Cael approached us. “Where are you headed, Your Highness?”
“To the meadow. I need to calm my nerves.” I was unable to look at him.
I felt briefly for the satchel that I had passed off to Milana and found it secured discreetly on my horse.
Cael surveyed me. “Don’t go too far.” His jaw tensed as heeyed my satchel. “Preparations are already well under way. You will be expected to dress for the ceremony shortly.”
“I must be on my way then.” The reins grated against my palms. “Keep your distance. I will need space to reflect.” My voice held firm.
“We are under Prince Agan’s orders to not let you out of our sight,” the taller knight said.
I buried my fingers in Briar’s mane to hide them as they shook. “If I can’t calm my nerves, I will not be ready.”
“Let her ride ahead,” Cael interjected. “I will trail behind her.”
I froze at his words.
This wasn’t what I planned. He would keep me from crossing the divide.
“You will watch her by yourself?” The taller knight raised an eyebrow at Cael.
“From a distance,” Cael confirmed. “The meadow is visible from the palace walls. There is nowhere else for her to go.”
A lump rose in my throat. I tried to swallow past it. “I will be back quickly.”
Riding ahead may not give me enough time to escape, but I had to try.
“Keep your ride brief, Your Highness.” The knights climbed up on their horses, reins in hand.
A thinly veiled smile spread across my lips.
“Go ahead and start your ride, Your Highness. I will get my mare and follow you shortly,” Cael said with a nod.
I blinked back the tears. Ashlyn wasn’t in her chamber this morning before I left—there wasn’t enough time to wait for her to return. And now I would betray my friend who only ever sought to protect me, too.
The first half of the journey I knew, but therest would take me farther than I had ever traveled. The main path was fenced in by gigantic oaks—the perfect place to slip out of sight, but only if I could get to them first.
Briar raced onward. Doubt encompassed me. The only world I knew faded fast behind me. The wind trailed us, as if it were guiding me along the path. The trees loomed over us, the blazing sun fading from view. Briar’s reins slipped in my palms.
To flee was one thing.
If I was caught, everything would be taken from me.
A verdant haze blurred past as Briar sped onward. Lavender perfume wafted toward me. Purple buds rippled through the rolling hills. Briar came to a halt at my command. The satchel slid over my shoulder. The leather stuck against my skin with the early morning heat.
It wouldn’t be long before Cael realized what I had done. He wouldn’t let me escape.
Golden, glittering light that rivaled the sun shimmered—the divide. It pulsed and swayed with the wind. I could not tell where it began or ended. The stories didn’t do it justice.
It sang—the sound radiated through me. Something was calling me, guiding me here.
I froze as the sound of hooves echoed in the distance.
Tell us who you are.
A whisper rippled in my mind as I shuddered. The energy radiated off the divide, rippling through my body with every word.
“I am Aelira.”
