Page 97 of Kingdom of Faewood

But no matter how fast I walked, no matter how hard I wished for Jax to come back—he didn’t.

And then one day turned into two. And two days turned into three.

Yet Jax still didn’t come.

On the afternoonof the third day, I thought for certain I was going to jump out of my skin. The waiting was suffocating. Debilitating. And the terror in me grewthat I’d been tricked and left to rot, or simply made to wait until the Dark Raider needed another calling.

Because, as the days passed, my belief that I was Jax’s prisoner grew. Jax had lied to me and deceived me completely, even though I thought we’d made a truce and had agreed upon a deal.

But I knew now he was never going to let me go.

The enchanted room seemed to sense my soul-lashing anxiety. Each morning, soft music would abruptly start playing. Flickering candles would appear hovering in mid-air. Fragrant scents of new bouquets of flowers would tickle my nose.

But no matter what calming and soothing ideas the enchantment thought up next, it did nothing to relieve my anxiety.

Three days had passed with nothing but the enchantmentto keep me company with its trays of food and vases of perfumed flowers. Yet I couldn’t eat. Could barely sleep. Could hardly function.

Yet Jax still didn’t come.

By the time evening rolled around, the bells chiming five rings strong, I’d bitten my nails to the quick, a habit I’d had as a child when Guardian Alleron had pushed me too vigorously to learn my lorafin magic. There’d been so many times when I’d never been able to please him, and I’d taken out that anxiety on myself. I thought I’d beaten that habit, but with the promise of a fourth day coming, I’d bitten my nails down to nothing.

Yet Jax still didn’t come.

Nostrils flaring, I went to the door for what felt like the hundredth time. Of course, it didn’t budge when I tried to unlock it. I tried again, using one unlocking spell after another, calling upon the most intricate spells I’d ever learned, but as before, the lock stayed engaged.

“Stars and galaxy!” I howled and kicked the door. “Let me out of here!”

I spun and pressed my back to the solid frame, then lowered myself to the floor. A sob shook my chest. A giant fist squeezed my heart.

There was no way for me to escape. Not until Jax chose to free me, which he apparently was never going to do.

Shivers raced down my spine, dancing across my skin like icy fingers.

I need to get out of here.

And when the bells in the capital chimed six, an idea came to me like a flash of lightning. I bolted upright, my heart leaping into my throat.

There potentiallywasa way for me to unlock this door.

If I was willing to pay the price.

CHAPTER 25

I twisted my hands, thinking of what would come if I did this, but if Jax had tricked me, if he had no intentions of letting me go, and I just sat here naïvely believing he would eventually free me, it would be better if I took matters into my own hands and escaped when he least expected it.

Besides, I had rulibs. I had enough coin to start my own life. But the collar was still entirely in place. However, if I escaped now, and neither Guardian Alleron nor Jax knew where I went, I could truly start anew. They would never find me. And with the collar in place, I truly wouldn’t be a danger to others. Then, the supernatural courts would definitely deem me worthy of being free.

My heart raced, and hope began to spread through me again. Blessed, beautiful, courageoushope.

Nobody knew me in Jaggedston. I could escape into the masses and actually stay living in society since the collar meantI wouldn’t have to flee to the Wood. I could do my best to lead a normal, low-key life. It wasn’t what I wanted for myself, but in my current circumstances, it was probably the best outcome I could hope for.

A sharp pain of regret hit me that I would never know true freedom, but what Guardian Alleron had confirmed in the Ustilly Mountains remained. I would never be free of the collar. Itcouldn’tcome off. I would have to make the best of it, and since I already knew my mother was dead, did I even need to do my own calling anymore?

Magic rattled inside me when my mind was finally made up.

I raced to the bag that contained the clothes I’d gotten in Fosterton and quickly hefted the sack of rulibs into it. That, along with my meager pile of clothes, was all I had, but it was plenty to get me started.

I strapped the heavy bag to my back and returned to the door. This was it. This was the moment I’d spent my entire life waiting for.

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