Chapter Nineteen

Thistles clung to my breeches as we pushed through the thick brambles. At last, we stepped onto a worn carriage track. The road to the Outer Realm, the sun beating down on us—draining us.

Even though I’d been training for years for a moment and opportunity like this, nervousness settled in. What if I was too late? What if I failed? Would we be ambushed like the last Mission party? I bit back the fear and doubt. I couldn’t afford to allow these thoughts to plague me—not now, not when I needed to be strong.

“This is where we part ways.” Honour leaned down to tear a pricker from his cloak. “Once you rescue the prince, send word via carrier pigeon. If you arrive before us, wait in Brushton, and we’ll fetch you from there.” He turned to Captain Bushwell. “Keep an eye on these two.”

“You know you don’t even have to ask. We’ll make sure all the younglings come back safely.”

Thezriel shook my hand. “May you have a safe journey, Ivy Archer. And if fate finds you in need of help, you might consider calling upon the Woodland Elves of the North. Tell them that you wish to speak to Thezriel’s sister, Sashine.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

He moved on to Pudge, and they whispered amongst themselves, while Honour came to stand in front of me. Worry lines furrowed his brow as sadness seemed to wash over his face.

“I wish you every success in your Mission. And I hope you and Pudge find safe passage. I… Look, Ivy, you’re like my baby sister, and you’re out here with my brother. Just look out for each other.” He glanced at the ground, then back at me. “I wish I could come along to help you, but this is your Mission.”

“We’ll be fine, I promise. No worries. We have soldiers with us.” A lump formed in my throat, and I bit back tears that threatened to give away my emotions.

He nodded, then reached forward to hug me. The air went out of my lungs as he embraced me tightly.

Grr shoved between us with a growl as if he thought Honour had prolonged our hug too long. I backed away.

“I can honestly say, this is the first time I actually like the dog.” Pudge glared at his brother. “Don’t think about going in for seconds.”

Honour smiled at me, then turned to Pudge. “Relax, I’m leaving.” He leaned in closer to Pudge and whispered, “Just so you know, little brother, jealousy is not very becoming.” He hugged him tight. “Be safe out there.”

Pudge’s eyes widened, and he flushed darker green. “See you soon, I hope.”

With a wave, Thezriel and Honour disappeared from sight. We started walking west. We’d stick to the main road for a while, then venture farther into the wild country. The path might be easier to travel on, but that also meant a bigger risk of thieves and mercenaries. Captain Bushwell was pretty adamant that we stick to the safer route. He’d also suggested we travel during daylight hours, mostly so Pudge and I could get used to it before we arrived in the human world, but also to avoid some of the bandits that could hide easier after dusk.

“Now that you know Dorian’s your brother, is there anyone else you might be considering?” Pudge fell in step next to me.

Wind rattled the trees overhead; I stared up at bits of sunlight peeking through. “We have other things to be concerned about right now. Like the Mission. Like surviving. And when we get back, then we have the Choosing Ceremony.” I chewed my lip.

“Yeah, we do,” he said softly before turning his focus back to the path ahead of us.

Was he remembering our kiss, too? My face warmed as I watched him. Or did our kiss not affect him as it had me?

“Pudge, about the other night,” I started.

“Maybe we should talk about that later, when there are fewer people around,” he said.

I nodded. Of course, he was right.

“Vane, Percivious, and Beaurick, why don’t you scout ahead with Sergeant Sovner?” Captain Bushwell said. “The rest of you keep your eyes open. We’re not in Gob Hollow any longer.”

Squirrels tittered in the brush, some scurrying by with nuts in their mouths. Greenery surrounded us like a heavy blanket. Dense leaves clung to the tall oaks and maples. Butterflies decorated the air with brilliant colors as they flew by in parade-like fashion.

Wildflowers grew in abundance along the sides of the road, deep purples and yellows and crimson dotting the landscape like a painter had dumped bottles on a canvas.

From across the path, a large white unicorn stepped out from behind some brush. I gasped. I’d never seen one this close before. Noticing us, he scampered away.

We walked for hours, not seeing a single soul. Just us and the wildlife. With darkness closing in, I suggested we leave the path.

As we headed into the woods, the trees sprawled out like limbed fighters all around us. Twigs snapped under my feet, the heavy scent of pine lingering in the air.

