Chapter Seven

"Rapunzel?" Eugene asks me as we sit in the quiet living room of the Sparrows' house. Everyone else is in the kitchen, angrily whispering to each other. "Rapunzel?" Eugene says my name again and I look up at him once I'm sure the tears are gone.

"Y-Yes?" I rasp and then I swallow hard. "What is it?"

The warm concern in his eyes makes the tears want to start again. I push back at the will to cry and I wait for him to speak.

"Are you all right?" Eugene asks and I nod my head, watching him shake his. He doesn't think so. "I'm sorry about her."

"She's not your sister." I say and my eyes go to Piers and Benjamin with the Sparrows. They all look at me from where they stand, sympathy for me and anger for Summer on their faces. "I'm going to go."

"Where?" Ellie asks and sadness makes her gray eyes a little too bright. "Oh, Rapunzel, won't you stay?"

I shake my head sadly and I hop off the loveseat. I gather up Pascal in my arms and smile tightly at Maximus. "You'll see me around." I say firmly and look at them all. Everyone else has joined Eugene in the living room now.

"Where are you going?" Benjamin asks me and I say the truth.

"I'm going home." I say and sorrow darkens the room. I feel guilt make my heart begin to sink in my chest and I try to say lightly, "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay." Piers says hollowly. Pascal complains in my arms but I say nothing, and for a moment, I forget where I am.

I look down at my last piece of my family and I peck him on the forehead, closing my eyes. I try to gather strength from Pascal. He never cared what anyone said, it seemed. He never cared when I was little and yanked on his tail. So why should I care if Summer yanked on mine?

Alyson hands me a lantern, ignoring my feeble protests and Ellie gives me one of her tapers. I smile at them, trying to be grateful for their kindness. I am, but Summer's words make it hard for me to feel anything but anger.

I let myself out. I go to the door and I close it behind me, offering no more farewells. I'd have to find Matilda later but I don't want to see anyone right now.

Pascal walks beside me, and he's silent as we walk back to my house.

It's darker than ever outside but I can see everything, as the stars are out, shining for the princess and her prince.


I let myself inside my house and I take a second to look around, squinting in the dark, setting Pascal down. I go to the kitchen, Pascal on my heels, and dig around for my frying pan.

Gripping it tightly in my arms, I investigate the house. When everything else is clear, I stalk to my parents' bedroom, listening carefully. Hearing nothing, I pause to light the candle I placed on the wooden floor. I hold it up and then I scream.

The candle and the frying pan fall to the ground. The candle's flame goes out as it fell, the flame overwhelmed by too much air as it falls. The frying pan falls with a clang and I have no chance of picking it up.

A hand, rough with calluses, reaches for me and covers my mouth and then they're behind me, yanking me back into the living room. I struggle, my body ice cold with adrenaline. My hands fly out, reaching for his face.

All of my screams are muffled by his hand and I wail, my feet flying. I strike out blindly with my hands. One of his hands goes to my waist and I can only flail and twist, feeling the panic spread through me like cold oil being poured over my skin.

"No," he grunts and the sound makes my blood run cold. "Stop."

I breathe heavily into his hand and I feel anxiety make me freeze when his hand on my mouth goes to my other hip. He pulls me against him and I struggle to breathe.

"Let me go." I gasp and then I lurch forward. His grip from me slips and then I'm running through my house in the dark.

I hear him after me and I try to remember where I am. My foot kicks something hard on the floor and I duck, feeling air whoosh past me –he tried to grab me again- and I grab at the floor. Metal touches my hands and I pick it up, twisting back around and flinging the pan, still in my grip, into the air.

I miss, and then there's a hand on my hair, yanking. I cry out, whirling around to face him, and then I fling the pan again. He groans and then the hand on my hair is gone. I hold the pan tightly, hating that I can't see, and begin to back up.

My foot steps on something round and I fall back, landing hard on my back. The pan skids from me on the ground and I see stars in the dark. He gropes the floor for me, and then his hand is on my leg.

I start kicking and I hit something because then he groans again. I crawl backward, rapidly, and then I touch a wall.

No! I think in panic. I don't know which wall I'm pressed against. I try to quiet my breathing and I feel around me with my hands. Hopeless, I climb back to my feet and then he's on me again, pinning me to the wall behind me.

I push at him with my hands, confused -why he won't leave me alone?- and then his hand is back on my mouth. I bite down on fingers and only panic when he ignores my teeth in his flesh. I lift my leg desperately, trying to kick him someplace crucial, and he ignores me, his other hand going to my collarbone to keep me against the wall.

"Where's the food?" He demands breathlessly. He's a looter, a desperate one if he's fought with me for this long. His hand leaves my mouth in a jerky motion and I say, just as breathless.

"I don't have any." I rasp and he doesn't believe me.

"Where is it?" he demands.

"You missed your chance." I say bravely; my lungs full of air make me bold. "It was all taken a few days ago."

He grunts in disbelief and then his hand is back on my mouth. "Oh well," he says roughly. "You're a woman."

What? I suddenly know where this is going. I begin to fight with him again, my arms reaching for him to push him away.

"Good for something." He says and then his hand is gone, replaced by something I don't like. I yelp in dismay and then he shouts. "Damn!"

