With only a glance at Owen to let him know what I was doing, I took off, sprinting for the open window. As soon as I hit the window, I gripped the metal of the barrier and launched myself over it.
I used my magic to slide me to the courtyard ground, the silver beneath me sending a tingling sensation through the fancy heels at my feet.
Once I hit the ground, I was running. I could have used my magic to get me there faster but judging by the smell in the air and the amount of smoke I saw billowing out of my beloved forest, I was going to need to save my magic. The forest was not just on fire, the entire forest was burning. Also I didn’t want to fall on my arse in front of parliament and the king.
I heard a loud thump and felt Krew catch up to me in seconds.
A second thump. Owen was on my left side.
And then a third. I turned to look over my shoulder to find Keir had also joined us.
The four of us sprinted across the meadow and into the forest. We did not need to say words, we all knew from that night in Nerede exactly what needed to be done.
A few parliament members followed,Krew sent me.Knowing it is going against my father’s direct orders.
Good. We might need them,I sent back.
“Make sure you keep using your magic to keep the smoke away from you,” Owen yelled at me.
The last time around, I hadn’t any magic of my own to help. But I was not just a helpless little Nerede girl anymore. Krew had made sure of that.
“Jorah, where are you heading first?” Keir yelled as the smoke thickened.
I gave the only answer there was. “The wolves.”
“You and Krew get the wolves.” He gestured toward Owen. “We’ve got the lake.”
And just like that we split, two branches of Enchanted barreling into the forest, hoping against all odds, we’d be able to save it. I knew this was another test or game from the king. I knew it in my soul, but now was not the time to consider what. Now was the time to channel all of my focus into wielding my magic.
Krew began sending small bursts of magic out to push the smoke back at the fire. In one such case, the smoke was so thick, the fire couldn’t breathe and immediately went out.
There was no magic barrier protecting the fire to contain it, but the king wouldn’t have needed to use one with how dry the mostly dead forest was. The thicker the trees became, the more disorienting it became. Thick black smoke was billowing everywhere as the fire appeared to be in multiple directions.
With smoke coming in at all sides, I felt like the entire mountain was on fire. And I was hot. My magic was humming beneath my skin, yes, but it was more than that. My feet getting air out from under my gown were the coolest part of me while my chest and arms were sweltering hot.
The forest was so dry even the smallest of fires had made an inferno.
I would have loved to have changed or grabbed even a different pair of shoes for running through the forest, but there hadn’t been time. And going barefoot with how hot it was, not to mention all the leaves and rocks, was a bad idea. So I was going to have to tough it out in my heels. But thankfully they were the short heels and not the tall ones.
Through the haze, I thought I was hallucinating when I saw a shape take form. It was black, but running along the ground, not billowing upward. I altered my course to run for the wolf.
We were now in towards the middle of the forest, and there were no trails, but we continued to run and use our magic to clear a way. My silver magic looked wavy in the heat coming from the flames. I could see the flames in the distance, but barely through the smoke. While I knew the smoke came from the flames themselves, it felt like smoke was consuming the forest, not the flames.
“Shadow,” I coughed as I finally found him.
Krew was beside me, coughing as well.
My eyes and lungs were burning. The good thing about the forest being abandoned from most animals was that all we had to worry about was the wolves, keeping it away from the stables, and then putting out the forest. But it was so dry, if we weren’t careful it’d take the forest and the castle right along with it.
Come to think of it, I wasn’t entirely opposed to that idea were there not innocent people in the castle.
Shadow looked toward me and then back behind him.
“Take me to them, buddy,” I said as I grabbed my knees. “We will help.”
Like he understood entirely, he led the way. It took only a few minutes before the smoke was so thick, I really began to worry. The wolves would have tried to run for safety from the flames, but with smoke this thick and coming in from every direction, I had no idea how they kept breathing.
Soon we entered a portion of the forest that didn’t feel as hot but was impossible to see. I suspected we were in the direction of their den, but I had no idea because I could barely see Shadow before me.
