When his gaze traveled back to me, I pressed my back into the couch.
They were clearly going to take some convincing.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
It took the entire day to convince my parents that letting me seek out the aether-blessed fae was the best option. And honestly, I suspected that I only succeeded because Crown Prince Halad and three of his cousins wished to join in the quest.
Considering I still used GPS in my hometown, the escort was just as well. They’d keep us from getting lost, which would save time.
Of course, Alex, Eva, Hunter, Andre, and Sam wanted to come too. The only shocker was Francis, who brought our cohort up to twelve. Diana had wanted to come too, but understood that caring for Amethyst was a priority—especially if this aether-blessed fae couldn’t do what I asked.
Thankfully, in the hours since Diana had started feeding Amethyst the right foods, our spirit walker friend had already shown slight signs of improvement.
As I entered the stables where the horses waited, Mom grabbed my hand. “Please be careful. We just got you back.”
“Don’t worry, Mom.” I mounted the mare I’d been introduced to earlier, Silverhoof. “You already have enough to think about. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“I know you’re capable, but you’re still my baby.”
I smiled, trying to ease her nerves. “From what I’ve heard, the fae we’re seeking is an old biddy who lives alone. We should be fine.” I gestured to the large contingent traveling with me. “And if she gives us trouble, Prince Halad will make it an order that she has to help.” I didn’t like the idea of forcing someone, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
And right now, I was so damn desperate.
“Still, honey, this is Faerie. The dangers are different here, and prevalent.” Mom’s gaze traveled to the prince, all done up in a royal uniform, and beaming jovially at all who passed by him. “The prince seems nice enough, but I’m not sure how capable he is. I don’t want to nag, but please do be careful.”
I snorted. Prince Halad seemed more the type to woo the court than slay a dragon or battle danger, but his cousins looked battle-worthy. However, I couldn’t deny that the prince’s position might help. And I wasn’t about to turn down the assistance of someone familiar with Faerie. Mom was right that this realm was full of dangers.
“We’ll be on alert for dangers, Mom. Tell Dad I said goodbye again. I love you guys.”
“We love you too, honey.”
Once everyone was astride their horse, we galloped out the castle gates and into the city that surrounded the fortress. As we rode, fae who recognized the prince cheered and waved. He waved back, grinning at all of them, and calling out the names of those he knew. The rest of us just took in the city and smiled at the crowds as if we were celebrities.
Being royalty must be super weird.
When we reached the city wall, the guards didn’t hesitate to open the gates, and we rode through into the wild fields of the Riverlands Court. From the window of the room I’d slept in, I knew that the countryside around the castle was green and rolling, but until I was in it, I hadn’t realized how all-encompassing the greenery would be.
Swaying grasslands stretched on both sides of the road dotted by the occasional tree or patch of shrubbery. There was nothing else in the wide expanse, no homes, no monuments or animals. Not even a stray gray boulder to break up the verdant scene of the fields.
I inhaled a full breath of fresh air. It smelled amazing, like grass, a sweet scent that mingled with Silverhoof’s musty aroma.
For the first time in days, I felt as if I could take a moment to breathe, to think, to be in the moment. I planned on savoring the ride out to the aether-blessed fae’s home. The day and night spent on the road would be the closest thing to a vacation that I’d had in alongtime.
As we trotted down the road, my gaze roved over my friends. Most had ridden horses back home before applying to Spellcasters—because you never knew what they’d spring on us at the academy. The only one who was unsure about her skills on a horse was Eva.
Thankfully, Hunter was a natural horseman if I ever saw one, and his confidence was eroding her doubt. We’d only been trotting along for a few minutes, and already she looked more relaxed than when we’d settled her on her mare.
“You look like you were born on the back of a stallion,” the Riverlands prince, who I’d met hours before, rode up next to me and beamed good-naturedly.
His cousins trotted in his wake, all grinning too.
“I’ve had a fair bit of practice,” I admitted. “When I was young, Mom wanted me to be in horse shows. I think because she was terrified of horses growing up, and didn’t want that for me. Anyway, I didn’t like it so much. I preferred dancing. Still, I stuck with my riding classes long enough to pick up the basics and then some before she allowed me to quit.”
“Riding is an excellent skill to have in one’s arsenal.” The prince nodded to Alex. “Your gentleman looks like he agrees.”
There was no doubt about that. Alex looked nearly as comfortable as Hunter on the back of his stallion.
“He’s good at most things he tries,” I remarked.
