We raced for the drawbridge as an arrow whizzed past my head. If we were caught now, they would definitely kill us. What if an arrow hit our horse? What if an arrow hit me? Various scenarios started playing out in my head, all of them ending in a gruesome death. My hands shook, but I clung to Rafe, determined not to fall off the horse.
Our mount galloped furiously toward the drawbridge, which was now at an angle, chains creaking as guards desperately tried to raise it. The drawbridge formed a steep slope, and Rafe spurred the horse even faster. The horse slipped once, and I nearly fell off; I screamed, but we still thundered on.
I closed my eyes and prayed.
Finally, I felt the horse jump, and my heart jumped with it. I could hear arrows whizzing past my head and the guards shouting. I felt a jarring impact as we hit the ground but miraculously remained on the horse.
When I finally opened my eyes, I realized that we had cleared the moat and were heading toward the forest that lay in wait behind Oblek’s dark castle.
Avalonia
The dark forest looked menacing as we raced toward it. The sun had just started to rise above the trees, illuminating the tops of the towering oaks.
The guards tried to chase us, but we had a considerable lead, and Rafe was a magnificent horseman, so we managed to shake them off. We lost them as soon as we entered the gnarled forest. For some reason, they didn’t seem to want to follow us there. I had no idea where Kalen and Finn were; we had split up, and I was all alone with Rafe.
Rafe slowed the chestnut horse deftly to a walk. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “I think so.”
He craned his neck to look back at me and smiled. I wished he would take off the silly mask that hid the rest of his face from me.
The forest seemed different once we were safely within its boundaries. From the outside it looked like a dark and shadowy place, but from the inside it was bright and cheerful, with sunlit groves; beautiful, tall cedars and oaks; and sparkling waterfalls that plunged effortlessly into shimmering ponds. Birds happily chirped their morning tunes, and the wildflowers were fragrant and bright. Dewdrops clung to the vibrant emerald foliage, sparkling like fairy dust in the light of first dawn.
Rafe seemed to know where he was going as we rode along a small, winding path through the trees. My main concern right now was to figure out what to do next, and I was still trying to decide whether I should trust him. Morgana’s guards were also looking for him, so being with Rafe was probably not the safest place for me right now.
Rafe broke the silence first. “It’s been an interesting morning, my lady. I don’t mean to be rude, but where will you go now?”
“I’m not really sure,” I said truthfully. I couldn’t decide what I should tell him.
“If Oblek intended to hold you for ransom, he will come after you. Are you going to tell me who you really are?” He ran a hand through his dark, tousled hair. “Or am I just supposed to guess?”
I hung my head. I had to tell someone where I was really from. He seemed resourceful. Maybe he would know what to do, or maybe he knew who my real parents were. I decided to take a chance. I was at a complete loss in this world, and I needed help.
“My name is Aurora,” I said finally and proceeded to tell him everything that had happened to me since I arrived at Redstone Manor. I told him about my uncle and how he sold me to Oblek, about the strange tapestry, and even what he said about my parents and me.
I didn’t tell him about the dreams, though; somehow I felt it was too private to mention. But it did feel good to finally have someone to talk to about all this.
Rafe stopped the horse, jumped down quickly, and turned to glare at me. His eyes narrowed. “I do understand that you have gone through a lot, my lady. But I don’t think you need to resort to lies about who you are.”
I bristled. “I’m not lying.”
Rafe raised an eyebrow. “If you don’t want to tell me who you really are, that’s fine. But a word of advice: if you are going to use another name, you should find one that not everyone in the kingdom knows.” He held his arms up to me to help me off the horse.
I swatted his hands away and jumped off the saddle. “I can dismount myself.”
“As you wish.” He turned and tied the horse to a nearby tree and scanned our surroundings once before he came back to me.
“If you don’t believe me, I can’t force you,” I said, trying to make him understand. “But there must be someone who can tell if I’m really Aurora Firedrake.”
Rafe nodded solemnly. “Yes, there is. But I should warn you. You are better off just telling the truth.”
I threw my hands in the air. “I am telling the truth.”
“That remains to be seen.” His gaze softened. “Come,” he said, holding out his hand.
I took it cautiously. Could I really trust him? I didn’t know him at all. But now that I had told him my story, I wanted to hear what he had to say. He didn’t seem to think that it was possible that I was really this world’s Aurora Firedrake. Could Oblek have been wrong? Did he kidnap me because I looked like her?
Rafe led me through the forest, down a slightly worn path, deeper into the trees. I tried to keep up; my legs and back ached from the vigorous ride. And
