Page 2 of Hunted

That last part I left unsaid, because the fact was, I hadn’t told Valerian the real reason all of Arcadia had forgotten us. I hadn’t told him I had made some kind of deal with an old crone back at the village of the Moon Children. I hadn’t told him that I had given that hag a happy memory, and that the witch had used it to change my Fate somehow.

And by extension, his, even if I didn’t know why.

Whatever had just happened to me, had happened to him. His family, if he had any, wouldn’t know him. His friends, the world at large, it had forgotten him. What did this mean? Did he have something to do with it? Was he a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Just when I thought I could trust him again, doubt would creep in and remind me that I didn’t really know anything about him.

We were strangers, really.

Helen seemed to understand my meaning without my having to spell it out. She turned her eyes over at the man in my company. “Valerian… is it?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Valerian, nodding.

“You don’t mind if I take aslightprecaution, do you?”

He angled his head to the side. “Precaution?” he asked, a little warily.

“Just ateensy, weensyone?” she asked, a careful smile aimed at him.

“Alright,” he ventured, Helen’s disarming smile breaking down his guard.

Helen flicked her wrist, and a spark of coruscating green magic shot out of her hand and zapped Valerian in the chest. Valerian stiffened, his eyes widened, and when he relaxed, he fell into a puddle of himself, only he didn’t hit the ground hard. With her other hand—and a little magic—Helen made sure to control his descent so he would touch the ground gently.

A moment later, he was snoring.

I had never heard him snore.

“What… did you do?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“I had a choice,” she said, “Send him to sleep, or turn him into a frog. I haven’t tried the latter in a long time, and I would love to try it again, but it didn’t seem proper, here. First impressions are important, you understand.”

“But why did you do it?”

“Because I can see in your eyes, you have something you wish to talk to onlyusabout.”

Tallin turned his head up. “Hello,” he said, smiling.

“You knew that just by looking at us?”

“I’m a lot more perceptive than I’m given credit for these days, my dear. Now, tell me whatever it is you cannot say in front of this man.”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure where to start.”

“Like all good stories, we start at the beginning.”

I took a breath, then exhaled. “Well… I think I got myself cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“Yes. My mother and father were putting me through the Royal Selection. As Princess, it was my duty to sit through it, to watch the Fae compete and fight for the right to marry me, but I didn’t want to marry anyone. I’m not ready for marriage yet.”

“Far too young…” she said, shaking her head. “Please, go on.”

“I tried to get them to understand what I needed, but they didn’t care. They wouldn’t listen… so I fled. I went looking for Radulf thinking he could help, but I only made things worse.”

“How so?”

“Radulf was going to send me back to the castle. He wanted me to do what mother and father asked of me. I felt like they all knew something I didn’t, like they were all keeping some kind of secret from me. Maybe if they had told me… maybe if Iknew the reason, I wouldn’t have done what I did.”

Helen’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

---