Now would be great.”

Nothing happens.

A crow caws somewhere above me like it’s laughing.

I glare up.

“Yeah, okay. Not helpful.”

I keep moving anyway.

————————————————————————————

Voices drift through the trees.

I slow immediately.

Careful now.

I follow the sound and duck behind a tree.

Peeking out—

Emma.

Snow.

Mulan.

And Snow has her bow drawn straight at Mulan.

I step out casually.

“Wow,” I say. “We doing group betrayal now or is this just a hobby?”

Emma spins. “Alex?!”

“Yeah,” I wave. “Miss me?”

Snow doesn’t lower the bow.

“Give me the compass or I swear I’ll shoot.”

I blink.

Then glance at Emma.

“…Okay Snow, I didn’t know you had that in you.”

Emma ignores me. “Snow, stop. This isn’t you.”

“I have to get back to him,” Snow says tightly.

I step forward and gently push the bow down with two fingers.

“Alright, Captain Anger Management, let’s not start the arrow thing.”

Her hand trembles.

I steady it, just for a second.

“Look,” I say quietly, “we all want to go home. Killing each other isn’t really part of the brochure.”

Snow exhales.

Her grip loosens.

Good.

I let go.

A beat of silence.

Then—

A voice.

“Stop, don’t hurt her.”

We all turn.

Aurora steps into the clearing.

Alive.

Breathing.

Perfect timing, honestly.

“Well,” I say. “Look who survived plot convenience.”

Emma rushes forward. “How did you get away?”

“Hook let me go,” Aurora says.

I blink.

“…Hook did what?”

Emma looks stunned. “He let you go?“

Aurora nods. “He wanted to prove you wrong about trusting him.”

I slowly turn to Emma.

“…Your pirate has layers.”

Emma immediately shoves my shoulder. “Stop talking.”

“What? I’m just saying there’s emotional complexity there.”

“There is not.”

“There is definitely something there.”

“Alex.”

“Fine. Fine.”

“It doesn’t matter anyways,” she says quickly, trying to refocus everyone. “We learned something important. What we need to stop Cora is in Rumpelstiltskin’s cell.”

That pulls everyone back in.

I blink.

“…Wait.”

Mulan straightens. “Rumpelstiltskin’s cell?”

Snow nods. “That’s where Cora would keep anything powerful enough to stop her. If there’s something we need, it’s there.”

I rub my temple.

“So let me get this straight,” I say slowly. “Our big plan is breaking into a magical prison, probably haunted, which was meant to hold a powerful wizard, to find something to help stop the big bad witch ?”

Emma doesn’t answer that part.

Which is honestly enough to answer enough.

Snow exhales. “We just need to find a way in. We get what we need. Then we end this.”

I glance around the group.

Princesses, a warrior, a savior, and me.

“Cool,” I say. “So break into evil magic jail and steal unknown object from within it.”

I clap once.

“Totally normal Tuesday.”

No one laughs.

Rude.

Snow starts walking first, already shifting back into leader mode.

“We move now,” she says.

I follow a step behind, kicking a rock down the path.

“Just once,” I mutter, “I’d like a quest that doesn’t involve breaking into something or knocking me unconscious.”

Mulan walks beside me.

“You’d complain either way.”

“Yeah,” I say. “But at least I’d be conscious while doing it.”

That earns the smallest hint of a smile from her.

Barely there.

But I see it.

And for a second, the forest doesn’t feel quite as heavy.