“Yes,” Angelique said reluctantly. “I have no other businesshere.”
Given that I was able to speak to Neely faster than expected, it’s still weeks before Odette and her crew will meet with the elves. I suppose I could reconnect with Severin and Elle—they should receive news from Clovicus soon about Carabosso’squestioning.
“Then I wish you luck in finding this magical dagger,” Neely said. “And I must take my leavehere.”
“Thank you, Neely,” Angeliquesaid.
Neely bowed. “It’s always my honor, Lady Enchantress.” She winked, then disappeared into the swirl of thecrowd.
Angelique exited Tylis through the gates—pausing to give the soldiers guarding the entrance a properly generoussmile.
She followed the broad dirt road into the forest that sprouted just outside the city, a smile fixed on her face as she passed the farmers with loaded wagons, merchants, soldiers, and others who made their way down theroad.
I ought to call Pegasus and get a real start on my journey, except I don’t rightly know where to go. Perhaps I ought to travel down to Torrens and check on Evariste’s house. I could stop in Ciane and see how King Giuseppe has reacted—the fastest route to Torrens would be to pass through Soleanyway.
It felt good to walk. In the rare weeks there wasn’t an emergency, Angelique still tried to train in the mornings, but she had slipped a bit since her years with Evariste and Puss badgeringher.
Half an hour passed, and through the brilliantly colored forest canopy, Angelique could see gray clouds forming. She had long ago stopped seeing other travelers as the road had split multiple times, and she had consistently taken the smallest road that cut deeper into the woods rather than the more-traveled roads that ventured out to farmland and other nearbyvillages.
Looks like rain is rolling in. I should probably makehaste.
She had just decided to call down Pegasus when she rounded a bend in the road, revealing crumpledbodies.
Angelique ran to them, her magic already activating in her worry. She crouched by the closest body, relieved to see that his chest moved as he breathed, but his eyes wereshut.
He—and his unconscious companions—all bore wounds. It appeared to be dagger and sword stab wounds, but it was tough to know forcertain.
During her investigation, Angelique realized the group of five—three women and two men—was a band of Farsetsoldiers.
Given that forests occupied most of Farset, the uniform for soldiers was rather unique in comparison to other countries. Soldiers were dressed in muted greens with leather boots. Every warrior had a bow and a belt quiver and was equipped with a few hunting knives and a shortsword.
Their uniform was designed to blend in with the forest, and soldiers received special training from the elves themselves so they best knew how to fight amongsttrees.
Farset also emphasizes teamwork, which makes taking out an entire band a difficult thing. So what got them? It couldn’t be a troll or a wraith. The soldiers have stab wounds; they weren’t savaged. But goblins wouldn’t leave them merely unconscious, so…thieves? But they still have all theirweapons.
Goosebumps broke out on Angelique’s skin. The silence of the forest was oppressive—not even a bird dared to sing or chirp. But what made her most nervous was the way her magic gushed around her in a bigger and bigger spiral, searching for whatever threat wasnear.
She could physicallyfeelsomeone watching her like a dagger in herspine.
I can’t let on that Iknow.
The pitter-patter of raindrops falling on leaves filled the air. Angelique forced herself to place a healing spell on each soldier, attending to them as if she didn’t feel anythingwrong.
She tugged them over to the side of the road and flashed her magic a bit more in a few more healing spells as she swallowed, her mouth dry from the anxiety of beinghunted.The rain finally slipped past the forest canopy, and a few drops spattered Angelique’s shoulders. She shivered—the water was icy cold in the fallair.
A branch cracked, but she didn’treact.
I need to time thisperfectly.
She stood and started to move as if she planned to inspect the next soldier, but abruptly thrust her arm up in the sky. “Pegasus!It—”
A dagger was chucked at Angelique. She threw up the shield spell she had prepared as soon as she saw the fallen soldiers, catching the thrown weapon. The dagger was obsidian black—it didn’t even gleam in the dim light of theforest.
That lookslike—
An axe went hurtling over her head, missing her completely. Angelique threw more magic into her shield before she realized she was not the intended target. The weapon tore horizontally through the trunk of a tree just behind her. The tree groaned and toppled, falling in herdirection.
Angelique leaped out of the way, then realized with a strangled gasp that the thick tree trunk would fall on top of the unconscious soldiers and crushthem.
