A glow illuminated the entrance to a cave off the main road and we steered towards it. Finally, this terrible day was coming to an end. The menhelped pull my stiff, shivering body off Napoleon and took me straight to the fire.
Once everyone was in dry clothes, we sat in front of the blazing fire, eating dried meat, bread and fruit. Raf offered a flask of faerie whiskey to whoever was brave enough to try it. I sniffed at it and took a small sip. It burned down my throat and warmed the parts of me that the fire hadn’t been able to reach. Galen grabbed it next and finished it off in one long gulp.
Rafael gave him a dirty look.
“I’m going to try and get some sleep,” I announced, moving to curl up on one of the furs that had been laid out. A moment later, Galen had joined me in his lion form. He was splendidly cozy, especially once my face was buried in his soft mane. I could feel eyes on us, but I shut them out and wrapped my fingers around his fur as I fell asleep.
The next day of travel was smoother than the last, but the temperatures had dropped substantially. Coniferous trees covered in pale lichen surrounded us as we scaled the mountain, trudging through mud and slushy snow. We were all wearing fur-lined coats that were warm and dry thanks to Galen’s fire that had blazed all night.
Rafael rode up beside me. “How are you feeling after yesterday?” he asked.
I’m sure the bags under my eyes were answer enough. I’d tossed and turned last night, thinking of his shadows. How they’d incinerated skin, muscle, and bone in seconds. He was capable of that kind of magic, and yet he let the Elders and Sylvia talk down to him. How many times had he fantasized about turning them all into dust, I wondered.
“Honestly?” I sighed. “I’m feeling like a failure. I should’ve been able to defend myself.” I paused. “Also, remind me not to get on your bad side.”
He snorted, giving me a hard stare, before the lines in his face softened. “I lost my temper. I should’ve waited until you were out of sight.”
The look he gave me caused my chest to tighten and my skin to tingle. It was apologetic, but laced with something heavier.
“Thank you for saving me,” I murmured. “I’d be having a terrible day right now, if you hadn’t acted when you did. Perhaps I wouldn’t even be here.” My voice caught in my throat. I thought back to the day I arrived in Nymera. Black smoke had surrounded me and then all six wylks were dead. It had been Raf who saved me then, too.
“Galen isn’t the only one who cares about your welfare.” The depth of his words—thewayhe said it—made my stomach twist. I couldn’t handle his kindness. It was easier to be friends with him when he teased me or pissed me off. Silence stretched on long enough that it turned awkward.
He cleared his throat. “Have you felt any closer to your shifting form with all this time spent outdoors?”
My magic danced beneath my skin in response, but I still didn’t know how toembracethat feeling and shift. I looked down at my hands, just in case they decided to turn into hooves or claws.
“I feel…” I paused. “Like I’m on the edge of the cliff, but I don’t know how to jump.” I hoped he understood.
“Need a push?” His dimples flashed.
“Perhaps you just need to take me for that ride. Maybe I need to spend some time in the air.”
He rolled his eyes. “A little more groveling and I’ll think about it.” A half-smile, designed to devastate, lit up his face before he nudged Zag forward without a goodbye.
We stopped to rest for the night, planning to make it to the Oracle by mid-morning tomorrow. The men exchanged stories of the Witch of the Woods, as they liked to call her, seeming to enjoy taunting me. “My cousin’s friend went to the Oracle asking for a love potion, to win over the woman he desired. She gave him the potion… before turning him into a toad,” said Robert. The most I’d ever heard him say.
Alaric spoke next. “That’s not how it works. She tells you what the price will bebeforeyou pay it. My friend’s brother went to her, wanting to know how to get rich. She said she’d tell him how in exchange for cursing him with a loveless life. He took the deal—he was in debt from gambling and was out of options. He’s the richest man in his village now, but hasno one to share it with. It’s made him bitter and cruel. She feeds off those emotions for years to come. She doesn’t let anyone leave without a price that will cost them greatly.”
“She’s not dealing with justanyone,” Louis said. “Marigold is a world walker; she’s both human and faerie… Her presence alone will be a gift to the witch. Plus, it would benefit her to help, if she ever wants to see her sister in Erador again.” Louis was trying to make me feel better.
“To offend the world walker is to offend the gods,” Raf said with mischief in his eyes. I glared at him.
“She’s been leeching from others long enough. If she gives us trouble, we’ll fight back,” Galen said. Ireallydidn’t want to tangle with a giant spider; but I supposed if I had to, having three magical Princes, eager to help, was as lucky as I could hope to get.
“Can we please stop talking about her? It’s making me rethink this decision.” I rubbed goosebumps off my arms.
“Yes, but one more thing. Please think long and hard before you accept whatever deal she offers you. If it’s something that is going to endanger your life, it’s not worth it. We can find another way to unlock your magic.” Raf’s eyes were drilling into me as he spoke.
“Surprisingly, I agree with him,” Galen chimed in.
“So do I,” Louis added.
“You guys nag me more than my old lady’s maid,” I laughed. I thought of the count down the Elders had given me, of the humans that needed my help. There was little I wouldn’t agree to at this point, but the Princes didn’t need to know that.
thirty-three
Leaves whipped at my face as I ran through a misty forest—chasing my mother, yet again. She continued to evade me and I didn't know why. The mother I knew would never hide from her daughter. "Slow down," I called, panting.
