Page 58 of The Princess of Nothing
CHAPTER TWENTY
Everything had goneto hell. Dragoir’s horn sounded over the winds, which had picked up. The rest of the army with us turned their horses, racing back to their leader.
“What’s happening?” I asked an anxious Cedric.
“He must have needed help. There must be many of them.”
“Shouldn’t we help them?”
He gave me an incredulous look. “They are soldiers, trained for this. To protect us.”
“I can help!” I said again, determined not to let anyone else die for me.
“I won’t let you.”
I pointed my staff at him. “Don’t let it come to this.”
“If they capture you, they will kill you and Edgar will take your throne. You were willing to risk everything earlier to get those letters. Now you’re willing to give them and your crown up?”
I fumbled the reins. “No.”
Screaming rattled through the trees. Tears pinched my eyes. He moved forward on his horse. “It’s not easy for me to leave them either.”
Picking up our pace, we raced in the moonlight, determinedly fixed on the path ahead until it became too thick for us to go any farther. Cedric grew quiet as the screams became more distant.
Leaves larger than my face blocked the way ahead. “We can’t bring the horses through here.”
“Dragoir knew another way through, where we could ride. We must have taken a wrong turn...” He looked around us, but no obvious path showed itself.
I looked over my shoulder. “We don’t have long. We can go by foot. They won’t follow us far into the overgrowth, surely. They will think us to take a bigger path.” I pointed my staff at the leaves. On my command, they crumpled and died, making the way easier for us to maneuver. “Though here.”
“No.”
I flinched back. “Excuse me?”
“I said no. You’re not making the decisions this time. You’ll get us killed.” He pulled on his reins, veering us right. “Down here.”
“My plan would have worked.”
He turned his head to face me. “You want to do this right now?”
“I know you’re stressed.” My eyes widened. “But you’re acting awful.”
“Enough.” He let out a long exhale and trotted down the dark way ahead, pulling us down into a left turn. We reached a clearing, which led to a wide path at the forest’s edge. “This is it.”
I followed behind, not saying a word. I was grateful for him saving me, but he was acting like an ass and not taking my advice, which could have well saved us.
Moonlight spotlighted lizards gripping tree trunks and small monkeys that hung in the branches above. Stars speckled through the gaps in the canopy, the inky sky calming my nerves. At least it was quiet now. We’d either gone far enough out, or all screams had been silenced.
