The morning we left, the clearing was silent. It was almost peaceful, watching the wind waving through the grass as the first rays of sun crept over the trees.

  Inside the house was a whole other story. It was quiet, yes, but peace was not a word I would use to describe it. Everyone was nervous. Unspoken words hung thick as smoke in the air. Since making her decision, Rapunzel had grown solemn. Like she was preparing the front she would present to the family that had rejected her.

  Having just met Jacob, I could not tell for certain if his behavior had changed or if he had merely gone back to his natural state. I suspected the former, though. He was constantly glancing at Wilhelm as if worried his brother would disappear should he take his eyes off him for longer than a minute. But once things had time to settle in his mind, a sort of grim determination fell over him. I caught whispers of conversations between the two, but never tried to listen in. That was their business.

  The brothers let the three of us borrow from their library, given that we promised to return them. Rapunzel immediately called dibs on the rune books.

  Everything was packed the morning before we were due to leave. Rations were checked and re-checked twice by lunch. Routes were planned as much as possible, given one of the destinations was imprecise. Rapunzel assisted where she could, planning her personal route in secret.

  We spent the rest of the day off in our own little worlds. Jacob and Wilhelm spent a few hours on the upstairs balcony, surveying their little kingdom. Rapunzel set up the tents outside, under the guise of ensuring their contents were in order and the wards were secure. She would be taking one with her, of course. I believed her when she said she wanted to reinforce the wards and protections, but I also knew she needed to be busy. She also needed to be alone.

  She was steeling herself for conversation with her family, and she was probably afraid that if someone asked what was wrong, she would talk herself out of it.

  So, I let her be until the last day, and got her involved in some magic lessons. At first, she was reserved, weighed down by her own thoughts, but then her curiosity got the better of her. Even the brothers ended up joining in, adding some flair of their own. We all ended up learning something new that night.

  For some reason that I honestly cannot remember, we ended up eating a picnic dinner of sorts on the floor of one of the training rooms. We started to set up in what looked like a lab, but Jacob chased us out. We ate. We drank. We laughed. We took turns trying different approaches to different spells, weaving the magic in and around the various components laid out in the center of our little circle. Morpheus taught nearly as much as he learned.

  The lesson had to be cut short, though, because we all had to turn in early. Everything was prepared, packed, and arranged in such a way that we could grab it on our way out the door. I provided everyone with a simple sleep charm, knowing full well I would need one if I intended to get any rest. There were many things on my mind. Not all of them were related to the task at hand.

  The spell worked like a charm. Everyone woke early the next morning, and we were on the main road before sunrise. Between Rapunzel and I, there was no trace of our travel left on the road to the cabin. And there would not be until we reached more traveled roads.

  I could feel Rapunzel growing more and more nervous as we neared the fork where she planned to separate from our group. I was the only one who knew.

  As we reached the fork, we slowed our horses to a stop, and the boys looked back and forth between us, puzzled.

  “What's going on? Is everything alright? Have we been followed?” Jacob asked, eyes darting nervously.

  “Relax, Jacob, everything is fine,” Rapunzel said.

  “Then why are we stopped? Did you forget something?”

  “She is leaving,” Wilhelm said simply.

  “What do you mean, she’s leaving?” Jacob demanded, glancing from Wilhelm to Rapunzel.

  “I have business to attend to elsewhere,” she explained. “Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take too long. I will rendezvous with you once it is done."

  “Where are you going? And why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to have everyone constantly asking me if I am sure I want to do this. My aunt and a few other family members are in the family’s summer home, so I am going to talk to them. It should only take a few days." She clenched her fists instinctively. "I wouldn’t do it if I wasn't certain they have information we are going to need to find and deal with the book.”

  There was a silence as Jacob considered her words. His brow furrowed, giving me the impression he perhaps understood some of the implications to her statement better than expected. Being from an old family, he probably did to some extent.

  Wilhelm was also watching with an odd expression on his face. I concentrated on him and immediately noticed the magic beginning to ripple around him once more. He was sensing something beyond the current conversation.

  “And you intend to do this alone?” Jacob asked, finally.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Yes. I don’t need anyone holding my hand when I face my family. This confrontation has been a long time coming. I will get the answers I need from them, and then I will be done with them.”

  “May I make a suggestion?” Wilhelm asked. Rapunzel glanced from him to me, and I nodded in confirmation.

  “By all means.”

  “Perhaps Jacob could travel with you, at least to the nearest inn. That way you will have safety in numbers on the road, and in the off chance you do need backup to deal with your family, he will be available. It will also give him the space he needs to find a way to be at peace with our separation,” Wilhelm offered. "He has been protecting me since we were young, and it is time he takes a step away from that.” Wilhelm turned to his brother. “Jacob, I know this won’t be easy on you, but I also know it’ll be easier if you aren’t there to see me pass. This space will give you peace, and you won’t be dealing with it alone.”

  There was a long pause as Rapunzel and Jacob contemplated his words. I saw the wisdom in them. I had contemplated making such a suggestion myself, but Rapunzel insisted she could handle this on her own.

