as he was known these days—who was a magic cat and an old friend of Angelique’s.
Gabrielle and Puss also frequently went out on patrols, though they weren’t sent as often given Gabi’s position as Crown Princess.
“Ahh, yes. Gabrielle.” Elle’s expression was too innocent as she stared into the fire. “Such a charming young lady.”
“She’s a year or two older than you,” Angelique said.
Elle casually stretched her legs out in front of her and glanced up at the evergreen they’d taken refuge near to keep out of the snow. “Is she? I wouldn’t know.”
Angelique narrowed her eyes.
She’s hiding something.
“Is there a reason you insisted on buying an additional cloak when Quinn, you, and I have cloaks that you assured us would be reasonable for the subterfuge roles you have in mind?” Angelique asked, fishing for information.
“Must I need a reason?” Elle asked.
“Did you hear that?” Quinn abruptly turned around, frowning as she peered around the boughs of their protective evergreen.
Elle and Angelique exchanged glances and warily stood. “Hear what?”
Snow crunched.
Quinn nocked an arrow and swung her bow up, aiming before Angelique blinked.
Distantly, a goblin screamed.
“Sounds like the goblins that left the tracks are coming out to play,” Elle said.
Three goblins burst out of the shadows, the orange blaze of the fire making their green hued skin glow.
“Forest goblins.” Angelique automatically reached for her magic, but jerked herself to a stop just in time.
Wait…without my magic, what do I do?
Evidently, the answer was stand there like a delicate, blooming, and useless flower.
Quinn downed a goblin and nocked an arrow and loosened it at her next target with a grace and speed that rivaled the elves.
Elle whipped two daggers out of a hidden pocket in her gray cloak and threw them at the last remaining goblin, which toppled over with a gurgling cry.
And just like that, the fight was over.
Elle eased out of the crouch she’d folded herself into and trotted up to the dead goblins. “Your archery skills are quite impressive, Quinn.”
Quinn frowned a little as she yanked her arrows free and retreated to the farthest edge of their campsite—where only flickers from the fire reached—and wiped the arrows off in the snow. “Thank you. It’s part of my training—though I’m afraid I’m not nearly as fast nor accurate with any other weapon.”
“That hardly matters. Your archery skills alone are impressive enough to make my heart beat faster,” Elle said.
Quinn bemusedly smiled a little as she inspected the tips of the arrows before dunking them in the snow once more. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an enthusiastic take on archery before. Are you well, Angelique?”
Angelique turned in a circle, straining her ears. “Yes, I’m fine.” She narrowed her eyes as she stared into the blueish shadows of the night. “I just thought there might be more—the goblin scream we first heard was too far away to be one of the three that attacked us.”
Elle pulled her daggers free from the goblin carcass and joined Quinn in wiping them off in the snow to get rid of the goblin blood. “Ohh, now that’s an unfortunately accurate point.”
Something scuffled in the snow, and Quinn and Elle swung around to face the noise, their weapons raised.
Unexpectedly, a goblin emerged from the shadows at the opposite side of the camp.
Angelique opened her mouth to warn the pair, but the goblin threw a spear at her.
She ducked it, but it took all of her self-control not to automatically raise a shield or bury the monster with her magic.
It was a strange sensation, to fight against her finely honed instincts. She hadn’t realized that focusing on not using her magic would take so much self-control, and she didn’t wrestle herself into submission until the goblin had cleared half of the space between them.
She opened her mouth to yell when the goblin abruptly froze, all of the air left him in a surprised gasp, and he toppled forward.
Behind him stood a beautiful woman with long, silken hair that was the crystalline color of honey, and eyes that were a dark amber color.
A black and white cat was crouched on her shoulder, his bronze eyes glittering in the dim firelight.
Angelique stared dumbly at the pair in a mixture of shock and delight. “Gabrielle? Puss?”
The cat twitched his whiskers, which made the black, half-mustache that covered one side of his face move. “Are you sincerely inquiring? If so, I worry some of your cranial capacity has leaked out your ears from the various missions Prince Severin has sent you