"I feel I could use a big meal of beans." Jack stood up.
"So what now?" Marmalade asked.
Fable saw the spider web was gone. Not just that. Several new cave openings in different directions were visible in the rain.
"We should take Shew somewhere safe," Fable said. "We need to figure out if she should be cared for in a special way after the spell." Fable didn't know, but she imagined this would have a dire impact on Shew. "For now, the Queen needs to kill the seven of us to consume her heart. We've made it."
Most of them smiled at her. They had done something extraordinary and puzzling, a great obstacle to the Queen getting her hands on the power she wanted. They were proud of themselves, and proud of Fable. Marmalade wasn't the leader anymore. It was Fable everyone was looking up to now. And it scared her so much.
The Lost Seven began pulling Shew outside, astonished by the few huntsmen waiting for them. Most of them had feared the lightning and escaped. The ones who had stayed struggled with their horses on the muddy ground.
The Beast took care of a few. Ladle took care of the rest, as no sword matched the power of her scythe. Her quirky smiles scared a few huntsmen, indeed.
Jack stole a few horses.
Cerené promised to deliver Shew wherever they decided to meet. Jack offered to check his treehouse. If the giant was gone, it would be the best place to hide and take care of Shew. Fable never understood how the giant came and went.
Fable took her own horse, as she still needed to look for Loki and get the Fleece. Was she powerful enough to do that? Was she wicked enough to confront him with some kind of Black Art now?
The Beast tied Shew to Cerené's horse—he would have preferred to take Shew himself, but Cerené was too emotional about it.
The preparation took a while. The huntsmen weren't giving in easily, although Ladle did a good job of stalling Loki.
The plan had to change.
Jack told them to ride away toward the Swamp of Sorrow, misleading the huntsmen into following them while Cerené and Fable took care of Shew and rode to the treehouse.
"Here." Jack tucked a few magic beans into Fable's hand and squeezed. "Plant it like I did when we escaped the goblins, and climb up the tree. Hopefully the giant isn't up there. I will follow up with the others once we get rid of the huntsmen."
Fable nodded, as she tucked the beans in her pockets.
"Don't get addicted to those beans!" Jack winked, turned around, and slapped a huntsman on his back, enticing him to follow him.
Fable couldn't tell Jack that she wouldn't know her way back to the treehouse. She relied on Cerené knowing the way. Cerené was the one with Shew's body on her horse, anyway. Fable followed the Phoenix toward the treehouse.
***
Fable rode as fast as she could, torn between Shew's safety and Loki's Fleece. She prayed she'd come across Loki, and that she would have a powerful kind of magic with which to confront him.
It wasn't long before she heard him cursing on his three-eyed unicorn behind them.
"Witches!" he roared behind her and Cerené.
It seemed that Loki hadn't fallen into Jack's trick, and had his eyes set on wherever the Princess of Sorrow went. Fable was both scared and grateful. Scared of the Huntsman, but grateful she'd have a chance to get the Fleece from him.
"Faster!" Cerené shivered, afraid of the boy who had once cut off her hands. "Faster!"
They rode and rode, panted and sweated, cursed and screamed. Fable's plan was to reach the treehouse, plant the beans, and help Cerené and Shew climb up. Then she'd turn and face Loki. She was sure he knew the forest well. He wouldn't give up easily.
But Cerené didn't seem to really know the way. Loki was closing in. The plan had to change once more.
"You go ahead," Fable told Cerené, as she slowed her horse. "Take those." She handed her the beans. "Take your time to find the treehouse. I will stall Loki."
"What?" Cerené panted. "Why?"
"Just do it." Fable was firm. "I will confront him." The words didn't make sense, but she had to. Even with all the magic she had supposedly learned, how was she going to confront the head of huntsmen?
"Are you sure?" Cerené said.
"Yes." Don't make me change my mind. I have to get that Fleece. "Now go!"
Reluctantly, Cerené rode ahead. She might have done it for Shew, to save her first. But she looked suddenly scared of Fable, of the way she shouted at her and told her to go.
Fable took a deep breath and tried her best not to think too much. This had to be done. She came here for the Fleece. She turned her horse around, looking to collide with Loki head to head. In a million years, she would have never thought of herself being that strong.
43
The Queen's Diary
The face that looked back at me was an ugly face with fangs and green eyes. It was so scary that Angel pulled back.
How was I supposed to not be scared?