The journey back to Astoria did not begin immediately. Although my ankle had improved, I was still recovering from my encounter with the Frostbane. Sir Gregory insisted that we give the horses and the rest of the escort time to recover as well. They had spent the previous days searching for me, fighting through the forest, and dealing with the aftermath of the attack.
There were also supplies to gather and a safer route to plan. So, for another night, we remained at the temporary camp. I didn't mind the delay as much as I thought I would. Being back in a tent with familiar faces was strangely reassuring after everything that had happened.
But there was one thing I couldn't stop thinking about.
Tumblefluff.
Since our first meeting by the river, I had been wondering about the little creature's strange reaction to me. More importantly, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about the way monsters responded to me.
If I was going to travel all the way back to Astoria, I wanted to understand what was happening before we left. That was why, when the camp finally settled into silence, I slipped out of my tent.
I pulled my cloak tighter around myself and glanced back before disappearing between the trees. No one had stopped me. No one had called my name.
Good.
I had been thinking about Tumblefluff since our first meeting by the river. There had been something strangely familiar about the little creature, even though I had known it for barely a few minutes.
More importantly, it had known something about me. I wanted answers.
The forest was darker than it had been the night before. Moonlight filtered through the branches in uneven patches, leaving some parts of the path clear while others disappeared beneath the trees.
I followed the strange instinct that had developed since my arrival. My monster sense. I still wasn't entirely sure what to call it. Sometimes it felt like a faint tug somewhere behind my ribs. Other times, it was little more than a certainty that I was being watched.
Tonight, it led me deeper into the forest.
I eventually spotted a large mushroom growing beside an old tree. Beneath its broad cap, something small was curled into a ball. Tumblefluff.
I crouched beside it. "Hey."
One ear twitched.
"Tumblefluff."
The little creature opened one eye.
I lowered my voice. "Are you awake?"
Both eyes opened. It stared at me for a moment before letting out a soft chirp.
"Sorry for waking you."
Tumblefluff sat up and rubbed its face with its tiny hands. "You came back."
"I couldn't stop thinking about our conversation."
It tilted its head.
"I wanted to ask you something."
"About monsters?"
"About me."
That got its attention. I sat on the ground beneath the mushroom and drew my knees closer.
"Why can I talk to you?"
Tumblefluff was quiet for a moment. Then it shuffled closer. "You have a gift, Princess."
"A gift?"
"Not all humans can speak with monsters. It is rare."
I frowned. "That doesn't explain why I can do it."
"No."
Tumblefluff's blunt honesty caught me off guard.
I almost laughed. "At least you're honest."
The little creature's ears twitched. "It may come from your bloodline."
"My bloodline?"
Tumblefluff nodded. "Some monsters believe that humans who can communicate with us come from families that have lived alongside monsters before."
I stared at it. "So this could have been passed down?"
"It is possible."
"Possible?"
Tumblefluff scratched its cheek. "Nobody knows for certain." That was less satisfying than I'd hoped.
I picked up a fallen twig and rolled it between my fingers. "Then how do you explain me?"
"You are kind."
I looked at it. "That's your explanation?"
"Part of it."
Tumblefluff's round eyes remained fixed on me. "Monsters can sense whether a human wants to hurt them. You don't."
I thought about Frostbane. "That doesn't explain everything. Frostbane couldn't communicate with me."
"No."
"Why?"
Tumblefluff's ears lowered. "Some monsters are different. Frostbane is a wild beast. It is driven by instinct and fear. It doesn't stop to wonder whether a human means it harm."
I nodded slowly. "So talking to monsters isn't just about having some magical ability."
"Not always."
"What else is there?"
"Trust."
The word settled between us.
Tumblefluff continued, "A monster may understand your words, but that doesn't mean it will answer you. You have to make them believe that you aren't a threat."
I smiled faintly."So basically, I need good monster manners."
Tumblefluff blinked. "Monster manners?"
"Never mind."
It made a strange chirping sound that I decided was probably laughter. I leaned back against the tree. There was still so much I didn't understand. If this ability belonged to Elysia, why had the novel never mentioned it? And if it hadn't belonged to her...
Then what exactly had happened to me when I arrived? I looked down at my hands. Maybe I wasn't simply borrowing Elysia's life. Maybe my arrival had changed something. "Thank you," I said quietly.
Tumblefluff looked up.
"I mean it. You've helped me more than you realise."
The creature's expression softened. "If you need me, call for me."
"You'll hear me?"
"Probably."
"Probably?"
Tumblefluff shrugged. "I'm often sleeping."
I laughed. "You're useless."
"I am very useful."
"Of course you are."
The little creature puffed out its chest. I smiled and stood. "I should go before someone notices I'm gone."
Tumblefluff nodded. "Be careful, Princess."
"I will."
I took a few steps before turning back.
"Tumblefluff?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
It gave me another little chirp. I smiled and headed back toward camp. I hadn't found all the answers I wanted, but at least I finally had something to work with. My ability might be connected to Elysia's bloodline. Or it might not. Either way, I needed to learn more.
I had just stepped around a tree when a deep voice came from behind me.
"You seem to have developed a fondness for sneaking out, Princess."
I froze. Oh, no. I turned too quickly. My foot caught on a root. The ground tilted beneath me. Before I could hit it, an arm caught me around the waist. Alexander.
