Chapter 9

Jinx

After a full day of riding, we decided to make camp. We had finally reached the forest and spent the rest of the afternoon walking on foot. We found a place to settle down and after Ariel went to fetch firewood and the fire was cackling before us, we sat next to each other watching the flames.

"So, my mother, what has she been doing all these years?" Ariel asks out of the blue.

"She's been taking in refugees. Fiona has a campsite near the base of the mountains." I reply.

"Why hasn't she come back?" Ariel whispered.

"Your mother was bound to the man she was promised to, but after the attack on his camp, your mother fled," I pause, "With her new born son."

Ariel looks at me quickly, "What?"

"Your brother, Axel." I say softly. Ariel throws his head back and takes a deep breath.

"My mother stayed away because of him?"

"You father would probably have had him killed."

Ariel looks at me and sighs. For a while we just stared at each and my gaze dropped down to his lips. I subconsciously lick my lips and Ariel inches forward. I move forward and when we are centimeters apart I pause. I didn't want to be the one to make the move, as though I wasn't giving him the choice to pull away. It felt like eternity before Ariel finally broke the distance between us and our lips connected. He pulls me closer and lowers himself onto the floor with me on top of him. Our kiss deepens and he places his hands on my hips. I comb my hand through his hair and rest my other hand on his chest, feeling his heatbeat rise underneath my palm. I pull away and open my eyes, looking into his deep green eyes, eyes that I could stare at for hours. Ariel clears his throat before saying, "I think we should get some sleep."

"Yeah." I say and am about to get up before he holds me in place.

"Stay with me, please." He says. I smile and roll to the side, resting my head on his chest. I fall asleep with the reassuring, thump, thump, thump.

Ariel

We've been walking all morning muching on apples we found along the way when we heard shouts and the pounding of horses against the ground. Jinx ushered me and the horses towards a large tree.

"Who are they?" I whisper.

"They're the mages that work for Zachary." Jinx whispers back.

"Zachary?" I question.

"The guy your mom had to marry." she replies. One of the horses made a sound which attracted the attention of one of the mages. He slows and turns to face us. When he spots us he calls back his companions and Jinx swears under her breath.

"Get on the horses!" Jinx commands while she gets on her horse. We ride as fast as we can through the thicket of trees and balls of magic hit the trees around us. Jinx lifts a tree and tosses it behind us to slow the mages down. Suddenly I was tossed through the air as the ground beneath my horse explodes. I land hard against the ground and roll over with a moan. My right shoulder feels dislocated and the mages cirlce around me. I can't spot Jinx anywhere and begin to think that she abandoned me.

"What do we have here?" a mage with red hair asks as he dismounts his horse, "A prince? The prince. I wonder what kind of message it will send to the king when he receives the head of his son inside a box."

Jinx

I turn to see that Ariel is no longer behind me. I quickly dismount and run back to where the mages circle him. A Mage stands over Ariel, threatening to kill him, his mistake. The man cries out as my sword bursts through his chest. The man looks down at he blade as blood pours out of his mouth. I look over from behind him and pull the sword back. The man drops to the ground. I move to stand in front of Ariel protectively. The mages look at each other before they turn of their horse to run. I knows I can't let them escape because they could warn Zachary. I extends my arm and grab the air, all the mages are pulled from their horses and fall to the ground, dead from the suffocation. I pant at the exertion before turning to face Ariel who grips his shoulder.

"Are you hurt?" I asks moving towards him.

"My shoulder." Ariel replies trying to sit up. I move over to him and place my hand on his shoulder, which a thrush of magic, I relocate his shoulder at the expense of a scream. Ariel grunts and rolls his arm.

I sigh, "We have to be more careful. Zachary probably has men patrolling the forest." Ariel nods and I help him up.

Ariel

The rest of the morning went without incident. We stopped when we arrived at two trees interlocking with each other. Jinx walks up to one of the tree and takes a small knife out of her belt. She cuts a line in her palm making her wince before she places her hand against the tree in front of her. She takes her hand away and the tree begins to untwine. She walks back and grabs the reins of her horse before looking at me with a smile. Together we walk through the two trees.

I'm blinded by a white light before I can finally see again. Before my eyes, tents are pegged in neat rows. Kids are running around whilst the adults are working, making food and repairing weapons. They all look at us as we pass. Ahead of us is a large tent and it seems to be the place where we are heading. Jinx hands her horse over to a man who meets us and another take the reins from me. Jinx looks at me again then carries on walking. When we are standing a few meters from the tent, a boy with raven black hair and blue eyes steps out, studying me from head to toe. It took me a moment to realise that it is Axel, my half brother. Axel steps aside and a woman steps out the tent. Long black hair runs down her bac

k and deep green eyes look at me with longing.

"Mom?"