She looked up in time to see the harpy flying overhead. It had the head of an ugly woman, breasts, eagle wings, and the legs of a vulture. Good heavens! She really was in a fantasy world!
“Come on,” the faun anxiously said.
She bolted to her feet and ran with him, not paying attention to where they were going as they left the path and went deeper into the forest.
“You belong to me,” the harpy hissed.
She couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like the harpy was closing in on them. There was no way they were going to outrun the thing. She scanned the area and found a ditch a few feet away from them.
“Over there.” She took his hand. Once they fell into the ditch, she gathered as many leaves as possible. “Put these all over you,” she told him.
They worked quietly—and fast—as they covered themselves up with the leaves. Thank goodness they were in a forest!
Once they were completely hidden, Ann continued to hold the faun’s hand, probably taking as much comfort in being here with him as he was in being with her. After the flapping of the harpy’s wings grew silent, she pushed aside a small section of the leaves and saw that the harpy was gone. Relieved, she sat up and brushed the leaves off of her.
“We’re safe now,” she told the faun.
He stood up and shook the leaves away from his fur. “That was a clever trick you came up with.”
“Oh, I didn’t come up with it,” she said as they left the ditch. “I saw it in a movie.”
“What’s a movie?”
She didn’t think to ask Hathor if they had movies on this planet, but it made sense they wouldn’t since she hadn’t seen any TVs. As they started walking, she said, “It’s not important. The important thing is, you’re safe.”
“Yes, but I can’t find my way home.”
“You can’t?”
“I was bathing in the fresh water when the harpy saw me. I didn’t want to put my family in danger, so I ran away from my home.” He glanced around then smiled. “I’m glad I ran into you or else I would have been eaten.”
She made a mental note that when she became queen, she would make a law where harpies couldn’t eat fauns. “Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that adventure is waiting around every corner.”
“What corner?” he asked, searching the area.
“It’s an expression.” When his eyebrows furrowed, she chuckled. “Don’t worry about it.” She stopped walking and sighed. She couldn’t remember which direction she came from. There was a fork in the path up ahead, and with the trees surrounding them, she couldn’t tell where the map and food could possibly be. Glancing at the faun, she asked, “Do you know where we are?”
“In a forest.”
“I mean, do you know how to get to your home or how to get to the Dark Castle?”
He shook his head.
Bummer. “At least we have each other. I’ll do what I can to help you find your home.”
“Thank you!”
They proceeded forward, and no matter which way she looked, she didn’t see any signs of the map or her food. This wasn’t good, but what else could she do but keep walking down one of the paths? Sooner or later, it had to lead somewhere. Maybe they’d come across someone who could help them.
“What’s your name?” the faun asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She hesitated to answer him. Should she tell him her real name? Was it safe to reveal her identity when there was a duplicate running around who was pretending to be her? Deciding it was safer to lie, she said, “My name is Victoria.”
“Pleased to meet you, Victoria. I’m Inno.”
To her surprise, he put his hand out. With a smile, she shook it. It was cute that he acted so much like an adult. But maybe this was the way fauns behaved.
As they continued down the path, his eyes lit up. “Calhoun, my brother, knows how to get to the Dark Castle.” After a few minutes of walking in silence, he said, “I’m sure glad you’re here with me. I hate traveling alone. Time goes faster when you can take a journey with someone else.”
“That’s true.” Her trip to Raz wouldn’t have been the same without Hathor. It was weird how much she missed him since she’d only known him for such a short time.
“Where are you from?” Inno asked. “I can tell you’re not from this area.”
If only he knew, she mused. But he was expecting an answer, and she needed to think of some generic place a human on this world might live. “Have you heard of a village?” she ventured, hoping there would be some on this world. Just about every fantasy novel she read had a village in it.
“Uh huh,” he replied with a nod. “My grandparents passed one once.”
Good. Then a village it was.
“We prefer to live in trees. We don’t like houses like humans do. But there are all kinds of creatures who like to do things differently. Most of us are peaceful. Well, except for the goblins, harpies, and ogres. They’re always getting into mischief. We should avoid them at all costs.”
“I’ll remember that.” Goblins, harpies and ogres? She shivered. If no one recognized her as the future queen out here, then she wasn’t as safe as she thought she was.
Behind them came a familiar roar, and she turned in time to see Leo heading toward them.
Scared, the faun grabbed her hand and scooted closer to her. “Don’t let it hurt me!”
“He won’t hurt you,” she assured the faun. “I was afraid of him when I first saw him, too, but he’s harmless. In fact, he’s a good friend.”
“Oh. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
When Leo reached them, she petted his mane. “You can touch him,” she told Inno.
He shook his head. “He’s almost as tall as me.”
“Yes, but he’s friendly and very soft.”
He stretched his arm out and tentatively touched the lion’s fur. Then he relaxed and petted him again. “He is soft!”
Leo purred in response and smiled at him.
Ann’s eyes went to the collar around Leo’s neck. “Who put that on you?” she asked him even though she knew he wasn’t going to answer.
