Page 13 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

“And the bad news?” I brace myself.

“The bad news is that everyone who has come through the mountains has a different account of what they experienced. It’s almost like the magic there is tailored to each individual person.”

“How so?” I ask, never having heard of magic so complex.

“Apparently, the enchantments in the Pass will prey on an individual’s fears.” Briar swallows audibly.“That’s why many never make it through. They either go mad from what they see, or they fall into some kind of physical harm while trying to navigate their worst nightmares.”

“Great,” I say dryly, my stomach knotting tightly at the thought of being so overcome with fear that you simply die, for one reason or another.

“And another thing…” Briar looks at me sheepishly. I raise my eyebrows, not knowing how our prospects could get much worse.“Your parents were the last ones to come through themountains alive.”

I sigh.“So they’re our best bet at finding out what we’ll be dealing with.” It’s not like I haven’t thought of asking them already, I was just hoping it wouldn’t be necessary, given our now-strained relationship.

Briar nods.“When are you planning on leaving?”

“As soon as we can, I guess. How much time do you need to prepare the spells?” I ask her, standing up and brushing the dirt off my pants.

“I could be ready by tomorrow morning.” She shrugs, clearly wanting to support me but feeling sad about me leaving.

“Okay. Tomorrow morning then,” I say, feeling slightly nauseated. Briar stands and makes to head inside, but I stop her.“Hey, Bri?”

“Yeah?” She turns back around to face me.

“Thank you.” I give her a weak smile.“For everything.”

She shrugs.“What are best friends for?”

∞∞∞

Back at my house, I start gathering supplies. Both of my godparents are at the market, and it seems strange that everyone around me is just carrying on as normal, and I’m preparing to leave the only home I’ve ever known.

I grab my knapsack and pack an extra change of clothes, a canteen, some apples and cheese, and my life savings which consists of fifteen gold pieces. I’ll bring my bow and my dagger, but I want to travel light since I have no idea how many miles lie between me and the Westlands. Maybe I’ll be able to buy a horse once I’m through the mountains, but for now, I’ll be on foot.

I walk around the house searching for Killian since I haven’t actually talked to him about my plan to leave so soon. I find him in the yard feeding Freya, which is actually one of my chores, and something I hadn’t thought of. My leaving will not only affect my own life, but my family’s lives as well. Killian will most likely end up taking on all my tasks around the farm, which makes me feel guilty. Regardless, I know I can’t stay here in light of everything I’ve learned.

I join him and Freya nudges me playfully, sniffing me for carrots or apples. I didn’t think to bring her anything, so I rub her nose instead.“Can you be ready to leave by tomorrow morning?”

His head snaps up and Freya snorts disapprovingly at the sharp movement. His eyes are wide, but he answers me.“Tomorrow morning?” I nod, giving him time to think. “Faide take me.” He runs a hand through his thick hair.“I guess so.”

I nod once.“I should tell you… Briar said there are differing accounts of what’s in the mountains, but all seem to agree that the magic there is old,ancientreally, and extremely potent. I’ll need to ask Ma and Papa to confirm what they saw, but apparently, the enchantments work by preying on your fears.”

“Sounds lovely,” Killian mutters sarcastically.

“Ma and Papa were the last people to come through alive, so they’ll be able to tell us what we’ll be up against.”

As if we summoned them, our parents appear in the yard having overheard our conversation.

“You’re leavingtomorrow?” my mother asks, her voice thick with surprise but not outright shock, leading me to believe that Killian did indeed share my plans with them.

“Yes.” One look at my father’s face, and I suddenly feel less sure about my decision than I was a few moments ago.“I need to ask you about the Nevoa pass. About what you saw there, and how you made it through.”

“You both were with us,” my father says.“You were only a baby, but Killian was older. You don’t remember anything?”

Killian shakes his head and my mother interjects.“Honestly, I don’t remember much either. All I can recall is thefeelingof being there.” She shivers as she recalls the memories.“It felt empty. No life, no feeling, just… existence.”

“There’s something to look forward to.” Killian bounces up and down on his toes in feigned enthusiasm, and our mother shoots him a disapproving look.

My father speaks up.“I remember feeling like we were being watched. I didn’t sleep the whole time we were in the Pass because I felt like if I let my guard down for even a moment, someone would come and take you away.”

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