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“Now I know. Can we go back?”
“Of course.” Her smile looks genuine and friendly, and for some odd reason, that spooks me.
It’s possible I’m misjudging her, though. She holds my arm, but suddenly jerks back, her eyes wide.
A second later, I see two men wearing white hooded cloaks, holding her back.
“Not her!” she screams, and the three of them disappear.
I’m not sure what happened. Was she kidnapped? Attacked?
The last thing I saw were the fae men taking her, but they wore the same clothes as the ones in her retinue. Could they be from the Spider Court? Was she attacked, or was she pretending?
Now I’m alone here, and don’t even know where I am or how to get back. I look down at the scenery below. The moon rays illuminate a forest, a road, but there’s no sign of the castle or the coronation bonfires. I’m either on the other side of the hill, or far from the castle.
Perhaps I could try to contact Marlak like when I was attacked with Nelsin, but if he’s doing something dangerous, I don’t want to disturb him.
I try to calm down and think. The wind is chilly and fresh with the scent of the forest. After so many years confined to my tower, I can appreciate the beauty and freedom of this place. Lonely, isolated freedom.
Was Crisine attacked? I recall her scream, her words. She said she would take me back, but never said when. What are the odds that someone tracked her here? Perhaps they tracked her magic.
Still, I have a feeling that it was an act, a way to leave me up here by myself. Maybe I’m imagining it because I don’t like her. If she was kidnapped, I need to inform someone as soon as possible. But how? I still don’t want to try to reach for Marlak. But this could be a trap, and perhaps the plan wasn’t just to leave me up here on my own. Perhaps there’s something coming.
The wind chills me, and I rub my arms. I wonder what Tarlia is thinking, wonder what will happen if Marlak returns to the castle and doesn’t find me, wonder what’s going to happen to me. I should try to reach out to whatever bond I have with Marlak, but now, when I’m not in danger for my life, not in a moment of supreme desperation, connecting with him feels like an impossible dream-fueled delusion. So much of my life lately feels like a dream-fueled delusion.
Meanwhile, Crisine might be in danger. Or maybe she’s laughing at my expense. I can’t do anything in either case.
Breathing slowly, I focus on the scent of trees and earth as I look at the expanse below. I pull my dagger from the enclosure in the dress and keep my ears perked. No. I need to make an effort and find my connection with Marlak.
My connection—which he wants to break. An odd chill fills my chest.
Then I see something; a dark shape approaching. I wonder if I should conjure some light or hope that darkness conceals me, and that whatever’s coming never sees me.
23
Idon’t move, don’t even breathe loudly.
If whatever is flying isn’t after me, I hope I can remain unseen.
Otherwise, all I have is my light and my dagger. Such a remote location. A perfect place to get someone killed.
It’s most definitely too late to regret ignoring Tarlia’s advice. Ignoring it even though I know she’s smart and observant. In my defense, I was curious. Stupid curiosity.
The dark figure then turns and I see its shape against the stars.
A flying horse. No, a unicorn.
All the tension and fear unfurl from my body, replaced by hope.
As he approaches me, I can see some of its red markings and the pointy, long horn, and I finally breathe again. It’s Cherry Cake. Cherry Cake, come to save me.
He lands beside me, too large for this thin path. I’m so happy that I want to hug him, but I just pat his thick neck, caressing his rough, hairless, leathery skin. The double saddle is still on his back, and now it has a kind of rope ladder hanging from it. I wonder if it wasn’t there before or if Marlak wanted to hold me. Perhaps the first time, when I was blindfolded, he thought it would be easier.
Regardless, I should stop trying to figure out my husband’s intentions. Instead, I climb on Cherry Cake, holding the strap in front of me as tight as I can as he takes flight. I’m not sure if I should shut my eyes to avoid looking below or keep them open to help with my balance. I fear I could fall at any moment.
Fear. Not always logical. I decide to look at the stars above and the forest below and recall all the times I walked outside my tower, dreaming of freedom. Still, I keep holding tight to the strap.
We circle the hill, and then I see, at a distance, the Court of Bees castle, its bonfires looking like tiny lamps from up here. I also glimpse small chunks of light among trees and wonder if they are villages, wonder if Marlak is unharmed, and even if flying here is safe for Cherry Cake—and me.
