We had been on the road for two days since leaving Evergrove. The previous night, we had stopped at an inn in the small town of Thornbrook. We arrived late, ate quickly and went to bed almost immediately. By morning, we were already back on the road. Tonight, there would be no inn.
Before sunset, the knights had chosen a campsite near a lake, just far enough from the gravel road that passing travellers would not disturb us. The wilderness stretched in every direction, broken only by the occasional sound of insects and the rustle of leaves.
After everyone had settled for the night, I found myself staring at the lake. I couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts had been following me since Evergrove. So I slipped away from camp. The full moon hung above the trees, bright enough to illuminate the path without the need for a lantern. I followed the faint trail towards the water until I found a smooth rock near the shore.
I sat down. The lake was almost perfectly still. The moon's reflection trembled whenever a small breeze passed over the surface. I rubbed my palms together. The night air had become colder than I expected. My fingers brushed against something around my wrist. I froze.
Slowly, I looked down. The bracelet? The moonstone bracelet? My heart gave a hard thump. I remembered taking it off. I remembered placing it back in Killian's hand before leaving the jewellery shop. I was certain of it. Yet there it was. Wrapped neatly around my wrist as though I had never removed it. I turned it over with my fingers. The moonstones caught the light.
"What the..." I stopped myself. There was no one around to answer. I stared at the bracelet for several seconds, trying to remember whether I could have somehow put it on without noticing.
No. Impossible. I had changed clothes after leaving the shop. I would have noticed it. I had never owned it. Killian had placed it on my wrist for me to try, and I had returned it to him before I left the shop. I remembered doing it. I remembered the weight of the bracelet leaving my hand.
So why was it here? I turned my wrist beneath the moonlight. The moonstones caught the pale light, looking exactly as they had inside Killian's shop. I touched one of them cautiously. Cold. Real. My mind went back to the moment our fingers had touched. That strange jolt.
The way Killian had looked at the bracelet afterwards. And his admission that it had never reacted like that before. I swallowed. There was no explanation for how it had ended up on my wrist. Unless… No. I stopped myself. I wasn't going to start inventing supernatural explanations just because I didn't have an answer.
But one fact remained. The bracelet had been in Killian's possession when I left the jewellery shop. Now it was here. On my wrist. I turned it once more beneath the moonlight, but the answer refused to come. Eventually, I lowered my hand and stared across the lake instead.
There were too many things I didn't understand anymore. The bracelet was one of them. So was Killian. And, unfortunately, he wasn't the only problem I had to think about.
My thoughts returned to Alexander, to the quest, and to the reason I was still travelling with him in the first place. Aetheron. The fact that I was still travelling with a man who, according to the original story, should have been deeply involved with two other women.
Seraphina. Ariella. Yet since I'd mentioned their names, Alexander hadn't asked about either of them. Not once. Had he forgotten them that easily? Or was something else happening? The longer I stayed in this world, the less I trusted the story I remembered. Even my own feelings had become difficult to understand. I hated Alexander when I first arrived. At least, I had wanted to hate him.
He had abducted me. He had dragged me into a dangerous quest. He had treated me like a means to an end. But somewhere along the way, that anger had become harder to hold onto. That unsettled me more than I wanted to admit. I looked across the lake. Perhaps I simply needed some air. Perhaps I needed to clear my head.Or perhaps I had come here because some part of me remembered that there was someone I needed to meet.
A small chirping sound came from behind me. I turned. A furry shape bounded out from between the trees. My face immediately brightened. "The furball!"
Tumblefluff rushed towards me and climbed onto the rock before pressing its head against my cheek. I laughed and caught it in my arms. "Oh, you little rascal. How I've missed you."
Tumblefluff made a series of cheerful chirps. I stroked its soft fur.
"I've been meaning to find you."
The creature tilted its head. I smiled. "And I have so many questions."
Tumblefluff made another sound. I didn't need words. I understood. The meaning came to me as naturally as understanding a spoken sentence. It was one of the strangest abilities I had inherited from Elysia. And one of the most useful. I lowered my voice. "Tumblefluff, I need your help."
The creature became still. "Alexander and his knights are looking for the King of Monsters."
Its ears twitched. "They think they're hunting a dangerous creature. But I don't believe Aetheron is going to attack them."
Tumblefluff made a soft clicking sound. "I don't want innocent monsters getting caught in the middle." I looked towards the dark forest. "If Alexander and his men come across them, they might assume they're hostile."
The creature's body stiffened. "I need you to find the King of Monsters."
Tumblefluff stared at me.
