Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
A branch snapped behind them, cutting the kiss short. Everand ripped away in a flash, turning and positioning his body in front of Hugo. His hand went to his side as if he were attempting to draw a sword that wasn’t there. They stood there frozen, listening for any sound of movement, but there was nothing other than wind rustling tree branches.
“That’s right. We’re in the middle of escaping,” Hugo mumbled.
“Yes, sorry about that. Poor timing on my part. I just…”
“Couldn’t help yourself?” Hugo supplied with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Yes. I couldn’t hold back.”
Hugo clucked his tongue, teasing. “Such a scoundrel.”
Everand caught his hand and pulled him out from where they’d been hiding by the tree, resuming their escape through the woods but at a more leisurely pace.
They walked for a few minutes in silence. All the blood that had rushed to Hugo’s groin finally made its way up to his brain, allowing sensible thought to take place.
“Not that I am complaining about your spectacular escape plan,” Hugo started.
Everand flashed him a broad smile. “It was pretty spectacular.”
Hugo huffed a laugh. He was quickly learning that all the prince’s bluster and overconfidence was merely a tongue-in-cheek façade. “Yes, but now that we seem to have gotten free of the Wulian scouts, we have a new dilemma, I believe.”
“You’re talking about how we’re lost in a forest in the middle of the night, surrounded by bloodthirsty animals, with only a tiny knife and your sharp wit between us.”
“You didn’t have to put it quite like that, but yes, we’re lost in the woods. Do you have any idea where we’re headed? How do you know we’re not already close to the border of Wulia?” Hugo asked.
Everand shrugged. “Well, first, we haven’t traveled nearly that far yet. I would say we’d still be at least another twenty or thirty miles from the border even if we were headed in that direction, but I don’t think we have been.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“And second, I have a secret way to get us moving toward Buckleford.” Everand stopped and reached out to take Hugo’s hand, pulling him close.
“Kissing isn’t much of a secret,” Hugo teased even as the butterflies took a victory lap around his stomach.
“Clearly I’m not the only scoundrel if you have nothing but kissing in mind.”
“Kissing and being lost,” Hugo corrected.
“Yes, kissing and being lost.” Everand squeezed his hand, and his expression became serious. “But joking aside, I need you to promise never to breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“Of course. You can trust me.”
Everand stared into Hugo’s eyes, and a slow smile spread across his face. “Yes, I think I really can.”
Hugo felt those words touch deep in his soul. Was there anyone Everand could trust completely in his life? Probably too few. Everyone had to want something from him, whether it was riches, power, or just standing within his halo of prestige. Being trusted by him felt like an enormous honor, and a heavy weight. Hugo didn’t want to ever do anything that would call that trust into question.
Still holding his hand, Everand led him over to a break in the trees where the moonlight could shine on them. He pulled Hugo down to squat on the ground beside him. “When I was about nine or ten, I had a horrible habit of sneaking out of the palace and running through the woods.”
“Not a fan of your lessons?” Hugo teased.
“Not one bit. One day, while I was out wandering through the woods, not caring at all about my history lesson, I stumbled across a boy in interesting green clothes who had fallen into a shallow hole and hit his head on a rock. I climbed in and shook him, but he wouldn’t wake up. Afraid that some animal would come along and eat him, I draped him across my back, climbed out of the hole, and took him to the palace. At the very least, I thought my father would go a little easier on me because I’d helped a boy instead of doing my lessons.”
“Very practical of you.”
Everand grinned at Hugo. “Sassy.” Hugo’s heart squeezed as it looked like Everand might kiss him again, but he continued his story while tugging up the left sleeve of his uniform. “It turns out I wasn’t the only prince running from his lessons. The boy I’d rescued was Prince Lorien of the Elvan High Court. Considering how infrequently elves have children, they were over the moon that their young prince had been rescued and tended to. As a thank-you, the king of the elves promised my father three things. One, so long as the humans abided by the peace between our people, elves would never attack a human. Second, whenever I went into the woods, I would be safe from any and all fairy folk. And third,” he paused and held up a wooden tube smaller than his pinky that dangled from a leather bracelet. “If I ever found myself lost in the woods, I would need only call and someone would lead me home.”