Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 123190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
I scowl. So much for female solidarity. “I’m not a faerie, and if you’ve forgotten, I’m from Elora too.”
She scoffs. “I’m sure you’ve thought about your homeland a lot in the past three years while you’ve been being pampered in that palace.”
I take a step toward her. “You have no idea what my life’s been like.”
“And you have no idea what ours has been like in Elora.”
“Enough,” Kendrick says, throwing an arm between us. “We all have stories to tell, and there will be time to tell them. That time is not now.”
“What’s the plan, Hale?” Natan asks.
Kendrick steadies his gaze on the window and narrows his eyes. “Felicity should be awake by now. Bring her straight here. I want her at the palace before nightfall.”
“You’re sure she can pull this off?” I ask.
“We’re sure,” Skylar says, stepping up beside me and messing with my hair. I bat her hands away, but before I realize what she’s doing, she’s cut off a lock from the back.
“Hey!” I grab for the hair.
“Calm down.” She wraps the lock in a leather tie and smirks at me. “It matches the other patch you already cut. Got yourself a nice little goblin bracelet, do ya?”
My gaze snaps to my wrist and the goblin bracelet I wear there. The bracelet that’s supposed to be invisible to anyone but me.
Skylar chuckles. “Guess so.”
I fell right into that trap, but I shrug. “Foolish not to have the tools I can.”
“Gotta be careful who you give your hair to,” she says, before transferring my hair to a silk bag. “Never know what they’re gonna do with it.”
“What are you going to do with it?” I ask.
“Brew a potion to make your own blood devour you from the inside if you turn on us.”
“Skylar.” Kendrick mutters something under his breath about needing patience, then shakes his head. “Next, we head south, just like we planned.”
“Perfect,” Skylar says, smacking the sides of her thighs. “Let’s leave tonight. Traveling in the dark will save us all kinds of trouble.”
Natan shoots her a look. “Not a great idea, Sky.”
“Why not?”
“You’re so sure we’re immune to whatever or whoever is going around, sucking the life out of fae, that you’re willing to risk crossing the court at night?”
She grins, showing teeth. “Let ’em come at me.”
“Natan’s right,” Kendrick says. “We can’t risk traveling at night. We leave in the morning.” He opens the cupboard and removes a bag of supplies. He pulls out long, crusty baguettes and apples. I watch his forearms flex as he slices them.
“And then there’s the matter of deciding who stays back with the girl,” Remme says.
“Not it,” Skylar says.
“Wait—what?” I snap my attention off Kendrick’s hands and to Remme. “I can’t stay here if I’m supposed to use the sword.”
“If we’re right and it’s hidden at Feegus Keep,” Remme says, “we’ll come get you.”
This isn’t what I agreed to.
My heart rate accelerates and the walls of the cottage creep in closer. “I won’t be a prisoner again.”
Kendrick shakes his head. “She comes with us,” he says without looking my way.
“The hell she does,” Skylar says.
“Come on,” Remme says, “I don’t care if she says she’s going to cooperate. That doesn’t suddenly make her part of the team. She stays here until we’re ready for her.”
“I’m not staying here,” I snap without thinking. But I’m not. I can’t. “I’m agreeing to work with you because I want to. Not because you took me. That needs to be clear right now.” The idea of being locked in this tiny cabin . . . My breathing quickens and my stomach tightens and—
Kendrick rests his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t even notice him cross the room. He holds my gaze as he murmurs, “Easy, Slayer.” Then to the others, “Jasalyn travels with us.”
My heart slows.
“That’s reckless, Kendrick,” Skylar says.
“We aren’t jailers,” Natan says softly.
I’m still looking at Kendrick, still soaking in the reassurance in those blue eyes.
Close your eyes, Slayer. The sun will rise again tomorrow.
Remme scoffs. “So we just run around the court with the princess in tow. Yes, that will definitely keep us from turning any heads. Discretion, thy name is Kendrick!”
Kendrick ignores this and turns to Natan. “You’ll glamour her?”
He gives a sharp nod. “Of course. Though it would be wise to take additional measures as well. For anyone who might be powerful enough to look beyond the glamour.”
“Are there any faeries who couldn’t see beyond your magic?” I ask. I know human mages can glamour with potions, but Eloran magic doesn’t compare to faerie magic.
“Them’s fightin’ words,” Skylar mutters.
“Most of them.” Natan shrugs, unbothered. “I’m good.”
Kendrick looks me over. “We could dye her hair?”
“Or shave her head,” Remme suggests.
“So your girlfriend and I could be twins?” I ask him.
Remme arches a brow. “Skylar? My girlfriend?”
Natan bows his head and chuckles.