CHAPTER 186

ANNIE KYLIN CHESTER

I CLASPED LORNA'S hand in mine tightly.

"YOU should be in the school," she said softly. "I would not want you to miss out on the event they were hosting in your honor."

I scoffed. "The event was not IN my honor," I said. "I happen to stumble on it." I rubbed her hand gently. "But I do think we should go back to the kingdom," I said, looking around. We were in the middle of the woods, underneath a thick blanket of creeping plants. Lorna had conjured up a spark of fire to keep the logs burning so we were warm. Slightly.

"This place is peaceful," she said, staring intently into the dancing flames.

I admitted that it was peaceful. Surrounded by nature... and night insects. I slapped one away from crawling up my leg.

After staring in silence at the flame, Lorna gave a slight chuckle. "If we had been organized as we had been centuries ago, something like this could never happen." She said.

"You don't know that," I said softly. I did not want her to go down that self-guil