Page 51 of The Prince and His Stolen Throne

“What if it’s just a job for them?” Brendon suggested. “Could someone be following an evil mage’s orders?”

“Like a minion,” Rick said.

“Or an apprentice,” the Good Wizard whispered. Then he slammed his hands on the table and shoved himself to his feet. “An apprentice! Someone learning their way through the world of magic, who could be swayed one way or another.”

A capable apprentice was as dangerous as an evil mage. Moreso, if they could bypass the Kingdom Defense Spell when a mage couldn’t. What harm could they do to the children once they passed the boundary?

“We have to go after them,” Brendon and Rick said at the same time.

The Good Wizard leapt forward and grabbed both of their arms. “No! You can’t interfere with the quest!”

“But they weren’t supposed to go on a quest,” Rick argued.

“Now that it is set in motion, you cannot interfere.”

“What counts as interference?” Brendon asked.

“The royal champions alone must defeat the evil mage at the center of this plot,” the wizard insisted. “If someone else defeats them first, the quest will fail.”

Rick wiped a hand down his face. “Whatcanwe do?”

“You may fight against low-level monsters and minions. The apprentice, however …” The Good Wizard pursed his stubbly lips. “They are too far along in their studies. If we fail, and they succeed, this plot could even earn them a title. If they stand at their master’s side during the final fight, you may not engage with them directly.”

Darkness shadowed Rick’s eyes, a flash of the evil potential the Good Wizard once saw in him. “Then we’ll stop them before that happens.”

Chapter Fifteen

After a few hours of walking through endless trees, we found our first abandoned house. Ivy covered most of the outer walls, climbing its way up to the roof. The wooden door hung limply off its hinges, inviting us inside.

“Do we want to shelter here for the night or continue?” Fitz asked.

The house sat in a small, uneven clearing with trees slowly encroaching on the property. Their limbs stretched overhead, the tips of their branches barely brushing each other. Decorative stones carved a path through an overgrown herb garden. I stayed on them as I approached the house but couldn’t avoid stepping on some of the plants. The smell of mint filled the air, oddly pleasant and refreshing in the creepy atmosphere.

Inside, the house was only one story tall, with three rooms—one central room for cooking, cleaning, and socializing, and two empty rooms that were probably bedrooms. All the furniture had been removed, though they’d left behind an icebox and a stove. “No skeletons left behind,” I called. “Looks like the family had enough warning to take their things with them.”

“Any chance there’s a bed?” Angelica asked as she stepped up behind me.

“Nope, our choices are to sleep on the floor inside, or the ground outside.”

She sighed. “I knew this was too good to be true.”

“A house is easier to guard than a campsite,” Maximus said.

“Good point,” Fitz agreed. “Who wants to take first watch?”

It’d been a long day. All I wanted to do was curl up in my bedroll and pass out. Unfortunately, during the watch was my best time to check in with Wilde. I forced my hand into the air. “I will.”

Fitz pursed his lips. “Trey, you look like you’re about to fall over.”

“No, I’m totally”—pause for yawn—“awake.”

No one looked convinced.

“I’ll take first watch,” Maximus offered. He set his pack down inside the door and posted himself between us and the forest.

Fitz nodded in approval, then chose a moderately clean spot inside the house for his bedroll.

“I want the last one,” Angelica said, choosing a spot on the opposite side of the room from everyone else.