As she walked, the scenery around her wasn't any more familiar to her than the woods had been. Another fact of her life: Matilda hadn't exactly let her explore the world. She hadn't gotten many hours to wander around and have adventures. In fact, she had spent most of her waking hours sulking in her tiny room or doing errands and chores.

Addison could walk between that hut and the town with her eyes closed, but otherwise most of the realm was a mystery.

Locked in a swirling path that sent her in dirty hot circles, she felt like a princess trapped up high in a tower. At least the princess got to settle.

She let out a heavy breath and rolled her eyes at the annoying rotation of thoughts she was having. They weren't new. They were hellishly old. She knew that she needed to clear her thoughts. Addison ran a hand through her hair, pushing it off her face and back behind her shoulders, and switched her focus from anger and resentment to the path ahead of her. One foot in front of the other.

She didn't have a map of where the Fairy Queen's door had sent her, but she knew that reaching the hut or the town first was equally useful since there was no one demanding her attention yet. She couldn't be late if there wasn't anyone who knew she was there, and no one to expect her. A shadow of a smile crept across her lips as she thought about the witch's reaction to her showing up without being pulled through the portal.

Just walking through the door.

It would be a sight to see, for sure.

The image made walking more comfortable, made each footstep feel a little less like concrete pooled around her feet. Her gait sped up even as each step became lighter. A little less dirt from the path swirled into her face, and just moments after the peace began to settle into her core, she spotted a piece of her destination. The tip of the town's church poked just over the next hill. The fairy queen hadn't given her a lot of information about what she was supposed to be doing on Earth, but it didn't seem like such a bad thing as she approached the outskirts.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

She had never had very much time to explore the world. With the stress of being alone and lost vanishing, she was excited to get some leisure time. Look at shops, have a conversation, maybe even figure out what had really happened between the folks and her guardian. Even if they all still continued to shun her, she had time to handle it. Her little smile grew, and she knew exactly where she would start.

Addison wanted to know if Lori had gotten any new stock in since she'd last left. Time was difficult for her to keep track of between all the realm hopping, but every day was a chance for something interesting to arrive. As she passed the barrier between loose dirt path and cobblestone and polished streets, she shifted directions. She found even more purpose in her step.

She marched straight down to the herbalist. Even with leisure time to slow down, she was too determined to remember to look around herself. However, she did stop briefly in front of the door to pat down her clothes and hope she didn't look like a swamp creature. The glass was too muddy to offer a reflection, and she had nowhere to go to clean up that wouldn't cause a whole new sequence of events. A calming breath and she pushed through the doors.

The smell of plants, herbs, dirt, and wafting perfume smacked her in the face. It drilled into her nostrils and stung her sinuses, causing Addison to sneeze rapidly before she could take another step.

To make matters even better, she felt her cheeks flush with heat when a "Well Bless you!" came from the backroom. Lori's face appeared at the counter, and most of Addison's determination fell out of her and onto the floor.

The rest left when Lori's face fell. "Oh."

Addison pulled her lips to one side and put her hands up, palms out. "I'm not here for Mathilda. I…" She sighed and walked up to the counter. "You wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you. But I was hoping I could look around for a bit. I won't disturb you."

"You already have," Lori said, wiping her hands on her apron. "But fine." She looked Addison over the head to toe several times before relaxing her stance, letting Addison let out the breath she'd been holding. "If you break or steal anything, however, I'll sign your warrant myself."

The phrase settled like a brick in Addison's stomach. As if I steal things? she thought and did her best to bite her tongue.