Page 320 of Once Upon a Fable

I didn’t like her questions.

I didn’t likethis.

Whatever this was.

Giving her a sneer, I headed to the cart and pushed it toward the kitchen door. “Of course, now that you’re helping, we’ll be lucky if anything germinates, thanks to your heavy hands.”

She shrugged, not bothered. “You were the one who said this might be a waste of time.”

I huffed.

I crossed the threshold, leaving dirty tracks on the marble tiles from the cart wheels. “Come.” Fables no longer had a greenhouse. A particularly bad hailstorm had ensured the glass did not survive.

But I had a better idea.

I couldn’t make the sun shine for longer hours, but I could ensure the seedlings would be kept at an even temperature all winter by sheltering them in the games room where the largest hearth and the warmest fire would flicker.

“Gemma,” I muttered, “come on.”

The chain slithered behind me, clinking on the tile, ensuring she’d have no choice but to follow. There was comfort in knowing that but also impatience too.

Yet another thing she’d been right about. My temper had reached itslimit with how inconvenient working with the long chain had become. It hooked on everything. Later today, we were going into the woods to collect firewood, but the thought of Parable catching on roots and branches...fuck, what a nightmare.

But...the key.

Who the hell knows where—

THWACK!

“What the—” I spun, making the kitchen swirl and my head pound. Abandoning the cart, I tripped back outside. My gaze instantly fell on Gemma. Sunlight etched her with gold, highlighting her cheekbones and arms as she yanked at the ax embedded in the ground by her feet.

I forgot all about the seedlings.

Panic drenched my blood.

Stalking to her, I snatched the ax. “What thehelldo you think you’re doing? You could’ve chopped your damn leg off!” Fisting the handle, I scanned her body, ensuring she hadn’t rearranged anything. My muscles locked as my heart raced. I honestly didn’t know what I’d do if she’d maimed herself.

Is she bleeding?

Anything missing?

Fear forced words up my throat. “Are you...are you okay?”

She just smirked.Smirkedas if I hadn’t just had a fucking heart attack over her welfare. “I solved our issue.”

“Whatissue?” My temper soared, ripping through my concern.

“The fact that you can’t remember where the key is issue.”

I narrowed my eyes, locking onto the chain.

The nowdismemberedchain.

She kicked out her ankle, revealing a short leash that could easily be tucked into the waistband of a skirt or threaded through a pair of leggings.

“Now, darling Kas, you won’t do anything stupid, will you?”

Storymaker lashed his hand around my ankle while his other hovered with a key. I tried to hide my desperation to be free, doing my best to keep my face respectful and contrite. “No, sir.”