Princess between Worlds by E. D. Baker Read Free Book Online Page B

opening while the only one watching was the little girl.
    Annie ran through the still-falling snow, not having any idea where she was or where she was going. The snow was getting deeper, however, and her feet sank in a few inches with every step. When she left the shelter of the rocks that surrounded the cave, she found that the snow was so thick that she had to slog through it. Running was no longer possible. She had stopped, trying to decide what to do next, when Mara picked her uponce again and hugged her. Escaping wasn’t going to be easy with a watchful protector and no idea where to go even if she could get away.
    Once again, Mara carried her to the cave and sat down beside her. Annie was frustrated and close to tears. She couldn’t stay here any longer, not knowing where Liam was or if he was all right. But how could she get away? Mara wasn’t going to let her go as long as she thought Annie was a little one who needed her protection. Somehow, Annie was going to have to let them know that she wasn’t a child of their species. But how? They didn’t talk the way she did, so she couldn’t really tell them. Maybe she could show them instead.
    Annie tapped Mara on the shoulder to get her attention. When Mara was looking directly at her, Annie reached up and pulled off her hood. The reaction she got wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
    Mara screamed! It was a horrible, horrifying scream like one would make if a monster appeared in the dead of night.
Or
, thought Annie,
like a person who had just seen a loved one pull off the top of her head.
Suddenly, the other creatures were screaming and Annie had to cover her ears because it was so loud. When a deeper voice roared, they all stopped and the silence was almost as awful.
    Annie was already wishing she’d thought of another way to tell Mara when one of the largest creaturescame to where she was sitting. The creature glared at her, poked at her hood with its furry hand, and grunted at Mara. Making noises deep in their throats, they had a conversation that Annie couldn’t follow. When they stopped and the bigger creature stalked away, Mara got to her feet with tears welling from her eyes.
    Annie didn’t move as Mara gently pulled the hood over her hair. She looked so sad that Annie felt awful. The creatures in the cave watched as Mara picked up Annie and carried her from the cave, but not one of them offered to go with her. The wind was fierce when they got out into the open, and Annie was forced to bury her face in Mara’s fur as they made their way down the mountain.
    Annie lost track of time as they struggled through the storm. When Mara finally set her down, Annie found herself back in the meadow where she had been looking at the flowers. It was dusk, and although she had half hoped that Liam would be there waiting for her, she hadn’t really expected it. No one was there, however, and she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
    Annie looked up when she felt Mara pat her on the back. The creature was already walking away when Annie ran after her and threw her arms around her. Mara wasn’t human, but she had shown Annie more affection in one day than her mother had for most of Annie’s life.When the creature returned the hug, neither one was in a hurry to let go.
    The wind was dying down and the snow had finally stopped falling when Mara stepped back. Before she left, she handed Annie the doll, the bone ring, and the stone. Annie wanted to give her something in return, so she took off a bracelet that she’d had for years and handed it to her new friend. They stood for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes, before Mara turned and walked away.
    Annie’s eyes were as red as Mara’s when she started down the slope toward the castle.

    Liam met her when she was halfway down the slope. “Annie!” he called when he saw her. They hurried toward each other as fast as they could in the deep