Page 37 of Edge of Wonder

“Wow, you sure repeat everything I say. Were you injured in your fall?”

“No, I wasn’t injured. It’s just that you’re a ghost, and ghosts shouldn’t be able to remember anything from their past lives. I’m supposed to be the one helping you, not the other way around.”

Shire’s hands landed on her waist. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Ghosts have feelings too, you know.” She sniffed the air. “But since you’re curious, I’ll explain what happened.”

My patience had thinned. There wasn’t time to waste on explanations. Not with Alice wandering around alone with a team of mercenaries after her. “Will it take long?”

“It will not. I’m very succinct. You see, it all started twenty years ago when I was chosen as Alice’s adviser. All royal players are given guides to help them along the way. The tradition dates back to the very first royal challenge.” Shire twirled a corkscrew curl around her finger. “Now, that was a series of challenges for the books. Though my favorite was probably the eighth-generation challenge—or was it the seventh? No. I think it was the thirteenth.”

“Shire.” I ground my teeth. We were going to be chatting in the field till morning.

She crossed her arms and muttered under her breath, “Fine. I’ll skip to the point. As you know, the current queen is determined to keep the throne, and so she set out to murder the royal players. Unfortunately for me, she also attempted to murder their advisers. I had it on good authority that I was next, and the last thing I wanted was to become some roving spirit who didn’t even know their left foot from their name. So on the night her soldiers came after me, I wrote myself a note just in case I didn’t make it.” Shire pushed back the sleeve of her cloak to reveal a long inscription written in black ink on her arm. “It contains all the pertinent information about my life and was quite helpful when my spirit left my body. So, as you can see, I’m a completely self-sufficient ghost. The only trouble is, I seem to come and go without control, and don’t seem to haunt anything in particular. It’s quite vexing. But I make do.”

“The note was a clever idea,” I said, surprised that she’d thought to take the initiative. “I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before.”

“It’s bloody brilliant is what it is. But I digress. We really shouldn’t be standing around talking when we need to rescue Alice.” Her condescending gaze looked me up and down as if somehow I’d already failed.

I blew out a frustrated breath. “Where is Alice? Have you seen her?”

“Of course, I have. I even gave her directions to town. She just has to cross through the Rottingvale Gardens first. But that’s where it gets a little dicey. The place is more of a graveyard than a garden, and once you’re trapped inside…it’s quite grim.”

“What?” I snapped. “Why would you lead her there?”

Shire scrunched her features. “What a weird question. It’s the fastest way to town.”

My jaw clenched, and I grabbed my bag. “Take me there. Now.”

Shire flattened her lips and huffed. “I was already planning to. You’re the one lallygagging around in a field.”

***

We traveled for over an hour with Shire talking the entire way. She was lucky she was already dead, or I might have pitched her into the lake we passed. Though now I had the full story of what we were up against.

In the years since the queen enacted her murderous plan, the realm had fallen into ruin. Lawlessness ran rampant and danger lurked around every corner, with the queen unwilling to tame it. The people hid in their villages afraid to take a stand, and since everyone assumed there were no royal players left, they feared another generation would pass without resolution.

There was also the matter of the thorns. They had been given the name of the Bloodless Forest, due to the gray thicket of encroaching briers. It continued to grow, devouring the land, and laying waste to its creatures. It was rumored to be a curse carried out by the queen for the realm’s disobedience, and unless another player rose to power, it would continue to ravage the land.

Shire trailed along beside me, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. “Everyone is going to be so excited when they learn Alice has returned. I bet there will be a parade.” She skipped a few steps. “Oh, I do love a parade.”

“I think we should keep Alice’s return quiet for now. At least until she enters the first challenge.”

“Hmm… you might be right. The guest of honor is a wanted woman.” She snapped her fingers. “I know a place where we can lie low until we perform the induction ceremony.”

I glared at Shire and she gulped.

“A very low-key, practically private, induction ceremony. With guards,” she added when my glare didn’t let up.

Shire stepped in front of me and continued to float backward along the trail. “I’m surprised you’re so concerned about our dear Alice. I was always under the assumption that you weren’t joining her, even though it is your destiny.”

“Don’t say that,” I grumbled.

“Say what? Destiny?” She laughed and twirled in a circle. “What about fate? Or kismet?”

“Stop it. I’m not staying.”

Shire skidded to a halt, and I walked right through her. She whirled and chased after me. “You’re not staying?”

“Now who’s being repetitive?”

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