“What if it has him?” I rush ahead of Galinor, running down the path.
Relief nearly brings me to my knees because there, quite a way behind us, is Danver.
Galinor stops me. “Get back on the horse.”
“Danver—”
The prince grasps me by the shoulders, turning me so I have no choice but to meet his eyes. “I’ll get him.Go.”
I hesitate for several heartbeats, but then I run back. After I mount the horse, I rein him toward Galinor and the troublesome fox. Danver runs for us as if something is right on his tail…and Galinor is rushing right for it. I kick the horse forward, hoping to meet them before this thing—whatever it is—catches up.
Once he’s close, Danver leaps into Galinor’s arms. I pull the horse back. Galinor tosses Danver to me as he presses a foot into the stirrup and swings himself up and into the saddle. He then claims the reins, and we’re racing through the forest once more.
I look back in time to see a flash of black between the twilight-masked trees. I squint, hoping to spot the creature again, but it’s gone.
Turning to the front, I hold Danver’s quivering body close. Galinor wraps his arm around me, pulling me securely to his chest as we leap over a fallen log. I close my eyes, terrified of the speed we’re traveling at.
Bran and Irving are just in front of us, and I keep my eyes trained on them. We cross the path up the first terrace and then the next. Finally, our pace slows as we near the palace. The stars shine above us now, peaceful and oblivious to our flight through the forest. The moon rises over the mountains, and soon the road is washed in pale light.
“Do you think it’s still following us?” I tilt my head back to get a better look at the night sky.
“I don’t believe so.”
I stroke Danver’s fur. He sleeps in my lap, stretched out over one of my legs. Galinor seems to have made an exception to his rule about the fox riding with us.
“What was it?” I ask.
Galinor shifts behind me. “Who knows? It could have been anything here. I’ll be glad to return to Glendon, where meeting a black bear in the woods is your biggest concern.”
He’ll leave tomorrow, and there will be no hope of finding the fairies once he’s gone.
As if reading my thoughts, he sets his hand on my arm to comfort me. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” I touch his hand. “I’m grateful you tried.”
“What will you do now?”
“I’ll continue to look for the troupe.”
Galinor exhales, long and slow. “Will you tell me what happened to you? And not the short, sweet version you fed me this morning.”
I like Galinor. I like riding with him. It’s nice to have company after the last few lonely weeks.
“I met a man named Dimitri in the village near my home. He was…” I struggle for the right word. “Mesmerizing, I suppose.”
My heart aches when I say his name. I shouldn’t miss him, not with what he did to me. But I still very much want to believe the whole ordeal was a terrible misunderstanding.
I clear my throat and continue, “I was commissioning a gown from the local seamstress. When I stepped out of her shop, Dimitri was across the square, speaking with the owner of the sundry.”
I feel foolish, but I’ve never told anyone the story, and it feels good to let it out.
“I waited by the fountain in the center of the square, hoping he would come. He did. I knew he was from a traveling troupe—it was obvious. He was dressed like a performer, spoke like a performer.”
“Anwen—”
I look back, meeting his eyes. They’re soft with pity, and it makes me feel foolish.
“I know.” I turn back to the front. “The traveling troupes are trouble. My father says it often.” I laugh like I couldn’t care less, but my heart cracks a little bit more. “He asked to see me again. I began to sneak away to meet him. One day we were in the woods, talking. He told me of the amazing things he’d seen while traveling the kingdoms. I wanted to impress him.”
