Once I found out the king was furious about my escape, new motivation sparked within me. He may have told everyone else I’m dead, but he knows the truth. The next time he sees me, I want to make sure he seesme,not the girl who was rotting away in a prison cell.
“Where are we going?” I ask as I follow him out the back door.
“I have something for you.”
“That still doesn’tanswer where we’re going.”
He doesn’t respond, and I accept the fact that he’s not going to tell me. Instead, I follow behind him through the autumn forest. He stops in front of a large tree and bends down, brushing away the golden leaves on the ground in front of it.
“Yup, this is the one,” he mutters to himself.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?”
“You’ll see.”
He tells me to stay put while he walks around to the back of the tree. I’m about to lose patience when the center of the tree opens up, revealing a dark hole. I watch as Ryder walks back around to the front and sticks his arm into the trunk. When he pulls it back out, he’s holding a thick, dusty, old book.
“There she is. Right where I left her.”
“Should I give you two some privacy?” He looks up at me and rolls his eyes.
“Be nice to me. I got this for you.” He hands me the book.
“Oh, perfect! I’ve always wanted a decaying book,” I snicker.
“That decaying book you’re having so much fun teasing me about has the answers you’ve been looking for.”
I look closer at the cover, brushing off the excess dust. My head instantly snaps up to look at Ryder.
“How did you—”
“I snagged it from the palace after you told me about not being able to translate your father’s letter. With this book, you should be able to figure out his hidden message. Some of the pages are worn, but you should still be able to translate most of it.”
“This is incredible! Why would you steal this for me?”
“Technically, it’s not stealing because I’m the prince.” He flashes me an arrogant smirk. “Don’t get all in your feelings, though. I have a theory that your father was a part of therebellion and there’s something in his letter to you that could help us.”
I want to deny that my father was part of the rebellion, but it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, and I’m starting to think Ryder is right. My mother died from an illness that could’ve been cured, but Avelion didn’t have the medicine for it. Other realms like Strellesia and Aexetan had plenty of it, but there wasn’t enough time to get it to her. Maybe my father blamed the king for that.
Maybe he was to blame.
I certainly don’t think my father was a traitor in the way the king would like us to believe. He was—is a good man, and if he did get involved with the rebellion, it’s only because he believed it was for a better future.
“Thank you. Even if it was for your own personal gain.” We turn and start walking back the way we came as the center of the tree closes behind us. “And by the way, I wouldn’t have gotten in my feelings about it.”
Ryder looks down at me as he walks with his hands behind his back.
“Oh, sure you would’ve. Girls like you always go weak at the knees for a grand gesture.”
I stop walking, and so does he. “First off, giving a girl a dusty-ass book doesn’t count as a grand gesture. And secondly, my knees are already weak, and it’s from starvation.”
“Touché,” he says with a dramatic bow.
I don’t wait for him to stand back up before passing by him. It’s time he follows me for a change.
Translating my father’s letter has proven to be a harder feat than I thought it would be. The book itself is nearly impossible to read. So far, it’s just been trial and error trying to piece it all together. I had hoped Ryder would be of some help, but he’s just as useless as I am.
I nearly fall out of my chair when he comes barreling through the front door. He’s barely been around the past week, so I assumed we wouldn’t see him for at least a few more days.
