Prince of Thorns & Nightmares by Linsey Miller

Author:Linsey Miller [Miller, Linsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2023-10-03T00:00:00+00:00

Phillip awoke in the hedge maze. The thorns and vines had nearly overtaken all that remained of the old wood, tangling themselves so tightly in the evergreen hedges that the leaves were withering to a dull brown. The twisting crack of the thorns growing and tearing through the branches of the hedge split the silence every few seconds, and Phillip listened for Briar Rose’s shouts.

He deserved to be yelled at a bit.

“We’ve had this conversation a thousand times, Briar Rose.”

Phillip froze, trying to hear where the voice was coming from. It was one of Briar Rose’s aunts; which one he had no idea, but if he was hearing her, that meant—

“And I’ll ask a thousand more times,” said Briar Rose. “Let me go to town. Or with you to market. Or anything! I can’t stay here. I have always done what you said. I have never left the woods. I have never fought you on this, but I am fighting now, because I cannot do this anymore.”

She was awake, and he was listening in on her real life.

Before the maze, when it had been him alone in the wood, it was like Briar Rose and her aunts were always behind the next tree. Their voices had been faint and far-off. Now they were further muffled by the twisting vines. The voices didn’t come from anywhere specific. It was like they were simply around the next corner of the maze, but no matter how far Phillip walked, he couldn’t reach the source. Phillip settled down as close as he could to the wall.

He must have misheard her. She had left the forest where she lived. She had all those stories and friends.

“I need to meet other people. I need to be around them. I have only ever spoken to you, and I love you all dearly, but I need more. Please!”

She sounded near tears, but her aunt only huffed. Phillip felt as if he’d been dunked in a frozen pond. Of all the things he had overheard, he had never heard Briar Rose sound so defeated. The chilling depth of his discomfort at at that moment shocked him.

It was unfathomable that she had never left the forest where she lived. Could all those stories, all those adventures he had been so jealous of, have been lies? But was it really lying if her audience was only animals and herself?

It was unthinkable that she had never even spoken to anyone else. Even folks who lived in the most rural farmsteads still saw others sometimes. Avoiding everyone took work.

“Now, dear, it’s for your own good. We know best!” said one of her aunts in an insultingly upbeat tone.

“Why?” he shouted as she pleaded the same question.

Desperation made her voice waver, but her aunts seemed not to notice. Phillip did.

One laughed and said, “Oh, sweet girl, you know we’ll explain it all to you one day, but you must trust us.”

“You know we’re doing this to protect you,” another said.

“What is the point of protecting me if my heart is broken before I’m safe?” asked Briar Rose.

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