This Neck Is Too Pretty to Hang

The path narrowed as the afternoon wore on.

The golden field disappeared behind them.

The Weeping Willow vanished into the distance.

Even the blue trees seemed taller here.

Older.

The forest pressed closer on both sides.

Watching.

Waiting.

Grant barely noticed.

Josephine sat comfortably on his shoulder, her feet swinging against his chest as she whispered something into his ear.

He laughed.

The sound immediately irritated Tess.

Not because it was loud.

Because she hadn't heard Grant laugh like that all day.

Not with her.

Not with Clint.

Not with Sloane.

Not with anybody.

Just the fairy.

Josephine whispered something else.

Grant laughed again.

Tess folded her arms.

Harder.

Beside her, Sloane noticed.

"You're doing the thing."

"What thing?"

"The arm thing."

Tess looked down.

Her arms were practically welded together.

She immediately uncrossed them.

Then crossed them again.

"Leave me alone."

Sloane smiled.

"I thought so."

Ahead of them, Limbo pulled the wagon without complaint.

Steady.

Silent.

Focused.

The man barely seemed to notice the miles passing beneath his boots.

Every now and then a fairy would dart from the trees.

Buzz around his head.

Pull his hair.

Tug at his collar.

Limbo ignored them all.

Which somehow made the fairies try harder.

One landed on a nearby branch and mimicked his rigid stride, swinging its arms with exaggerated seriousness.

Clint nearly walked into a tree laughing.

"Okay, that's actually kind of funny."

The fairy bowed.

Limbo didn't react.

"He's got the patience of a saint."

"No," Limbo said.

"I've just met fairies before."

The answer somehow made it funnier.

Grant wasn't paying attention.

Josephine had both hands cupped around his ear.

Whispering.

Always whispering.

Grant nodded.

Smiled.

Asked questions.

Listened.

The rest of the world seemed to be fading away.

Tess hated that.

Not because she wanted Grant's attention.

Because she knew exactly what Josephine was doing.

The fairy was separating him.

One conversation at a time.

One step at a time.

One secret at a time.

A branch snapped beneath Grant's shoe.

He stumbled slightly.

Josephine giggled.

"Careful."

Grant smiled.

"I'm good."

He wasn't.

Tess noticed before anyone else.

Grant wasn't on the path anymore.

Not entirely.

Just one step.

Maybe two.

Close enough to the edge that the forest had begun swallowing him.

Josephine noticed too.

Her smile widened.

"Grant."

Limbo's voice carried down the trail.

Grant didn't answer.

Josephine continued whispering.

"Grant."

Still nothing.

Limbo stopped walking.

The wagon creaked to a halt.

Everybody else stopped too.

Grant looked up.

"What?"

Limbo turned.

His expression hadn't changed.

Calm.

Patient.

Tired.

"Get back on the path."

Grant frowned.

"I am on the path."

"No."

Limbo pointed.

Grant looked down.

One foot rested on the trail.

The other had wandered into the undergrowth.

The trees seemed impossibly close.

Grant stepped back automatically.

Josephine's smile disappeared.

Only for a moment.

Then it returned.

"He's jealous."

The words were barely louder than a whisper.

Grant blinked.

"What?"

Josephine leaned closer.

"Jealous."

Ahead of them, Limbo sighed.

A long exhausted sigh.

The kind a man makes when he's had this conversation before.

Perhaps many times.

"Josephine."

The fairy stiffened.

Grant immediately noticed.

It was the first time Limbo had used her name.

The forest grew quieter.

Even the other fairies seemed interested.

Limbo met her gaze.

"Enough."

Josephine smiled.

Didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Just smiled.

And somehow that was worse.

Grant frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Neither answered.

The silence stretched.

Then Limbo stepped off the path and began walking toward them.

Josephine's smile vanished completely.

For the first time since Grant met her, she looked worried.

Not frightened.

Worried.

"Grant."

Josephine's voice was suddenly urgent.

"Don't listen to him."

Limbo stopped a few feet away.

Close enough now that Grant could see how tired he looked.

