Page 92 of Tangled Fates

“What about Duckleberry Fin?” Soren suggested.

“What the hell are all these places?” I asked, getting worried my first taste of freedom was going to be too free for me.

“Hideouts for questionable people,” Ryder said, walking past us. “Dairy Godmother’s will have to do for now while we regroup. I don't think Gray has it in him for another trip. We only have a few potions left and we need to be smart about this.”

Soren and I followed them, as I looked around, trying not to hyperventilate from looking at everything and anything.

I was finally free.

It wasn’t the freedom I had hoped for, but I guess beggars couldn’t be choosers, and I’d have to get used to scantily clad women. I just had to hold out for the days Tay wasn’t trying to screw me over and Mother wasn’t looking for me.

Tay admitted so much. A part of me wondered if he did this because he knew he could play my heartstrings or that I’d feel sorry for him. I still couldn’t believe he threw Loki away, but I wanted to know why?

“Blondie, you need to stick close to either one of us. We also need to find you a jacket so we can hide that beautiful blonde hair,” Soren said, breaking my thoughts. “It’s too bright and way too memorable.”

“We should dye it,” Ryder called out.

“Excuse me?” I scowled.

“We need to be inconspicuous and your hair screams, ‘look at me’,” Ryder called out.

“I don’t want to dye my hair,” I said, running my hands through it.

“Maybe we can get her some glamor. I’m sure someone at Dairy’s can conjure one up for us,” Soren said, as we stepped out to a clearing with a huge three-story wooden lodge. “No one will suspect it wasn’t for us.”

A sign with a woman in a very low-cut shirt was leaning, almost spilling her breasts out with Dairy Godmother’s written above her.

“Wait here. I’ll get us a room and we can figure something out while we all get some food and rest,” Ryder said, handing Gray to Soren. “It’s probably best if you stay out of sight.”

“Come on, Blondie. We can hang out on the side,” Soren said, carrying his brother.

“I have an invisibility charm,” I said, following him.

“Activate it,” he said, as he leaned against the wall.

I pulled out the necklace I had brought with me. My nervousness grew tenfold hoping that this necklace worked as I took a charm off of it. I said the incantation to activate it.

The tingle of magic saturated the air as I got closer to Soren, making sure he was covered too.

“Are you ok?” I asked, still feeling the remnants of his hunger.

“I’m good, tired, but glad that Gray is going to be ok,” he said. “I should ask you how you are doing?”

“I… I’m excited to be free, but also worried and…” I didn’t know how to explain how I was feeling. “A weight has been lifted off my shoulders and replaced with something else, but now I feel hope. Being locked away each year made my hope nonexistent.”

“I know being here isn’t ideal and I’m sorry we are here. But one day Blondie, I swear, I’ll shoulder all your burdens and then you will truly be free.”

His love poured through the connection, and I hated that I couldn’t hug or kiss him. Gray groaned, moving his head back and forth, his face scrunched up in pain.

“He’s going to need to feed, and I left the bag during our scuffle,” Soren said, looking more worried.

“You also need to feed,” I stated, as Soren looked at me with surprise. “I… I can feel your hunger.”

He studied me for a moment.

“I didn’t know you could feel that through the bond, but yes, we need to feed,” he said, scanning the area.

“And who do you feed from?” I tried to keep the jealousy out of my voice but failed miserably.

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