“It’s amagiccat.”
“And you’re a loon if you think that’strue!”
“Little Gerhie, you’re too cute and young to be sojaded.”
“Stoptouchingme!”
“I wish I had been born an onlychild.”
“Would someone ask the lady enchantress if she can trackElise?”
“Youask her. I asked when you wanted to know an hour ago if she could raise a wall of magic to keep Elise from entering Arcainia. She wasn’t very cheery in herresponse.”
“Your face annoyed her,probably.”
And on and on it continued with the brothers arguing over one another endlessly so she couldn’t even be certain who wasspeaking!
Angelique had no doubts the princes were charming and amusing…when one didn’t stand between them and the foster-sister they wished toprotect.
As it was, she spent most of her riding hours actively reminding herself that she couldn’t murder them all because Elise, Gabrielle, and Puss could use their help at CastleBrandis.
We’re almost to the border. I should send a message ahead to Gabrielle so she knows Elise is coming. We can’t be too far behind her despite the lead she had. The princes are pushing too hard forthat.
She sat up and peered around suspiciously, but the brothers were occupied with watering their horses, giving them a short break before they started outagain.
Satisfied that they were otherwise occupied, she rooted around in her bag and pulled out the letter she had written the previous evening when they had stopped torest.
She began folding the letter into the shape of a bird, imbedding it with bits of her magic. Once finished, she held it out, and the paper bird flapped its wings before jumping off her palm and soaring into thesky.
It was a risky method of communication—a rain could ruin the spell and, since the bird was very obviously made of paper, occasionally messages were swiped by enemies or nosy folk. But Angelique was willing to bet the bird would make it to Gabrielle one way or another with the help of otherArcainians.
“Are you ready to continue, Lady Enchantress?” Steffen asked. He led his horse closer to Pegasus—though kept ample space so as to not irritate theconstellation.
“Yes,” Angelique confirmed. “Though I’d like to remind you and your royal brothers that we are about to enter Arcainia again. It’s rather possible Clotilde might feel you entering the country, depending on how her affinity with her artifacts has grown over thesummer.”
Steffen bowed slightly. “We’ll be alert.” He swung up onto his horse’s back and nodded to the twins, who started the parade of princes and crossed the streambed.
For once, the princes were blessedly quiet as theyrode.
Several of them reached for the various weapons strapped to their horses’ backs, reassuring themselves—or perhaps preparing—as they rode into theircountry.
The border between Loire and Arcainia was rather nebulous. Angelique thought they still had a few minutes of riding as they rode across hills, the wind whipping at their clothes, when a geyser of black liquid shotoff.
The horses reared, and even Pegasus shied at the gurglingnoise.
The liquid plunged back to the ground and was still, but Angelique saw a glob of it shooteast.
Angelique swallowed several rude phrases. She yanked hard on her magic, twisting it and throwing it in the span of seconds. She formed it into a lightning bolt that she shot at the glob. But whatever dark magic Clotilde had used dodged the strike and continuedeast.
Angelique shaded her eyes as she watched the magic slip out of range. “I’m afraid Clotilde knows we’re here,” she grimlysaid.
Prince Touchy-Feely frowned as he patted his horse’s neck, calming it. “You think that was analarm?”
“Most likely,” Angeliquesaid.
“Then we should continue with the expectation that she’s waiting for us,” Steffensaid.
Angelique nodded, when one of the brothers shouted, “Lookout!”
