The embarrassment washed away as rage took its place, and I gripped the reins tighter.
“Why have you taken me?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. “Because of my father, I’m assuming?”
Wait…
I whipped my head to him and he was smirking, still looking forward, as he waited for me to piece it together.
“How did you… You followed me home that first night, didn’t you?” My mouth fell open, disgusted. Mortified.
“Honestly, it was very thoughtful of you to be there that night. You presented our salvation on a silver platter.”
His words settled over me. He was right.
I did this.
Guilt dug its ugly claws in and I kept my eyes forward, numb, as everything my father had ever said crashed back to me.
Chapter Eight
Ara
We rode along the same trail for hours. It was a simple dirt path, well-worn by years of travelers and lined with luscious, green grass that continued over rolling hills for miles. The sky was clear as the sun peaked, and thick, fluffy clouds drifted in the breeze.
If given the chance, I would be able to find my way back to the border. The trail was simple enough and we hadn’t passed through any towns. Escaping the horde in such an open field, however, would be challenging. I would have to wait until we stopped, hopefully for the night, to slip out while they were sleeping. There would be no other way to leave undetected with so many eyes around at all times.
Lost in my plan, I didn’t notice our surroundings changing.
The trail had narrowed and the grass was no longer thick and green, but brown and wilted. There were no flowers, no vegetation of any kind besides dead grass and the trees up ahead—if they could be called that.
The air became stale and the horses uneasy as we neared the forest. These trees were unlike any I had ever seen. The trunks were black and too smooth as if oiled. The leaves were unnaturally dark, almost blending in with the black bark and casting the forest floor in a suffocating shadow so nothing could grow.
“This is the Cursed Wood,” Rogue said. “Just stay within the horde and you’ll be fine. We’ve crossed through several times before with no problems. As long as we keep quiet, we shouldn’t attract any unwanted attention and we’ll make it through in less than three hours.”
Unwanted attention?
“Does anything live in these woods?” I asked, carefully scanning the trees for movement.
“There are a few creatures, but not many, and we haven’t come across them in years. Like I said, as long as we stick to the trail and remain as quiet as possible, they tend not to notice us,” he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on the trail ahead.
As we entered, the Fae were silent. Tense. On guard.
If they were afraid, what were we walking into?
* * *
I kept an eye on the sun through the canopy as much as I could to track the time. If I was correct, we only had about an hour before we were clear. We hadn’t seen a single creature, only trees as far as the eye could see. Exhaling slowly, I released my grip on the reins, relaxing slightly.
We’re almost there.
Just then, a small bird leapt onto the trail ahead of us.
About a foot in height, it had sleek black, iridescent feathers and skinny legs it used to bounce around on. From the side, the vibrant red skin surrounding its black beady eye was visible and its beak was long and slender, curving downwards into a sharp point. It stopped and curiously cocked its head towards us, turning and hopping in our direction.
I looked at Rogue. Other than his chest heaving with rapid breaths, he was completely still, his locked eyes with the bird.
“When I tell you to run, you run. Go as fast as you can until you clear the woods and do not return, no matter what you hear. Wait for us there,” Rogue said under his breath.
“Why? It looks harmless. It’s so small and…” I uttered slowly, my sentence trailing off as hundreds more emerged from behind the trees, squawking as their beady eyes darted in every direction, bouncing mindlessly.