Page 118 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
“We’ll find out tonight.”
All about, the people returned to their day-to-day, but Rufus, Brownie, and Slake remained on the sidewalk.
“Still think Madame Potts is Their Royal Highness?” Rufus asked, a bit teasing. “Theywouldcompliment themselves live on Crystal Cast.”
“Do you still think it’s me?” Brownie countered, resettling her instrument by tugging a bit on her strap.
“I think it’s Feliwyn,” Slake commented offhand.
“Her Eminence?” Rufus shook his head slowly so as not to disturb the grimalcat on his shoulder. “That dragon’s been asleep for almost a decade, and she’s more the kind to just eat anything that irks her, not warn people about their own problems.”
Brownie felt the urge to hold the beastman’s hand, and so gave in. She reached out until her fingers brushed his with the barest touch. Rufus noticed her intention and gave her a tight smile, taking her hand. Her Eminence Feliwyn was the regent who had chosen him to be Keith’s playmate, effectively dooming him to live far from his family and take up his life in the Black Fortress. It wasn’t advanced magical theory to guess that he might have some mixed feelings about the dragon.
Slake licked his paw, “That doesn’t mean she isn’t doing it.”
“Did you know,” Rufus admitted, “that the King’s Crystal, the specific crystal that we use to activate our own kingdom-wide Cast system in the Dark Enchanted Forest … was misplaced in Her Eminence Feliwyn’s horde?”
Slake smiled. “Furthering my point.”
“The Dragon Feliwyn wasright there, asleep, for the entire wedding. But Madame Potts’s Cast made it sound like she was sitting around sharing tea and cake with the rest of us.” Brownie tugged Rufus’s hand, walking them over to the stall next to the inn where her horse hadmiraculouslybehaved herself all evening.
“She could’ve lied,” Slake proposed. “And what happened to your horse?”
Or maybe miracles only happened over bimbleberry mead.
“Donna,” Brownie sighed. “Whyyy?”
CHAPTER 71
Dazzled the Eyes
Rufus
I’d admit I wasn’t ready to go meet Bronwynn’s family.
Having dinner with a household of assassins wasn’t the problem, no. It was that I was going to a household of assassins, and I had a nebulous relationship with their daughter. Because whatever we were had changed since yesterday … I hoped. If she was going to bring me back to her room and pet me all night, I couldreasonwe were something more than we’d been the day before.
She’d accepted my invitation to the Summer Masquerade. I’d like to think it was obvious we were dating, but as someone who dealt in marriage counseling, a position without a label wasn’t kind or respectful to either party.
It would be nice to take our time traveling to her family home and talk. Of course, I wasn’t expecting this type of delay.
Donna the murder horse was covered head to foot in glitter, rainbows, and bow ties.
She looked like she’d walked out of a princess tea party hosted by four-year-olds at a Pixie Prim childcare center. The only pixie I’d gotten to know that well, Ross, was just as pink and sparkly.
Donna shook herself and then stood straighter, her majestic tail whipping from the bum wiggle. Her hair dropped sparkles like the drunk fairy godmother I’d met at Princess Tamara’s sixth birthday party; she was Their Royal Highness Rowen’s youngest, and eighteen now.
The mare stamped one hoof in the dirt and glitter of her stall.
Bronwynn placed her hands on her hips, standing her ground.
“What do you mean you want to keep it?!” she exclaimed. “You want to travel across the continent inconspicuously dressed like a rainbow? How did this even happen?”
Donna looked at her neighbor in the stall next door. Inside, a black horse with shimmering purple wings stuck her head up over the ledge and blew out her nose. Donna leaned toward her friend, and the movement brought her flank into a beam of morning light that dazzled the eyes.
“Cassandra! I should have known!” Bronwynn slapped her forehead.
Again, I wasn’t in a hurry to visit Bronwynn’s family home before my actual meeting, especially since we hadn’t had a sober talk between the two of us … but I knew my bard had wished for an early start. I couldn’t imagine washing all ofthatoff was going to take a short period of time.
