Free Tangled Magick by Jennifer Carson Page B

doesn’t get any new bedding today, boys.”
    Just then, Tory caught sight of the girls peering around the wall. Confusion and then shock filled his face. His eyes shifted around the room, taking in the position of the trollswho lined the walls. He grabbed the water bucket and strode toward them.
    Mae’s heart beat hard. What if a troll saw them? Tory stuck the bucket under the streaming water and whispered in a fierce tone, “What are you two doing down here?”
    â€œWe found a passageway from the queen’s chamber and wanted to see if it would lead us out of the castle,” Poppy said.
    â€œGo back!” Tory hissed. “The dungeon is not a place you want to be.”
    â€œIs Callum down here too?” Mae asked.
    Tory shook his head. “Nor is Arwen, Gilbey, Cook, or Mr. Whiteknoll.”
    â€œDon’t worry about Cook or Mr. Whiteknoll—they’re in the castle. We’ve seen them,” Mae said.
    â€œThe others and I are coming up with a plan to get out of here,” Tory said and glanced at the girls. As if seeing them truly for the first time, he gasped.
    Maewyn felt her face grow hot.
    His gaze swerved to Poppy. “Maewyn, Poppy…your hair!”
    Poppy fingered her one braid. “It will grow back, and we’ll figure out a way to get out of here. Mae thinks the castle is enchanted.”
    â€œWhat’s takin’ ya so long?” A gruff voice echoed off the dungeon walls, and a large troll shuffled toward Tory.
    Mae and Poppy pulled back into the stairwell.
    They heard Tory walk away, water sloshing from the overfull bucket, and then gathered their courage to peek around the wall once more. Thorain was trying to calm another beast—this one looked like a goat, but he was a little taller, with tufts of hair around his hooves and at the end of his tail. He had a shaggy mane down his neck too, and only a single horn grew from his forehead. A unicorn. As the hapenny laid his hand on the unicorn’s muzzle, a dazzling light filled the dungeon.
    The trolls covered their eyes and grumbled about the brightness. Poppy pulled on Mae’s arm. “C’mon, before a troll finds us.”
    They scrambled back up the stairway and pushed through the door. “Did you see their reaction to the unicorn?” Mae asked.
    Poppy crossed her arms. “The only thing I saw was a bunch of nasty trolls and no way out.”
    â€œOh, there’s a way out. We just need to find it.” She plopped onto one of the armchairs. The gargoyle above the mantel nodded. His eyes were wide. Mae sat forward. “There is a way out, isn’t there?”
    The gargoyle nodded again, but his eyes were sad.
    Mae flopped back into the chair and ran her hand through her hair. She was so frustrated she wanted to scream. “But you can’t tell us, because you can’t talk.”
    The gargoyle shook his head and lifted his lips, showing off his pointy teeth. He looked like a snarling dog.
    â€œC’mon, we have to remake the bed before she finds out we’ve washed the covers.” Poppy stood and gathered the linens, tossing them onto the bed.
    â€œIt’s too bad we didn’t have time to wash the curtains too,” Mae said as she grabbed a corner of the bedsheet.
    â€œOh well, there’s always tomorrow, I guess. It’s not like we are going anywhere soon.” Poppy’s lower lip trembled.
    â€œWe can send the owl out and see what happens,” Mae said.
    Poppy nodded as she swiped at her tears. The girls made short work of the bed, and as they fluffed the pillows, the chamber door opened. “It’s time to gather with the nasty ones,” the wood nymph said in a singsong voice.
    Folkvarus stood in the doorway. “Come, girls. It’s time to learn how to serve your queen in the Great Room.”
    â€œShe’s not my queen,” Poppy said under her breath.
    Folkvarus struck her with a steely gaze.