“You just need practice to build up your magical stamina.” Roland, scoffed, then abruptly twisted to face her. “You rodePegasushere? WithoutEvariste?”
Angelique grimaced. “I was desperate to saveyou.”
Roland purred deeply and leaned into herskirts.
Angelique picked him up, then took a reluctant step towards Pegasus, who was sniffing a moss-covered rock with suspicion as he twitched his flaming tail. “Pegasus, I thank you for the ride—because of you, I was able to save Roland. But we will be camping here tonight. I can put up some defensive spells that will keep goblins at bay. But you maygo.”
Pegasus flicked his ear but stayedstill.
“Thank you,” Angelique added awkwardly when the equine did nothingmore.
The constellation snorted and went back to sniffing therock.
“What is he doing?” Angelique whisperedRoland.
“How amIsupposed to know? What do I look like—a speaker of stars?” Rolandscoffed.
Angelique cleared her throat. “Does this mean, Pegasus, you intend to spend the night with us?” She held her breath, hoping she wascorrect.
Pegasus was, above all, a creature of the night. If he stayed with them—something Angelique hadn’t dared to dream he would deign to do—she would be as safe as if she were traveling with Evaristehimself.
The thought made some of her enthusiasm dim, but she snapped to attention when Pegasus snorted again and tossed hishead.
“I assume that means he’s staying?” Angelique whispered toRoland.
“Assuming when it comes to aconstellationcan be dangerous,” Roland saidsourly.
Angelique licked her lips and wished she could summon a bit more of the courage she had when Roland’s life was on the line. “Haven’t you told me before that I should fake confidence until I haveit?”
“Perhaps, but at the time, I was not referring to your dealings with magical equines!” Roland clambered up onto hershoulder.
Pegasus finally abandoned the rock and sauntered past Angelique and Roland, meandering back down the slight incline that funneled down to the stream they had splashed through. When he reached a piece of flat ground, he stopped and pawed ahoof.
“I suppose that’s as much confirmation as we’re going to get,” Angeliquegrumbled.
“Perhaps,” Puss said. “On a happier note, if you have the courage to ride a formation of wild stars, I won’t feel nearly as bad asking you to help Gabrielle and me defeat the ogre inCarabas.”
“Gabrielle mentioned something about that—are you jesting? Trying to defeat an ogre?” Angelique hesitated before she joined Pegasus on the flat piece ofearth.
Roland jumped from her shoulder, but she noticed he winced when he hit the ground and moved a little stiffly. “I have decided to get Gabrielle a title,” Roland began. “Clearing out the ogre is the easiest way—not to mention the March of Carabas is ripe for thepicking.”
Angelique groaned as she started to gather up some of the magic that floated freely around her, preparing to weave it into a defensive spell. “Your adventuring days have made youinsane.”
“Quite the contrary, they have been the making of me.” Roland ducked his head when Angelique lifted up her skirts to step overhim.
“Fine, fine, we can do something. I was hoping I might run into black mages in Carabas—hiding in the shadow of the lands—but I’ve found nothing,” Angelique grumbled as she made the finishing touches on her spell and began spooling it out. “I might as well make my efforts worthit.”
“The ogre is too powerful for black mages to squat on his lands.” Roland joined her in watching her silvery magic trace out a large chunk of the land, briefly filling the area with the sound of many spears striking the earth and creating a pearlescent shield that briefly bubbled around them beforefading.
Roland glanced up at her when the spell finished. “He would have killed them if theytried.”
Angelique sighed. “It was worth a try, I suppose.” She reached into the small leather bag attached to her waist—a gift from Stil that was spelled to hold more than it should—and yanked out a fluffy blanket that she spread on theground.
Roland hopped on the blanket with a pleased hum but paused and looked up at her as she yanked a few dried provisions from the bag. He cleared his throat. “Angelique…there is one thing I might be able to share aboutEvariste.”
Angelique froze, her heart brimming painfully with hope. “Yes?”
Roland looked away for a moment before he sighed. “As I was attacking one mage, the pair that attacked Evariste with the vermillion magic loosened another spell.” He paused. “I don’t know for certain because I was doing my best to claw a man’s eyes out, but I think they might have sealed hismagic.”