I hear a loud snarl and I want to cry when I realize that Pascal has come to my rescue. I take my chance and push hard at the man. I feel a jolt of pleasure when he falls away from me and then I bend down, reaching for my prince. Pascal has to get out of here. He saved me, but he's a cat. The man could kill him with the right blow to the head.

"Pascal!" I whisper. "Get out!" My head begins to ache as the adrenaline wears off.

Pascal snarls angrily and then the man cries out again. "Get him off!"

I feel around me and I touch clothing that faintly smells of something alcoholic. I feel around for Pascal and once I feel his fur, I yank him off of the man, scooping him in my arms and running. I can't be careful about where I'm going. I've lost my one weapon and my taper. I can't see or defend myself. And Pascal's a cat. He's not dog or even a cross between a wolf and a dog like Maximus is.

Pascal and I have to get out of here.

I feel out in front of me, suddenly realizing that the man has gone quiet. I hear boots squeak against hardwood floor -the man is up and running- and I toss Pascal in the air, crying out when there's a hand on my hair again.

I'm yanked backward and then there's something going across my head. The ache from earlier suddenly flares up, going all over my head, and pain makes me see bigger, brighter stars than before.

My hands go up to my head and I hear Pascal's pads on the hardwood floor as he runs, hopefully toward safety. I look around, confused when the boots go off in a different direction. The man's running too.

Then I realize.

"No!" I scream and race after him, bumping into furniture and things I can't see. I toss things aside, the stars growing bigger.

I hear the man in front of me and I lurch at him, knocking him over. I cry out for Pascal to run and then the man is struggling, trying to chase Pascal.

I hold onto my resolve and fight with him, trying to pin him to the floor. I feel the frying pan nearby as my hands brush against the floor struggling with the man and I reach for it.

I grab the pan by the handle and it goes crashing against his head. He goes still beneath me and I exhale, my harsh breathing hurting my chest. I can't hear Pascal anymore. The house is quiet except for my wheezing.

Dazed, I crawl off of the man.

I manage to get to my feet and walk on. I'm colder than ever though my head aches and seems to be full of burning flames. I feel my body sag and my lungs shrink, making me feel light-headed.

I hit the floor face first and everything fades away.


Something gently touches my face.

I gasp and wince. I feel numb all over despite the pounding in my head. I try to open my eyes and I see triples of everything.

Someone with light brown eyes is looking at me in concern. The light brown eyes suddenly sparkle and then the lips cry. "Thank God!"

"She's awake?" Someone else asks and then I recognize the voices. My head is resting in someone's lap and I try to make the triples into one.

"Yes," Eugene says ecstatically above me. Alyson peers at me and calls for Benjamin and Piers. Everyone, Ellie, Maximus, and Pascal crowd my vision and I feel a paw on my forehead.

I exhale sharply, my breath a hiss, and then the paw is gone. Maximus huffs in apology and then Piers is looking at something else.

"It's a pity he's gone." Piers growls and then Eugene's eyes darken. "We could have asked him a few things."

"Where's Mattie?" Ellie asks and then Piers answers.

"She's at the house watching our stuff." Piers say gently and then everyone looks back at me.

"What happened, Chocolate?" Ellie asks me worriedly. "Can you tell us?" I try to sit up and Eugene tilts up my head for me. My eyes groggily scan the rest of the house.

It is early morning and the light shines on the toppled furniture and hardwood floor. The frying pan lies nearby and Pascal's green eyes watch my face as I try to process it all.

Then it comes back in a rush.

"There was a man," I say quickly and lurch forward into a sitting position. Ellie gasps in shock at my fast movements; Eugene's hands go to my shoulders. I become upset as I recall what happened and then I'm standing up, shaking off everyone who tries to help me stand up. "He was here, and he came at me." I say shakily.

"You fought him off." Benjamin says and I nod, wincing at the pain that follows.

"He, um," my fingers go to my lips and I feel myself turn a pale green. "I think he was drunk," I say to help ease my nerves.

I turn back to my friends and I see the anger on Eugene's face. It touches me. We hardly knew each other and he keeps getting upset when I get hurt.

"But you stopped him." Alyson says to me and I nod, though I'm not so sure. Who was to say that he hadn't woken up before I did and somehow had his way with me? The thought makes me want to vomit.

"East there," Eugene says, stepping in front of me. His hands go to my shoulders and his eyes stay on my face. "You're okay."

"I-I think so." I say and then I realize how cold I still am. I shiver and Piers hands me a blanket. Benjamin offers to search the rest of the house, though they must had done it several times after they arrived, and I sit on the floor with Eugene.

Ellie looks at Alyson, worry still on her face. "Isn't the king's announcement in two days?"

Alyson nods. "I believe so."

Ellie hums in nonchalance and I feel myself beginning to shake when I think of what happened last night. Sensing my distress, Eugene grabs my hand and gives it a light squeeze.

I look at him, grateful for his comfort, and I find him gazing at me. He scowls for a moment and I freeze. "What is it?"

Eugene speaks and the scowl is gone. "I can't believe what he did to your pretty lips." His words shock me.

I glance up to see Ellie gazing at me. Instead of warning me with her eyes, she seems to be encouraging me. She makes a show of pulling Alyson into my parent's room to inspect the damage.

"Are you okay?" Eugene says beside me, watching them go.

I look at Eugene and nod. My head aches and I'm shaking from bad memories, but when Eugene looks at me with that gentle concern in his light brown eyes, it all goes away.

With Eugene, I am perfectly fine.