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She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Filip will never stop looking for me. I have no idea what lengths he will go to or what he’s capable of.”

“I won’t let him take you.” He cupped her cheek. “You’re mine and I am yours. Nothing will get in the way of us.”

“I trust you,” she said, and meant it. “But if he hurts our family…” She shook her head.

“We can’t do anything here for them, except leave and lead Filip and his men far away from this town.” He urged her towards her horse. “Up you get.”

Putting her foot into the stirrup, she hoisted herself onto the horse, then adjusted herself on the saddle. Clutching the reins, she waited for him.

When he was mounted, they rode along the cobble path, over the bridge, and into the pine forest, leaving their childhood home behind.

∞∞∞

Tall pines rose from the earth to touch the sky. Sun-dappled leaves created flickering shadows on the ground. Animal trails disappeared into the undergrowth, and dead leaves and pine needles were caught in clumps of moss at the edge of the beaten path.

Bark frayed off broken branches, inches above fat burls. Moss wound around the trunks, and pinecones dotted the trail like spilled trinkets. Wood beetles bumbled across rotten, fallen logs next to the river meandering through the forest .

“Stay away from those.” Damir gestured to the wind-damaged trunks leaning drunkenly against one another.

Adelina nodded.

“It’s beautiful here, and so peaceful,” she said. “Did you see the animal burrows amongst the roots over there?”

“I sure did,” he said, then raised his arm. “Be still. There’s a deer by the river.”

The wind rustled through the leaves and the spongy layers of dead pine needles and twigs crunched underneath the horses’ hooves. Birds called and animals rootled around in the underbrush.

For a moment, she enjoyed the serenity of the forest—her worries forgotten. The deer grabbed a mouthful of greenery beside the fern fronds.

“The idea of camping doesn’t seem so bad now,” she said in a hushed tone. “Imagine fireflies lighting the canopy of leaves at night. It sounds blissful.”

“You don’t want to use your magic for light?” He arched a brow.

She frowned, shook her reins, and resumed her ride along the path.

He caught up with her. “What’s wrong?”

“My magic doesn’t feel like a gift, but a curse,” she said, her moment of peace shattered by a weight on her shoulders.

“If I hadn’t seen the dragon in my vision, if I’d failed the test like everyone else, then no harm would be brought to Aramoor.

We’ve fled our home and for what? To bring Filip and his guards right to Aramoor’s doorstep, anyway? ”

“I understand how you feel, I do.” His gentle gaze met hers. “But we’ve spoken about this—there’s nothing more we can do for the people of our hometown, except get away. We’ll keep riding until the sun sets—that’ll put us at least twenty miles south of Aramoor.”

“It doesn’t mean they deserve the interrogation or threats I’m sure Filip and his men will come with.” She dropped her gaze from his, fixing it on the winding path through the trees.

“All we can do is look after ourselves and take this one day at a time,” he said. “Drink some water—you need to stay hydrated.”

She nodded, hopped down from her horse, rummaged in her bag, then drew her flask. Unfastening the lid, she pressed it to her lips and gulped the cool liquid.

“Do you want some?” she said.

“No, it’s okay, thanks,” he said. “I have my own. Luckily, we have this river we can use to wash. Maybe there’s a stream of freshwater somewhere close for us to refill our bottles when we need them.”

She mounted her horse. “I’ll keep my eye out.”

“We’ll ride until evening,” he said. “Then we’ll stop to make camp for the night.”

∞∞∞

The forest darkened with each passing hour of evening stretching into night. Damir and Adelina hobbled the horses in a gravelly patch of ground ringed by trees and branches.

A pile of chopped firewood and scavenged deadfall lay beside Damir’s handmade fire pit, while he skinned two rabbits he’d caught for supper .

Rifling through her bag, she found a lantern. She placed it on a tree stump. “Look what Ma packed for us.”

Glancing over his shoulder, he smiled. “Very useful, indeed.”

