Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(57)
Bayleon and Bastian nod their heads in understanding and we continue our way down to the fog beyond where Aki and my horse, Prince Ashe, are waiting patiently. Seeing them lifts my spirits and knowing that I will be back on my way to finding Kalen sends the adrenaline spiking through my body.
Aki is wagging his tail excitedly while Prince Ashe is pacing back and forth. I know they must have been worried. They head straight for me and my escorts let me go so I can greet them. Aki reaches me first and I bend down to hug his neck while he licks my face. His excitement makes me laugh so he continues to bombard me.
“Thank you for staying, Aki.” He huffs and licks me one more time before moving away so that I can greet Prince Ashe. I rub his muzzle and the sadness he feels dissipates when he senses that I am alright.
“I’m OK, Prince Ashe. Are you ready to go?” I ask urgently.
He bumps me with his muzzle in reply. My saddle is in place along with my satchel. I climb upon his back and look down at both brothers and smile.
“Thank you for letting me go,” I say to both of them.
Bastian walks up and places his hand on mine when he speaks. “I hope you have a safe journey and that you find your prince. Farewell, Princess Meliantha.” He lets go of my hand and steps back to give Bayleon the chance to say his goodbye.
Bayleon comes forward and takes my hand. He kisses my hand gently and says, “I wish you a safe journey as well, Princess. When the time comes and you need more warriors, we will be there to fight by your side.” His face turns serious with his last words, “I promise to always be there if you need me.”
I’m astonished by his promise because it puts him in my debt if I need help. Tears sting my eyes and I let them fall.
“I’m going to hold you to that promise, Bayleon,” I say while laughing through the tears. I squeeze his hand one last time before letting go. I came in here thinking I was going to be a sex slave, and now I’m leaving and have acquired a powerful ally. I think the tables are starting to turn in this demented game the dark sorcerer has me playing.
The beginnings of night have already begun and it’s time for me to be on my way. I wave to both men before Aki heads off in the direction we must go. I look back one more time to see Bayleon and Bastian waving, at least until the fog takes over and they are no longer in sight. It’s a strange feeling, but I honestly think I’m going to miss their company.
The direction Aki leads me is the opposite way from the bridge I crossed over to enter the Tyvar territory. It is late in the night and my eyes are feeling heavy from lack of sleep. There will be time to rest when I have Kalen back, so for now, I will push through it as hard as I can. The forest is dark with slivers of moonlight peeking through the trees making it look beautiful, yet ominous somehow. The night has cooled off, but I can still feel the humidity of the forest sticking to my skin. The forest is eerily quiet and the only sounds I hear are the clomping of Prince Ashe’s hooves on the ground below. The silence reminds me of how alone I truly am.
I haven’t been riding long, but I think I’ve gone far enough to where I can let Ashur know that I am well. If I spoke to him earlier I’m sure he would have found a way to catch up to me. I hesitate for a few minutes because I know he’s going to demand to know where I am at. He won’t understand my reasoning for wanting to be alone.
“Ashur?” I call out sheepishly to his mind.
“Meliantha! Thank the stars you are all right. Where are you? Are you OK?” He speaks frantically in my mind. I knew he would be worried and it breaks my heart that he is probably been going crazy for the past few hours not knowing what was happening to me.
“I’m fine...the Tyvar let me go,” I confess.
“WHAT?! What happened? How did you get the Tyvar to let you go?”
“It’s a long story and I will tell you later. Where did they take you and Finn?”
“They took us across the bridge and blocked us from coming back across. They did something to the fog to keep us from entering. Tell me where you are and we will come to you.”
I knew he would want to come find me, but I can’t let him or Finn risk their lives for me anymore. What was the reason for my training if I can’t defend myself without a warrior’s help? I honestly think I am strong enough to handle this journey on my own.
“Meliantha?”
I take a deep breath before responding.
“I am so sorry, Ashur, but I’m going to find Kalen on my own.”
“No, you are not!” he screams in my mind. The blast from his scream actually makes me flinch.
“Yes, I am. I just wanted to let you know I was safe and away from the Tyvar. Go back to the Winter Court and let everyone know what’s going on. I will see you soon, my Guardian.”
I quickly put my shields up to block him out of my mind. I hate to have to do that to him, but all I wanted was for him to know that I’m well. I honestly hope he does what I say and heads back to the Winter Court. Knowing him and Finn they will keep searching for me until they find me.
As we are riding along, Prince Ashe slows his pace and his ears perk up in attention. Aki is sniffing around and growling towards the trees off to our left. My adrenaline instantly spikes putting me on full alert. Even with my enhanced vision it’s hard to make out every single thing moving around; however, I know my vision is clear when I see several sets of glowing red eyes staring back at me. Sweat forms over my brow and my lungs begin to constrict from being frozen in place. Please don’t let these creatures be what I think they are. I know one thing, I’m not going to wait and find out.