The glowing sphere of candlelight drifted slowly down the hallway. What had Mimi been thinking, letting Jacob take the candle? Off he went with it, leaving her all alone in the darkness. All because she could not think about moving. What she could think about was Jacob stalking off away from her while she stood here. And she could think about what he had just done.

She gasped suddenly—she had not realized she had been holding her breath. She felt dizzy. What had he just done? What had she just allowed him to do? Kiss her? He had just kissed her while she had stood there like a fool.

"Are you coming?" Jacob asked from ahead.

"Yes." The word was a whisper. She shook her head and tried again. "Yes." Maybe she should put some thought into walking. So she dashed forward until she had caught up with him.

He did not look at her, but his pace slowed down for her. She fell into step beside him. They were close to her father's little room, the dreadful place Lavender had let it become. Beyond that, the exit, and then off to find just where Lavender had taken Abe. And her father.

"I'm really sorry about that," Jacob said finally.

"About what?" An idiotic thing to say. Obviously they were both thinking about the same thing.

He refused to look at her. "The kiss. I'm sorry. I had no business kissing you like that. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Then why did you do it?" There was the room. She could see dimly the place where her father's cage must have set.

"I…"

Who was she to ask that kind of question? Maybe she should take it back, but she didn't trust any other words to come out of her mouth. She quickly crossed the room and headed up the stairs.

"Well, you're very pretty."

"You think I'm pretty?" There she was again, talking. She needed to just stop talking to him.

"Yes."

"So you kissed me because you think I'm pretty? What about later on when I'm a goose? I'm a goose most of the time, Jacob."

Even in the candlelight his blush was obvious. "Didn't you hear a thing I just said back there?"

"Yes, yes I did, and I'm trying to make sense of it because it's the first time I heard of it." Thankfully the door did not lock from the inside. She pushed it open. The sconces of the hall were almost blinding.

"Like I would have said anything to you before."

Her heart whirled. "Well, did you want to? Say something before?"

He stood still. The candle had nearly burnt itself out and was near spilling over the edge. "Any idea where they would have taken Abe and your father?"

"No." She put her hand to her head. "I have no idea. The castle is too big."

"Well, where did Lavender usually hang around?"

"I never paid attention to what she did! Are you going to answer my question?"

He refused to look at her. "What question was that?"

So exasperating. "Did you want to say something to me before about how you felt?"

"Before what?"

She wanted to scream. Instead she pounded her bare foot hard into the stone floor, a painful choice. She gulped back a groan, picked a direction, and set to marching. "So let me get this straight. You go on some rant about miserable your life is and yet how happy you were regardless, bring up how I ruined your life, and kiss me. Is this a new thing for you? Is that why you didn't say anything before?"

"I didn't say anything before because it was futile. Would you have listened?"

She had listened to every word Matthias had said. "I don't know. You could have tried, at least. So you're in love with me."

Jacob picked a corner, and Mimi followed. "I never said I was in love with you."

"I know. You just kissed me instead. And apparently only because I'm pretty."

"It wasn't because you're pretty."

She froze. "Then why?"

He kept walking.

"Jacob, why?"

"I don't know why. I just felt like it."

"And it wasn't because I'm pretty. Well, that's just great. I'm so happy that you've escaped your spell. And I'm sure you're very happy about it. All the things you get to do now. Like going around kissing every girl just because she may or may not be pretty. How fun for you. You didn't even ask me if it was all right to kiss me. You just kissed me and apologized and expected me to accept the apology. So, did you kiss me because I'm pretty or not? Because I'm hearing two different things and it's only a short time before I'm an ugly little goose again."

"So you would prefer me to kiss you when you're a goose?"

"Answer my question first and then we'll get to that."

The hallways and rooms melted into each other. No sign of Lavender. No sign of her father or of Abe. Should they be looking in rooms? Shouldn't there be some way to know if someone was in a room or not? Mimi's heart pounded faster the further they walked. She should be focusing on finding Abe and her father. She was terrified for them. Lavender was a monster. Why couldn't she focus?

"Partially because you're pretty." His voice was hardly conversational, rather near shouting. "Yes, I think you're very pretty. One of the prettiest girls I've ever seen. When you're not a goose. And you're the first girl I've ever kissed. The first girl I've ever really wanted to kiss."

"Really?" Her heart whirled again. Lavender had told her she wasn't pretty.

He nodded as he turned another corner.

"But you were off kissing that prince of yours. Great taste there."

"You were my friend," Mimi said. "You knew I liked you, didn't you? You helped me. We spent all that time together."

"But you had Matthias."

She sighed. "He was a prince, Jacob. I grew up hearing about princes. Of course I was infatuated with him. He was smart and sweet… at first. We both know how that ended." Oh, dear. The realization was like lightening. She had cared for Matthias because he was a prince.

He stopped and set the candle down. No sign of anyone anywhere. "Clearly you read too much."

"I know, I know. Welcome to growing up here."

"It couldn't have been too bad."

"It wasn't."

He was very handsome, Mimi realized. There was something enchanting about what the darkness could do to one's appearance. Did he have any idea how he looked? No wonder Lavender had acted the way she had. Lavender had no right, especially if she was who Jacob said she was. "Are we done arguing?"

"Do you want me to apologize again? We really should be looking for Abe."

"That's what we're doing now."

But it wasn't what they were doing now. Scarcely realizing what she was doing or why she threw her arms around his neck. He moved at the same time, the candle clattering to the floor and going out. Another kiss. It was wonderful.

"Do you hate me that I'm only doing this know?" Mimi asked when the broke apart.

"Why would I hate you?"

"Well, you were my friend before, but now you're human again and you're very handsome and…" She thought of how Matthias had been angry with her when she had spent all her time being angry at Jacob. Jealous. He had been jealous and clearly he had every right to be so. Goodness, how long had this been going on without her knowledge?

Jacob just kissed her again.

"We should really go," she said breathlessly.

"Right. Where? I've been kind of assuming Abe would scream out if he had heard us pass but with you shouting at me this entire time it's been a little hard focus. We're horrible people."

"No, we'll find him. If we can change back my father he can…" She gasped as her bones twisted. No. The hour couldn't be up.

"Or whatever you ate," Jacob said musingly. "It's the same spell, it has to be."

"Jacob, I—" She fell against his chest as she shrunk. Just like she did every night. Her bones shortened, feathers sprouted from her skin. All the usual bits of the stupid transformation were suddenly somehow worse. And it ended, herself in Jacob's arms, once more an ugly little goose.