Zephyr wriggled his nose, trying to chase away a sneeze. A stubborn feather clung to his upper lip like a moustache, but between the bulky supply bag digging into his spine and the golden goose he had pinned against his chest, there was no room left in the hiding space to even to lift a hand and brush the feather off.

The goose on his lap flexed her wings, and Zephyr tensed to keep her secured. “Be nice, Goldie,” he hissed. As if the goose could understand. She snaked her head around and nipped Zephyr’s ear.

Where was Jack? So far, Zephyr calculated their plan was only 13% successful. He had Goldie, sure. But instead of being on his way down the beanstalk with Jack and their plunder, he was stuck in the giants’ kitchen, halfway between the goose pen and the escape route.

As if things couldn’t get worse, a giant entered the kitchen just then, its shadow darkening the slim strip of light that cut across Zephyr’s shins. He pulled his toes in closer, and Goldie bit his ear again in protest.

“Fee!” The giant shouted. Zephyr wished his heartbeat weren’t such a loud reminder of his fear. “Fi! Fo! Fum! We must catch this thief before he’s gone!” To his horror, Zephyr felt the pounding of more giant footsteps assembling in the kitchen. He had no choice but to listen as the first giant gave instructions to the others.

“I need Fee to begin searching at the goose pen. Understood?”

“Goose pen. Affirmative,” answered the giant named Fee. Zephyr thanked his magic beans he had already smuggled Goldie away.

“Fi and Fo, search the rest of the castle for other security breaches. Apprehend whoever is necessary to get to the bottom of this.”

“And me, sir?” asked the last giant. Zephyr thought its name was Fum.

The first giant’s answer made Zephyr’s blood run cold. “Hunt down the traitor, and bring them back to me alive. I smell the blood of a human, and I’ve been hungering for some freshly-ground bones for supper.”

Zephyr’s legs ached as he waited for the giants to leave. They filed out one by one, and he swore Fum made time for a big sniff of the kitchen before leaving.

Goldie’s goosey scent must be saving his hide. Zephyr rubbed his face against her neck in thanks, earning himself a soft nip to the nose and a feather in his ear canal.

But they were still hiding in the kitchen with no sign of Jack. Goldie was pretty enough with her gilded feathers, but Zephyr could list a dozen others he’d rather be with in his final hours. His sister. The butcher. His third-year teacher. The nosy kid at the end of the lane who ate his own boogers. Ellis. Especially Ellis, whose curls were nearly the same color as Goldie’s feathers. If he ever saw her again, he’d sing a ballad in front of the entire village.

From beyond the confines of his cupboard, Zephyr heard what he first mistook as a trick of his dying brain, or maybe the feather stuck in his ear. An owl hoot, precisely like the signal he and Jack had decided upon. It repeated, and Zephyr lifted his head.

The afternoon sunlight blinded him as he pried open the door. “Jack?”

“Hurry!” Jack’s red hair was a beacon by the door, and Zephyr wasted no time. He tucked Goldie under one arm and bolted.

The beanstalk was a million miles away. A trillion. His legs burned. His lungs ached. His heart pounded with hope.

Then he was scrambling down the beanstalk after Jack, who already reveled in their success. “Can you believe it?” He grinned and adjusted the golden harp over his shoulder. “We did it! The beans actually worked!”

Zephyr grinned back, giddy, and as he climbed he turned for one last glimpse of the giant kingdom.

Across the field, a giant stood, and Zephyr could feel the weight of its gaze like lead. He didn’t need to hear its voice to know which giant he was looking at: Fum. Hunting the traitor.

At his feet, Jack strummed the harp. “We’ll be rich the rest of our lives!” He crowed.

Zephyr didn’t have the heart to tell him exactly how short that life would be.