Page 49 of A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart)

“So we’re in the forest now?” Evangeline asked, looking at all the camps surrounding them.

After the difficult road to get here and all the warning signs,she’d expected something a little more sinister. She’d pictured shadows, spiderwebs, and lots of creepy-crawlies, but all she saw was a dusky sky on the verge of sunset above a village of colorful silk tents festooned with flag bunting—as well as lots of men and women all dressed for an adventure. There were horses, too, a number of dogs, and quite a few falcons perched on shoulders.

Evangeline strained to see beyond the camps, looking for trees or even just leaves. But past the tents, all she saw was a misty blur of colors that made her think of the end of the rainbow.

“We’re in the in-between,” said Hale.

“You’ll know when you’re in the forest,” added Joff.

“Evangeline! I mean, Your Highness!” cried Aurora Vale as she skipped forward, her perfectly curled violet ringlets bouncing.

While everyone else in the nearby campsites looked frazzled by the rain, Aurora appeared as fresh as a flower. Her light gray boots, which laced up to her knees, were pristine, as was her short armor-plated dress and the quiver of silver-tipped arrows at her back.

Hale stood straighter at the sight of her, while Joff quickly smoothed his unruly hair.

“I didn’t know you were joining the Hunt!” Aurora said excitedly. “You can be on a team with me and my sister, Vesper.”

“Thank you, but I’m only here to find Apollo.”

“You could always join the lovely miss after you find him,” offered Joff.

“I’m sure the prince wouldn’t mind,” added Hale quickly.

Evangeline wasn’t sure she agreed. But she also wasn’t sure the guards were quite in their right minds. Even before the lovely Aurora had dazzled them with her arrival, the men’s faces had filled with adventurelust at the sight of all the flapping tents and sharpened weapons.

“Oh, please, do ask your prince to join! We would have so much fun together.” Aurora looked up at Evangeline with an expression that was a bit like a puppy that hoped it could go out to play. Of course, puppies didn’t usually have arrows at their backs, arrows that they planned to shoot at other puppies.

“I’ll think about it,” Evangeline said. “But I must find Apollo first.”

“I can take you to him,” Aurora said. “I just saw him over that way. His camp is beyond the collection of tents from House Casstel.” She pointed north, where there was a stretching village of pale blue tents striped with silver and a number of rather tall men and women all dressed to match.

“I’m afraid the lady is mistaken,” said a new voice that Evangeline didn’t recognize, at least not at first. But as soon as she turned, she saw the friendly face of Lord Byron Belleflower.

He smiled kindly, just as he had last night when she’d met him at the dinner and he had regaled her with all sorts of humorous stories about Apollo. She wasn’t sorry to see him again, but now was not the best time.

“I didn’t even hear you arrive, my lord.”

That wasn’t all too surprising when Aurora Vale was captivating everyone’s attention and Lord Byron Belleflower looked as if he’d dressed to be overlooked.

Today he wore brown pants, a leather vest, and a beige shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Unlike Aurora, Lord Belleflower didn’t wear any arrows on his back. All he had was a small dagger at his belt and a knife at his hip.

“I thought we were friendly enough that you could call me Byron. And forgive me for startling you, Your Highness. I just came from seeing Apollo. He was speaking with the Guild of Heroes over there, right next to where his campactuallyis.” Byron indicated the opposite direction, past a row of food tents, where Evangeline spied a valley of dark green tents, surrounded by clusters of men and women who all seemed to either have a pet dog or bird of prey.

“That’s impossible,” said Aurora, a sudden flush rising to her cheeks. “The prince along with his royal camp are in the other direction. I was just there a few minutes ago, before I found Princess Evangeline here.”

“Your Highness,” said Byron calmly, “forgive me for insulting your friend, but I fear she’s either addled or lying. The prince is not that way.”

“I am not—”

Da-da-da-da!A host of trumpets sounded in the distance, interrupting Aurora’s protests. A moment later, a nearby herald dressed in royal colors cried:

“Attention! Attention! The Hunt will officially commence in ten minutes. Ten minutes until the Hunt begins!”

Evangeline was running out of time.

“Well then, it looks like we should all be off,” said Aurora, as if the argument had never even happened.

Joff and Hale immediately started to follow her with their heads held high and their shoulders back. They would have probably followed her into a volcano if she asked.

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