The Sleeping Beauty - Book 1 - Chapter 66
“The Fates must entreat with a body should it come to them,” Red said to me as we walked across the throne room. “That is their way.
Fairy tales are real.
Rose Briar is a diabetic college student without insurance. She’s been scraping by through a combination of maxing out credit cards and relying upon the kindness of strangers.
Unfortunately, she’s spent every dollar at her disposal. There’s no money left to buy her life-saving insulin.
Without her medication, Rose falls into a diabetic coma. She tumbles into a deep slumber and wakes up in a fantastical place called the Dream Realm, where fairy tales and legends of old are still very much alive.
She has one chance to wake up.
She must trek across the world, visit the most powerful object in the land, the Obsidian Spindle, and entreat with the fates; the only beings powerful enough to send her soul back to Earth.
But evil forces don’t want her to leave. They will stop at nothing to capture her and make sure she never goes home again.
Now, with the help of her half-gorgon girlfriend and a mysterious red rider, Rose must race across the land fighting dragons, monsters, and the forces of the Wicked Witch, Nimue, in order to reach the Obsidian Spindle before her body dies on Earth and she’s trapped in the Dream Realm forever.
Will she be able to wake up? Can she survive? Find out by reading The Sleeping Beauty today. If you love mythology, fairy tales, and dark fantasy, then you’ll love the first book in The Obsidian Spindle Saga.
Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other series and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial.
“The Fates must entreat with a body should it come to them,” Red said to me as we walked across the throne room. “That is their way. Therefore, you are the only one in Urgu who is guaranteed an audience with them.”
I had conflicting feelings about seeking out the Fates. I wanted to return to Earth, but I didn’t want to leave Rose. She was happy on Urgu, where I could never be happy. There were nice things about the Dream Realm, but I yearned to return home.
“Are you sure you won’t stay with me?” Rose asked. The black door in front of us opened to the walkway to the Obsidian Spindle.
“I want to stay with you, but I can’t,” I replied. “Who knows what would happen if I stayed here with a body. The Wicked Witch could use it to leave Urgu. I’m a danger to the whole world if I stay here, including you. Maybe one day I will fall into a coma, or die in my sleep, and return the right way.”
Rose smiled. “I would like that.”
Light streamed into the throne room when Red opened the door to the bridge. Rose stood there and soaked it in. She was beautiful, and her newfound powers made her even more so. She sparkled like the light of a new day. She had found her place, and I had to accept that.
“Are you sure you won’t come back with me?” I asked her. “Powers aren’t so great, you know.”
Rose shook her head, slowly and sadly. “Somebody needs to stay here and guard the realm against Nimue and Hera, and to find Hypnos. Once it was Ozma, and now it’s me.”
“This sucks,” I said, walking out of the door.
“Totally.”
Red joined us on the bridge. “When you reach the end of the bridge and come face to face with the hydra, only Hypnos’s power can calm it. Do not wait, or it will strike.”
Rose gave a curt nod. “I got it.”
I wasn’t so sure about her powers, but she was supremely confident, and I loved seeing her come into her own. She had been scared and meek on Earth, but here in Urgu, she was powerful and confident. Even though I didn’t want to leave her, I did appreciate that she was at home in this land.
As we crossed the bridge, the terrifying hydra came into view. It had been resting behind a retaining wall but when we neared, it raised its seven serpent-like heads and let out a shriek. The Spindle stood behind it, but the great beast nearly blocked it completely from view.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and waited for Rose to step forward. She placed her hands in the air and closed her eyes. Her voice never wavered. “Sleep.”
The hydras stared at her for a moment with its beady eyes, and then collapsed slowly on the ground one head after the other into a gentle slumber.
“It worked,” Red said, with audible relief. “I had my doubts.”
Rose smiled. “Me too.”
We stepped over the hydra and made our way to the door of the Obsidian Spindle. Rose looked at me. “This is the moment of truth. Place your hand on the door and tell it to open. With luck, it should open for you.”
I placed my hand on the door. “Open.”
But nothing happened. The door didn’t budge. Again, I placed my hand on the door, and this time I closed my eyes. “Open.”
Again nothing.
“Oh no,” Rose said.
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“I think it means you can’t go home.”
I turned to Red. “Any ideas?”
She shrugged. “Ozma was the only person in Urgu who knew how the Obsidian Spindle worked, except for Hypnos. Until Rose can find him again, I have no idea what to do.”
“I’m trying!” Rose said.
I placed my hand softly on her cheek. “I know you are.”
I wanted to be upset, but I was in some ways relieved. I was compelled to go home, but I didn’t want to leave Rose, and being forced to stay in Urgu meant I didn’t have to make a choice. I could be with her and that was all I ever wanted, even if I couldn’t be with her the way that I wanted.
“Don’t worry,” Red replied. “We will find a way. I swear it.”
“Meanwhile,” Rose said. “Looks like you have to stay here with me.” She snapped her fingers, feigning frustration. “Drat.”
I shook my head and closed my hand into hers. “I can think of worse fates.”
And it was true. For all my posturing about wanting to go back home, all I really wanted was to be with Rose and to be happy. I couldn’t be happy in Urgu, but I could be with Rose, and that was the next best thing. This was not what we intended, but anywhere we were together couldn’t be so bad.
Maybe in time, I could convince her to come back with me as we worked to open the door to the Obsidian Spindle to change our fates.
Or maybe, our fates were already changed, and we just didn’t know it yet.
Fairy tales are real.
Find out by reading The Sleeping Beauty today. If you love mythology, fairy tales, and dark fantasy, then you’ll love the first book in The Obsidian Spindle Saga.
Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other series and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial.