Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Not to repeat myself, but Moriah caught fire, and she’s not a heap of ash,” Patch said, her voice tinged with hysteria.
“Keep yourself together until we reach camp,” Jasher commanded.
He maintained his clasp on my hand, shoving past sharp branches while the ladies hustled to remain five steps behind us. At some point, however, those branches seemed to move out of our path of their own accord. Insects and singing sirenes went quiet. Even rainbow birds kept their distance.
“I think the forest is afraid of you,” he muttered for my ears alone. Tension radiated from him.
“Me?” But that was ludicrous. A woodland wasn’t sentient. Was it? No, no. It had displayed no type of personality before this. “A forest is just a forest.”
“I’ve never seen it react to someone this way.” He picked up his pace. “We’re two days from Lux. Four if we go around this grove, which I think we should do. As the villagers proved, those snared by fear can do terrible things.”
Doubling our journey wasn’t an option. The longer I stayed in Hakeldama, the more danger I faced. I’d even begun to throw myself into life and death situations with utter abandon. For Daddy’s sake, I should leave as soon as possible. “We will be acting in fear if we forgo the shortcut. We’ve overcome every obstacle so far. That isn’t going to change.”
A long while passed before he nodded. “Very well.”
We continued on until sunset and made camp. Too exhausted for conversation, we ate the last of the jerky and fell asleep around the fire. I slept in the crook of Jasher’s arm again, clinging. But he clung to me, too.
When morning arrived, we cleaned up and set out, forgoing breakfast. Despite the lack of nourishment, everyone else’s mood was much improved. I felt as if I were being watched again.
Leona teased Patch about her tangles, and Patch seized every opportunity to poke me, shake her head, and muttered about otherworlders. Jasher whistled under his breath. I constantly glanced over my shoulder.
“Why are there so many birds?” Patch shooed a flock. One squawked at her, and she yelped, hurrying on.
There were a lot of birds about. They flew here, there, and everywhere, growing more and more agitated. Ultimately, they shot into the sky in unison, as though frightened away. Amid the sudden quiet, our group stopped.
“Something comes.” Menace radiated from Jasher as he palmed an ax.
I unsheathed my dagger, ready.
Up ahead, branches parted and leaves rustled. A pair of majestic black and white horses trotted forward, each bearing a single horn between its eyes. The black one possessed white wings and the white one possessed black wings, each feathery masterpiece arching backward.
“Pegacorn,” Leona breathed.
“Told you,” I sang. Not extinct.
“They were—are—known to be vicious,” Patch whispered, a tremor in her voice.
The cool metal of my ring told a different story. Did the pegacorn sense my connection to the former king and queen?
I took a step toward them, but Jasher tightened his hold on my hand, keeping me at his side. “They won’t harm us,” I promised. “Trust me.”
Seconds passed before he freed my fingers. I lifted to my tiptoes and kissed his cheek, surprising us both. His gaze swung to me, but I only smiled before approaching the pegacorn. Both bowed their heads, allowing me to pet their snouts. Such soft fur. The gemstones in my jewelry glowed, as if thrilled with the contact.
I gasped, my heart leaping. “They offer us a ride to the City of Lux.” The knowledge burned within me, as if they’d spoken out loud. “We’ll reach our destination in two hours rather than two days.”
“And let them drop us from the sky?” Leona shuddered. “No thank you.”
“Stay here, then. I’m going.” The black horse kneeled and slightly flared his wings, helping me mount with ease. “Jasher?” I arched a brow at him.
He jutted his chin. “I’ll go.” As he stalked over, the girls followed him. He helped the pair mount the white horse before climbing behind me, adjusting his pack, and wrapping his arms around me.
What an amazing development. “Did you ever hope to travel by pegacorn?” I asked my co-rider, anchoring my fingers in the animal’s mane. “Wait. Never mind. Until today, you believed they were extinct.”
“So did the rest of the world,” he remarked.
“Well, get ready for a delightful experience.” I’d flown to my grandparents on my father’s side, who’d moved to Florida when they’d retired. There’d been turbulence, but unlike other passengers, I hadn’t cared or worried. Being in the air had felt natural.
The pegacorn turned and kicked into a gallop, moving faster and faster through the forest. Dodging trees. Spreading further and further apart until… They leaped and flared their wings, catching a current and gliding up, up. Flapping and flapping, soaring higher and higher. Wind whipped through my hair, and I laughed.