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The air fills with the scent of strong magic, which gives me hope that the masking spell is working. There is a buzzing through my veins that must be him, since it can’t be my own magic. I have never had access to this much before.

I wonder what kind of fae he is. He’s not an emptyfae. They’re not capable of accessing their magic…much like me. A shadowfae, perhaps? I don’t know much about them, save that they manipulate the shadows somehow. I tell myself to relax, to breathe slowly.

“I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t know,” Alaric says, talking under his breath. “I won’t hurt you. Nothing has changed.”

Does he still have his faculties?

“Everything has changed,” I say between gritted teeth. “Let’s get through this, shall we?” I whisper.

He makes a noise of agreement, still clasping my hand tightly.

We hold our collective breath as the fae draw closer. The sound of hooves grows louder and louder.

As they draw near, I see the glint of their weapons and the intensity in their eyes. My breath catches in my throat, fear coursing through me like a river. Alaric’s presence beside me is a strange comfort, his touch grounding me even as chaos looms. It shouldn’t, given who he is.

I don’t understand it.

The guards pass by without noticing us, their horses continuing on their path without faltering. Relief washes over me in waves as they disappear into the distance. I turn to Alaric, my eyes wide at our narrow escape. I huff out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

He puts a finger over his lips, and my heart stutters when I realize why. The guards are turning their steeds and coming back this way. It doesn’t take long before they pass us again.

“They’re here somewhere,” one of them growls. They’re all searching.

“Somewhere close,” another shouts.

How do they know? Did they see us? They must have.

Moments later, they swing back, going east as they pass us for a third time. This time, they stop right next to us, and my heart lodges itself in my throat. I can hardly breathe.

They’re so close, I can smell the horses. Can hear the squeak of the leather as they move in the saddles, searching left and right.

The head guard has a longer spear and a golden crest on his helm. “Queen Snow can sense that he is using his magic. He’s somewhere close.” He presses a finger to one of his temples andcloses his eyes. “Yes, Your Majesty.” He speaks and then makes noises like he is listening. “Understood. I will find them, my Queen.”

He looks straight at us. I clutch a hand over my mouth until he looks away.

The queen!

What? How can she sense Alaric?

Is he speaking with the queen through some sort of mental connection? Then again, it wouldn’t surprise me. Why would the queen care about a nobody like him?

Unless…

Unless he isn’t a nobody.

Our gazes lock. Alaric squeezes my hand, silently pleading with me to keep trusting him.

I don’t.

I’m stuck, though. It’s him or the guards. I’d sooner pick neither, but right now, and in this situation, I have no choice but to stick with him.

I nod once, and he relaxes his shoulders by the smallest of margins.

They circle us twice before heading west.

“You need to take over the spell,” he whispers.

“I’m not strong enough.” I wish I were. It’s my greatest wish. It always has been.