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“I wish,” Bison muttered as he unrolled his message. “Too bad I was a basketball player and not a rocket scientist. I don’t know the first thing about even creating electricity.”
I understood about none of anything he said, but the word rocket made me pause. Here, comparing someone to rocks did not make them smart in the least. But he made a rock scientist sound like the smartest sort of profession. This Earth place must be vastly different than our land.
“Uh, guys,” Bison burst out uneasily, lifting his face from the message. “You might want to read this.”
“What do they mean by burning Dimway Forest?” Nicolette asked, squinting as she read the raven’s message yet again.
After Indigo and I saw the note, I had hurried to rouse her from bed, and it was obvious she was still trying to wake up enough to think clearly.
“It means they set it on fucking fire,” I exploded, thinking of all the people who lived and traveled in those woods.
“But…” Nicolette blinked up at me. “Why would they do that? And what about the traveling mages who live there? And Max, and Jax, and Pax?”
I had no clue who Max, Jax, or Pax were but I threw up my hands in disgust. “Because they’re livid after my king sent them a message saying they had you held prisoner, and they want their only princess back. That’s why!”
She merely stared at me as if I were speaking a different language, then went back to rereading the note that was not difficult to decipher at all, as all it said was:
* * *
Donnelly's army invading. Burning Dimway Forest. They march toward Blayton to reclaim their princess. Seek safety at your own risk.
* * *
“We need to intercept them,” Indigo announced. “We need to go now and stop them, let everyone know you’re okay and safe, under my watch.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” she said vaguely before admitting, “I just can’t believe they would go to all this trouble because of me.”
“I can,” I told her.
She met my gaze and smiled softly, only for reality to finally intrude. “Oh, good Lord. We need to leave now. Before any innocent people are harmed. Or, any more innocents are hurt. I hope no one’s been injured. Lord, this is bad.” She popped up from the chair, already racing back toward the bedroom. “Do we have everything packed?”
“Almost,” Indigo called after. “I’ll go saddle the horses while Farrow gathers the rest of the supplies.”
Nicolette nodded. “Good idea. I’ll change into my riding clothes. Be out in a minute.”
I lifted my eyebrows, surprised they were both so worried about the safety of the Far Shore people and even more amused that they’d assigned me with a task to help out and pitch in without actually asking me to do anything, just expecting I would comply.
I did comply, of course. It was nice to be included. Besides, I didn’t want Donnelly to destroy my kingdom any more than anyone else did. So we were ready to depart within the hour.
Bison came outside to wave us off.
“Thank you so much for your assistance. I’ll never forget this,” Nicolette promised, reaching up to hug him and place a grateful kiss on his cheek. “My people owe you a debt of gratitude you can collect on at any time.”
He gave her a bashful grin and touched the spot on his face that she’d kissed. “I will, princess. Thank you.”
Indigo and I shook hands with him next, and he wished us all good luck.
Once in the saddle, Nicolette, Indy, and I galloped straight for the castle. We had skirted the edge of the Back Forest on the way to Bison’s cottage so we could keep hidden and evade palace guards who might be pursuing us, but that wasn’t a concern for this trip. So we took the shorter, direct route.
Pushing the horses hard, we approached Blayton just as evening approached. Before we could enter the city, though, a handful of cloaked figures darted out from a copse of trees, shouting what sounded like my name.
I pulled up on my reins, halting my horse and watched curiously as what looked like a group of young girls raced toward me.
To my right, both Nicolette and Indigo brandished w
eapons, ready to fight.
“Who the hell is that?” Indigo demanded.
