He laughs. “No, the horse is a gift.”
“You realize, don’t you, that last night you got drunk on fairy cider and did who-knows-what?” I lean in closer. “Remember the grass tunic? The crown of flowers?”
“Exactly!” He sets his hands on my shoulders. “I’m a mess when it comes to love. Instead of continuing the search, I could marry you.”
My mouth drops open.
He steps back. “Darling, that came out wrong.”
I scowl at him, snatch the reins from his hand, and then mount the horse.
“You know what I meant,” he calls as I ride away from him.
As long asI stay away from Irving, the ride is pleasant. Marigold chatters about her month in Lauramore, and I idly listen. She’s going on about missing her library in Primewood when I hear a soft mew behind us.
Danver’s on my lap, sleeping. It wasn’t him.
I turn but see nothing.
“What is it?” Looking nervous, Marigold glances over her shoulder.
“Nothing,” I say, but as she continues, I strain to hear another mew.
Finally, I hear it again, louder this time. My heart leaps. I watch the trees, hoping, waiting.
“Anwen,” Galinor calls from ahead. All morning he’sbeen deep in conversation with the Triblue brothers, but now his attention is on me.
So, he’s heard it, too.
He pulls his horse back. “May I speak with you?”
Marigold gives him a curious look as she passes, but she doesn’t stop.
I ride to Galinor and then draw my horse next to his as I scan the trees. “Did you see Pika?”
Galinor’s eyes meet mine, making me forget about the glasseln for half a moment. My goodness, they are blue.
He looks at me expectantly, almost as if he asked me something and is waiting for a response.
I blink at him. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I said I haven’t seen her. Have you?”
I shake my head, looking away from him.
“No.” I glance at our party. They’re well ahead of us now. “We need to tell the others so they won’t hurt her should she show herself.”
Galinor’s brow knits as he thinks about it. “We can’t.”
“Why not?”
His gaze moves to the horses ahead of us. “Marigold will be terrified.”
I narrow my eyes. “But Pika isn’t a threat.”
“You must understand how the news of Pika would upset her. You know she was attacked by a glasseln not long ago, don’t you?”
“Not this glasseln.”
