Angelique felt the minor charm activate when she rubbed her thumb across it. It sank into her skin as she found the pocket Elle had mentioned and secured the gold coin there.
“Excellent. Please pass my thanks along to Stil.”
“Of course! He’ll be glad you could use it. Now, let’s find Quinn!”
Angelique slipped her satchel’s strap over her shoulder, then followed Elle to the elven horses.
Quinn was there—securing a bag to Fluffy and helping the elves tear down the camp they’d established to cook lunch. (They’d brought out the herbs at lunch time when creating the best meal Angelique had eaten since she’d left Loire.)
Quinn laughed when she saw Angelique. “It’s perfect! It really is a transformation—and I’d had my doubts. I didn’t think anyone as regal as Angelique could look so…”
“Disheveled?” Emerys suggested as he strolled around Pookie and joined Quinn, placing his arm around her waist.
Angelique plucked at the extra fabric of her tunic. “It is an excellent disguise—even more convincing than if I were to pose as a guard. Thank you, Elle, for your aid. You’ve outdone yourself.”
Elle rubbed her nose—which was red with the cold. “It was my pleasure! I’ve always wanted to pose as a mage, but I’m too smart to go through with it. It’d be too dangerous. But this? It’s perfect.” She folded her arms across her chest and smirked as she looked Angelique up and down.
Angelique grinned, but her eyes skated to the elven horses—who were saddled and ready to ride out. “It is time for you to leave?”
Emerys glanced at the sky—which was barely visible through the tall evergreens and the thin branches of the skeletal trees that had dropped their leaves last autumn. “Almost,” he agreed. “But it is not quite sunset just yet. What will you do tonight?”
“Say my farewells to Pegasus—I can’t ride him into Hurra, after all.” Angelique shoved her hands in the sleeves of her tunic and looked around the dim forest, but the constellation was nowhere to be seen. “Then I’ll walk to Hurra as Quinn and I planned and spend the night there. I’ll circle around it and enter from the south, so when I head north to Juwel in the morning, it won’t be out of place.”
Quinn nodded. “Efficient and simple.”
“The best way for infiltration,” Elle added.
“Do you have enough provisions?” Emerys asked.
“Yes. My satchel is fairly stuffed, but it doesn’t matter. I won’t be staying in the wilds for this mission,” Angelique said.
“Then do you have enough money?”
Bewildered and suspicious of the elf king’s concern, Angelique sucked her neck into her shoulders. “You’re being too nice.”
“Am I not allowed to be concerned about my comrade’s finances?” Emerys asked.
“You don’t even like me!”
“That is patently false,” he said, sternly. “I didn’t like it when you pretended to be a syrup-y sweet girl with no more than three intelligent thoughts in her head,” Emerys countered.
“Hmph,” Angelique grunted. “It still feels strange. What do my finances have to do with you? Do you even have human money?”
Emerys scoffed. “Of course—”
One of the elven warriors who was standing in a guard position a short distance behind Emerys cleared his throat.
Emerys turned around, and the elven warrior shook his head.
“What? Why don’t we have any?” Emerys demanded. “We sold a number of elven bows to Prince Severin!”
“And then you made us dump the money before riding north to Mullberg because you insisted the extra weight would fatigue the horses,” the warrior reminded him.
“Oh.” Emerys thought for a moment. “Yes. That seems reasonable.”
“I should travel with you elves as much as possible,” Elle said. “It’s fun.”
Quinn ignored the chaos and reached out to squeeze Angelique’s hands. “I know we were prepared, so I cannot think of anything else you would need before you journey to Hurra. However…be careful.” She tugged Angelique’s hands, pulling her into a warm embrace.
“I will. Thank you—for coming with me.” Angelique let herself bask in the warmth of Quinn’s hug. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to your wedding.”
When they stepped apart, Quinn shook her head. “Don’t be. More than anything, I look forward to meeting Evariste.”
Angelique tilted her head. “Really? Why?”
“Because he’s important to both my fiancé and my closest friend.” Quinn’s smile was gentle like a sunrise.
Hot tears burned Angelique’s eyes, and she pulled Quinn in for a second—unexpected—embrace.
I never dreamed friendship could be like this. I never understood just how precious it is.
She didn’t know what to say but was spared when Elle catapulted herself at them, draping her arms over each of them. “Please take my impediment of your embrace as a token of my affection, too!”
Angelique laughed and almost knocked heads with Elle as Quinn shifted to include her in the hug.
They leaned in together, and when Angelique saw their smiles, she realized she didn’t have to say anything.
They knew.
“I feel left out,” Emerys announced, breaking the moment.
“Good,” Angelique said.
After a moment of laughter, the embrace was broken up.
“This is farewell, then,” Angelique said.
“For now,” Elle said.
“Be careful,” Quinn said. “But be brave.”
“And send for us if you need help,” Elle added.
“I will. Safe travels.”
Elle and Quinn nodded, then returned to the horses—Quinn helping Elle store the scissors for the ride.
“I must echo Princess Elle and insist that you call for us should you need aid.” Emerys dropped a hand on her shoulder. “And thank you for searching for him.”
Angelique nodded. “I give you all my wishes of happiness for your nuptials.”
“Thank you. I wish Evariste could…” He shook his head. “We’ll get him back—and crush the Chosen.”
“We will,” Angelique agreed.
And for the first time in years, it felt possible.
She could find Evariste, and the united continent would defeat the Chosen.
Emerys patted her shoulder, looking downright ungraceful for an elf as he craned his neck, awkward in their unusual moment of comradery. “We should ride out,” he said. “May blessings shine upon your endeavor.” His smile was more of a lopsided grimace, but before Angelique could laugh he beat a hasty retreat to the attendant holding the reins of his mount.
Within a few minutes, all the elves were mounted and ready to leave. Standing at the eastern edge of the forest, Angelique could see the sun farther down the horizon had turned a blazing scarlet red as it prepared to set.
The elves pointed their horses south and twisted in their saddles to call back to Angelique.
“Farewell.”
“Be safe!”
“Do something illegal!” Elle—it could only be Elle—crowed.