Page 29 of The Cursed Kingdom

I pass a house every few minutes, which is comforting. I like knowing that if something goes wrong during the night, my scream will be heard. Not that that means anybody would come out to help, though.

My feet are beginning to hurt, and I pause and stretch out my ankles before continuing. I’m glad I bought new sneakers before coming here, but I should’ve taken the time to break them in. My socks are painful where they rub against my heels, and blisters are already forming.

I glance up, frowning as I eye the orange-and-pink sunset off in the distance. It’s beautiful, but it means I’ll need to stop walking soon. I’m not going to travel during the darkest hours of the night. It isn’t worth the risk, but I’ll make sure to get moving at first light.

I’ve closed some good distance today, but I still have a long way to go.

If the rumors that the princes are planning to travel into the Redstall Forest through Farbay are true, I need to get there first. Samuel made it sound like it’ll be impossible to sneak in once the princes arrive, so I need to beat them to it.

Maybe, if I have time, I can re-up my supplies while I’m there. My interactions with Samuel were positive, and I hope I can get another faerie desperate for a mate to purchase me more food. My only other option is to steal, which I’m doubtful would work.

A quiet, thumping noise reaches me from behind, and I spin just in time to see a faerie on horseback emerge from the back of one of the houses I passed a few minutes prior. It’s a man, and he sits tall on his brown-coated horse as he turns onto the gravel road and heads toward Callonton.

The horse appears similar to the ones in the human realm, albeit slightly larger. I’d kill to have a horse right about now. Its tail swishes as it begins walking away, but then the man on top looks over his shoulder, making eye contact with me.

I curl my toes inside my shoes, resisting the urge to run as the horse turns around and begins heading toward me.Fuck me.The man on top of the horse is large, just like Samuel. His white hair is cropped short to his head, and his violet eyes rake over my figure as he nears.

“Are you all right?” he asks, only a few steps away now. “Are you lost?”

The horse is so close, I could reach out my arms and brush its muzzle. I don’t.

I shake my head. “I’m all right. Just on my way to Farbay.”

I figure being honest is my best course of action. Samuel saw right through me when I tried to lie, and it makes me look more suspicious than necessary. There’s nothing wrong abouta human walking from Callonton to Farbay. It may be a bit peculiar, but definitely not illegal.

The man’s gaze travels to my gloves, and my fingers twitch by my sides. Is he going to ask to touch me? Should I ask to touchhim? I don’t know what’s considered normal, but I’m going to let this guy lead.

“That’s quite a long walk on foot,” the man says. I shrug, and he continues. “Do you need a ride?”

“In exchange for what?”

“I’ve heard rumors about the human realm…” The horse shifts, and the man smoothly adjusts. I’m going to piss myself. “I have no ulterior motive, human. My daughter is in labor, andmy matehas kicked me out of the home until my grandchild is born.”

The man frowns, waving a hand in the vague direction of the home he came from. He doesn’t sound particularly pleased about being kicked out of his home, and I fight back a smile. He has a mate. That has to mean something, right?

It doesn’t mean I’m going to openly trust this man, though.

“I have time to kill, and the trip to Farbay is beautiful.”

My parents always warned me never to pick up a hitchhiker, but they never told me what to do whenI’mthe hitchhiker. I suppose they never imagined I’d be in this position. I didn’t, either, to be honest.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

The man purses his lips, briefly hesitating to answer. It’s minor, but it’s all I need to see. Why would he hesitate to give me his name? Is he afraid I’ll repeat it to another? I’m not sure, and I honestly don’t care. This man very well might be genuine, but I’m not in a position to be trusting people. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

“I’m all right,” I lie, interrupting before he gives a name. “My friend’s home is along the way, and I promised I’d stop in to sayhello. Plus, I don’t mind the walk. It’s enjoyable, especially on a night as beautiful as this.”

The man hums, chewing at the inside of his cheek. “It’s a long walk. I estimate you’re still several hours away by foot.”

“I’m all right. I want to walk.” My answer is too curt to be polite, and the man visibly recoils before collecting himself.

“Very well, then,” he says. “Enjoy your walk.”

He pulls the horse’s reins, and I place a hand over my chest as he turns and begins heading in the direction he was originally going. I wait until he’s almost entirely out of sight before giving him my back.

The streetlights turn on, drawing attention to the quickly dwindling sunlight. The lamps are tall, black poles with glowing, bulbous tips, and they illuminate the road just enough that I don’t veer off the path—not that there’s much room to mess up. The road has been a straight shot, just like Samuel said.

I walk until the sun has completely vanished and the moon shines brightly, and only once my feet and legs feel swollen do I finally begin to search for a place to sleep. I can’t exactly pull up to a random faerie’s house and ask to borrow a bed for the night, but I figure nobody will mind if I crash in a barn.

---