“Get to the point, Luc!”

He laughed as though something I’d said was beyond amusing. “You never did appreciate a good tale. So, fine, I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve found the lost city of Trollus.”

Silence hung between us for a long moment. I certainly hadn’t expected his motivations to have anything to do with a mythological city. “Do you think this is some sort of jest or have you lost your mind?” My voice echoed through the cavern. Mind… mind… mind… mind… We both flinched and looked about uneasily.

“The city wasn’t lost, Luc. Trollus was buried by half a mountain worth of rock.”

“Aye,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Buried, but not destroyed. At least not completely.”

“Impossible. Nothing in this world is strong enough to withstand the weight.”

“That is the best part.” He leaned closer to me. “Just like in the stories: they’ve been living here under the mountain this entire time!”

“Who?” I asked, afraid but desperately wanting to know.

Luc’s eyes reflected the orange glow of the flame, and he licked his lips, relishing the moment. “The trolls, Cécile. They’re here!”

“Fairy tales,” I whispered. “Stories told to scare naughty children.”

Luc laughed. “Oh, they’re plenty real and plenty monstrous. And happy enough for us humans to think they’re shadows in the night. Keeps people from troubling them and trying to steal their treasure.”

“Treasure.”

“Aye. Chambers heaped with gold and jewels.”

“If they dislike humans, why would they let you anywhere near their wealth?” I asked, discreetly taking stock of my surroundings. The pool lay directly behind me. If I caught Luc off guard and managed to get into the water, I might have a chance. I could hide in the trees until nightfall and then make my way to the farm, if my father didn’t find me first.

“His Majesty showed me during our… negotiations.”

“His Majesty?” With a maniacal laugh, I leaned back on the palms of my hands. The stone floor was sloped. If I threw my weight backwards, I’d roll into the water. “I didn’t realize trolls had royalty!”

“Oh, yes,” he said. “They are the ones who purchased you.”

I gasped. “For what?”

“With gold,” he said, mistaking my question.

“What do they want with me?” I whispered.

Luc shrugged. “With what they agreed to pay, they can throw you in a cooking pot for all I care.”

Because according to the fairy tales, that was what trolls did. Put you alive into a pot of boiling water and then gnawed your flesh until all that was left were bleached white bones.

I clawed my way back towards the pool, my fingernails tearing on the rocks. All I could think about was that I was being marched towards the most horrific of deaths. Nothing Luc could do to me could possibly be worse than being eaten. I struggled with single-minded purpose towards the pool, but Luc had a tight grip on my leash and I was no match for his strength. “Help!” My voice echoed off the water and the rock until it seemed I had a dozen doppelgangers, all of them taunting me with the futility of my screams.