He kicked off of the doorframe and marched toward me. I shrunk down in the chair I was occupying. “What’s wrong with you?”
I scrunched my nose as he got closer. “There’s nothing wrong with me!”
“The Juniper I knew would have marched into battle with little training. The Juniper I knew wouldn’t be cowering in her bedroom. It’s time we talk. No more hiding.”
Reva appeared in the doorway next and I knew she had something to do with this, as well. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched our exchange with no expression on her face. She was definitely involved in this.
“I’m not hiding,” I was totally hiding. “I just need some time.”
Alric leaned in close to my face and I couldn’t shrink down any farther. There was nowhere left for me to go. “You’re a liar.”
I shook my head once and pulled my legs up to my chest. Anything to give me space from the imposing man baring down on me. It didn’t do anything, he just kept getting closer and closer until we were nose to nose and it caused me to go slightly crosseyed. “I am not.”
I was the worst liar in history.
The blank expression on his face turned into a wicked grin before he grabbed me under my arms and hauled me out of the chair. My world tipped upside down as he threw me over his shoulder and patted the bottom of my dress down. I really wished there were fighting leathers in the impressive closet but I’d been unable to unearth them if they did exist.
With closed fists, I beat on Alric’s back. “Put me down!”
“No, I’m sick of this shell of a person. You will not be fit to rule if you keep yourself locked in here all day. A book is a fine companion when you aren’t hiding within its pages. You must face reality. You must get out of these four walls.”
Reva followed silently behind us and the magic pushed my bedroom doors closed. It seemed like everyone was against me, even the gods. There was no saving me. I was at the mercy of my friends and whatever monsters lurking outside.
My head spun when Alric finally threw me into the frosty grass. He hadn’t even bothered getting me a cloak and the shockof the weather hitting my skin caused my teeth to chatter. I wrapped my arms around myself as I glared up at both of my friends.
“Grove, Leo, and Andre will be leaving today. You must see them off. You are the queen.” Reva seethed above me. “You will hug your friend goodbye. You will wish them well and you will try to get yourself out of this slump. If not for yourself, then at least for the rest of us. We deserve better than this.”
Before I knew what was happening, tears were leaking from my eyes. Reva threw herself into the stiff grass beside me and let me have my moment. When the sobs finally eased from my throat Alric did the same.
“Are you ready?” Alric looked up at the cloud-filled sky.
“No,” I sniffled. “But that’s okay. I will be.”
Grove wrappedher arms around me tightly. Her leather pack was slap full and strapped tightly to her back. Andre, the archer, and Leo had similar bags clutched between their hands. There were no doubts in my mind that they also carried plenty of weapons strapped to their persons but with their large coats and gear, it was impossible to tell. I also wondered if they had access to the same abilities that Ryven did when it came to his twin swords being invisible. Tears pricked my eyes at the thought of him but I blinked them away quickly before anyone else could notice. It would do me no good to keep dwelling on these feelings and thoughts like this. I needed to move on. I would move on. But for now, I shoved those thoughts away and held onto my friend.
“I hope you bring back lots of survivors,” I didn’t voice my anxiety about them venturing out into the woods again. I knew how treacherous this island and beyond could be.
She pulled back from my embrace and grinned maliciously. “I’ll bring back lots of the fraud empire’s heads.”
I blanched. “I don’t know if that’s what I need, but you fight if you need to.”
Her face sobered. “I will kill where needed and I will bring back honor to this kingdom.”
Leo was next. He scooped me up into his arms and spun me around. “Only victory for the true queen, the Mage Queen Juniper!” When he placed me back on my feet I was slightly dizzy but smiling all the same. He leaned down and placed a hand on my shoulder. He was almost forced to sit on the ground in order to come eye-to-eye with me. The man was a giant, after all. “See the beauty in the world around you. Feel your friends in the soil beneath your feet. Rejoice in their sunshine on your face. Feel their love in the rain on your skin. Remember them fondly because they wouldn’t want it any other way. We will bring them justice. We will bring them peace!” Leave it to Leo to put me in tears that I wasn’t embarrassed by. He swiped at the moisture on my cheeks and planted a loud kiss on my head before he stretched back to his full height and towered over me once again. When he reached forward to cup my face, his hand covered most of my head. He was a gentle giant that I was beyond thankful for. He patted my cheek twice and then I was facing the archer, Andre, whom I didn’t know but still wanted to see victorious.
He bowed to me and I bestowed a blessing upon him. The whisper of the magic in this place wrapped around us and he blinked in surprise. “That was… unexpected.” He bowed again and went to say his goodbyes to his wife. The sun was beginning to set and they would need to set out soon. Hopefully, they wouldn’t run into any trouble but I knew better. At least they were better prepared than we’d ever been. Their packs were full of socks, food, and whatever else they thought they needed for the perilous journey ahead of them. I’d overheard Grovelaughing that all she needed was her weapons and I wondered if this was a suicide mission. That would make sense on as to why Reva was so distraught over our friend going. Maybe I should’ve encouraged her to bring back enemy heads, then at least she would have had a goal to work toward.
As soon as the sun was gone from the sky, so were they.
That night a blizzardblew in and Reva came to my room in a fit. Tears streaked her face and her eyes were bloodshot. I’d been skimming through another forbidden romance and wondered if the magic was trying to tell me something. It wasn’t like there were many men to choose from. The only single man that was left was Alric and that wasn’t a tree I was going to bark up. Even if he wasn’t enamored with Reva, I knew I didn’t have those feelings for him. I closed the book and tucked it between the side of the cushion and the chair’s base.
“They didn’t pack for a blizzard!” She exploded and threw herself at my feet. I slid from the chair and pulled her into my arms.
“They packed for a lot of things. They have extra coats, blankets, and plenty of fire starter kits. The magic here made sure they were well prepared.”
Her shoulders shook as she covered her face with her hands. “I’m worried sick. There are so few of us left. How do we move forward?”
A small laugh escaped me and her head whipped up. Her brows tented in the center of her forehead. “I’m the last personyou should ask that to, I was the one who wouldn’t leave my bedroom before Alric forced me.”
