Page 19 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

I stand up from my spot on the ground and walk toward her sound. With my eyes still closed, I can feel her, almost as if we’re connected by a physical tether and my body is simply following its path. Just like with Killian in the mountains, I hear Briar’s voice saying my name, but this time, I know for a fact she’s not speaking out loud. She’s speaking my name in her mind, but I can hear it, as clearly as if she was speaking right in my ear.

I stop suddenly and turn to my right before continuing on, knowing I’m nearing the spot where she’s hiding. I take five more steps until I can feel her body right in front of mine. I open my eyes and meet her awed gaze.

Briar’s breath catches.“They’re glowing again. Like the sun.”

Chapter Nine

“Maybe that’s what Sibyl meant when she said you have more power than you know,” Killian suggests.

I shrug, not feeling any different, but especially not feeling anything close topowerful.“My mother was a witch, maybe I’m having a sort of unofficial Kindling?”

Briar shakes her head.“I don’t know any witches who can do what you did. There are locater and cloaking spells, but those require a personal artifact from the person you’re trying to find or hide.”

“What about your birth father?” Killian asks.“We don’t know much about him, or if he had any abilities.”

“Gideon said Valko was the second son of the Summer King,” I recall the conversation with my godparents.“But he didn’t say if he was mortal.”

“Either way,” Briar says, her tone wary,“you probably shouldn’t use your gift unless absolutely necessary, on account of the wholeglowing eyesthing. It’s kind of a dead giveaway that you've got some kind of power, even if we don’t know exactly what that means yet.”

“I can’t think of a scenario when I would need to play hide and seek again, or who I would play with.” I roll my eyes.

They nod in agreement before Killian says,“We should take watches again tonight.”

“I’ll go first tonight.” Briar shoots Killian a disapproving look, and he raises his hands up, a boyish grin on his face.

Knowing this is the last night I’ll get to spend with them for a very long time, maybeever,I’m not ready to go to sleep yet, despite the bone-deep exhaustion I’m feeling.“Remember that time we went swimming in the pond behind Old Man Moore’s house?” I reminisce as I turn toward Killian.“You got the biggest leech stuck on your back.”

“Faide take me.” He shivers at the memory but laughs nonetheless.“I hate leeches.”

“You squealed like a piglet when we tried to take it off of you,” Briar adds, trying to contain her own laughter.

“It was huge!” he defends his childish reaction to the slimy creature.“What about the time when you two got so drunk you needed me to pull you behind Freya on the sled ‘cause you couldn’t even walk half a mile to get home?”

Briar and I exchange a knowing look and bust up laughing. We were definitely too young to be drinking, and after Killian pulled us home in the snow, we spent the whole night puking our guts out in the washroom.

“First and last time we drank Elliot’s homemade whiskey,” Briar squeaks out between giggles.

We recall a few more memories from our childhood until a quiet settles over us. We all exchange bittersweet smiles as we say goodnight, Briar staying up to keep watch. I lay down in her tent, getting as comfortable as I can on the cold, hard ground.

Even though there’s so much happening in my mind, sleep claims my body quickly. I dream of Staghorn Forest, reliving the memories of the stories we shared tonight until Killian wakes me for the third watch.

We trade spots as I stretch my back and rub the sleep from my eyes. They both kept the fire going, and I welcome the heat of the flames since the night air is chilly. I pull my cloak tighter around myself to brace against the faint but steady wind and add a few more sticks to the fire.

I observe my surroundings, taking a few moments to listen for signs of a potential threat. Assured that there’s no one else around for miles, I start to think about what my first move will be here in the Spring Kingdom.

Before I do anything of significance, I really just want to explore; never having left Staghorn, I don’t have any idea what to expect from the culture here, but I’m excited to learn and experience something new. Then, after I get my bearings, I can search for potential allies who would want to see Selena brought to justice for her crimes.

Recalling my conversation with Killian and Briar from a few days ago, I make a point to remember to introduce myself as Hazel to strangers, until I feel like I can trust someone with the truth of my identity and agenda.

The moon is just starting to set, so I decide to venture towards the river to refill our canteens and wash quickly. I follow the sound of the rushing water until I come to a clearing where the river is flowing fairly quickly, but not so fast that it would be dangerous to swim in. I lean down and drink some water and refill our containers, then rinse my body half-heartedly under my clothes, making a point to change into my spare pants and shirt when I get back to my bag. The clothes I have on are dirty and smell of sweat and stress, but washing them now isn’t an option.

Turning around to walk back to our camp, I hear rustling in some nearby bushes and instantly draw my dagger from its place at my thigh. I take a defensive stance, crouching down a bit and turning slowly in a circle to check for signs of life. Leaves crunch to my left, under someone’s, orsomething’ssteps, and I turn toward the noise, my heart pounding in my chest.

Under the light of the moon, I can see the faint outline of a huge animal in the dense grove of trees, maybe twenty feet away. I quickly take cover behind a large oak and peek my head around the powerful trunk to get a better look at the unknown creature. There are only a few animals as large as this one, which makes me incredibly nervous, knowing the situation could escalate depending on its typical diet.

The moonlight shifts in the sky as a cloud drifts away, giving me a clearer view of the creature. My mouth drops open as I realize it’s a horse, black as the night. My heart slows, thankful it’s not something that wants to eat me, and I watch the powerful animal graze in the grass, obviously unaware of my presence. Out of nowhere, the horse—no, thepegasus,lifts and stretches its massive, feathered wings and shakes its head, before tucking its black wings back into its body.

Truly stunned, I can do nothing but stare. I thought they had gone extinct after the War of the Seven, so I’m shocked to see one alive, let alone this close-up. I don’t want to frighten it, so I sheathe my dagger as quietly as I can and start to retreat through the trees, stepping backward lightly.

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