“Stop? Where?”
Rafe gave me a small smile. “You shall see.”
I lay down on the soft forest floor. We had to sleep on woolen blankets that we spread out on the ground. It was cold in the woods at night, so we slept close to the fire. I was so tired, and my thighs ached terribly.
“Rafe,” I said, turning toward him after Erien and Serena had fallen asleep.
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to seem ungrateful.” I wanted to find out more about him, and this seemed the perfect time.
His eyes narrowed, glittering in the light of the flames. “I’m sure you don’t.”
“Why are you still helping me? Don’t you have other things to do?” I fumbled with the words. “I mean, don’t you have some family, or a girlfriend perhaps?”
Rafe chuckled. “The duke asked for my help, that’s why I came. And as I said before, I owe your father a debt for saving my life. I’m just returning the favor.” As usual, he avoided the question completely.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” I mumbled sleepily. “I really don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t save me from Oblek and the Shadow Guard.”
His beautiful gray eyes softened as he trained them on me. “You don’t need to thank me, Aurora. I’m glad to help. Now get some rest, because we still have a long journey ahead.”
“Okay,” I murmured as I turned over on my blanket. “Good night.”
“Good night, Aurora.”
Somewhere deep down I had hoped that he had some feelings for me and that was why he kept coming back. Nevertheless, I had to face the fact that Rafe was not romantically interested in me. It was part of some sense of duty he had. My heart sank as I gazed into the darkness of the woods, my eyes shutting. Exhaustion took over and I quickly fell into a fitful sleep.
Waking up in the forest at the first light of dawn was an experience. Muted sunlight filtered in through the rustling leaves. Birds chirped away to their hearts’ content, and dewdrops nestled like shimmering crystals on the foliage, even on my hair and clothes. I lay in my makeshift bed and gazed at the brightening sky.
“Good morning, Aurora.” Rafe was already packing things into the saddlebags. “Did you sleep well?”
I blushed and smoothed my hair. I must have looked a complete mess. “Yes, thank you,” I muttered, still sleepy.
“We must be on our way.”
Aunt Serena and Erien were also awake and packing up their belongings. “Do you need to freshen up, my dear?” said Aunt Serena. “There’s a small stream behind those bushes.”
I nodded and headed for the stream. I wanted to wash my face and brush my teeth with the mint-infused powder that Aunt Serena had given me. I had to use my fingers because, apparently, they didn’t have toothbrushes in Avalonia. That was one thing I would have to introduce to them at some point, I decided as I tied my long, unruly hair with a ribbon. I returned to my traveling companions, feeling somewhat brighter but still muggy from wearing the same clothes since the day before.
After we ate our adequate breakfast of bread and cheese, we got onto our horses and followed Rafe through the brightening woods. Along the way we passed travelers and riders who didn’t give us a second glance. Creaking wagons loaded with goods traveled the forest road, and Rafe stopped to talk to a group of pilgrims who were on their way to the temple of Karneth in eastern Eldoren.
When he got back onto his horse, Rafe looked troubled.
Aunt Serena rode up next to Rafe. “What has happened?”
Rafe shook his head. “It may be nothing, but the pilgrims said that they saw what looked like a Shadow Guard not far from here in the woods.”
Aunt Serena’s eyes widened. “The Shadow Guard! Here, in Eldoren?”
“So it seems.” Rafe’s voice was dead serious. “We must keep to the inner paths. Follow me.”
We rode through the Willow Woods for two days, sleeping under the stars and trying to evade the Shadow Guard. After the first night, Rafe refused to light a fire, even though the forest would get chilly. He did not want to take the chance of a Shadow Guard picking up our trail, so we had to wrap ourselves in our cloaks and huddle together most uncomfortably to keep warm.
On the fourth day of our journey, after a few hours of riding at a fast pace through the woods, Rafe stopped his horse and got off. We all followed, and he tied the horses to a nearby tree. “There is someone we have to meet. Your granduncle’s orders.”
Aunt Serena didn’t argue, so Erien and I followed. We had to push branches and leaves out of the way to get to a thickly shaded grove. In the middle, nestled between two massive trees and countless bushes, was a little wooden hut. It reminded me of the cottages in Pixie Bush, but this was more unkempt and wild, with creepers and flowering branches encircling the hut as if it, too, was part of the forest.
I wondered who lived there. Who was Rafe taking us to see? And why?
Rafe knocked on the little rickety wooden door and slowly pushed it open. We all followed him inside the cottage.
An old lady was sitting on a chair near the fireplace. Her long, snowy hair fell past her waist, and her ears had the unmistakable point to them that I now recognized immediately.
She was fae.
The hut was warm and inviting, and calming smells of lavender and vanilla wafted around us as we entered.
The old fae lady looked up from her sewing. “Ah! Rafe, my boy. I have not seen you for many summers.”
“Magdalene.” Rafe bent down on one knee and clasped her wrinkled hands in his. “How have you been?”
“Terrible, I can tell you,” said Magdalene, chuckling. “My back hurts and my legs ache when I walk. It’s not
