Malachi snorts.
I glare at him.Don’t make light of my genie’s emotional pain.
“I’m sorry she didn’t see you for all you are,” I reply. “She wasn’t the right genie for you, but...”
“Don’t try to help,” Nash grumbles against my ear.
“I vow we’ll find you the perfect partner.” Oops, too late. I won’t apologize for helping those who have stuck by me through thick, thin, and magical shackles.
“I’ll add it to your long list of promises,” Nash mutters, guiding his horse onto a curling forest path. Crooked, tall trees curve over our heads, casting creepy shadows.
“How long until we reach Theo?” I wonder.
Hart presses his lips together. “A few diurnals at best.”
“Unless he senses you and comes to us,” Nash points out.
That seems like the best and quickest solution to reuniting me with my dragon man.
A fork in the road appears, and Malachi chooses the left one. Nash pulls on the reins, stopping our horse. “Where are you going?” he asks.
Malachi looks over his shoulder, finding Hart frozen as well.
“Briar Wood is the safest.” Malachi points ahead of him.
“The Forbidden Forest is the quickest,” Nash argues while pointing toward the right path.
It’s not like Malachi to take a safe route.
Malachi squints at us. “Safe means alive. I’m not taking any unnecessary risks with the woman I love.”
Hart shakes his head. “It adds two diurnals on our journey.”
“No matter which path we take,” Nash adds. “If trouble is intent on finding Daphne, it will.”
Something howls a long, mournful sound that raises the hairs on my arms.
Sir Sweeps-A-Lot swoops around the back of us, no doubt intending to find protection, however, our horse is not a fan of the bristles against his butt. He jerks and takes off down the right side.
“I guess that’s decided,” Hart calls out.
“For the record, I disagree with this decision. No one sane takes a stroll through the Forbidden Forest. The clue is in the name,” Malachi grumbles as they catch up to us on their horses. Nash’s arms clench around my waist, keeping me safe and secure. How can he doubt himself? This complex man wouldn’t hurt me for all the gold in the kingdom.
“Sanity is for the ordinary,” I shout, then giggle with the freedom I’m finding on a galloping horse through a dark forest. I tip my head back and lean it against Nash’s shoulder to stare at the sky, while the forest comes alive with the sounds of critters fleeing from our approach.
The horses slow to a walk after a few tempos, the path covered in logs and stones forcing us to tread carefully. A faint humming drifts through the air.
“Do you hear that?” I whisper.
Malachi nods. “Sounds like singing.”
“Sounds like trouble,” Hart corrects.
The humming grows louder. The bushes ahead part, revealing a clearing filled with tiny figures dancing in a ring, wearing dresses made from flower petals and glistening silk. They glow like candle flames given limbs.
“Ugh, I hate these guys,” Genie grumbles. “They make your insanity look ordinary. Let me know when you are done.” He disappears.
Okay, then.
