I supposed I could go back and stay with my mother and aunts, but they hardly seemed like the sort of company I wanted to keep.
It did me no good to worry about any of this. Right now, I had to focus on one thing: Rapunzel. My sister. I had to set her free. Nothing else mattered.
The air warmed as we flew south, and the sun broke free from the clouds. I took in the scenery. Small villages dotted the winding roads. Lakes and large, dark forests appeared in patches as we flew. Seeing the world from this angle made everything look so small—like our entire journey to my aunts’ palace had gone by in a blink.
We stopped only a few times for a brief meal and sips of water, and then we continued once again. Raj and I didn’t speak much. We only made a few brief comments to each other. The wind made it hard to hear him, so I remained content with being near him, thankful I had a day to spend in peace before we arrived at the tower.
When the sun descended toward the horizon, a cloud of smoke darkened the sky. Its sharp scent burned my nostrils. Night was approaching when I spotted the spire of the tower peeking above the trees. The evening light made it look blood red. Fires burned the forest surrounding it. At the sight of the flames, my heart grew heavy. The tower and the forest surrounding it had been my home. They were part of me. I’d given my life’s blood to protect them. To see the trees engulfed in flames came as a shock.
“King Duc’Line’s army is down there,” Raj shouted over the wind.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! He must be defending the tower. This is good news.”
“I hope so!”
The dragon circled the tower. Fires raged beneath us, some of them so tall, I could feel their heat from up here. When we spotted a clearing, the dragon began her descent. The wolf shifted nervously in Raj’s arms, growling as we neared the ground.
Shouts echoed beneath us. I searched the silhouettes of the soldiers against the firelight, hoping to find my father, but had no luck. Maybe it was better that I didn’t find him. I was hopeful I would be able to sneak inside the tower, cut Rapunzel’s hair and free her from the spell, and escape without having to confront him. Prince Merek could marry the princess, take the power away from the high sorcerer, and all would be well.
But perhaps that was wishful thinking.
A flash of light blinded me, catching me off guard. A fireball whizzed past, then volleys of more. One of them caught Odette’s wing. She shrieked, beating her wings frantically before she hit the ground hard.
I tumbled from her back, rolling over sticks that poked my flesh, though I managed to hang onto my pack. As I sat up, my heart pounded as I searched for my friends. The soldiers’ shouts came from the forest. Through the trees, the tower loomed.
Getting to my feet, I held my pack close and stumbled through the woods. The dragon and Raj lay in a clearing. As I walked toward them, the wolf trotted toward me.
“We have to get to the tower,” I said as Raj stood. Behind him, the dragon breathed heavily, though I saw no injuries.
“How do we get past the army?” Raj asked.
“I can use a spell,” I said.
Odette transformed, and her shimmering robes rustled as she sat up. I went to her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, rubbing her forehead.
“But they shot you. Are you sure?”
“Yes, my wing. It won’t affect me while I’m in this form.”
“Good. Go with the wolf into the forest and find somewhere to hide until we return.”
“Don’t you want my help?”
“I appreciate the offer, but the more people with us, the easier we’ll be spotted. They already know we’re here and they’ll be looking for us. Right now, staying hidden is our only advantage.”
She nodded, and Raj and I took off toward the tower. Leaves and twigs crunched beneath my boots, reminding me of the many times I’d hiked through this forest, though it seemed an unfamiliar place now.
“Wait,” Raj said, reaching out to stop me. We stood on the edge of the forest. Trees burned around us as we faced the clearing. War raged not far from where we stood, though we had a straight line of sight to the tower.
“If we try to make it across the clearing, they’ll spot us for sure,” Raj said.
“I can use a spell to cloak us, but it will only last a few minutes.”
“That’s good enough.”
After I took my pack off my shoulder, I searched inside until a small glass bottle brushed my fingertips. I removed it and inspected the label under the glow of the firelight, barely able to read the handwriting. Rosalind oil. When I uncorked it, the scent of roses filled the air.
“Hold out your hand,” I said.
He did as I said, and I rubbed a small amount of the oil into his palm. As I did, his image blurred, blending with the trees. I did the same to my own hand until I felt its tingling seep into my skin, making me camouflaged.
“That’s impressive,” Raj said, holding up his hand and inspecting it. I could only see an outline of his form, as if he were a shadow.
“It won’t last long,” I said. “We need to get to the tower quickly.”
“I agree. But we can’t