"Warn him about Alexander. Tell him to stay away from us. If he can keep the other monsters away too, then perhaps nobody will get hurt."
Tumblefluff chirped several times. I understood the answer before it finished. It would do it. Relief loosened something inside me. "Thank you."
I scratched beneath its chin. "You really are a good little furball."
Tumblefluff rubbed its head against my hand. For a few seconds, I allowed myself to relax. At least someone was willing to help. The creature jumped down from the rock. I watched it disappear between the trees.
"Be careful." Another chirp came from somewhere in the darkness. Then silence. I smiled. At least now I had done something.Then a thought struck me. I sat upright.
"The memories." I'd forgotten. Again. "Tumblefluff!" I was already turning towards the trees when a familiar voice came from behind me.
"I wish I could understand your conversation with that furball."
My blood ran cold. I turned slowly. Alexander stood several paces away. For one terrible second, I couldn't breathe. Had he been there the whole time? Had he heard everything? The moonlight wasn't kind enough to hide my expression completely, so I forced my face to relax.
Alexander stepped closer. "What were you talking about?" His voice was calm. Too calm. I stood from the rock.
"You heard us?"
"I heard you." His gaze shifted briefly towards the trees where Tumblefluff had disappeared. "But I couldn't understand the language." He looked back at me. "Was it Ancient Aldorian?"
My mind went blank. Ancient Astorian? What did that even sound like? I had no idea. I couldn't let the panic show. I smoothed my expression and nodded."Yes." The answer came out far more confidently than I felt.
Alexander watched me. I could feel him assessing my reaction. I swallowed. "I was asking the creature about the King's whereabouts." It was a lie. A carefully constructed one. And now I had to make sure the rest of it held together.
Alexander folded his arms across his chest. "So?"
He waited. "Where is the wretched King?"
I feigned disappointment. "He went in the opposite direction."
Alexander's eyes narrowed. "How far?"
"Far." I paused, then added, "At least twice the distance we've already travelled since I was abducted."
His expression hardened. The disappointment was obvious now. He looked towards the forest, as though he might somehow see through the darkness and find Aetheron waiting beyond it.
I watched him carefully. Then I decided to push the advantage. "Like I said earlier, ask Duke Lysander to meet us here."
Alexander's attention returned to me.
"I can explain everything to him. You could also ask one of your family members or a high-ranking officer to come. We can explain the situation properly and avoid further conflict." I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "The farther we travel, the less likely we are to find the King. Have you noticed that we haven't encountered a single monster since leaving Evergrove?"
Alexander said nothing.
I continued. "Not one."
He looked away. I knew what he was thinking. At least, I thought I did. Somewhere deep inside, I suspected the reason was simpler than either of us wanted to admit.
Aetheron knew. He knew Alexander was looking for him. And he had probably warned the others to stay away. My conversation with Tumblefluff had simply reinforced the warning. Alexander remained silent.
The wind moved through the trees behind him. For several seconds, he seemed lost in thought. He replayed Elysia's answers in his mind. Ancient Astorian. The King's location. The absence of monsters. Something about the explanation didn't sit comfortably with him. He couldn't identify what.
He had heard Elysia speaking to the creature with complete confidence. Whatever language it was, she clearly understood it. He had seen the creature respond to her. That much was undeniable. But if she had truly asked about Aetheron's whereabouts, why did she look surprised when he appeared? Why had she suddenly tried to change the subject? And why did he have the feeling that she was leaving something out?
Alexander looked at her. She was watching him too. Neither spoke. He could press her. He could demand an explanation. He could order her to tell him exactly what she had said. But something stopped him. Perhaps it was the exhaustion in her face. Perhaps it was the cold. Or perhaps he simply wanted to see what she would do if he gave her enough room to reveal the truth herself.
He exhaled. "Come along, Princess."
I blinked. "That's it?"
He glanced at me. "The night is getting colder." He stepped closer and reached beneath my arm, steadying me as he turned me towards the camp. "You've been outside too long. A cold is the last thing we need while travelling."
I looked at him. He hadn't answered my arguments. He hadn't confronted me about the language. He hadn't demanded to know exactly what Tumblefluff had said. That bothered me almost as much as if he had.
I walked beside him, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. He remained silent. The lake disappeared behind the trees. The warmth of the campfire became visible in the distance. I glanced sideways at him. What was he thinking? Had he believed my lie?
Was he suspicious? Or was he already reconsidering the entire quest? I had no idea. And somehow, that was more frightening than knowing exactly what he wanted. Tomorrow, I will have to find out.