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soft and melted in my mouth. I thought of Rapunzel as I ate. If the high sorcererā€™s squadrons had discovered I was missing, it meant they mustā€™ve entered the tower. Had they harmed her?

She was the high sorcererā€™s daughter. They wouldā€™ve been fools to touch her. Still, I worried. I even worried about Jester, although the cat could take care of himself. He never ceased to amaze me at the amounts of lizards and birds he brought into our tower. Still, I worried about him.

ā€œWhat are you thinking about?ā€ Raj asked me.

ā€œIā€™m worried about Rapunzel. If we donā€™t get the shears and return to her, or if weā€™re killed and never returnā€¦ā€ I couldnā€™t finish. Thinking of Rapunzel living forever in that tower was a depressing thought. ā€œIā€™m also worried about the cat,ā€ I added. ā€œItā€™s silly, I know.ā€

ā€œItā€™s not silly. I worry about the prince as well. But it does no good to ponder on those thoughts. We must believe we will succeed. We must imagine how it will be to have the high sorcerer overthrown, Prince Merek as our new ruler. Rapunzel as our queen. Maybe then we can live the lives we want.ā€

ā€œWhat life do you want?ā€

He smiled, a thin stretching of his lips that didnā€™t touch his eyes. ā€œWhat I want I will never have. I want to live with my family in the Outerlands. I want to make my father proud and carry on his nameā€”marry an Outlander and raise a family, but I want to be a knight as well. I will never have both.ā€

The fire popped sparks that burned bright, and then faded. I pondered Rajā€™s words. Why did it bother me that he wanted to marry an Outlander? It shouldnā€™t have mattered. But I wasnā€™t an Outlander. And somehow, that seemed important.

ā€œWhat about you?ā€ Raj asked. ā€œWhat will you do if youā€™re freed from the tower?ā€

I didnā€™t know what to say. Iā€™d never pondered it before, because I never thought it was a possibility. ā€œIā€™m not sure. My mother worked selling herbs and plants from her garden, but Iā€™ve always been lousy at growing things. Iā€™m not sure whatā€™s out there for me. To be honest, there arenā€™t many options for someone like me. I guess I would go back to Willow Wood. Itā€™s the closest thing to home I know. I had some success selling potions and herbs. I could make a decent living, I think. Plus, Iā€™d have Jester for company. It wouldnā€™t be so bad.ā€

ā€œBut havenā€™t you ever wanted anything more?ā€

ā€œLike what?ā€

ā€œAdventure. Making the world a better place. That sort of thing.ā€

ā€œIā€™m already doing that, arenā€™t I? To be honest, itā€™s a dangerous way to live. Iā€™m not sure I want to continue with it for the rest of my life.ā€

I had other dreams as well, ones I felt were too personal to share with him. I wanted what Iā€™d seen other women in the village have. Someday I wanted a family of my own. My father died when I was young, and my mother had made foolish decisions that eventually got her killed. I felt cheated at never having a real family, and one day, if I lived long enough, I wanted to give my own children a better life.

As the fire dwindled, Raj and I rolled out our sleeping packs, although I didnā€™t know how I would get any sleep in a place like this. The frogs continued their incessant croaking as I laid down, pulling the blanket over me, small sticks poking my back through the thin layer of the woven mat.

Raj had offered to take the first watch. He sat hunched near the fire, his sword resting across his lap. The flames illuminated his profileā€”the flat plane of his forehead, the wide bridge of his nose, his full lips, and strong jaw. It wouldnā€™t be hard for him to find an Outlander wife. He was honorableā€”almost to a faultā€”and he was pleasant to be around. I also had to admit that he wasnā€™t bad to look at, either. Any Outlander girl would be lucky to have him as a husband. I almost wished I were an Outlander, just for that.

But I wasnā€™t. And although heā€™d complimented my bravery and said I had lovely hair, I couldnā€™t imagine him ever wanting me for a wife. I was a witch, after all. He feared witches.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at him any longer, feeling the tiniest bit of loneliness as I did. I hadnā€™t admitted it to Raj, but if things were to work out the way we plannedā€”with Rapunzel restored and Prince Merek as kingā€”then I would have nothing left. Rapunzel was the only person I knew and cared for. After she went away to live as queen in a faraway castle, I would be nothing.

