“The standard toll is a fist full of lies.”
“Lies? How does one hold a lie? And Faeries cannot lie. Why make that the toll to get in?”
“That’s the point. If we were both Faeries, we would have to go about collecting lies from mortals until we had enough to get in. Luckily, you can produce enough for both of us.”
She huffed. “What do I need to do?”
“Press your palm to your mouth and whisper something untrue. Then, do the same for me. The stronger the lie, the better.”
Mouse frowned, searching for any lies that could be considered strong. The first that came to mind were simple lies, like lying about the color of the sky, but even the thought of those felt empty. She could not imagine those words held much magic.
The more powerful lies were painful, and when Mouse thought of one, she hesitated to say it out loud. Thornwood did not interrupt her thoughts, but she could feel his impatience in the air.
After taking a deep breath, she cupped a hand around her lips.
“I am sure that I am doing the right thing,” she whispered. Immediately the air there in her hand felt heavy, as though she was holding a bag of coins.
“Perfect,” Thornwood said. He held out his hand to her. “Now do the same for me.”
“Can I reuse my lie from before?” she asked, taking his fingers and holding them to her lips.
“It may be safer to use a new one,” he said, distracted. Mouse kept herself from rolling her eyes at his impatience. “We don’t want the magic wearing off.”
She felt her own breath on her tongue as she lied into his hand, “I do not trust Thornwood.”
When she finished speaking, Thornwood pulled away abruptly, leaving the last word hanging where his hand had been.
“That should be enough,” he said. His shoulders hunched, and Mouse flushed. She’d been so wrapped up in thinking of a strong lie that she had forgotten that Thornwood could hear her. “Our toll should open the spell. No matter what, do not let go of me until I tell you to.”
Mouse took hold of his hand again, and they cradled the invisible toll between their palms. At their touch, the door opened.
The moment the door swung inward, the great elk antlers shook, sprouting further and further into the room into a bevy of interlocking branches. The doorway expanded, then was absorbed in the walls, which then split into thin tree trunks. Beyond, a canopy of green stretched back, the occasional flash of navy sky tipping down through the trees.
The forest flooded the entry hall, swallowing Mouse and Thornwood in a rush of close-knit trees. Flowers sprouted from the carpet in full bloom, filling the air with their heady scent. Thornwood pulled Mouse closer to him.
Mouse instantly recognized the forest as a mirror of Thistlemarsh Wood, fleshed out and embroidered with foreign foliage but with the same bone structure. Above, the leaves shook, although Mouse could not feel the breeze. The hair on her arms rose, and her skin prickled.
“We need to move,” Thornwood said, releasing her hand.
“Right.” Mouse pulled her shoulders back, throwing off her discomfort. “Is there any chance you can use your magic this time to defeat whatever is in here quickly?”
He lifted his hand, and his magic fizzled out into nothing. “We’ll have to trust our instincts alone, I’m afraid.”
“Well, at least we vaguely know what we’re looking for now. And the likelihood of captive dragons and wicked mermaids is slim in a forest.”
“Do not jinx us,” he admonished. Mouse stuck out her tongue, and he wrinkled his nose. Thornwood looked away first, peering into the trees.
“This way,” he called over his shoulder.
Although the trees looked like the familiar oaks of Thistlemarsh Wood from the path, every few steps Mouse caught a glimpse of something odd about the trunks that tickled the back of her mind.
“Wait,” she said. “The trees are flat.”
“Flat?” Thornwood asked, following her gaze off the path.
She pointed to a tree about twenty feet from them. “They are a practical illusion. The trees that are further away are flat, like cutouts on a stage.”
Mouse stepped up to the edge of the path, then held her hand across the boundary. Nothing happened.