‘What are you two whispering about?’ Mrs. Greenwood popped her head around the corner. ‘Sweetheart, your dinner is ready.’
‘Thank you, Dear.’ Mr. Greenwood straightened up and gave me a meaningful stare. What was he saying? That I wasn’t safe here, in this house?
Mrs. Greenwood was wiping her hands on her apron. ‘Avalon, dear, why don’t you get ready for bed? I’m sure you’re very tired. Feel free to take a bath.’
I nodded, looking around for my rucksack.
‘I put your things in Jaime’s room,’ she said. ‘You can sleep there tonight.’
‘Won’t Jaime need it?’ I asked.
Mrs. Greenwood waved a hand. ‘Jaime is sleeping over a friends house tonight.’
I was rather excited to have a bath. The relaxing water would do me good.
Entering the bathroom, I turned the taps and watched the bath begin to fill. I poured a generous amount of bubble-bath into the tub, which frothed immediately.
I stripped down and sank into the half-full bath, which almost completely covered me. I wasn’t sure how long I soaked for. I sat there for ages, thinking about Jack, and turning the locket over in my fingers. I must have been in the bath for at least half an hour because my hands were very wrinkly when I got out.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I walked down the hall to Jaime’s room. It was small and cluttered, with deep blue walls. Toys were scattered over the room, though there was something strange about the way they had been placed.
I saw my bag sitting on the bed, which was neatly made. Strange, considering the rest of the room was a bit of a mess. Closing the door behind myself, I crossed the room, avoiding the strewn dinosaur figurines. I rummaged around in my rucksack, looking for something to sleep in. I found an old nightgown, something I hadn’t worn in years. Jack must have thrown this in the bag.
Once I was dressed, I inspected the little wooden carvings painted in bright colours. I bent down and picked up the tyrannosaurus rex, turning it over in my hands. The toy was covered in a layer of dust, as though no one had touched it for weeks, maybe months. Examining the rest of the toys, I noticed that they were all the same. Dust coated every one of them. Not a fingerprint could be seen. The desk and shelves were the same, too. No one had been in this room for a while. So where had Jaime been sleeping?
Perhaps I was thinking about this a little too much.
Click.
The bedroom door made a metallic noise. I crossed the room in three strides, and tried to open the door, but found that it had been locked from the outside.
I knocked on the wood loudly. ‘Um, Mrs. Greenwood? I think the door locked itself,’ I called, pressing my ear to the door.
There was no response. I banged louder on the door.
‘Mrs. Greenwood? The door is stuck-’
‘I’m sorry, Avalon. I have to do this,’ said Mrs. Greenwood, her voice breaking. She was standing on the other side of the door.
I dropped to my stomach and peered through the crack under the door. I could see Mrs. Greenwood’s shoes, pacing in front of Jaime’s door.
‘What’s going on, Mrs. Greenwood?’ I said, hoisting myself back up. ‘Let me out.’
‘I can’t do that, Dear. You have to stay here until they come.’
Panic flared in my gut. ‘Until who comes?’
‘It was the only way,’ she said. I could hear her crying now. Her gentle sobs echoed through the hall.
‘Please, Mrs. Greenwood!’ I called, banging on the door with both of my fists now. ‘Don’t make me force my way out!’
‘You have to stay,’ she repeated. ‘It’s the only way I’ll be able to see him again.’
‘See who?’ I said through gritted teeth.
‘Jaime,’ Mrs. Greenwood sobbed. ‘If I have you … maybe they will give Jaime back to me.’
My heart sank, and I cursed loudly. The Realm had taken Jaime.
‘He’s human, isn’t he?’ I asked, holding my breath in anticipation of the response.
Several seconds passed. ‘Yes,’ she sniffled. ‘They took him a month ago, but I think they might give him back in exchange for you-’
I released the breath I had been holding. ‘Mrs. Greenwood, I’m sorry about your son, but the Realm doesn’t work that way. They won’t give him back to you-’
‘Then we can buy him back with the bounty money,’ she said, her voice shaking. ‘They’ve sold him, I know it. We’ll buy him back.’
‘Do you know who has him now?’
She sniffled. ‘My husband has been spending his days searching for Jaime. We don’t know who has him, or where he is.’
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. ‘Where is Mr. Greenwood? Was he in on this too?'
‘I put a sleeping solution in his dinner,’ Mrs. Greenwood said softly. ‘He was … against the idea of handing you over.’
Suddenly, the conversation Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood had been having downstairs made sense.
‘If we can keep her here until they arrive-’
‘We can’t do that, Caroline. I won’t have it.’
‘Jack, there might not be another way-’