Page 111 of The Fae Girl 1

“What?” Indi asked.

“Last time I was like this, on the way to Montefore, one of the soldiers attacked me.”

Nela and Indi both frowned.

“They were Agnai.” I added.

“Well that won’t happen this time.” Indi reassured me. “Prince Fain has handpicked every single one of these soldiers.”

“But what’s to say one of them isn’t one?”

“Not a chance.” Nela said. “Look around, everyone you see here is from the High Prince’s Protection Guard. There’s no way they’ve infiltrated that.”

“You’re sure?” I asked unconvinced. There were a hundred soldiers here, how could they possibly know if all of them were loyal?

“Positive.” Indi said “Why don’t you try and sleep? If Prince Fain sticks to his normal schedule we’ll be up at the crack of dawn anyways.”

“Urgh.” I moaned. The damn man was a slave driver last time and it sounded like that aspect wasn’t going to change.

Indi looked down at my now empty bowl. “Let me take that.” She said before reaching to take Indi’s too, pilling them on top of each other before getting up.

“Indi’s right. You should try and sleep.” Nela said.

I sighed before realising they were right. Besides there wasn’t anything else to do here was there? Sleep was the logical option. I slumped into the ground, pulling my cloak over me like a blanket. It was going to be another long, uncomfortable night.

“Do you think it will work?” Ridley asked quietly.

I glanced across the fire at where Alice was now curling up beside Nela to try and sleep, her cloak thrown over herself like a makeshift blanket.

I shrugged before answering. “It’s as good a plan as any. Maybe it won’t work straight away but I can’t see it doing any harm.”

“Unless…” Ridley started to talk but stopped himself.

“Unless what?” I asked.

Was there something I hadn’t thought of? Something I’d not planned for?

“Unless she finds the opportunity to escape.” Ridley stated.

I narrowed my eyes still looking at Alice. Watching her. “You think she would try it?” I asked not convinced it was a likely scenario to be concerned about.We were past that weren’t we?

Ridley shrugged. “After everything that’s happened would you not if you were her?” He reasoned. “Especially after what Rillon did.”

I scowled. My damn brother had done more harm, more damage than I’d even realised. Perhaps I was being naïve. Short-sighted even to think that the girl would simply overlook it, overlook everything we’d put her through because deep down I’d not been kind to her either. I’d been almost as bad as Rillon in my own way.

I sighed.

“She looks freezing.” Ridley said looking at her, breaking my trail of thought.

I looked back. Despite the cloak she’d wrapped around herself, she looked half frozen and it was only going to get colder as the night went on.

I got up, went to my pack, and pulled out the spare blanket before walking round the fire and, after checking she was actually asleep, I carefully laid it over her.

When I sat back down Ridley was looking as though I’d suddenly grown an extra head.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.” He replied with a slight smirk.

---