How old.

How heavy everything seemed to sit upon his shoulders.

The guide's gaze remained fixed on Josephine.

"You don't get to keep him."

The words landed like a slap.

Josephine recoiled.

Grant stared.

"What?"

Josephine's eyes widened.

Hurt.

Angry.

Furious.

"He is jealous."

"No," Limbo said quietly.

"I am concerned."

The fairy hissed.

The sound shocked everyone.

Including Grant.

For one brief moment Josephine looked less like a playful companion and more like something ancient.

Something wild.

Something that did not like being denied.

Limbo took one final step forward and closed his left hand around Josephine.

The effect was immediate.

Josephine screamed.

Not startled.

Not angry.

Pain.

Real pain.

The sound echoed through the trees.

Grant lurched forward.

"What the hell?!"

Josephine twisted violently in Limbo's grasp.

The tiny fairy kicked.

Scratched.

Bit.

None of it seemed to matter.

Limbo simply held her.

Not cruelly.

Not gently.

Firmly.

Like a man preventing someone from running into traffic.

The forest erupted.

Fairies appeared from every direction.

Branches.

Leaves.

Hollows.

Blue trunks.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Their angry buzzing filled the air.

Tess stared.

She had never seen Josephine frightened before.

Now she looked terrified.

"Grant!"

Josephine reached toward him.

Her voice cracked.

"Grant!"

And for one brief moment—

Everything became clear.

Grant blinked.

The fog was gone.

Not literally.

Something inside his head.

The constant pull.

The constant fascination.

The need to hear Josephine's voice.

Gone.

Like a curtain had been ripped away.

He looked around.

Really looked.

The forest.

The fairies.

The path.

The wagon.

His friends.

The concern on Tess's face.

The exhaustion on Limbo's.

The panic on Josephine's.

And for one impossible second he understood something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Tess saw it immediately.

The old Grant.

The real Grant.

Finally.

"Grant."

She stepped toward him.

Hope flooded her voice.

"Grant, listen to me—"

She reached for his arm.

Grant turned toward her too quickly.

His heel caught an exposed root.

His balance vanished.

And he fell.

Limbo moved instantly.

His right hand shot forward.

Caught Grant's wrist.

The world exploded.

Grant screamed.

Josephine screamed louder.

Limbo released them both immediately.

Grant collapsed to one knee.

Clutching his arm.

His entire body shaking.

Pain.

Pure pain.

Not burning.

Not freezing.

Something worse.

Something older.

Like every bad decision he'd ever made had suddenly been etched into his skin.

Josephine hit the ground beside him.

Crying.

Actually crying.

The tiny fairy scrambled across the dirt.

Threw herself against Grant's chest.

Curled into him.

Trembling.

Grant wrapped his arms around her automatically.

Protectively.

The moment shattered.

The clarity vanished.

The fog returned.

Grant looked up at Limbo.

Furious.

"What did you do to her?"

Limbo rubbed his forehead.

Already exhausted.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit."

"Grant—"

"She was screaming!"

"Because I touched her."

"You hurt her!"

"No."

The answer came quietly.

Almost sadly.

"I interrupted her."

Josephine buried her face against Grant's neck.

"He's jealous."

Grant glared.

"There."

Josephine pointed.

"I told you."

Limbo laughed.

A single humorless sound.

"Jealous."

Josephine nodded vigorously.

"Very jealous."

Tess rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on."

The fairy ignored her.

Grant didn't.

The anger remained.

The distrust remained.

Whatever Limbo had interrupted was already back.

Then the forest went silent.

Completely silent.

Every fairy stopped moving.

Every wing stopped buzzing.

Every creature vanished into stillness.

Even Josephine froze.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

She looked upward.

The others followed her gaze.

Something descended from the canopy.

Not a fairy.

Not exactly.

A cherub.

At least that's the closest word Tess could find.

Nearly three feet tall.

Broad shoulders.

Golden eyes.

Massive silver-white wings.

A tiny crown rested atop dark curls.

A royal escort descended with him.

Fairies in cloaks.

