Breadcrumbs - Anne Ursu [53]
“What?” Hazel whispered.
“They said she’d run away. But I saw the bird and I knew. . . .” He glanced at the gold cage behind him. “It’s just like her. And you always know your sister.”
Hazel stared. “That’s Alice?” she whispered.
He nodded.
She looked at the white bird in the back of the room. It didn’t belong here. It didn’t belong anywhere. But it was the most beautiful bird she’d ever seen.
“They tried to get rid of me,” he continued. “Told me to go after her. But I came back at night and got her.”
“I don’t understand,” Hazel said, her voice squeezed. “Why would anyone do that?”
He shrugged. “They wanted to keep her, I guess. The woods does funny things to people.” He let out a small bitter laugh. “Anyway, I got what I wanted, right? No one will ever find us in here. And she”—he looked over at the bird—“no one’s hurt her.”
Hazel could not quite read his voice. He sounded half bitter, half serious. Her mind flashed to the Snow Queen, to the fairy tale she and Adelaide had told. That witch put kids into snow globes. Why would they want to stay? Adelaide had wondered.
“Can’t you go anywhere? Other family or friends or . . . ”
He shook his head. “There’s no one. Not anymore. And, anyway, she’s not from that world anymore. She’s a creation of this place. I’m not sure she could . . . you know . . . be outside of these woods.”
“Oh.” Hazel hugged her knees and looked at the ground.
“I swore I’d protect her. And that’s what I’m going to do. They’ll come back, looking for her. That’s what that’s for.” He nodded to the gun on the wall.
Hazel could not look at him.
“We’re okay,” he said, reading her face. “I read to her. She likes it. It’s not hard to get things here. We don’t usually have visitors, though.” He allowed himself a half smile, but then his face turned dark again. “I understand why you have to go. Just . . . be careful. The witch is seductive. She will offer you things that seem good. You go, you find your friend, and get out of there. And get out of the woods as fast as you can. The woods do not mean you well.”
“But I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just trying to rescue Jack. That’s good.”
He eyed her. “I know. And that should matter. But it doesn’t.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“Follow the cold,” he said. “It’s that simple.”
Follow the cold, Hazel said to herself. In her mind she was back on the path, heading north, and now she realized there had been something tugging at her, so gently it was barely a whisper. But it was there, and had been there the whole time, beckoning her forward. Follow the cold.
“Do you know how she’d keep him?” she asked. “Do you think he’s locked up somewhere? How do I rescue him?”
He gave her a sad look. “I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone’s ever done it before. I’m sorry. I wish I could help you.”
“It’s okay,” Hazel said, though she wished he could help her, too.
“But I can tell you this,” he continued. “The white witch doesn’t feel things the way we do, do you understand? She’s all ice. That is her whole point.”
A palace of ice and a heart to match. “I don’t understand. Why would people go looking for her? Why would they want to go with her?”
Ben sat back. He looked at Hazel searchingly, sadly. His shoulders rose and fell. “Sometimes,” he said slowly, “it seems like it would be easier to give yourself to the ice.”
Hazel’s heart tightened. She got up. “I have to go,” she said, looking as brave as she could.
“She was your age, you know. My sister.” His eyes traveled to the cage, and then back to Hazel. “I wish I could go with you. But I can’t leave her. She doesn’t really know how to be a bird. I’m sorry. Promise me you won’t mention us to anyone.”
“I promise.”
“Don’t trust anyone. Stick to yourself. This place drives people to do strange things.”
“I will.”
“Follow the cold, but don’t lose yourself to it, understand?”
“Okay.”
He gazed at her, and then shook his head. “Look. I’m always