She knelt in front of him and examined the collar, wondering if this was Seta’s doing. She saw the box tied to it and opened it before she had time to think about whether or not this was a smart move. There could be a bomb in there for all she knew. But she was safe. It was just a note. She opened the paper and saw it was a note from Hathor. She couldn’t help but smile. Even though he no longer had a duty to help her, he wanted to.
She searched the small box for something to write a reply on the paper, but words automatically appeared on it. “I have lost my map, and a young faun needs to find his home. Can you guide us through Raz?”
Her eyes grew wide. This was enchanted paper, indeed! She folded the paper and put it back in the box then secured it.
“Take this to Hathor,” she whispered to Leo, tapping the box so he’d know she meant the letter.
He roared and headed back down the path from which he came.
“Where’s he going?” Inno asked.
“He’s going to get someone who can help us find your home. This way, we won’t end up walking in circles. In the meantime, we’ll stay here and wait for my friend to show up.” She glanced around the area. “Do you know where we can get something to eat?”
“Sure. There’s food in the trees.”
With a nod, she gathered some fruits, and soon, they were enjoying a peaceful meal.
***
Alpha Head I
Planet: Pale
Jaz pressed a few keys on the computer and sat back while the computer scanned the chip from the Great Prison. There was some information in the chip that would help her find a way to get Ann back to Earth. But what time in Ann’s past would be the best?
She sighed as she let her mind wander. Was there a way Seta could feed the Palers without resorting to killing Raz? As much as Jaz had been struggling to find another so
lution, her mind kept coming up blank.
A buzzing sound interrupted her thoughts. She blinked and picked up the telecommunicator. It was Second Commander Riles. “Yes, Riles?”
“Can I come back to Pale yet?” he asked in Ann’s voice.
“No. You have a job to do. Until Leader Seta relieves you of duty, you must continue it.”
“I know, but I’ve never been here before. A freaky looking small creature just walked by me and huffed. I think it was a goblin.”
“Goblins aren’t a threat as long as it’s day. You don’t want to be on the path after sunset, so seek shelter before then.”
***
Above Jaz’s Office
Alpha Head I
While Jaz was talking to Riles, Omin scooted into the crawl space above the ceiling of the room. Although he couldn’t see anything, he could hear the conversation. He put his ear to the vent and listened.
“-Seta,” Jaz said. “Where are you right now?”
So Jaz was talking to Seta. Good.
“I’m by the Gold Lake,” came Ann’s voice from the other end of the telecommunicator. “Raz has so many lakes.”
“So your location is 147 degrees northwest of the planet’s center, correct?” Jaz asked.
“Yes.”
“How far are you from the Dark Castle?” Jaz pressed.
“About two days.”
“And everyone thinks you’re Ann, right? You’re still wearing the pink dress?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Good.”
So Seta was disguised as Ann. Omin shuddered. Never in a million years would he take on the form of a human, but Seta liked to shapeshift into other creatures, so he wasn’t surprised.
And the fact that Seta was on Raz, disguised as the Earthling, suited his purposes just fine. She wouldn’t have the guards protecting her. That being the case, she would be vulnerable. Staying quiet so Jaz wouldn’t hear him, he proceeded along the crawl space. He had work to do, and since the city was in chaos, he bet no one was carefully watching the spaceships. He was going to show Seta who the real leader of Pale was if it was the last thing he did.
***
Laxy Rebellion Hideout
“I’m sorry to hear you almost killed in violence,” Zak said after Paff and Cem explained what happened with Omin.
“Cem talked me out of it,” Paff softly stated. “I let my emotions get the best of me.”
Cem touched Paff’s arm in silent reassurance. “He will learn to control his Paler nature in time, Zak. It’s a process. All the Palers have been trained to be violent.”
“I understand that, but how can we be sure this incident won’t happen again if Paff returns to the city?” Zak asked.
“Allow me and Cem to go with him,” a familiar voice suggested.
Paff turned and saw Halima approach. When she looked at him, he detected the confidence she felt in him. It wasn’t a confidence he deserved, but it was one he appreciated far more than she’d ever know.
“Yes,” Cem agreed, his gaze turning back to Zak. “Between the two of us, we’ll be able to keep his focus on our mission.”
After a moment, Zak said, “Come back quickly. I have a feeling time is running out.”
With a nod, the three headed for Alpha Head I.
Chapter Twenty
Forest
Planet: Raz
“Will he be here soon?” Inno asked, his gaze going to the sky, probably to gauge the passage of time.
It was already afternoon, but Ann had no doubt that Hathor would find them soon. He’d proven how good he was at coming to the queen’s aid many times in the past. And knowing him, he was probably excited to be a part of the action.
“He’ll be here,” Ann assured him and leaned forward on the log they were sitting on so she could glance down the path Leo had headed down.
“You trust him?”
Ann smiled at Inno. “With all my heart.”
