O'Grady leaned back in his wooden chair, the weight of his tiny body making the only sound in the room. He rubbed his face, serious for a moment, in attempt to process the information.
“And does he return these feelings?” O'Grady asked.
“He does, and he told me so,” she said, ashamed she let out such a private moment in front of the minister, whom Elsa trusted but nevertheless felt naked and exposed by sharing the information, which was hers and hers alone to share. And she had no one else to turn to.
“Where is he?”
“He's gone. As I said, he did not commit the arson you speak of. His brother did, and I believe his brother took him away from me,” she said.
“If he's gone, are we not safe again?” he asked. “Does that not mean he's returned from whence he came? We should speak of this no more, then. Our problem has solved itself.”
“Father, his brother is angry, and he'll return.”
“What are we to do then?”
Elsa took a deep breath, before dropping the news of her plans to get Theo back. “I need your help in crossing over to the Forbidden Forest.”
“Elsa, you will do no such thing. The forest is deadly and you will suffer greatly in your injured state,” he said, leaning forward, emphasizing the severity of the situation by staring at Elsa with his little olive eyes.
“If you will not help me, I will go alone, if I need to.”
“Please think about what you're doing. We have an opportunity here, to resume our way of life. We have Lili and Ennis back. Things could be good again. Don't mess this up for everyone else, Elsa.”
“I must go, I will go after him. There is no other way,” she said, refusing to give into Father O'Grady's demands. “What must you think of my feelings? My soul?”
“My dearest Elsie, we already lost someone before and we are so lucky to have her back. Don't make yourself the second great tragedy our community has faced in the past month. We love and care about you, but there is nothing we can do to get that man back for you. The Forest will consume every last person who enters its borders. I can't risk that. What's more—if his brother, a dragon as you say, follows him wherever he goes, that means the man's return will come with much destruction,” O'Grady said, looking sad and tired, his beetle brows hunkered over his eyelids like curious caterpillars.
“Then I must go alone,” she said, resolute. Elsa looked down at her shaking fingers, fearful but brave about her future.
“Let God's will be what it may,” he said, nearing tears at the thought of the danger Elsa willingly planned to put herself in. “Elsa, please promise me something.”
“What's that?” she asked.
“Promise me, no matter what happens, you find your way back to us safe and sound. I am sorry I cannot help you. This news breaks my heart into a million little pieces,” Father O'Grady said, and he then got up out of his chair and walked out his tiny office. Elsa looked around at the artifacts he'd collected and the figurines the children had created for him in appreciation for his guidance. Yes, her heart was broken too, she thought.
CHAPTER 17
The next day, Elsa showed up to her job as a waitress in a Bavarian tavern, saying nothing to her coworkers about the latest developments in her life. Up until Theo and his evil warlock brother Dorien swept into her life, Elsa had almost gotten used to her second-rate lot in life, as a busty (but in her eyes rather pretty) woman, with voluptuous thighs and a roomy posterior. As a little girl, many of the boys ignored her and even occasionally failed to acknowledge her existence. But they didn't know the person she would become later in life, and Elsa was certain all the other girls who were snotty to her in elementary school, could they see her now, would breathe strained sighs of jealousy when they laid eyes on Theo's beautiful body. Elsa knew beyond
“And does he return these feelings?” O'Grady asked.
“He does, and he told me so,” she said, ashamed she let out such a private moment in front of the minister, whom Elsa trusted but nevertheless felt naked and exposed by sharing the information, which was hers and hers alone to share. And she had no one else to turn to.
“Where is he?”
“He's gone. As I said, he did not commit the arson you speak of. His brother did, and I believe his brother took him away from me,” she said.
“If he's gone, are we not safe again?” he asked. “Does that not mean he's returned from whence he came? We should speak of this no more, then. Our problem has solved itself.”
“Father, his brother is angry, and he'll return.”
“What are we to do then?”
Elsa took a deep breath, before dropping the news of her plans to get Theo back. “I need your help in crossing over to the Forbidden Forest.”
“Elsa, you will do no such thing. The forest is deadly and you will suffer greatly in your injured state,” he said, leaning forward, emphasizing the severity of the situation by staring at Elsa with his little olive eyes.
“If you will not help me, I will go alone, if I need to.”
“Please think about what you're doing. We have an opportunity here, to resume our way of life. We have Lili and Ennis back. Things could be good again. Don't mess this up for everyone else, Elsa.”
“I must go, I will go after him. There is no other way,” she said, refusing to give into Father O'Grady's demands. “What must you think of my feelings? My soul?”
“My dearest Elsie, we already lost someone before and we are so lucky to have her back. Don't make yourself the second great tragedy our community has faced in the past month. We love and care about you, but there is nothing we can do to get that man back for you. The Forest will consume every last person who enters its borders. I can't risk that. What's more—if his brother, a dragon as you say, follows him wherever he goes, that means the man's return will come with much destruction,” O'Grady said, looking sad and tired, his beetle brows hunkered over his eyelids like curious caterpillars.
“Then I must go alone,” she said, resolute. Elsa looked down at her shaking fingers, fearful but brave about her future.
“Let God's will be what it may,” he said, nearing tears at the thought of the danger Elsa willingly planned to put herself in. “Elsa, please promise me something.”
“What's that?” she asked.
“Promise me, no matter what happens, you find your way back to us safe and sound. I am sorry I cannot help you. This news breaks my heart into a million little pieces,” Father O'Grady said, and he then got up out of his chair and walked out his tiny office. Elsa looked around at the artifacts he'd collected and the figurines the children had created for him in appreciation for his guidance. Yes, her heart was broken too, she thought.
CHAPTER 17
The next day, Elsa showed up to her job as a waitress in a Bavarian tavern, saying nothing to her coworkers about the latest developments in her life. Up until Theo and his evil warlock brother Dorien swept into her life, Elsa had almost gotten used to her second-rate lot in life, as a busty (but in her eyes rather pretty) woman, with voluptuous thighs and a roomy posterior. As a little girl, many of the boys ignored her and even occasionally failed to acknowledge her existence. But they didn't know the person she would become later in life, and Elsa was certain all the other girls who were snotty to her in elementary school, could they see her now, would breathe strained sighs of jealousy when they laid eyes on Theo's beautiful body. Elsa knew beyond
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