The Kissing Tree
THE YEAR WITHOUT BRAHM IN MY life was lonely, but I wasn’t alone. I went through one boyfriend after another. They only wanted me for my looks and my red hair—not to talk, search for stones, or dance in the moonlight with me like Brahm. I felt horrible for using those guys to hurt Brahm when what happened at the Hexennacht bonfires years ago wasn’t his fault.
As I search for Brahm and collect my firewood, I come across a pond filled with lily pads. The water is green with blooms of algae floating just beneath the surface. From the muddy shoreline, a black snake slithers toward me, baring its poisonous fangs and ready to strike. I stomp its head with my boot and take out my dagger. I slice the snake three times to make sure it’s dead.
Before I sheathe the dagger, a much larger snake emerges from the water. Frightened, I leap onto a boulder. The second snake carries three leaves in its mouth as it slithers toward the dead one.
The snake with striped, scaly skin carefully places a leaf atop each wound. I watch in shock as the dead reptile glows as the wounds piece themselves back together. The snake I just killed slithers in a circle around its friend. The two snakes creep away into a muddy hole near the lake, abandoning the leaves.
When they’re out of sight, I hop from the boulder to pick up the leaves and give them a sniff. The green, pointy leaves have a bit of an herbal scent, but I can’t place what type they are. I tuck the magical, healing snake-leaves in my satchel as they might come in handy.
Continuing my search for Brahm, I wander through the lush forest. I shout his name a few times and gather more sticks in my arms. Muffled voices and a rustling sound come from an old willow tree in the distance. As I push my way through the hanging vines, my stomach sinks, and my limbs grow weak.
Brahm and Willa are kissing. Passionately. He has her backed against the trunk of the tree, his hands grip her neck, and he kisses her as if he’s devouring her face. My head sways as my chest convulses, forcing all air from my lungs.
What. The. Fuck.
This is the Hexennacht bonfires all over again. Why did I let myself get close to him? I step back to walk away, but a twig snaps under my boot. The sound echoes through the forest. I stand completely frozen.
Brahm and Willa snap their heads to me with cloudy, love-dazed eyes. Brahm’s jaw drops as he looks to Willa and again to me. My breathing returns in erratic gasps while heat scorches my cheeks.
Releasing her, Brahm throws his arms to the base of his neck and shakes his head. “No, no, no, no,” he mumbles.
Barely seeing through my tear-filled eyes, I drop my firewood and turn away.
“Where’s Ferdinand?” Willa yells from behind me. “What the hell was that?”
“No!” Brahm shouts.
I take off into a sprint through the woods.
“Freckles, wait! It’s not what you think!”
Branches and thorny vines scrape my arms, and my feet stumble over rocks, but I keep moving in the direction of the cliff. Why would Brahm flirt with me only to kiss Willa? He said he wanted to kiss me. My legs momentarily stop as two tears spill down my cheeks.
“Freckles! Please!”
I hate myself for being so stupid. Stop crying, Gisela. I wipe my face with one arm, but Brahm grabs my other.
“I don’t know what happened,” he says, blinking his eyes at me. “I don’t understand.”
I glare at his hand and rip my arm away. “No. I don’t understand. I must be naive.” I pause to remove the floral crown from my head and thrust it into his chest. “To think this meant something. To think sleeping in your arms meant something. To think you and I meant something.”
I take a step to leave, but Brahm jumps in front of me.
He holds the crown up and nods. “It all does, and we do! I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened. Shit!” He wipes the tears from his own eyes. “I think it was the fog, Freckles.”
“Don’t call me that. And that’s not how the fog works.” I huff a loud breath. “You don’t have to lie to me. Maybe you thought Willa’s original proposition was just too easy? You thought you’d try to fuck your dead friend’s sister first? What, for sport? Well, sorry, I didn’t spread my legs for you last night.”
“It’s not like that at all, Gisela.” His cheeks grow rosy, and he shakes his head. “No, no, no. Please, I beg you. It’s not like that.”
“Do you tell every girl you wrote a song for them? And did you just leave your newest girlfriend out there, all alone? You know Willa won’t find her way.” I spin back toward the direction of the kissing tree. Every inch of my skin is on fire.
Brahm stumbles over vines and bushes to keep up.
“Willa,” I shout with my hands circled around my mouth. Nothing.
Brahm steps to my side. “Gisel—”
I throw my hand in front of his face. “I don’t want to hear it.”
I call for Willa again. Heavy and fast footsteps make their way through the brush. The blonde girl runs toward us and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug.
“Thank goddess, Gisela! He tricked me!”
“What?” I ask.
“Brahm tricked me into kissing him.” Willa scowls in his direction.
“Hold on,” I say. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I was collecting sticks until the fog rolled through. I ran and bumped into Ferdinand—or so I thought! We talked and flirted. And well, I asked him to kiss me. He smiled and said, ‘Anything for you, Freckles.’ Which I thought was strange as I don’t have any freckles.”
She pauses to catch her breath, and I turn my gaze to Brahm. His eyes are squeezed shut, and his cheeks are red. Should I feel guilty for my outburst? Willa continues.
“We kissed until we heard you. It was only then I realized he was Brahm. I thought I was kissing Ferdinand!”
“I thought I was kissing Gisela,” he says. “I’m sorry, I think it was the fog.”
The fog. A horrible idea hits me like a stone wall and settles in my brain. Brahm touches my arm, but I shake my head and step away. I can’t look at him right now. It seems like the fog is only out to get me. Plus, a lingering burn of anger and jealousy still swells in my chest. I squeeze my eyes shut but can’t seem to get the image of Brahm kissing Willa out of my head.
“It doesn’t matter who you thought you were kissing; we’re supposed to be honoring Mitzi!” I glare at both of them. “So disrespectful.”
I storm away and gather a few sticks before I enter the clearing near the cliff. Gunther wraps a strip of blanket around Ferdinand’s arm. They both look at me, wary. I cradle the branches in one arm and hold my other hand up in surrender.
“Ready?” Ferdinand asks.
I nod and my sticks to the bonfire they started. As do Brahm and Willa.
“Here’s a peace offering.” I hand Ferdinand one of the snake-leaves. “Put this on your wound. It’ll help.”
He does so, and the wound glows and closes up without even a trace of a scar. Everyone’s eyes grow wide. Brahm holds out his blistered palms as he tilts his head at me. I purse my lips and place the other two leaves on his burns from the oven. The red, bubbled skin glows and turns smooth once again. Both guys return the leaves to me.