Fairies carrying spears.

Fairies carrying banners woven from spider silk and moonlight.

The cherub landed softly upon the path.

His escort formed ranks behind him.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody breathed.

The cherub's gaze settled on Josephine.

Then Grant.

Then Limbo.

The look he gave Limbo was not friendly.

Limbo sighed.

"Of course."

The cherub spoke.

The language sounded like bells breaking underwater.

Sharp.

Beautiful.

Alien.

Limbo answered immediately.

The same language.

The same strange musical sounds.

Back and forth.

Faster and faster.

The escort shifted uneasily.

Josephine watched silently.

Grant looked completely lost.

"What are they saying?"

Nobody answered.

Because nobody knew.

The exchange continued for nearly a minute.

Then the cherub folded his arms.

Waiting.

Limbo rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Tess frowned.

"What are they saying?"

This time Limbo answered.

"They're asking Grant to come with them."

Grant blinked.

"Come where?"

The cherub smiled.

A perfect smile.

The kind that instantly made Tess nervous.

Limbo looked directly at Grant.

"The Gallows."

Silence.

"What is that?"

"A place you do not want to go."

The answer arrived immediately.

Without hesitation.

Without explanation.

That frightened Tess more than anything else.

Grant looked at Josephine.

Josephine nodded.

The cherub nodded.

The fairy escort stood proudly.

Waiting.

Inviting.

Grant looked back at Limbo.

Then at Tess.

Then at Josephine.

Decision settled across his face.

"I'm going."

The words hit like a punch.

Tess stared.

"What?"

"I'm going."

"Grant."

"No."

His voice hardened.

For the first time all day.

"I'm done being dragged around by everybody."

Nobody had dragged him anywhere.

But nobody pointed that out.

"I'm not following him."

He pointed at Limbo.

The guide didn't react.

Grant gestured toward the cherub.

"I'm going with them."

Nobody moved.

Nobody volunteered.

Nobody agreed.

An awkward silence settled over the trail.

Finally Clint shrugged.

"I mean..."

Everyone looked at him.

Clint pointed toward the cherub.

Then toward Grant.

Then toward the forest.

"Dude."

Grant frowned.

"What?"

"It's called the Gallows."

The silence deepened.

Clint shook his head.

"This neck is way too pretty to hang."

Even Sloane laughed.

Grant didn't.

Josephine didn't.

The cherub certainly didn't.

Grant stood, and Josephine climbed back onto his shoulder.

The fairy escort opened ranks.

Making room.

Waiting.

Grant took one final look at the group.

Nobody followed.

Not even Tess.

Hurt crossed Grant’s face.

More than Tess expected.

Then he turned.

And disappeared into the trees.

Josephine on his shoulder.

The cherub leading.

The royal escort surrounding them.

The forest swallowed them whole.

Gone.

Just like that.

Gone.

For a long time nobody spoke.

Limbo watched the place where Grant had vanished.

The expression on his face looked painfully familiar.

The look of a man watching someone walk toward disaster.

Knowing they would not listen.

Knowing he could not stop them.

Eventually he exhaled.

A long weary sigh.

"Come."

Nobody moved.

Limbo started walking.

"The Spot of the Fallen Sun is difficult enough in daylight."

His voice sounded tired.

Older somehow.

"We don't want to stumble into it after dark."

Heavy footsteps followed.

Tess wiped tears from her eyes.

Sloane wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Clint muttered curses beneath his breath.

The wagon creaked forward.

Nobody looked back.

Nobody except Blaine.

He had been unusually quiet since Limbo finished telling them about his son.

Now he glanced toward Limbo.

Thought for a moment.

Then asked:

"So..."

Limbo closed his eyes.

Already knowing.

"Did you ever find the guy who shot your son?"

The forest fell silent.

Clint smacked himself in the forehead.

Tess stopped walking.

Sloane stared.

Limbo stood motionless on the path.

For several seconds nobody spoke.

Then Limbo opened his eyes.

The years suddenly seemed heavier.

The memories closer.

More painful.

"I found him."

And just like that, the past returned.