“We should go,” Odette says carefully, shooting the two butterflies a tight smile. This visit started poorly and ended worse. “We appreciate the supplies and don’t want to cause you any problems. Are you two strong enough to shadow hop now?”
When I look at Zarev, he nods once. It doesn’t matter if we are rested enough or not; this visit has left a bad taste in my mouth. Legs is practically warning us away from Rapunzel using magic on Thomas, despite her doing that for however long. And now she’s speaking in riddles about plants and talking about our shadow magic like she knows more than we do?
I’m not a spirit. I feel whole, human. Not like I’m stuck someplace between passing. Her words contradict everything I want to believe, and instead of accepting them, I’m violently against them.
Neve doesn’t fight when I tug her against me, and Odette’s already holding onto Zarev’s arm. We’re all on the same page, and without a word, we slip into the shadows and leave.
Chapter 35 Zarev
Our progress across Mystica is significantly quicker than the previous visit I made to the Butterfly Garden. Last time, I had gold in my chest, thanks to Midas, and it made me weaker. Now, uncertainty and fear drive the four of us forward, and the trek feels much more manageable when we all have one goal in mind.
The tavern. We can’t reach Dahlia, Ray, or Rapunzel, no matter how often we try with the stones, and eerily, Lucius is unreachable again too. Once we cross the Barrens we move fast across Sherwood.
The first night in Sherwood Forest isn’t terrible. The two royals are exhausted from our travels, so when they tap out for the night, we set up camp and hunker down within the trees. Tomorrow, we will be close enough to the scar left in the forest from the tavern fire, and after that, there isn’t much left to cross before we’re back with the others.
Ban is full of energy while the two women sleep, and if we weren’t already stretching our magic too thin, I think we would have forced ourselves to keep going. Not hearing from my golden girl for this long has me on edge.
“Do you think there was any sense to what Legs said?” Ban asks under his breath. I shoot him a glance, continuing to throw little sticks into the fire to pass the time. “About us, and the magic Rapunzel has.”
“Something’s wrong with Legs,” I reply, frowning into the flames. “She was different from the last time I saw her.”
“Same.”
“And she didn’t answer Neve’s questions,” I go on, tilting my head. “I always assumed that the flowers made their way to Tressa because Midas demanded it of his mistress. I never thought of how she gained the knowledge.”
Ban chucks a small rock at me. “That’swhat you took away from the conversation?”
“There were some strange things going on with her,” I continue, glaring into the fire. I don’t know what I hope the flames will tell me, but it’s got to be better than all the things rolling through my head. I don’t like hearing rumors about Rapunzel’s past; she’s struggling with it even now.
But Legs didn’t hint at a single thing about a second baby. She spoke of Rapunzel as a single, not a twin who lost her sister. I don’t know why she would deviate from that detail in front of Neve and Ban, but she seemed adamant about not bringing it up.
And that nonsense about Rapunzel’s magic… surely there was no truth to it. If something went terribly south my princess would have contacted me by now. Instead, it’s constant silence. I’m not sure how to interpret it.
“Did you hear what Neve said earlier?” Ban asks, keeping his voice quiet. While we traveled between the shadows today, taking breaks so we didn’t strain our magic too badly, the women talked. I suppose it's good, since Neve seems to be slipping easily into the group. There’s still so much unresolved about her homeland, I’m not sure whether she will be an ally for long or if she’ll return to the north and hope for a miracle.
Until her people unfreeze, I think she’s tagging along with us.
“Which part?” I ask, glancing toward the two. They continue to sleep soundly, Odette tucked beneath some bedding and Neve lying on top of it like she’s too hot. At least Ban isn’t trying to sneak off and fuck her again. I appreciate not having to overhear that for thethirdtime in a week.
“She mentioned a Pendragon,” he replies, and I vaguely recall something about that. “Uther, I believe. Odette recognized the name.”
“Oh, right.” My brows furrow together, thinking. “Isn’t Arthur a Pendragon?”
“I believe so.”
“Well what does Neve have to do with him?” I say, finally looking up. “It didn’t seem like her mother had a lot to do with that half of Camelot. How do the Pendragons tie in with Lancelot?”
Ban shrugs, his expression unreadable. “I have no idea. But Odette said that was Arthur’s father, right?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, how old is Arthur compared to Lancelot? I thought, based on the timeline, Arthur’s father died more recently than a hundred years ago. So why does Neve know his name?”
“Who told her?” I challenge. “Maybe she overheard it.”
“I think it has something to do with the Shadow Man,” he grumbles, shaking his head. “Perhaps the Frostlands knew something about Camelot before now.”
“Well, the best person to ask would be that queen you killed,” I point out. “If Neve doesn’t know, the answers might be in that library, but the thing is trashed now, thanks to those Flowerborne.”