  I had not considered how it would have helped Jacob as well.

  “I wouldn’t mind the company,” Rapunzel admitted finally. “So long as you don’t ask too many questions or mention my family name once we get into town. Actually, just let me do the talking.”

  “That is fine by me. I have never been a fan of interacting with old magic families. I also don’t even know about your family name." Jacob shrugged. "None of this is my area of expertise, so in this, I will follow your lead.”

  “Good." She nodded. "Next thing. Can you handle yourself in a fight?”

  “I can defend myself well enough to escape, and I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve. I make no promises if you decide to drag us into a large-scale fight. I may look tough, but I am not that tough.”

  “Don’t worry, if things get dicey just let me handle it.”

  “Gothel, please try to avoid setting off any small-scale explosions while you’re there. The last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves,” I chided. "If the Statesmen get involved, we won’t be able to get anything done.”

  “Don’t worry, Snow. I solemnly swear to not draw any undue attention to ourselves. And I will not be setting off any unwarranted explosions.”

  “Gothel…”

  “That is the best you are getting from me, Snow. Nothing will explode that doesn’t deserve to be blown to smithereens.”

  I could tell from her tone that she was only slightly joking. She was calm, though, most of the edge gone. Perhaps the thought of not having to face the Ryders totally alone was more comforting to her than she expected.

  “Travel safe, both of you,” I said. "Rapunzel, you know how to get in touch with me if anything strange happens. Don’t be afraid to go to ground if things go sideways and keep an eye out for any stories. I don’t trust that things have been this quiet for this long,” I said.

  “Don’t worry, we will keep on our toes. The same goes for the three of you.”

  “I know a shortcut to get to the Mystics. " I turned my attention to Morpheus and Wilhelm. "From there I plan to take the roundabout way to the meeting place. We both know the drill. Stick to your training. Keep in touch. We will see you in a week.”

  With a nod, we all started taking our fork in the road. Jacob and Rapunzel to the south. Morpheus, Wilhelm, and I to the north. A small knot formed in the pit of my stomach, but I did my best not to let it show.

  This was the best course of action given our situation. I trusted my partner to handle whatever situation she found at home, and it made me feel better knowing she would not be facing it truly alone.

  We traveled the rest of the evening in a silence that no one bothered to break until it was time for a rest. I found us a nice, shady spot near a stream where we could relax and allow the horses to graze. Water skins were refilled, and a small pouch of jerky was passed around as we sat in the shade. I carefully unfurled a map on the ground, pressing it flat.

  “So, how long will it take us to reach this Veil?” Morpheus asked.

  “That depends,” I said. "I know of a shortcut we could try, but I have no way of knowing for sure how close that will get us to the location of the Veil. Some portals take you to specific locations, others will deposit you wherever the keeper chooses. " Wilhelm nodded like he knew exactly what I was talking about. "Dina has shown me a few where the keeper owes her a favor. One is not far from here, perhaps another day's ride. The keeper is the queen of the sea people and a member of the Table." Morpheus perked up at this, probably because he knew her through his mother. "I have only seen her in passing but I hear that she is kind and fair and shrewd when it comes to seeing to the heart of things. My plan is to go to one of her portals and ask nicely to be taken to the Veil.”

  “I will admit, that is not what I expected the plan to be,” Morpheus said. "What happens if she decides to send us far away? Why not take a more direct route?”

  “Because one cannot simply find the Veil on a map,” I said. "I am not sure how to explain it beyond the fact that it does not have a specific location. They had to make it difficult to find so those within could not easily be found or harmed. Once we are within the vicinity, between Wilhelm and I we will be able to find its location. There is no telling how long that will take." I sighed. "I wish there was a more straightforward option, but we will have to make the most of this situation.”

  “I guess that makes sense, in a convoluted sort of way. I expect there will be little simplicity in our future from now on.”

  “Oh, things are never truly simple, even when they are. It is one of the many conundrums that makes life interesting,” Wilhelm commented.

  Morpheus shot him a bemused look, holding out his hand for the jerky pouch.

  “That made even less sense, but I am not going to question it.”

  “Probably for the best,” I chuckled. “We should get back on the road soon. I know a good, out of the way place we can camp for the night, and I’d like to get there before it gets dark. That way we don’t have to wake up as early to reach the portal.”

  “Let’s get going then, shall we?” Morpheus suggested.

  We all stood, brushing ourselves off and going to prepare our horses for the next stretch. Mine trotted up to me as soon as I stood, waiting patiently for me to cinch the girth and then check that the bridle was still in place. The boys took longer to get ready, so I mounted up and went ahead to check the path. It was still clear, and we had plenty of daylight left. I enjoyed the breeze and the sun and the silence until I caught the sound of hooves coming to stand near me.

  “So, where too?” Morpheus asked.

  “Onward. It will be some time before we get to any crossroads or towns.”

  “At least the weather is nice. Does anyone know any good riding songs?” Morpheus quipped.

  “Actually, I do.”