That night,Daegal’s promise remained with me as I lay in the small twin bed, counting the hours until dawn. Sleep was hard to come by, which wasn’t unusual. My magic throbbed in my veins, and I opened my palm, letting the red ribbons slip from my hand. They moved around me, waiting for my commands. It was a pleasant distraction as I thought about what we were doing. Where we were going.
A quest.
After the others had gone to bed, Daegal and I stayed up past midnight. Between kisses, he patiently walked me through the plan. Our journey would take us westward, through the forests and over mountains. Both Fortune Elves had Looked ahead, and they were convinced fate was directing us there.
Fate.
As if the gods cared about me. As if they hadn’t hated me from the moment I was born.
But Daegal believed in them. He was so certain that going west was the correct move that I did not argue. In five days, we were fated to meet someone who was key to unlocking the strange language in the grimoire.
How could I believe in fate? How could I believe that the gods had known I would be locked away for two and a half centuries and let it happen? How could I believe in them, knowing they had allowed me to suffer for so many years while my father ran free?
I rebelled against it, but at the same time, I couldn’t deny the connection linking Daegal and I together. Was that fate, too?
Probably.
So, I would follow this path set by fate. Neither Daegal nor Maiela could See who we were meeting. They were shrouded in darkness, but my Fortune Elf said that was normal these days. He felt certain it would clear up the closer we got. This lack of direction wasn’t exactly inspiring to me, but there was little that could be done. Perhaps Daegal was right, and the visions would become clearer.
Or not.
Knowing my luck, they would remain blurry. Daegal hadn’t fully learned who he was associating himself with, but he would soon. Good things did not happen to me. My life was nothing but one terrible circumstance after the other. Bad luck followed me like an unwanted friend, trailing in my shadows, only to pop up at the most inopportune moment. I only hoped that my ill-luck wouldn’t follow us on this journey. It sounded dangerous enough without it.
Eventually, after tossing and turning until the first rays of dawn shone through the window, I fell into a restless sleep.
* * *
A hand shook my shoulder,and I blinked wearily. Daegal’s blue eyes were inches away from mine and he smiled, brushing hair away from my face.
“Morning,” I said groggily, rubbing my hands over my eyes as I tried to chase the last vestiges of sleep away. It felt like I had barely slept, and exhaustion pulled at me.
“Good morning, Ryllae.” Daegal cupped my cheek, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I know how much you hate waking up early, so I thought I would let you sleep as long as I could.”
His thoughtfulness warmed my heart. “What time is it?” I murmured, sitting up and holding the blanket to my chest.
“It’s still early, but we need to go. Our journey is going to take many days, and we must begin.” Chuckling, Daegal stood and handed me a thick, brown wool cloak and matching gloves. “Everyone else is dressed and waiting for us.”
They were waiting for me. Great. Not exactly the start I wanted for this quest.
“Alright,” I said. “Just give me a minute.”
“I’ll be right outside. Take your time.”
As he left, I caught sight of the sword hanging off his hip. Two daggers were also strapped to his thighs, giving him the appearance of a warrior. On anyone else, those weapons would have frightened me. But not on him.
Nothing about Daegal scared me.
Taking care of my personal needs, I braided my hair quickly before drawing on a warm tunic and leggings. The cloak he left me was thick, and the hood was large enough to cover my horns.
I pulled open the door.
“Ready?” Daegal leaned against the wall, a patient smile on his face. Two enormous packs were at his feet, and he picked one up and helped me put it on my back before taking the second, heavier one for himself.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“I’ve got you, Princess,” he said, offering me his arm. “Just follow me. I’ll keep you safe.”
Slipping my hand into the crook of his elbow, I nodded. “I know you will.”