Page 40 of King of Forest and Fur

His bear was gnawing at him, telling him something was wrong. They had been wrong and now Leila may have just walked straight into danger.

“We have to get her back,” he called to Idris.

“Is she in danger?” Yaldred asked, looking confused at the urgency. “I thought you got the man helping Drystan?”

“We don’t know. He may have been framed. I’ve got something he enchanted himself against something he said he didn’t enchant. I need the girl to help me see if they are the same.”

“She’s the one Leila left with.”

Rehn was beyond frustrated. He only could guess if he was right or not about Xanthus. But if he was, then…

“Idris, prepare our rides. Yaldred, ready your horse and the others as well. We may need all of you if I’m right.”

A short time later, too long in Rehn’s mind, he kicked his horse into gear, Idris right on his flank.

As they urged their steeds forward, Rehn hoped he had been wrong. Xanthus was powerful, more than he let on. And Leila was loyal to him. She could be influenced easily if her mentor played the cards right.

He leaned into his horse’s mane. The coarse hairs whipped around his face, but he didn’t care. He had to get there as soon as possible. He couldn’t let his mate down whether she wanted him or not.

Leila needed him and that was all that mattered.

Leaving their horses on the outskirts of the academy grounds, Rehn and Idris quickly made their way inside the magnificently massive school.

“If we have to keep coming to this place, we may need to invest in a map of this layout,” Idris muttered, voicing Rehn’s thoughts.

He gave a half-hearted chuckle back.

“Yeah. Hopefully, this is the last time.”

They head toward Leila’s office.

“Isn’t that the sorceress that was tracing the magic at the castle?” Rehn asked, spotting a short female with curls crossing the hall.

“Excuse me!” he called, hurrying his pace.

The woman stopped.

When she saw who it was, she gave him a coy smirk. “Why, hello Your Majesty. Are you looking for Leila?”

“Actually, I’m looking for you.”

Chaniel raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Me? Did I do something wrong at the castle?”

“No, no. Not at all.” Rehn reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the artifact that Altair spelled. Idris had the rock.

“I need you to trace the magic on these objects and tell me if it’s from the same sorcerer.”

Chaniel was smart enough not to question further, but to do what was asked.

She ran her hands over the wicker object Altair had spelled to prove his innocence. Then, over the stone that held the protection spell around his house.

Her eyebrows scrunched together as her nose wriggled.

“These are definitely spelled by two different magicians.”

“So, Altair was right,” Idris said. “That means?—”

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