“ Areiras therasi. ” A light flickered inside the lantern, adding to the orange glow of the fire. “It’s not much, but it’ll help you see what you’re doing better.”

“Thank you.” He shifted his position, soaking the game in light. “I’m almost done with this, then I’ll set it to roast.”

She lowered onto the springy grass beside him.

The fire crackled as wood burned and sap popped.

An owl hooted nearby, and tall trees creaked in the breeze.

Firelight only extended so far, and beyond, the forest blurred into a black void, no longer the peaceful utopia she’d thought of earlier in the day.

“How can this place be so…creepy at night?” she said as a chill spread across her skin. She tugged her cloak tight around her.

“The forest comes alive at night, and we must respect it.” He skewered the meat, then hung it over the flames. “From the wolves right down to the wood beetles—this is their land.”

She leaned into him. “I’m lucky to have you.”

Without him there, she could only wonder how she’d manage alone. She knew how to light a fire—her magic came in handy—and she could hunt. But she relied on his emotional resilience, and such a quality was essential when leaving everyone they loved behind .

Resting his forehead against hers, he drew her close. Together, they watched the flames flicker and the meat char.

∞∞∞

Light streamed through the canopy of leaves and speckled the floor. Damir was already awake, tending to the horses, when Adelina stirred from her slumber.

Embers from the fire fluttered on the slight morning breeze, and with it, the lingering scent of burned wood and moss.

She swiped the tangling curls away from her face and shoved the blanket aside, one she assumed Damir had draped over her in the night. “Morning, my love.”

“Good morning.” He smiled over his shoulder at her while he fastened their bags to the horses’ saddles. “We should ride as soon as you have eaten. I’ve already had my share of leftover rabbit, and while you slept, I refilled our flasks at a nearby stream.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Perhaps we will have enough time to bathe in the river?”

“We must be quick,” he said. “I’ve checked the map and by tonight, we should reach the Twelve Bells Inn . We’ll sleep indoors, my darling, and you’ll have a proper dinner, I assure you.”

“You needn’t worry about my welfare,” she said sincerely. “We managed well out here in the forest for the night. However, if an opportunity presents itself whereby we can enjoy the comforts of a mattress, well, who am I to decline? ”

He laughed. “I see you’re rather chipper this morning.”

“Prospects of a new day is all.” She rose, and in quick strides, came to his side. “Knowing I’m with you, we will overcome whatever Filip has in store for us. I believe we will be fine.”

Her words were confident, and she hoped he believed them too.

Once she’d eaten her last few chunks of roasted rabbit, she swigged a mouthful of water, then headed for the river.

∞∞∞

By midmorning, they’d broken through the edge of the pine forest, riding down a country lane stretching between rolling hills and open fields. They saw no settlements of any sort for miles, aside from small farm cottages and weathered stables.

Grass grew on the road’s shoulder, beside the odd ditch. Yellow canola flowers sprouted from the fields where cattle grazed. Scruffy brush and stunted trees dotted fallow land, and a falcon flew overhead. Ahead, an old shack rotted, and barn structures remained forgotten in the fields.

“All this land and no one to tend to it,” she said. “Aside from the one or two farmers this far south. You’d think they’d prefer the slightly better weather conditions.”

“It’s not so much the farmers’ fault,” he said. “There’s a population crisis in this area—not enough families to work the land or children to take over from their fathers.”

Wind feathered through the wild grass and sparsely sewn crops. Crickets and grasshoppers whirred and an animal, perhaps a mouse, rustled through clumps of weeds.

“Explains why there’s limited crops growing,” she said, and a pang of guilt shot through her. “You know, when I was staying at Kirovo Palace, I said to the benefactors I would help to solve issues within the three countries, and what am I doing? Running from them.”

“You don’t have a choice.” He glanced at her—golden light illuminating the planes of his face. His dark eyes twinkled. “You were being tricked and deceived, and your life could’ve been at risk around Filip. He has already proven he can’t be trusted.”

She held her shoulders back and focused on the road ahead.