Shadowborn Queen - G. Bailey Page 0,6

to the guys so we can talk about it," Luke suggests. I nod and he lets me go. I use my wings to fly right back up to the top of the lighthouse, and thankfully my flying skills are getting better. I still crash land, smacking into the glass before rolling to a stop and picking myself back up.

Luke lands gracefully behind me and I glare at him.

"How are you that good?"

"I practiced flying around my room when we were in solitary confinement," he answers with a shrug. "You will get there."

"Sure, sure," I mutter, opening the door for him, he walks through and places the logs near the fire.

"Good timing, dinner is done," Scott says, handing me a plate with cut up meat and a soup with mash. I devour it and it's amazing, but I didn't expect less with Scott and Gold cooking it.

"We need to head out tomorrow to find the Titan's keys," I say once everyone is finished.

Silence answers me as they look between each other.

"I know one is with the dragons. In the vault," Gold offers.

Scott hums. "Kyllaros has songs about a key protected by a monster. The centaurs will not help us, but they may let us battle this monster to win the key. Therefore, gaining their respect. They only care for blood."

"Vile creatures," Luke mutters, rubbing his face. "And they treat women like bugs. You’ll need to keep your head down there, Izora."

"What about the old story of a well that a key got lost in? It was said to be in the fountain of Mene," Axel reminds me. "But that is only an old rumour."

"Rumours and songs all come from some truth," Gold adds in. "We will go to Kyllaros first, and then to Draconia and finally the fountain of Mene before heading to the academy. That's the plan, as of now, unless anything goes wrong."

"I love how you don't question the mission, just trust me enough to know it's what we have to do," I say into the silence.

Luke meets my eyes. "We all know we would be trapped in prison and living half a life if it wasn't for you. We trust you."

"Thank you," I nod and smile. "So who do I have to kiss for a second dinner?"

They all raise their hands, and I laugh.

Chapter 4

Izora

"So what exactly do we know about Centaurs?" I ask Scott, figuring he would know the most about the race that lives at the top of the enchanted forest. They really aren't a subject I remember reading too much about in the academy, nor did we have a lot of lessons on them. In fact, I only know that you shouldn't just wander into their lands...exactly what we are doing right now.

"Centaurs were once beloved horses of the goddess Danica. It is said she one day heard their thoughts and how they wished to be fae. Danica could not ignore their wish and turned five of them into Centaurs, a new breed of fae," Scott explains as we make our way out of the thick trees of the forest and into the sandy north clearing. On the other side of this clearing marks the beginning of the centaurs’ land. There are big signs hanging up...with skulls littering the ground under the signs.

I look away as Scott keeps talking. "The Centaurs were furious with Danica. See, they wanted to be real fae. Not half-horse, half-human. Danica explained that they could never be like the fae they adored and the centaurs left, running to the north of the forest, and they were never seen again in the lands below."

"Not never," Gold adds in. "Some travel into the fae lands, but their barbaric ways always get them killed."

"Sounding less and less appealing, guys," I mutter as we pass the giant warning signs...with the skulls.

"I'm sure they aren't that bad," Axel suggests. We all just turn to look at him and he sheepishly shrugs.

"I heard they are very loyal to those who can survive their tests," Luke chimes in. "There are people in the forest who have written books on surviving the great tests of the Centaurs and—,"

Luke stops as he hears a loud sound, much like thunder, in the distance.

We all make a circle with our backs and Gold looks down at me, his eyes flashing gold. He would get us out of here if need be. Slowly, over in the distance, a wave of centaurs runs up the hill in a straight line, with hundreds of