For one terrifying second, I was pressed against him. He was warm. Far too warm. I craned my neck to look up at him. His face was close enough that I could see the faint amusement in his eyes. My heart immediately betrayed me.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
This was ridiculous.
"It's cold," I blurted.
His eyebrow lifted.
"What?"
"I mean..." I tried to regain my dignity while his arm was still around me. "I was taking a walk."
"At this hour?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
I looked away. "Apparently."
A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "You do realise that this forest isn't exactly the safest place for a midnight stroll."
"I noticed."
"Did you?" His tone was teasing, but there was something underneath it. Concern.
I straightened as much as I could. "Nothing happened."
"Nothing happened this time." He didn't release me.
I glanced down at his arm. "Are you planning to keep holding me?"
That finally made him look down. He seemed to realise the position we were in. "You're right." He loosened his grip, but his hand remained at my waist for another second before he let go.
I immediately stepped back. The cold air hit my skin. It should have been comforting. It wasn't.
Alexander watched me carefully. "Do you make a habit of disappearing without telling anyone?"
"I didn't disappear."
"You left your tent without telling Lady Evelyn or Sir Gregory."
I opened my mouth. Then closed it. He had a point. "They were sleeping."
"Which is precisely why they didn't know where you were."
His voice wasn't angry, but the reprimand was unmistakable.
I lowered my gaze. "You're right."
Alexander's expression softened. "They've been worried about you since Frostbane took you. I doubt either of them would appreciate discovering that you had wandered into the forest alone in the middle of the night."
Guilt settled in my stomach. I hadn't thought about it that way. Sir Gregory and Evelyn had searched for me when Frostbane kidnapped me. They had been terrified that something had happened to me. And here I was, sneaking away again. "I didn't mean to worry them."
"I know." He paused. "But you should still tell someone next time."
I looked at him. "Next time?"
His mouth curved. "I'm not convinced there won't be one."
Despite myself, I smiled. "Perhaps."
"There."
I frowned. "What?"
"That look."
"What look?"
"You look much less guilty when you're planning something."
I stared at him. "I don't like how observant you are."
"I could say the same about you."
That caught me off guard. Alexander's smile faded slightly.
"You've been watching me."
"You're a prince. People watch you."
"That's not what I meant."
Neither of us spoke for a moment. I could feel the conversation shifting. He knew I was hiding something. I knew he knew. But neither of us was going to say it. I folded my arms. "Well, Your Highness, thank you for the lecture. I'll make sure to submit a formal request next time I want to take a walk."
His eyes narrowed with amusement. "Is that how you're going to behave?"
"Would you prefer a written application?"
"Perhaps."
"I'll need your signature."
"Then I suppose I'll have to accompany you."
I stared at him. "That's not what I meant."
"Yeah." That smile again.
I almost groaned. He was enjoying this far too much. I turned toward the camp. "We should go." I had barely taken two steps when he spoke again.
"Ely."
I stopped. The nickname sounded strange coming from him. Too familiar. I turned slowly. "Excuse me?"
He had the audacity to look perfectly calm. "Ely."
"Why are you calling me that?"
"Because I want to."
I stared at him. "That's your explanation?"
"Do I need another?"
"Yes."
He laughed softly. "I thought you might prefer something less formal."
I hesitated. The reasonable response would have been to tell him no. Instead, I heard myself say, "Fine."
His expression brightened. "Fine?"
"Fine." I pointed a finger at him. "But if you're going to call me Ely, I get to call you something too."
He folded his arms. "I'm listening."
I considered it for a moment. Then I smiled. "Xander."
He went still. For the first time that night, I had managed to catch him off guard. "Xander?"
"You wanted less formality."
His mouth curved into a slow smile. "That's better."
I immediately regretted it. Why did that smile make my stomach twist? I took two steps backward. "We should really get back."
"The night is getting late."
"Exactly." I turned toward the camp. This time, I walked quickly. Unfortunately, Alexander had much longer legs than I did. Within seconds, he was beside me. I glanced sideways. "Are you following me?"
"We're going in the same direction."
"You could walk slower."
"You could walk faster." I stopped.
He stopped too. I stared at him. He looked completely innocent. "You know what?"
"What?"
"I'm keeping my distance."
His smile widened. "Are you?"
"Yes."
"You're doing a terrible job."
I started walking again. "I am not running away from you."
"Of course not." His voice carried just enough amusement to make me grit my teeth.
I quickened my pace. He matched it effortlessly. Annoying. Very annoying. But underneath my irritation was something I didn't want to examine too closely. Why was I suddenly so aware of him? Why did calling him Xander feel far more intimate than it should? And why did some part of me feel relieved that he had found me? I hated that last thought. I looked straight ahead.
This was exactly how trouble started. First, informal conversations. Then nicknames. Then familiarity. And before I knew it, I could end up exactly where the women in the original story had been. I needed to remember what happened to Seraphina and Ariella. Whatever Alexander was hiding, I couldn't afford to become another casualty of his story. Especially now that I knew something the original novel had never mentioned. I could speak to monsters. And I had no idea why.
Tomorrow, I would talk to Sir Gregory. I needed answers about Elysia. About her family. About this strange ability. And, most importantly, I needed to figure out how to get through this world without becoming another character in Alexander's story.
Because if there was one thing I was certain of, it was this: I couldn't trust him blindly. No matter how kind he seemed. No matter how charming his smile was.