Page 56 of Feathered Thief

“You don’t know the half of what I’ve done, fox. We’ll meet you there.”

“No! You’ll wait while I bring the old man,” the fox snarled.

“What is wrong with you two?” Lenka shouted, careful to keep her voice boyish.

Then, into the tense silence, a deep and wonderfully welcome voice spoke. “The old man is already here. Where are we going next?”

Lenka barely restrained herself from running into Papa’s arms. Instead, she moved at a deliberate pace and simply gripped his hand. “How did you find us?”

“That is a story for another time,” he said, arching one brow. “You ride the horse, and I’ll ride the fox to the castle these creatures so desperately want to visit.”

Lenka wanted him to ride with her on Geoffroi, but she agreed to Papa’s suggestion.

Resentment oozed from the fox. “You may follow, horse, if you can keep up.”

“I’ll manage.” Geoffroi’s reply held undertones of a stallion’s challenging squeal.

“Now, please make sure we all stay together,” she reminded the fox as she mounted the horse, welcoming the sense of living power beneath her.

The fox snapped, “I’ll do no favors. The beast will keep up if he can.”

Before she could point out the silliness of a fox calling the horse a beast, they were off. Her only real concern was for Papa Hrabik. If that fox allowed any harm to him . . .

I’ll keep watch on the fox, never fear.It was Geoffroi’s voice in her mind.You need time to rest. I will not allow you to fall.

What felt like minutes later, she awoke.We’re here, my friend.

“Where is here?” she mumbled. “Oh!” Remembering, she sat bolt upright and slid from his back, still a bit groggy, but she managed to stay upright.

Papa was already stretching. “The sun will soon set,” he observed. How had the day passed so quickly? Even time seemed messed up in this strange land.

“Yes, the hour is growing late, so you, young man, must hasten up this road while there is light enough to see,” the fox addressed Lenka. “This is the mountain kingdom of Zyrardów,once ruled by King Ryszard Tarnowski of Castle Valga. For five years now, everyone within the palace grounds has been under a sleeping curse. By day, the beautiful Golden Princess also sleeps, but at sundown, when all is quiet, she wakes and goes to her bath. She awaits her true love, so you must enter the palace alone and kiss her. Her waking time is brief, so make haste.”

Lenka blinked in surprise, then blurted, “Kiss her? Why?”

“How else can a sleeping spell be broken?”

“But you said she would be awake.”

The fox actually growled in frustration. “Your kiss will rescue every living soul in the castle.”

“I thought I was supposed to help her escape to her true love.”

“Yes,” the fox used his smooth, soothing tones. “Once the curse is broken, we will transport the princess to the prince who loves her and longs to marry her.”

Lenka nodded. Something about the story didn’t add up, but she was so exhausted that she couldn’t put a finger on the problem. Was the fox setting her up for failure? After his reaction to Geoffroi’s liberation and Solara’s, she seriously doubted his motives.

“I guess we’ll make it work.” She could give the princess a kiss on her cheek and be done with this nonsense.

“Good lad.”

Wait. Did she detect a note of approval in the fox’s whiny voice? That was a first.

“Now, listen carefully.” The fox spoke with a voice of authority. “Once you free the princess with a kiss, you must lead her out of the palace, and we will take her to meet her True Love at Plock Castle. Whatever you do, you must not allow the princess to take leave of her father.”

“Why not?” Lenka asked, resentful on the princess’s behalf. “Is this a kidnapping? And what about the rest of the sleeping people?”

The fox scoffed. “Kidnapping? Certainly not! But her father—” The fox stopped short and heaved a sigh. “Boy, have you not already caused enough irreparable harm? Do you intend to break the curse over this kingdom or not?”

---