“I told you she wouldn’t make it the full trip,” Theo says.
“But you didn’t bet on her taking Nash down,” Hart grumbles. “She’s not just a danger to herself but everyone around her.”
Malachi jumps down from his horse and reaches out a hand for me. I drag myself up and turn to face Nash.Please don’t let me have broken him, please please, please, Idols.Nash grins at me and leaps to his feet while dusting the sand off his breeches.
“I’m fine, Daphne,” he says, looking past me. “But we are never getting that horse back.”
I spin in the direction he’s looking, only to find our horse is now a tiny dot in the distance. Nash tears the bottom of his shirt. Um, okay, impromptu strip tease on the beach? Why Not?
“Turn around,” he instructs. I eye Malachi, who gives me an amused grin. Oh, he means me. I spin away from him, then his hands are in my hair, taming it into a braid before he knots the material at the bottom. I’m fascinated by the fact he knows how to braid hair. Why would a male acquire such a skill? “Daphne rides with you,” Nash declares, nodding at Hart. Um, what? Why? He’ll throw me off the horse himself. Nash grabs my hips and pushes me up towards Hart. Hart grimaces as he makes room for me in front of him. I settle against him as his hands grip the reins. Malachi climbs back on his horse before Nash practically vaults behind him, and we set off once again. Just me, four handsome knights, and my penchant for chaos. What could possibly go wrong?
ChapterTwelve
After what feels like many many turns, the grand castle comes into view. Snuggled against the sheer cliff face, the impressive structure juts into the cerulean sky like it’s reaching for Idylican. I guess that’s what they are all reaching for in The Hallowed. Somehow, us Burghers in the forgotten land of Far, Far Away are freer than the shackled Hallowed, whose existence solely relies upon some legends, myths, and fairy tales someone dreamed up. No one knows the exact beginnings of our realm. It is said that the fairy tales are born from another place, tales woven to teach their society lessons and give their children ideals to strive toward. They spawned our villains into existence to ensure people upheld the principles and values of polite society.
I don’t believe that—us being alive because another realm dreamt us into existence. There’s something unnerving about your life being at the whim of people’s daydreaming, stories, and imagination. What happens when their people get disillusioned with fairy tales and stop believing in us? Do we cease to exist? No, I don’t believe that. We are masters of our own destiny, and Daphne Stone might not be part of a fairy tale, but she will make an impact in this realm.
“You okay there, pretty mouse?” Theo asks as the horses stay steady at the foot of the cliff.
I blink. “Yes, why?”
“Because you were muttering about destinies and villains like a crazy witch with a crystal ball,” Hart grumbles.
“I am not crazy.”
“By whose standards?” Hart asks.
Malachi slides off his horse, and his boots hit the sand, kicking it up into the air. He reaches out for me and I tip forward off the horse and into his arms. I’m getting used to one of them catching me and it makes me act with a little more purpose. Malachi grins down at me as the others dismount and they loop the reins of their horses around a metal hook embedded into the side of the cliff face. I drag in a salty sea breath and close my eyes as the calming crash of the waves soothes my nerves. I am strong. I am powerful. I am all woman.
Chuckles surround me, making my eyes spring open. “What?”
Malachi’s lips twitch. “Nothing.”
I’m doing the Daphne word vomit thing again. It’s not my fault I have too many things inside my mind. If anything, it’s theirs. With their stupid handsome faces and hot bodies. The horse closest to me does a weird huff laugh thing. Excellent. Even the animals are amused at my general existence.
“Now what?” I ask. This is where their plan gets muddy. They haven’t explained what I’m meant to be doing, and two silver coins says I will not like it.
“We need you to retrieve a dagger,” Theo says.
“A dagger? Don’t you knights have enough blades? You have to go stealing mini ones from other kingdoms?”
“It’s a special dagger,” Nash says, pulling out a piece of parchment from the bag attached to his belt and unfolding it. The bottom half is torn, but the top shows the hilt of a dagger. The handle is in the shape of a dragon’s tail and a ruby is in place of its eye.
“That’s what I’m looking for? A dragon dagger?”
“Yup, and the king always keeps it close to him,” Malachi says.
“Don’t you think he will notice a Burgher strolling up and swiping it?” I scoff and fold my arms. “You guys need to work on your plans more thoroughly. No wonder the damsels remain in distress.”
“The king has a weakness for beautiful raven-haired maidens,” Theo says. Unstrapping a satchel from his horse, he hands it to me.
My heart flops in my chest. He called me beautiful. I lick my lips and jiggle the satchel. “What am I meant to do with this?”
“There’s a gown inside so you can blend in. We will give you some simple directions,” Nash says. “All you have to do is gain the attention of the king and let him lure you back to his chambers. Once you have him alone, slip the Dranton root into his drink, retrieve the dagger, and make it back here before the next diurnal.”
“Simple,” Malachi adds.
I huff out a laugh. I can already pinpoint forty three ways that plan could go wrong and that didn’t account for the fact they expected me to walk back to them with a blade or handle a drug I nearly killed Charming with.
