the edge. I sifted the moment he reached for me, but not before I caught the horrified look on his face. He wasn’t happy I’d gotten the jump on him. I, on the other hand, was pleased as punch.
I reappeared in the Fearless Forest and started running through the thick brush. I realized that if I continued to sift after expelling so much magic to rebuild kingdoms, I’d fizzle out quickly. Howling erupted behind me, which caused the hair on my neck to rise with warning as the Hounds of the Wild Hunt snarled loudly. I turned back in the direction I’d come, staring into the darkened forest.
“Cheater,” I growled, turning to run the moment Ryder came into view. He walked through the woods, stalking me as he watched me through narrowed eyes.
He sifted in front of me, and I sifted away, vanishing into a different kingdom altogether. This one had a blazing sun, and I couldn’t see anything past the searing of my eyeballs. I used my arm to shield the light and took in the white sandy beaches and turquoise waves that crashed against the shore. The heavy scent of coconuts floated through the air, and I inhaled the heady scent with vigor.
“You’re weakening, little queen.” Ryder stood directly in front of the sun, blocking out his features, concealing them in the shadows. “Either that or you want to be caught.” I vanished to the sound of his husky laughter echoing in my ears.
The meadows broke my fall, connecting with my face as I landed in the flowers. I sat up, staring down at my pollen covered hands, then lifted my head, finding Ryder protected in his armor, slowly walking through them toward where I sat on the ground.
“Come touch me,” I begged huskily. Standing, I stripped off the dress, holding it in my hand as Ryder closed the distance between us. His eyes lowered to my body as his armor vanished. A cocky smile lifted his lips, and victory sparkled in his eyes. The moment he got close, I kicked him in the balls. “That’s for lying to me!” I sifted, tossing my dress in the next location I landed before sifting out immediately. I hit the next spot, turning to wait for him, but arms wrapped around me, and a low, angry growl vibrated through me.
“You want to play rough?” he asked, grabbing my hair as he twisted my head, nipping against my neck.
I slammed my head back against his face and disappeared, falling into the grass of a new area as my head spun in circles. I struggled to get up from the ground, drained of magic. Glamouring on a skirt and tight top, I stared out over the greenery and saw the hounds baring their teeth at me. They closed in on me, surrounding the area I stood in as he watched.
“That’s cheating.”
“It isn’t a fucking game, woman.” Ryder hissed, and I jumped to a new place, waiting for him.
I couldn’t outrun him. This was his playground. Ryder was too powerful, and I was exhausting my power trying to stay ahead of him. I repeatedly sifted, rubbing my scent all over random things in each place I visited before moving on to the next.
When I’d jumped to over twenty locations, and figured I’d sent him on a merry little search, I ran into the Forest of Flurries and didn’t stop until I was out of breath. I studied the landscape, watching everything I passed until I found the entrance to a dark cave. Normally, it would have seemed like a foolish thing to walk into. Today, however, I was already on a roll, and the cave beckoned to me.
Slowly, I entered, hearing my blood pumping in my ears and feeling my heart thundering against my chest. I shivered. The sound of dripping water echoed off the walls, warring against the thumping of the blood rushing through my veins as I moved deeper.
Turning toward the sound of the water, I frowned. My eyes locked on to writing that covered both sides of the cave as light began to flood the cave.