Part 82 (1/2)

”Hey!” I called again to her still moving form. ”I'm thinking this isn't smart.”

She looked back, stopped and I saw annoyance flash through her features before she rearranged them and said yet again, ”Really, it's not too far.”

Did Cora, the Gracious who was beloved across an entire country and visited children's hospitals (and homeless pet shelters, not to mention read to the blind) get annoyed?

I stared at her pretty face with all that fabulous, l.u.s.trous brown hair.

And as I did, it hit me.

And what hit me was that I hadn't been only an idiot.

I'd f.u.c.ked up.

And huge.

Cora, the Gracious probably found occasion to be annoyed (especially if her husband was an other-worldly macho man like Apollo).

But Cora's twin, the one from this world, the one who'd disappeared after being kidnapped by Minerva and her crew, would totally get annoyed. From what Apollo told me, she was a screaming b.i.t.c.h.

This had to be her.

It had to.

Cora wouldn't lead me to danger. She wouldn't even suggest it.

Okay, I didn't know that for certain.

But if it were me, I wouldn't lead Cora to danger. Nothing even near it. Not in times like these.

Not ever!

G.o.d!

I'd totally f.u.c.ked up!

I started backing away.

”Uh, how about you go on to Prince Noctorno and I'll go back to the house. When I find someone, I'll tell them to tell Apollo to follow our tracks to you,” I suggested.

More annoyance sliced through her expression before she looked side-to-side in a weird way I did not like then began following me, her hand raised cajolingly my way.

”It's much further back than forward.”

”I'm cool with that,” I told her, moving more quickly.

She moved more quickly too, saying, ”I fear for your safety, walking alone back to Karsvall.”

”It's okay,” I replied. ”There are enchantments that'll keep me safe.”

Again, she eyed side-to-side.

I kept backing up and eyed side-to-side too.

I also hoped like h.e.l.l Apollo (or someone) found Chris and that they were now searching for me.

I'd take the verbal las.h.i.+ng Apollo was going to give me after he discovered I'd been a complete idiot, and I'd take it since it was deserved.

I just wanted to get back.

I didn't notice anything side-to-side but when I looked down to ascertain that I was following the same tracks as I'd made coming out not only so I could get home but so that anyone possibly looking for me would actually find me, I stopped dead.

There were no tracks.

I whipped my head around and looked behind me.

There were no tracks there either.

Uh-oh.

I looked back to my feet and took another step.

The instant my foot hit the snow, the snow rea.s.sembled where my print had been so there was no print at all.

Uh-oh.

One could say we'd definitely come out of the enchanted safety zone because that couldn't happen.

Except by magic.

c.r.a.p!

My head snapped up and my blood turned to ice when I saw Cora standing with her arms crossed in front of her, gloved hands up high, resting under her shoulders.

And she was smiling a very b.i.t.c.hy smile.

s.h.i.+t!

At this point, three things happened at once.

The first was that I turned to run.

The second was that two men came barreling out from behind the trees, and the sight of them scared the complete beejeezus out of me.

This was because they were not like any men I'd ever seen in my life.

They were huge.

And when I say huge, I mean huge.

They had long black hair (one in a plait down his back, the other's was only pulled back at the top).