Page 5 of A Kingdom of Shadows

"We don't have a map." My feet stomp across the long grass as I stalk up to him. "We are currently inside the Screaming Forests with no direction to go in, and not to mention we were almost captured."

His brow arches at the aggravation waving off me, but then Tibith trots between us. "It's okay, Miss Nara. Darry can use his powers!"

Darius looks upward, letting out a stiff sigh. "No, Tibith... my powers won't work in here."

"But-but why not?"

"According to different sources, the Elven King wants to ward everyone off his lands."

Tibith takes in Darius's answer, blinking twice before letting out an excited squeal. "Then Miss Nara can use hers!"

"No magic works here," I emphasize though Tibith's innocent tilt of his head suggests he still doesn't understand. "And besides, I have none in the first place."

"And here I thought you were special, Goldie."

Excuse me?

I point my index finger out at Darius. "Are you trying to provoke me?"

"Always."

The crease between my brows hardens the longer I glare at him. I step toward him until the tip of my finger touches his chest, and his lip curls with amusement at the sight of it. "Look, unlike you, I don't need magic to survive, so don't come crawling to me when something attacks you."

"I don't crawl to people, Goldie." His voice lowers, dark and lustful. "They usually do that to me instead."

My lips purse with annoyance as I stab my finger harder into his skin, hoping it can somehow hurt him. "Why anyone would like you is beyond me."

"Well, Goldie." One small flick of my hand away, and we're millimeters apart from each other's faces as he leans down to match my height. "You only think that because you haven't had the pleasure of sleeping with me."

I scoff. "I would rather kiss a goblin."

"Done that." He grins. "And I must say, Treet was a great kisser."

An infuriating sound wanting to come out of my throat gets stuck. He seems to have the perfect way to annoy me with anything I say to him. And instead of wasting my time here, listening to him, I just stare him down and call out for Tibith because he is someone, I'd much rather spend this journey with.

But he doesn't respond. Darius and I immediately shoot our heads in the same direction Tibith had been standing. He's not there?

I look around, and nowhere does a peek of orange fur appear. "Where did he go?"

"I—" Darius's words freeze as a snap of a twig and a shadow darts behind us. We both pivot to the sound, and our blades unsheathe at the ready, pointing them outward.

Another rustle between trees drifts closer in sound, then stops. My previous annoyance settles with worrying anticipation. I can handle it, I remind myself.

"What do you think it could be?" I whisper, my back pressed against Darius's. "Trolls? Dangerous Nymphs? Soul-sucking faeries?"

"If you keep talking, they might end up sucking your soul first."

I hope he gets eaten. "Just—"

At that second, said creature jumps out, caramel hues reflecting off the fur from the slightest trickle of light and twilight eyes— "A rabbit?" I sigh questionably, sheathing my blade again as I turn toward Darius. Of all things, a rabbit is what I least expected.

"Wait." Darius holds a few fingers to my face, narrowing his eyes over my shoulder. "That's not a rabbit."

With a frown, I look as the rabbit leaps in the opposite direction. It screeches a horrible monstrous sound before it begins convulsing and morphs into a deformed hairless creature with no eyes and rows and rows of sharp teeth in a ring-like circle protruding from its head. I grimace, watching it disappear into another set of high trees.

That's an image I will never get out of my head.

"I found fruit, Darry!"