Chapter 1
Five days earlier…
Please don’t wake up, please don’t wake up. My fingers are steady as they hover above Jareth’s jacket. I’ve done this often enough to know that shaky fingers will result in painful punishments. And therefore, they are not an option.
There’s a muffled grunt behind me and my head whips around, my body freezing out of habit.
One of the guards turns over on his bedroll, mumbling in his sleep. I let out a silent breath of relief. Careful not to make a sound, I glance around at the group that surrounds the dying fire, checking to make sure that everyone is asleep.
The two men who were on night watch are still passed out against a tree. I smile. Earlier, when I pointed out that we were traveling in the wrong direction on the way here, they spit in my food. But it didn”t change the fact that I was right. We lost a day’s ride because we had to backtrack.
There are five other armed men fast asleep on their bedrolls, and though I have enough grievances against each of them to do more than steal from their captain, I let them be.
I’ve had vengeance before. It’s what got me here. But freedom is what will get me out.
My eyes go back to Jareth, and I watch his face to ensure he’s truly asleep. A part of me wants to hit him, to get retribution for the way he’s treated me. I can still hear him whispering in my ear every time I went against his or the duke’s orders, ”This ain’t no place for no hero, Stella. Be a good pet and behave.”
If he were awake now, I know he would take the opportunity to have a reason to hit me. The duke never lets him be violent with me, but if Jareth hit me now, he could call me a thief and get away with it. He deserves more than a black eye.
But I don’t give him one.
Instead, I reach under his pillow and slowly slide the object I’m looking for out from under him. A growl escapes him, and I pause, waiting for him to open his eyes.
But as the moments pass, he just smacks his lips and continues sleeping.
I don’t take the time to celebrate my success, already on my feet, running through the camp. I’d like to take Jareth’s horse with me—the poor beast deserves a better master—but he’s too noticeable for me to make a clean getaway. So, I continue on foot, running as fast as my legs will carry me through the night.
I’m almost certain that no one in the camp will notice my absence until dawn, but it won’t matter if I don’t cover a lot of ground between now and then. I know I want to go west, but I’m loath to admit that I’m not exactly sure where…
Anywhere that will pay me for this. I squeeze the golden quill between my fingers. I know by the heat that emanates from it that it’s magic. Rare. Special. And worth a lot of money in the hands of the right buyer.
Enough for me to start over.
All I have to do is survive the forest and stay hidden from Jareth and his men. But even if they don’t find me, the duke won’t give up that easily…