It felt surreal being out here. Places I’d only read about were coming alive all around me. And yet, I couldn’t enjoy it. Not with thoughts of Dorian hanging over my head. I imagined if I’d been with them on the first Mission, how all of this would’ve been amazing, all the excitement of being outside of Gob Hollow for the first time. But with each mile that brought us farther from our home and closer to where Dorian was, the more anxious I felt. What would I find when I got there?

None of us knew what to expect. Would there be another human hunting party waiting for us? What about the trolls or elves, or even dwarves?

After trudging through the thicket, we stopped. “Let’s camp here tonight. We’re far enough off the road and close to a stream to refill our skins.” I dropped my pack, glancing at Captain Bushwell for the okay.

“This looks like as good a place as any,” he said as Vane, Perci, and Beaurick came tramping back to us, too.

“Everything looks clear ahead, captain,” Perci said.

“Good. Let’s set up our bedrolls and get a campfire started.” He unloaded his pack, setting it on the ground.

My muscles ached, and all I wanted to do was sit down.

“If I never see another tree, it’ll be too soon.” Pudge swatted at a branch, and it thwacked him back in the face. His tunic dripped with sweat, and his hair lay damp against his forehead. “I want a cup of hot innards and a place to soak my feet.”

With a laugh, I tossed him a chunk of smoked venison. “This will have to do.”

He collapsed to the ground, scarfing down the venison, then laid his head back and closed his eyes.

While he rested, I gathered wood for the fire with Beaurick. Taking dry leaves and small twigs, I cupped my hands around it until flames leaped up. It only took a couple of minutes for the wood to catch, and soon we sat in front of a warm wall of orange flames.

“I’ve got to pee,” Pudge said, shoving to his feet.

“You should all probably try to go now so we can get settled in for the night,” Captain Bushwell said. “Ivy, you wait until the others return, and I’ll go with you to keep watch.”

Pudge moved into the trees. “Hag, these bugs are huge out here.”

“We’re in the woods—there are going to be bugs.”

“Yeah, but you should see these things they’re—ouch, it bit me. Ugh, it won’t let go…”

A loud crash sounded. Pudge cursed, letting out a howl as he half hopped, half ran into camp with his breeches around his ankles.

A few seconds later, Vane yelped as well. “What are these?” He swung his arms above his head.

“Get it off!” Pudge screeched.

I rushed to his side, grabbing the tiny thing from his arm. Oh gob, they weren’t bugs. They were tiny fairies with sharp fangs. The books didn’t make them gruesome enough. There had been no pictures of glowing red eyes and bloody mouths. The flutter of fairy wings sounded around us, and I watched in horror as a swarm of them darted from the woods.

The one I held bit my finger. “Piss off,” I said, throwing it into the fire.

Grr growled, rushing around the camp, chomping at the air. He caught two and thrashed his head back and forth.

“Ivy, help me!” Pudge yelled.

I tugged the hood of my cloak up, rushing to grab a blanket from my pack, the whole while trying to knock the beings off my flesh. My calves stung, pain shooting up my leg. There was no way I’d let these bastards kill me. Blanket in hand, I flung it in the air like a net and ensnared quite a few of them beneath it.

“Stomp on the blanket,” I said.

Captain Bushwell saw what I was doing and shouted out orders. “Toss blankets or cloaks or whatever you’ve got over them.”

Pudge finally got his pants up, then jumped up and down. Little squeaks came from beneath the quilt. The cries of the captured fairies caught the attention of the ones buzzing in the air. When they realized what we were doing, they hissed, then sped away into the night.

The blanket turned crimson, making me sick to my stomach. But we had no choice. It was either them or us. Scooping up the gruesome-looking cloth, I tossed it in the fire, then went to clean up the bites on Pudge’s arms and legs while the others tended to their own wounds.

“Is everyone all right?” Captain Bushwell ripped a piece of cloth and patched up Barthe’s arm. There were grumbled yeses all around. “Good, then let’s bed down.”

“Ivy, you can share my blanket tonight, since yours is ruined,” Pudge said, pulling my bedroll closer to his.

Blushing, I sat down beside him, slid my boots off, and lay next to him. He tapered his blanket over us, and I turned to face him as his hand wrapped around my waist, tugging me closer.

