Happily Never After

1. Hester.

My back aches like hell from sleeping on the cold, hard, stone floor. My eyes open slowly, expecting to have to adjust to light, but finding only darkness.

Ugh, I think. I hate this place.

"Hester?" A familiar voice whispers my name, startling me.

"Ani?" I'm surprised to find someone else awake. It chills me a little, knowing that she was watching me as I slept. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"I haven't slept a wink since we were thrown in this wretched place."

I stare at her. "But—"

"I'm a good actor." Anadil stands up and picks her way through the sleeping bodies over to me. We've been sleeping on opposite sides of the cell.

"Why haven't you slept?" I ask. If there's one thing I know about Ani, it's that she's a good sleeper.

"It's just not comfortable here. I mean, seriously, don't tell me it's easy for you!"

"Maybe not for me, but you could sleep anywhere!" If Ani hasn't been sleeping, it's because something's bothering her.

"What are you saying?" She's getting suspicious. I know that if Anadil doesn't want to say, I'm not going to hear, but it's worth a try.

"Really, Ani. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing," she says, but I can tell, not from her eyes, not because she has a tell, but because I just know - Ani is lying.

"No, it's not nothing. I know you only stay awake at night if something is keeping you up."

"If I admit something's bothering me, will you shut up?" she says. I know she doesn't really mean this, not in a bad way, but still, it hurts. I don't know why, but for whatever reason, the fact that Ani, my best friend, doesn't think she can tell me what's on her mind hits me where it really hurts.

"Alright, I will, but you know you can tell me anything, right?" I know Ani won't like me trying to convince her to tell me, but I feel I have to try. "Hell, you could tell me you accidentally killed my demon and I wouldn't be mad!"

"Yes, you would," Anadil chuckles, and all of a sudden, we are both laughing, and then Ani's hand is on my mouth and mine is on hers, and we are holding in our laughter and my face is tingling and my stomach is exploding and my heart is pounding and I don't know why. Why I am freaking out all of a sudden, why, when Ani removes her hand from my mouth, the spot she touched is warm like fire and red like embers. Why I am freaking out - in a good way.

We talk for a while, about Sophie's predicament and Agatha's situation and how the hell we plan to get out of this freaking dungeon. About how we are going to defeat Rhian the 'Lion' if and when we do get out. We don't talk about whatever is keeping Anadil up at night, and it still hurts, but I know it would be a bad idea to bring it up again.

After a long time, Ani stops talking so much and I realize how tired she is, how tired I am. I quiet down and Ani quiets down and we are silent, not an uncomfortable silence, not an awkward one, nothing like that. All I can hear is the even breathing of everyone around us, and soon, Ani's breathing slows down, almost matching it. She isn't asleep yet, but she is relaxed.

Suddenly all I want is to pull her close and sleep on her shoulder and for her to sleep on mine and for us to hold each other all night. I don't understand what it is, but it is strong, and desperate, and immediate.

Suddenly I know I need to do something. And I know what I need to do. I don't know why I need to do it, why I feel so desperate, but I need to do it - I want to do it.

I gently draw Ani's head toward me, trying not to rouse her. Her breath seems to catch for a second, but then she keeps breathing slowly and smoothly. I set her head on my shoulder, and it feels good, and right. My hand starts to stroke Ani's hair, softly drawing itself against her temple, her ear, her cheek, her chin. I have never noticed before, probably because I have never done this before, how smooth and soft Anadil's face is. From afar, or however close I have seen Ani's face before now, her skin looks ragged and covered in little pimples - like mine - but it is not.

I keep smoothing her hair until I hear her breathing slow even more. Until mine starts to slow, until I am asleep with my hand entangled in her hair.