Part 18 (2/2)

Fred, Ariana, and Kyra wound through the night-quiet streets of Wexford. Fred and Ariana spoke in hushed voices behind Kyra, Ariana's laugh occasionally bubbling up into the dark. By the time they entered the forest on the far side of the palace, their voices had grown louder and they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

”Keep it down!” Kyra hissed. She forced herself to think about something else.

They needed to track down the fake princess, but it would help if first they knew what they were up against. What was she?

Kyra tried to open herself to her Sight, tried to focus it on the fake princess. But the only thing that flashed into her mind was the shriveled old face of the witch who had tried to kidnap them in the forest. She s.h.i.+vered; the witch had frozen her and Fred, just as Ariana had been frozen.

Was that why her image kept flas.h.i.+ng into Kyra's head?

She thought about the false princess in her vision-looking down from her parapet while the world beneath her withered and turned black. Kyra took a sharp intake of breath. What was it the witch had said she'd been touched by? An obeeka.

”What's an obeeka?” Kyra asked.

Ariana said, ”Oh, you know-kid's monster story. Parasite that sucks the life out of people.” She waggled her fingers. ”Oooh, scary!”

Fred laughed with her.

Kyra scowled and kept her thoughts to herself. What if obeekas weren't just storybook monsters? If an obeeka could suck the life out of those around it, why not suck the life out of an entire kingdom using the Nuptial Bond?

”I think I know what the imposter princess is,” Kyra said. ”Fred and I ran into a witch who told us an obeeka had touched me.”

Ariana squinted. ”Stupid obeeka should know better than to touch our Kitty.”

”I'd hate to take the word of an evil witch who tried to eat us.” Fred threw a stick for Langley. ”Is this one of those Seer things?”

Kyra ignored his question as the woods gave way to a small clearing. ”We're here,” she said.

”Good thinking, Kitty,” Ariana said. ”I never would have thought of this.”

”Is it just me or are we looking at a completely empty meadow?” Fred asked.

”It's just you,” Kyra said. She began the process of dissolving the concealments hiding the tiny secret hut where she used to hide things for her adventures with Ariana.

She put her potions back in their bag and opened the door. ”Beautiful, isn't it?”

Fred stepped inside the small shack and examined the dusty weapons hanging on the walls. ”I'm glad we're on the same side.”

”Me too,” Ariana said.

Kyra walked around Fred to a trunk and pulled out some moth-eaten bedding. There was s.p.a.ce for maybe two of them to sleep on the floor, but not much more.

”I'll sleep out here with Langley,” Fred said. ”You girls can have the luxury of sleeping under a roof.”

”No, the royals should have the luxury of a roof,” Kyra said, thinking it'd be easier to sneak away in the morning.

Kyra felt a hand on her back. ”Don't even think about it.” Ariana's voice came from behind her.

”I don't know what you're talking about.”

”I know you-you're looking for a way to ditch us and go after this obeeka on your own.”

Kyra turned to her friend. ”If you got hurt, Ariana, I'd never forgive myself.”

Ariana straightened, changing from a bedraggled-looking girl into the heir to the throne. ”I want to save the kingdom too, Kyra. Promise me you'll give me a chance to do it.”

Kyra finally nodded. ”You've got my word.”

It took Kyra some time to fall asleep even with the warm pig tucked in beside her.

The memory of Fred's-Ariana's fiance's-kiss at the inn seared her. How could he do that knowing he was engaged to someone else?

The next morning, Kyra woke to the sound of birdsong, the crackle of a fire, and a lilt of two voices intertwining- Fred and Ariana.

She stretched and felt for Rosie but found her bedroll empty. Light streamed in through the cracks around the door.

Outside, Fred was smiling his sunny smile at Ariana; Rosie was draped across her lap. The smoky smell of the fire was tinged with the sweet scent of something cooking.

Mmm, food.

”Kitty!” The princess interrupted her own stream of talk to pat the ground beside her. ”You're still here.”

Fred looked quizzically at Kyra. ”Where else would she be?”

”You never know where you'll find our slippery kitty cat. Fred's making us breakfast.”

Fred drizzled honey over a pan of springberries bubbling on the fire.

Kyra s.h.i.+vered in the cool morning, settling next to Ariana. She was still wearing the white blouse, and it didn't keep her as warm as her usual black s.h.i.+rt. But the soft fabric felt nice against her skin, so she'd resisted changing back.

Rosie opened an eye, and Kyra rubbed her cheek. The little pig shut her eye, lifting her cheek a fraction to give Kyra a better angle. Langley was chasing b.u.t.terflies around the meadow.

Fred handed Kyra and Ariana warm biscuits. ”So where do we start?”

Kyra took a bite and moaned happily. The springberries went perfectly with the toasty biscuits. Fred was a truly amazing cook. ”I wish we knew more about what an obeeka can and can't do-if we're going to expose the fake princess, we need to be prepared.” She wiped biscuit crumbs off her pants. ”The only thing I really know about them is the old children's game called Face-stealer.”

”We played that game!” Fred said, rocking back on his heels. ”The Face-stealer is picked by drawing straws, secretly, then runs around tagging people. The idea is that no one knows who it is, see? You can't trust anyone. If the Face-stealer touches you, you fall to the ground. Last person standing wins.” Fred nibbled a biscuit. ”Stupid game. Our diplomats must have picked it up from Mohr.”

”Or our diplomats picked it up from you.” Ariana lobbed her biscuit at him.

”You know the game, princess?” Fred asked.

Ariana chuckled, bitterness showing on her face. ”I wasn't allowed to play with other children.”

”It's never too late.” Fred smiled wickedly. ”Up! I'll show you how it's done.”

”It sounds like it's just running around.”

<script>