Inno relaxed and proceeded to tell her more about his life, though what else there was to tell, she could only guess. He’d already told her all about his hobbies, his family, and his schooling. But it was good that he rambled. As long as he wasn’t asking her any questions about her life, she was safe. She didn’t know enough about Raz to come up with any good lies.
“We don’t often get slivers even though we live in trees,” Inno continued, “but I got a nasty one a year ago. It hurt real bad and made my finger so sore I couldn’t pick anything up.”
A lion’s roar caught Ann’s attention. “He’s here,” she told the faun and urged him to stand up. She directed her gaze down the path, and sure enough, Hathor was coming, Leo leading the way. She turned to Inno. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t,” he promised.
She ran over to Hathor and told Leo, “You need to keep Inno company while I talk to Hathor, okay?”
Leo indicated his agreement then headed for the child.
“You do realize that by waiting for me to come here and helping the faun find his way home, Seta will have a day’s head start on you,” Hathor softly told her.
She sighed and looked at him. “I know, but I can’t leave him out here to fend for himself. If I don’t help him, who will?”
He smiled and took her hand in his. “You sound just like the queen of Raz. And I’m glad. I know how to get to his tree dwelling. We should get there by sunset. But what happened? How did you get lost?”
“A harpy chased us, and I dropped the map while we were running away from her.”
He winced. “I should have told you that running only attracts a harpy’s attention. If you walk, they’ll lose you.”
“Now I know,” she replied with a laugh.
“How did you get away from her?”
“We hid in a ditch and threw leaves on ourselves to hide from her.”
“Good strategy.” With a wink, he squeezed her hand. “And you don’t think you have what it takes to be a queen.”
Her face warmed from both his touch and his compliment. “I got lucky.”
“It was more than luck. You’re smart.”
“Yeah, well, maybe.” She shrugged. “I didn’t tell the faun I was Ann. I told him I was Victoria from a village somewhere on this planet. I don’t know if that was wise or not, but considering Seta is somewhere and she looks just like me, I thought it best.”
“If you’re Victoria, then who am I supposed to be?”
“You’re Queen Basilia’s son. Will he recognize you?”
“No. I’m not the queen. Everyone is more concerned about her than they are about me.”
“Are you really okay with that?” she asked.
“Of course, I am. It’s not about the recognition,” Hathor told her. “It’s about being there for her when she needs me. As long as Raz is safe, I’m happy.”
She didn’t honestly believe William would be happy if she brought him here. Maybe at first he would because it was all new. But in time, she didn’t think he’d be content with it. And that meant she shouldn’t marry him.
“It’s not every man that can say it and mean it,” she finally replied.
“Every man on Raz can. Serving the queen is the best thing he can aspire to.”
“Yeah, I know. All duty and no play.” With a playful shake of her head, she led him over to the faun. “Inno, we’re in luck. My husband knows how to find your home.”
“Husband?” Hathor asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Well, you are holding my hand,” she whispered. “What is he supposed to think?”
Inno looked up from the lion he’d been petting. “You know where I live?”
Hathor nodded. “Yes. You’re from the brown fir trees family, correct?”
“That’s right,” he said.
“We can be there by sunset.”
Inno let out a cheer then asked, “What should I call you?”
Hathor glanced at Ann, and after a moment, he said, “Nasot.”
Naso
t? Ann had never heard of such a strange name, but then she figured it was probably a familiar one on Raz. With a shrug, she headed down the path with Hathor, Leo, and Inno. She tried not to think about it, but she was very much aware that Hathor was still holding her hand. And the action, as simple as it was, gave her hope that maybe he was interested in her as a woman, not as a queen. Perhaps there was the possibility of marrying for love after all.
“What if the harpy comes back?” Inno asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She wrapped her arm around the faun’s shoulders. “I just learned a trick on how to outwit harpies. Want to hear it?”
He nodded, so she told him, noting the smile on Hathor’s face.
***
Another path in the forest
Planet: Raz
Still looking like Ann, Riles jerked and spun around. He could have sworn he heard a faint giggling coming from behind the trees to his left. He gulped. Something was watching him. He knew it.
He touched the telecommunicator, debating whether or not it was wise to contact Seta. She’d already gotten irritated with him for calling an hour ago. The last thing he needed to do was anger her further. After all, she defeated Omin.
Taking a deep breath, he turned around and took another step down the path, looking for something that might provide him shelter for the night. The suns would be setting soon, and Jaz had warned him about being on the path after sunset. If he hadn’t been so worried about getting to the Dark Castle, he would have sought shelter earlier.
It had been safe at the Gold Lake with the small caves lining the side of the hill. He shook his head. He should have just stayed there. What were the chances a human being could walk faster than a Paler, anyway? He glanced down at himself, recalling the frail female human body he was in. Well, maybe he had no advantage over the future queen of Raz.
Another sound made his heart skip a beat. He looked behind him but saw nothing. But something was there. And it was following him.
A Royal Engagement (Enchanted Galaxy Series Book 1) Page 17
