Page 35 of The Cursed Kingdom

I brush my hand over the covered waistband of my leggings, subtly feeling for the knife I tucked in there this morning.

The walking path veers away from the gap, leaving a significant amount of room between it and the open forest inside. The land between the path and the wall is leveled, too, making sneaking inside damn near impossible.

A guard is heading in my direction, his eyes trained ahead. He’s muscular, his biceps pushing against the tight black fabric of his shirt. I refuse to let myself be intimidated by it as I step in front of his path, capturing his attention.

“Excuse me?” I ask. “Is this the Redstall Forest?”

I gesture to the break in the wall—to the forest beyond. The faeries aren’t looking twice at me, and other than the one maybe creepy guy I ran into during my walk to Farbay, they’ve been friendly. I’m getting the impression that they don’t think much of humans, just as Lill always joked.

They think I’m a harmless, innocent pet, and I’m hoping this guard thinks so, too. I’m hoping he looks at me and sees a confused, inquisitive human.

The guard nods. “Yes. Why?”

His curt answer threatens to deter me, but I don’t let it. I keep my chin high, not responding physically to his tone. I’m new here, and I’m curious. There’s nothing wrong with that.

“It’s so…open,” I point out. “Aren’t you scared about shifters coming through?”

The guard glances at the gap in the wall, into the thick forest and giant trees beyond. I follow his line of sight, hoping he doesn’t dismiss my question. This is my best chance to gather information.

“The shifters know better than to enter faerie lands,” he says. “And the few who do wander through don’t make it far. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

I lick my lips. “I just fear it would be so easy to sneak through. I’ve heard they’re dangerous—andviolent.” I shiver, hoping the action comes across as fearful.

The guard crosses his arms over his chest and shifts, subtly placing himself between me and the wall. Is he trying to protect me, or is he growing suspicious? I can’t honestly tell.

“Shifters aren’t known for their discretion,” he says. “On the rare occasion one takes it upon themselves to travel beyond the wall, they never make it far.”

Why? Because the area is so heavily guarded that they’re immediately spotted? That’s not good for me.

“Even at night?” I ask.

The guard laughs. “Even at night, human. The shifters are loud, impossible to miss.”

I don’t appreciate everybody calling mehuman. It makes me feel less than, but it’s not worth fighting about. Not right now.

“So, you spot them by sound?”

The guard nods, but he looks cautious. This is good news. It means he and the others won’t be patrolling with their eyes. If I’m quiet and careful, I might be able to get past them unnoticed.

I change the subject. “Do faeries ever go inside the forest?”

“Why would they?”

“I’m not sure. To explore, maybe?”

The guard hums. “It rarely happens, but it’s dangerous. I don’t recommend it.”

So, faeriesdoenter Redstall Forest. It’s not illegal or anything, just highly discouraged. That’s good to know. I’d march right in now if I didn’t already know the guard would stop me. The faeries can access the forest, but I’m not a faerie.

I’m a human—a weaker creature the faeries seem to feel the need to coddle and protect. Maybe that guy on the horse really was trying to help. Oh, well. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

I grab my backpack straps, nervously curling my gloved hands around them. “Well, that’s good to know. I should get going, but it was nice talking to you.”

The guard nods, his eyes trailing down my body in a way that’s just a little too heavy to be purely casual. “It was my pleasure.”

I’m sure it was.

The guard leaves, and I linger by the wall for a few minutes before beginning the long walk back into Farbay. This was helpful. Kind of.

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