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With Shelby at her side, Ace hurried through the woods avoiding stepping in any dark red splatter. Rehan hung back behind the crowd of warlocks, his twin blades now shining in his palms. The quick draw of his weapons had earned him several curious but fearful glances. The burning scent of magic hung thick in the air. Even without being magic wielding herself, she could feel the tension of it as if the warlocks all waited with it on their fingertips.
They didn’t trust each other. But they needed the same thing.
It was a truce. A fragile, tentative truce, but a truce nonetheless.
The carriage and the coachman were long gone as they came back. The tracks from the wheels and horses’ hooves were smudged in their hurried getaway. Ace didn’t blame the poor man for running. If she’d been only a human and not this born-again creature, she’d probably have sprinted away and left a trail of urine behind her.
“I should remember to give him a good tip next time I’m home,” Rehan mused behind them.
“I think he’ll need more than some money,” Shelby said.
Ace ignored them both, though Shelby stayed next to her, never straying even so much as a step. She gave him a sideways glance. “I’m okay,” she whispered.
He scowled. Maybe it was him who was not okay. She reached out and took his hand in hers giving it a squeeze before letting it go again.
They stepped over a rotting log. “So how do we know when we find it?”
“I don’t know exactly. It’s well hidden with magic.” Another step and his body shivered almost violently. the wings there then gone in a blink. “Woah.”
“Um, Ace?” Rehan called.
She stopped. The group of warlocks and Rehan were a few yards behind them all paused with wide gaping looks.
“You good?” she asked Shelby.
“It was just a weird feeling. It’s passed.”
She turned back to Rehan and shouted. “What?”
“Ace?” Rehan yelled again, starting to weave through the warlocks, his voice hinting at the beginning of worry.
Ace exchanged a puzzled look with Shelby. “I did speak just now didn’t I?”
“She’s right here!” Shelby yelled back.
“Ace!” Rehan was moving faster now. The urgency in his movements caused both her and Shelby to search their surroundings for something they could not see. Was she in danger? “Ace! Where are you?”
“I’m right—”
Rehan stepped over the log running right into Ace.
“Here.”
Rehan sucked in a breath and nearly fell backward onto the log. Ace grabbed his arm to steady him.
“I think we’ve found Glatton.”
Queen Ambrose
Ambrose and Ophelia studied each other for a long moment. So long that even Ephram had taken a step back and clasped his hands behind him while he waited with his gaze ever shifting between the two magic blessed queens.
“I hope you would not think of taking my sister’s honor before it was offered.” Ophelia turned her pointed glare to Ephram.
“Oh, I would never think of taking it that far.” There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice for the innocence that had long since been gone. “A kiss is innocent enough.”
“Not for a queen it isn’t.”
Strong but delicate hands circled Ambrose’s wrist as Ophelia yanked her back through the garden. Ambrose’s heels scratched against cobblestone nearly toppling her forward before she was able to correct her posture with the help of Ephram who stalked closely at her side. With a huff of aggravation, Ambrose ripped her hand away.
