Page 8 of To Charm a Dark Prince

She shivered. Damn it, it was chilly. It looked like it was autumn. The trees around herlookednormal, but she wasn’t going to trust anything as far as she could throw it until informed otherwise. They looked like birch trees, with their white and black strips of bark. Some of the branches were bare, but most had leaves on them in every shade of orange, red, and yellow. It was hard to see in the darkness, but the moon was bright overhead. If maybe just a little too large to be normal.

She could see bits and pieces of the starry sky beyond. None of them looked familiar to her. Just more proof that she wasn’t in Kansas anymore. She sniffled.

“Don’t you dare start crying.” The cat sighed. “That’s all I need.”

“Why not? What’ve I got to lose?”

“Salt. Water.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Dignity.”

“What dignity?” She gestured down at herself.

“Good point.” He looked back ahead on the path they were walking on. The dirt was at least fairly smooth beneath her feet, even if she did find a rock here or there in the worst way possible. “At least you admit how pathetic you are.”

“It’s nice to know you’re as much of an asshole as I thought you were.” She hopped a little to pull a pebble from where it had stuck onto her foot before continuing after him. “Have you always been able to talk?”

“Yes.”

“Why haven’t you said anything before?”

He snorted in laughter, but didn’t reply.

Frowning, she tried a new tactic. “Where’re we going?”

“There is a village not far from here. I saw it as we fell. Unless you want to starve or die from exposure to the elements, I thought it might be a good idea to steal some supplies before moving on.” He said it as though it were all perfectly normal. That this was the kind of thing he did all the time.

“Are you going to tell me why I’m here? Or who you are? Or anything?” She glared at the animal. “Literally anything. And that there’s some Iron Prince or some shit that’s running around and might kill me.”

“I am afraid I might overwhelm you and your delicate sensibilities.”

“Look, just because I have panic attacks, doesn’t mean—”

“Delicate. Sensibilities.” He bounded ahead five or so feet before slowing back down to a walk. It made her jog to catch up with him.

What a jackass.

“So, what will you tell me? I’m not going to just follow you through the woods not knowing anything.”

“And where else will you go? Hm? What else will you do? Sit about and starve? Perhaps be attacked by the direwolves that call this wood home? No. You’re going to follow me because you don’t have a choice.” He paused. “Especially if you ever want to go back.”

“Wait—” She jogged to catch up with him again. “Can you send me back?”

“No. Bringing us both here used up almost all my power. I am not strong enough as I am now. If you want to go back to Earth and that pathetic, flea-ridden farm you called ‘home’ with those equally pathetic humans who spawned you, you will have to help me regain my power. Until then, consider it mutually beneficial to follow along. You help me and I will help you.”

“You set my house on fire.”

“I did what I had to do. Tell me you aren’t going to whine about that for the rest of the walk.”

“I have plenty else to whine about.”

“Fantastic.” The cat swished his tail behind him from left to right.

“Can you at least tell me where we are?” She shivered and hugged herself a little tighter. She really wished she had clothes.

“I told you. The Ellainwood.”

“Which has direwolves. Great. We’ve established that. But like, zoom out. Is this Earth?”

“No.”

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