Page 27 of The Dragon King's Curse
The sensation of having access to my magick once again flooded me with relief. My magick was still there, humming right beneath the surface, ready to burst free.
Noxx stuck a dagger that he had taken off one guard into his boot before handing me a second blade. “Here. That’s all they’ve got. It should be enough for now. Are you ready for those two outside? We need to take them at the same time. Keep them from making any noise and alerting anyone else.”
I nodded, ready to finish this and get moving. Rather than burst out of the prison, we quietly inched the door open. Late evening light greeted us. Noxx nodded for me to take the guardon the right while he went to the left. Both guards had their backs turned to us. They wouldn’t see us coming until it was too late.
Not taking any chances, I crept up behind my target and aimed my sword for a good clean slice. Taking his head off guaranteed he wouldn’t shout or have any chance of fighting back. As his head hit the ground, Noxx stabbed his blade through the other guard’s neck. Jerking the sword upward, he split the guard’s head in two. A nasty kill that told me more about Noxx than I think he’d intended.
“Better get moving, princess. I think the forest is our safest bet. If we head for the road, we’ll surely be seen.” Shoving the bloody blade into the sheath on his hip, Noxx grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him as we ran for the trees.
There was a large grassy expanse of castle grounds to cross before we reached the tree line. Any number of fae might see us between here and there. We ran like hell, quickly leaving the prison behind.
As we drew closer to the forest, I heard a shout ring out from behind us. A brief glance over my shoulder revealed three perimeter guards who’d caught sight of us. They immediately gave chase.
“Shit,” I gasped. “They’re coming.”
“And we’ll be ready for them. Keep moving. We might be able to lose them in the forest.” Noxx urged me on, holding tight to my hand.
The trees were so close. With my magick free, I felt them intently. Like they were part of me. Except they weren’t. I didn’t belong to this place. I would do my best to bond with the forest. To convince it to help us.
We plunged into the trees, leaving the castle grounds behind. Even though I’d been here such a short time ago, it felt foreign. Like a maze I was already lost inside. I didn’t recognizeany of it. Did the forest have the ability to change itself at will? There were stories that the fae land was a sentient being. Perhaps the stories were true.
“Don’t let go of me,” Noxx instructed as we hurried through the trees. “I don’t trust the forest not to separate us.”
“But it brought us together last time.” With my braid whipping about, I kept glancing back, searching for those who pursued us.
“Did it? Or did we just get lucky? We can’t take any chances. The land is not trustworthy.” Noxx ducked a tree branch as it swung down toward us. “Can you do something? Anything?”
Fae magick was dark and powerful, but I was powerful too. Knowing that I had to try something, I took a deep breath and reached out for the forest.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
NOXX
“Slow down. I need to concentrate. The energy is heavy here. It’s resistant.” Feryn pulled me to a stop.
Eyes narrowed, she scanned the forest around us. She crouched down and pressed her palm flat to the earth beneath us. Her lips moved quietly as she murmured something softly beneath her breath.
I watched as she communed with the land. Her magick rose, bringing with it a soft breeze and a light ethereal sensation. Her entire body seemed to glow. I couldn’t help but be enamored by her. I didn’t have a lot of personal, up close experience with elves. Not outside of battle. Feryn held me captivated.
The trees surrounding us began to rustle, swaying slightly. I braced myself in case one of them took a swing at us. Looking back, I searched for the guards that followed us. They wouldn’t be far behind.
“The magick here is strong. It’s hard to tap into.” Feryn’s brow creased as she stared at the ground, willing it to obey her.
“What are you trying to do?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“I’m asking the forest to protect us. To help us hide. It’s reluctant.” Feryn stood up, reaching to touch the tree next to us. In a soft whisper, she said, “Thank you.”
“Is it going to help?” There was something so magnetic about her. I couldn’t look away.
She shrugged. “Honestly? I have no idea. I don’t think it wants to. I’ll keep trying.”
Voices reached us. The guards were getting closer. I wasn’t sure which way to go. All I knew was that we needed to keep moving.
To my absolute shock and amazement, the trees and other plant life behind us began to shift, forming themselves into a thick wall. Blocking our pursuers. Feryn had done it. She communicated with the forest and it had listened. Maybe we would get out of here after all.
Adding to my awe, the trees ahead of us pulled their limbs back, opening up a path for us to pass through. With a smile on her beautiful face, Feryn pulled me along with her, and together we hurried along the path. As we passed, the trees returned to their original position.
“Where exactly are we going?” I asked. “Can the forest tell you how to get out of here? We need to leave this realm entirely.”
