naturally wavy hair to cascade down the sides of my face. No hair dryer or irons in this neck of the woods. I looked like a character straight out of a Renaissance festival.
Hearing Gavin’s voice, I raced back to the ladder and watched him from above, my heart pounding as he entered the house. I wanted to run into his arms, run my fingers into his hair and beg him to come home—to come back to me. He stood near the door, talking to Gabe, and caught me watching; he glanced up and paused when our gazes locked. His sad, dark-chocolate eyes pierced mine. Quickly nodding to Gabe, he slipped something into his hand and met my stare once more before he rushed off. Gabe met me at the top of the ladder and handed me a piece of notepaper.
Knowing the sender, I hurried to read it, but Gabe placed a hand over mine and said, “Samira will be in the village soon, probably to check on Gavin’s progress. Or at least, what she thinks is his mission. Meet us outside in five minutes. Stay close so you’re protected, okay?”
He winked, then hurried back downstairs to meet Josh. The entire household was scrambling, and the buzzing whispers told me everyone was unsure of Samira’s intentions in visiting. Carrying a secret as deadly as our plan of attack for three months was challenging to say the least. According to the Amaranthians, she hadn’t visited the city since before our arrival, which explained why the entire village, it seemed, was on edge.
I scanned the house for any signs of Scarlet—making sure she didn’t spot the note exchange—then tucked myself away to open Gavin’s note: Windmill. Just before sunset. Sir, aka Gavin. My pulse quickened and I tried to think of a place to hide the note. The sound of a loud horn declaring the arrival of royalty startled me and I buried it in my pocket, then rushed off to meet Audrey, Gabe, and Josh in the street, where we lined the road with the others, villagers gathering outside of their homes to face the queen.
The horn sounded louder as Samira appeared in the distance, an elegant apparition floating, cloudlike, in her descent from the city’s golden gates and down the steep hill into our village’s valley. Shrouded in darkest red, her gown flowed as she coasted toward us, hovering mere inches off the ground, her macabre flying guards surrounding her. Her feet never contacting the ground, she made her way down the cobblestone street, Dali and Akim trotting alongside her, loyal and threatening as always. Her arms floated gracefully at her side, those dangerous red nails gliding through the air as she moved. Every hair on my neck stood up as she slipped into our presence.
“I trust all is well, my dear children.” She zoned in on Cecile and lifted one long finger; her force pulled Cecile off the ground to meet her in the air. Audrey squirmed and dug her head into Gabe’s arm and he hushed her, gently kissing her forehead. I took Audrey’s hand and huddled in with my friends, keeping my eyes on Samira.
“Are you still wasting your time on useless parlor tricks, my pet?” Samira said. “Your human magic is futile, you fool.” She laughed wickedly, skimming her nails across Cecile’s chin before tossing her to the ground in front of the crowd. Why was she doing this? Wasn’t she supposed to be earning the peoples’ trust again? This sure as hell wasn’t the way to do it.
“I haven’t time for dull amusement today, my children. Let’s get down to business, shall we?” She reached out both arms and stretched her fingers, then balled them into tight fists, thrusting them toward her chest, using her force to lift a handful of Amaranthians from the ground and fling them toward her hulking guards. “Seize them!”
Screams rang out and gasps were heard round the street as she continued to carelessly sway her hands from side to side, randomly plucking people up, sending them soaring toward her guards. One by one, they were bound in chains and linked together to form a
Hearing Gavin’s voice, I raced back to the ladder and watched him from above, my heart pounding as he entered the house. I wanted to run into his arms, run my fingers into his hair and beg him to come home—to come back to me. He stood near the door, talking to Gabe, and caught me watching; he glanced up and paused when our gazes locked. His sad, dark-chocolate eyes pierced mine. Quickly nodding to Gabe, he slipped something into his hand and met my stare once more before he rushed off. Gabe met me at the top of the ladder and handed me a piece of notepaper.
Knowing the sender, I hurried to read it, but Gabe placed a hand over mine and said, “Samira will be in the village soon, probably to check on Gavin’s progress. Or at least, what she thinks is his mission. Meet us outside in five minutes. Stay close so you’re protected, okay?”
He winked, then hurried back downstairs to meet Josh. The entire household was scrambling, and the buzzing whispers told me everyone was unsure of Samira’s intentions in visiting. Carrying a secret as deadly as our plan of attack for three months was challenging to say the least. According to the Amaranthians, she hadn’t visited the city since before our arrival, which explained why the entire village, it seemed, was on edge.
I scanned the house for any signs of Scarlet—making sure she didn’t spot the note exchange—then tucked myself away to open Gavin’s note: Windmill. Just before sunset. Sir, aka Gavin. My pulse quickened and I tried to think of a place to hide the note. The sound of a loud horn declaring the arrival of royalty startled me and I buried it in my pocket, then rushed off to meet Audrey, Gabe, and Josh in the street, where we lined the road with the others, villagers gathering outside of their homes to face the queen.
The horn sounded louder as Samira appeared in the distance, an elegant apparition floating, cloudlike, in her descent from the city’s golden gates and down the steep hill into our village’s valley. Shrouded in darkest red, her gown flowed as she coasted toward us, hovering mere inches off the ground, her macabre flying guards surrounding her. Her feet never contacting the ground, she made her way down the cobblestone street, Dali and Akim trotting alongside her, loyal and threatening as always. Her arms floated gracefully at her side, those dangerous red nails gliding through the air as she moved. Every hair on my neck stood up as she slipped into our presence.
“I trust all is well, my dear children.” She zoned in on Cecile and lifted one long finger; her force pulled Cecile off the ground to meet her in the air. Audrey squirmed and dug her head into Gabe’s arm and he hushed her, gently kissing her forehead. I took Audrey’s hand and huddled in with my friends, keeping my eyes on Samira.
“Are you still wasting your time on useless parlor tricks, my pet?” Samira said. “Your human magic is futile, you fool.” She laughed wickedly, skimming her nails across Cecile’s chin before tossing her to the ground in front of the crowd. Why was she doing this? Wasn’t she supposed to be earning the peoples’ trust again? This sure as hell wasn’t the way to do it.
“I haven’t time for dull amusement today, my children. Let’s get down to business, shall we?” She reached out both arms and stretched her fingers, then balled them into tight fists, thrusting them toward her chest, using her force to lift a handful of Amaranthians from the ground and fling them toward her hulking guards. “Seize them!”
Screams rang out and gasps were heard round the street as she continued to carelessly sway her hands from side to side, randomly plucking people up, sending them soaring toward her guards. One by one, they were bound in chains and linked together to form a
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