Zara
After receiving that letter, it was decided that Theo and Julian would stay behind. Xavier, Dedra, and Jaxon were my only companions on the journey, and the thought of being stuck on the road without Julian’s or Theo’s comic relief felt daunting.
The towering, dark stone castle loomed behind us as we emerged from the large iron gates at the edge of the grounds. The air was warm, and the dirt path stretched out ahead of us, winding and narrow.
Guards in black and emerald uniforms patrolled the edges of the castle. They lined the perimeter walls, stationed at intervals like sentinels, their sharp eyes sweeping the area. Some carried spears that gleamed under the low sunlight; others had swords strapped to their sides, or axes strung across their backs.
I realized, with a faint sense of unease, that I hadn’t noticed this many guards before. Then again, my time outside the castle had been limited to brief walks. Inside the castle, their numbers seemed sparse—just a few stationed at key points—but outside, they were everywhere.
We passed through the outskirts of their village, Blackrock, and I wished Julian had taken me there on one of our walks. The place looked enchanting, like something from a book. Stone and wooden structures stood clustered together, connected by dark wooden bridges spanned over rocky terrain and cobbled streets. Vibrant moss in hues of green and gold crept across nearly every building while pine needles from the surrounding trees blanketed the rooftops. The markets bustled with life, though we stayed too far away for me to get a proper look at the wares or the people.
Guards patrolled the perimeter here as well. They were like shadowed statues, their outlines stark against the weathered, moss-covered stone.
With our horses laden with supplies, we rode on for the first several hours. The castle gradually vanishing into the distant horizon. No one really spoke, only stopping when necessary.
I had tried to talk to Jaxon, but every time I slowed my horse to get near him, he kept being further and further away. I had glared at him but ultimately stopped trying. Xavier had ridden next to me most of the journey so far, not saying anything, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. He wasn’t exactly talkative.
We had been traveling under canopied trees, a mixture of oaks and maples arching over our heads, shading us from the heat of the sun. Wildlife, rabbits and squirrels made them self-known and insects—a lot of insects flew over our heads. It didn’t seem different from our forests back home. Not that I wanted some unknown creature to make an appearance or anything, but it felt all too normal, too similar.
We hadn’t come across any other travelers either, and it had made me uneasy. Back home, you couldn’t travel without running into at least twenty or so other travelers. The others didn’t seem bothered, so I chose to ignore my rising anxiety about it.
Jaxon still maintained a noticeable distance from me, his presence trailing behind like a shadow. I saw the way he looked at me when I hugged Xavier. It had surprised me too that I had, but the way he looked at us.
You and him, he had said. Did he mean Xavier and me? His expression at breakfast confirmed as much, but we would sooner kill or annoy each other to death before anything remotely romantic would happen between us.
Jaxon was punishing himself for some reason. I know he regrets hurting his brother and feels the weight of the responsibility for opening the realm, but in doing so, he will hopefully end up protecting mine. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn’t taken that risk? I’d probably be dead.
Something darted past my head, yanking me abruptly from my thoughts. I let out a startled shriek as a rapid buzzing filled my ears, accompanied by a sharp tug on my hair. I felt a fluttering against my scalp and saw a blur of movement. My heart raced as I gripped the reins tightly with one hand, my other hand flailing in the air, trying to fend off whatever was attacking me.
Something lifted me into the air, and I swatted again as something sharp bit into my hand. I cried out again and was abruptly dropped back onto my horse. Xavier was now at my side, and I turned my panicked gaze up at him. He was suppressing a laugh, and his face looked amused. Amused?!
“What the hell was that?!” I shouted, scanning the sky for what had attacked me.
Dedra was laughing uncontrollably, her hand pressed over her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle her amusement.
“This isn’t funny! I was attacked!” Despite my shouting, Xavier and Dedra just laughed even harder. I glanced at Jaxon, who was also shaking, a smile on his lips, and I looked around again, frantically searching, but I saw nothing.
“Those were pixies,” Xavier said through barely suppressed laughter. “They like to play tricks on travelers, and—” He cleared his throat to cover another laugh, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Anyway, I’ve sent them away.”
“Pixies?” I asked, incredulous.
Xavier just nodded, and Dedra erupted again, turning away and covering her mouth. “You should have seen your face!” Dedra managed between giggles. She mimicked me flailing and swatting around on her horse, and everyone, including Jaxon, joined in.
“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” I said flatly, looking at the small bite marks that now marked my skin. The marks were red, but thankfully, they hadn't broken the skin.
“Oh, lighten up,” Dedra replied, still grinning. “At least they didn’t carry you off and dump you into a lake like they did to Jaxon that one time.” Her grin widened; it was the first time she’d spoken to me without a hint of hostility.
I smiled at that and turned to Jaxon, raising an eyebrow. “Is that right?”
Jaxon still avoided eye contact, but I saw him roll his eyes at Dedra. “At least they didn’t throw mud at me and make me fall off my horse,” Jaxon shot back, flashing his teeth at Dedra.
Xavier grinned and added, “That’s nothing. At least you two didn’t have honey dumped on your head. I had to shave most of my hair off, and I was nearly bald for months.”
I snorted at that, and Xavier turned to me. “They are mischievous little things.” He added with a chuckle, “You are lucky they didn’t do worse, but this is definitely going on my top five,” Xavier said, winking at me, and I swatted at him playfully.
He dodged my advance toward him, guiding his horse away from mine. I rolled my eyes and looked at Jaxon. Our gaze locked, and the intensity in his stare made me recoil slightly. He was already looking away, and the moment was gone.
“We should continue before they decide to come back for more,” Xavier said awkwardly, and Jaxon didn’t hesitate before riding past us and down the path.