But it was selfish for me to think that way. I couldnā€™t allow Rapunzel to continue how she was now. I would have to let her go.

Howling shocked me out of my thoughts. Before I could make sense of anything, I got to my feet, clutching the hilt of my knife, scanning the forest, my heart pounding. My hands shook as I backed toward the fire.

A blur sped from the forest and into the clearingā€”all inky blackness, fur, and glowing yellow eyes.

The creature stood taller than Raj. It had the lean appearance a wolfā€”though only by definition. The animal was a behemoth, a monster. Snapping its teeth, it stood over Raj.

The beast lunged so fast, it mustā€™ve been using magic. All I saw was a blur of black, and then Raj hit the ground hard, his sword falling out of reach. Bone crunched as the monster snapped Rajā€™s shoulder.

Raj cried outā€”a sound so pain-filled it made tears spring to my eyes. Reacting on instinct and adrenaline, and certainly not sound judgment, I grabbed a long stick from the fire, its tip ablaze, and sprinted toward the monster.

I impaled the beastā€™s flank. The monster yelped, rounding on me. Its heated breath washed over me, and its maddening yellow eyes burned with rage and fury, much more intelligent than any ordinary wolf.

Behind the wolf, Raj lay writhing on the ground.

I held the fiery stick between me and the wolf. In my other hand, I clutched my knife. Neither weapon would do any good.

6

The wolf snapped its massive jaws at my face. Firelight reflected off its wicked sharp teeth, dripping with saliva. It knocked me down and pinned me to the ground, its heavy paws on my chest, making it impossible for me to draw in a breath.

I stabbed my knife into one of its paws, and it howled, releasing me. I took the opportunity to scramble out of its reach. The flame extinguished from the stick Iā€™d been carrying. I sprinted toward the fire, hoping to find another oneā€”any sort of weapon would help at this point.

When I reached the fire, I grabbed another stick, but as I rounded, the clearing remained empty. Raj limped toward me. Blood seeped from punctures in the metal plate covering his shoulder. He dragged his sword behind him as he walked toward me.

ā€œWhereā€™s the wolf?ā€ he asked, his voice ragged.

ā€œI donā€™t know. Youā€™re hurt!ā€

ā€œYes. Itā€™s not bad.ā€

ā€œI can heal you.ā€

ā€œNo time.ā€

He made it to my side, and we faced the forest. Tree limbs rustled. Howls echoed, angry and insistent. The horses shrieked, their eyes wide as they attempted to pull free from the trees.

ā€œThere are more out there,ā€ Raj said.

ā€œYes, but where?ā€

Behind me, the fire felt as if it were burning my skin, but I didnā€™t dare step away from it.

Blurs appeared in the forest. A half dozen wolves appeared. Chills prickled my neck as the pack stared us down. How would we ever defeat them all? There were too many. Weā€™d barely survived one.

Raj took a step forward and raised his sword.

ā€œRaj, what are you doing?ā€

ā€œI told you I would defend you. So I will.ā€

He charged the wolf closest to us. His battle cry reverberated as he swung his sword. The animals swarmed like hornets.

Raj moved on lithe feet, his sword flashing as it reflected the firelight. He stabbed one wolf, dodged an attack, then stabbed another. Each movement was like a dance, fluid and with purpose, every action deliberate. He swung the sword in an arc, keeping the beasts from attacking while driving them away.

One of the wolves dove at him, but he stabbed its chest. Its scream ripped through the air as it retreated into the trees. More came at him, but he drove them away.

I watched in awe.

He said he would defend me. I had no idea what talent he had with the sword. If Iā€™d known, perhaps I wouldnā€™t have hesitated to travel with him.

The wolves retreated in a matter of minutes.

ā€œRajā€¦ā€ I said as he stood before me. His eyes were dark and intense. Blood splattered his breastplate as he breathed heavily. I stood in stunned silence. He wasnā€™t talentedā€”he was a master of swordplay. I felt unworthy to stand in his presence.

A shadow moved behind him. He rounded as a wolf padded into the clearing. Unlike the others,

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