My heart thudded loudly in my ears, causing more racket than Cook pounding on pans.

“I’ll keep you warm tonight,” he whispered.

My fingers wound into the fabric of his tunic as I rested my head against his chest. “Thank you, Pudge,” I said, taking in his familiar woodsy smell.

“Sleep well.”

“You, too,” I said. Pressed against him, I listened to the soft thud of his heartbeat as it pattered against my cheek. Hag, it felt good to have him hold me. I lifted my head and stared at his face.

His eyes met mine, and he raised a hand to brush my hair back. I inched closer to him, fingers trembling. What would it be like if we shared another kiss? This one planned, unlike our last one.

He lowered his hand back to my waist, making me all too aware of our bodies wedged so closely together.

“Pudge,” I said softly.

“Ivy—”

“Everyone sleep. Percivious and I will take watch tonight,” Captain Bushwell said, reminding me we weren’t alone and that I needed to be more careful, because as far as everyone else was concerned, I was betrothed to Dorian.

Cheeks on fire, I lowered my head back to Pudge’s chest and shut my eyes.

…

I kicked at a pine cone as we made our way farther into the forest the next day. My eyes burned with tiredness, and my muscles ached. Sweat slid down my cheek, and I raised a hand to wipe it away. It was hard traveling in daylight. The sun took a lot out of us, but it was the safest time to be wandering around in this part of the world since we didn’t fully know our way around the unfamiliar terrain.

As we rounded the corner, I saw several hunting snares set along the ground.

“Look, they’ve caught a rabbit.” Vane pointed. “Do you think they’d miss it if we took it for dinner?”

My eyes narrowed. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I’m sick of venison,” he said. “I want a real meal. Some rabbit stew with potatoes and carrots. Or sheep innards with cream. I’d have the servants loading up my plates.”

I wanted to tell him this wasn’t his family’s kitchen but held my tongue.

“Stop talking about food. You’ll just make yourself hungrier.” Captain Bushwell held a branch out of the way for him to pass under. “We’ll make camp soon, then we’ll eat.”

“The bones said I’d be doing a lot of walking today—they weren’t lying.” Pudge nudged my arm.

I stopped and spun around. “Of course we’re doing a lot of walking. We’re on a Mission. Those bones are full of shit. If you ask me, we ought to give ’em to Grr for a snack.”

Pudge’s eyes widened. “Take that back or you’ll curse us both.”

“I knew I’d regret the day we went to that fortune-teller.” With a sigh, I moved forward again, not interested in talking about the bones.

Just then, a short, stocky form barreled out of the brush, blocking my path.

“You.” He pointed at me and my traveling companions. “You stole from my traps.”

I stared at the dwarf. His long beard was braided to his waist, beady eyes almost hidden beneath eyebrows as large and furry as mice. He only came up to my waist but was thicker than Pudge.

He shifted his battle-axe from one shoulder to the other.

“Easy now, dwarf,” Captain Bushwell said.

The dwarf glowered.

“We didn’t steal anything. Now get out of the way.” I tried to push around him.

But he raised a hand, pressing it against my hip to stop me. “You ain’t going anywhere until you pay me for what you took.”

I smacked his hand away. “I already told you, we didn’t take anything.” I shot Bushwell a look, but he shook his head no, staying my advance.

Just then, the dwarf charged forward, but Grr intercepted him, latching on to his beard and dragging him to the ground.

“Get this beast off me!” The dwarf’s battle-axe came out of his hand while Grr tugged him toward the trees.

Stuff like this only happened to me. I ran after Grr and got hold of his nape. “Drop him.”

Pudge laughed. “He’s like a toy.”

I glared. “You’re not helping.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Get the dog off him.” Captain Bushwell ran up beside us.

Long moments later, we got Grr to release the dwarf. He rushed to grab his weapon from the ground, then scurried off.

“Hopefully, that’s the last we see of that arse,” Vane said.

My eyes narrowed at him. Had he actually taken the rabbit after we’d said not to? Before I could interrogate him, Captain Bushwell sent Perci and me to gather wood for a fire. Once it was stoked, I pulled out some salted pork and stale biscuits.

“Eat up,” I said, passing the food around.

Snap! The sound came from the woods. I glanced up in time to see them stepping into camp, weapons drawn. We were in trouble.