Page 45 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
The knight shook his head. “The parlor.”
Julian ran back the way he’d come.
He was there in minutes, and didn’t hold back his anticipation as he burst into the parlor. A human, an elf, and a fox he’d never met before stared up at him. Whatever conversation had been happening stopped at his entrance, and his mother frowned.
“Son. Please, join us.”
Julian refused to feel like a boy being chastised, taking the seat nearest her, head held high. “What have I missed?”
“Barry was just telling us about his experience as a Blackfog.” Grand Duchess Calisto waved a hand at a human swordsman sitting across from her. Their Royal Highness Rowen stood by the window, and Chloe sat pouting in a chair on the opposite side of his mother. The necromancer didnotlook happy, but she remained silent.
The three …guestswere all comfortably settled in with tea and sweets.
“Ah, yes, well, we’d done odd jobs for the network before, and every time, it were by official quest.” Barry scratched his head, looking surprisingly relaxed. The human had brown skin and shoulder-length dark-green hair with blond streaks. His hands were marred with calluses and knife wounds. “And while it’s good money, it’s also pretty dangerous work, you know?”
“What Barry istryingto say,” an elf with soft-pink skin and brown hair dressed in wizards robes nervously cut in, “is that we joined the subjugationquest in the Dark Enchanted Forest. We both met the criteria because my father is from Nilheim and Barry was born in Gren’s Keep.”
“That’s none of their business, Lomen.” Barry shot the elf a betrayed look. “I don’t go around telling everyone your dad’s a male—”
“Alright, alright! I’m sorry.” Lomen rushed to cut off the human. “I just wanted to explain from the beginning.”
“Or we can just tell them we took a quest and they gave us a list of targets and how to defeat them.” Barry said.
“That’s what I got as well,” the fox added. She had long orange-red hair and black eyes.
“Who gave you the list?” Grand Duchess Calisto sipped her tea.
“The Void mage.” Barry shuddered. “She was very meticulous and even gave us poisons catered to each person we were supposed to fight.” He stopped there, reached out for a cookie from the table, and ate it happily. Everyone waited but Barry seemed content to eat his cookie.
Julian didn’t have much patience. “And the Void mage?”
The fox answered. “She’s a Charisma based class—about my height, blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and pink magic.”
“And she’sweird,” Barry added.
Lomen drew a hand down his face in frustration. “That isn’t helpful, Barry.”
“But it’s true!”
“He’s right,” the fox said. “Every time she spoke, it made my skin crawl.”
“Suki, Barry, and Lomen.” Julian’s mother set down her teacup and pushed it aside, directing her aura at the three. The entire room suddenly felt the pressure of the power released by her level. She might be a Crafting class, but she was still over leveleighty. “We believe that this Void mage has captured my daughter. For what purpose, I do not know—but you’re going to help us find her.”
CHAPTER 25
Stalking the Duke
Gerda
When the message came through, Henrietta immediately went into full Heroine of Justice mode and decided to put me somewhere “safe.”
“If I’m going to search the city,” she reasoned, “I’ll need you to stay here so I don’t worry!” She pointed at the city guardhouse that she’d brought me to. Henrietta wasn’t exactly happy to leave me there, but I’d refused a “ride” back to the palace.
I wasnotabout to let the Dark Lady princess-carry me to the palace. Not when I could get there myself. “I’ll be fine!” I reassured her. Again.
“I still think you should teleport back to your bridge.”
“And have to walk back here from the forest?” I laughed.
