Free Forged in Fire (The Forged Chronicles Book 3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy Page A

those read in my house.” My mom was a realist through and through. My lack of a princess phase wasn’t entirely of my own making.
    “Really? I thought the stories were still wildly told in Belgard.”
    “I’m not from Belgard.”
    “Then why did you ask to be taken there?”
    “I asked for help finding Icentris actually.”
    “So you could find a guide to Belgard. I am cutting out the middle man.”
    “But I never said I was from Belgard.” I wouldn’t have volunteered that sort of information even if I was.
    “Where are you from? We are hundreds of miles from the nearest village.”
    “That’s a long story.”
    “Another long story?”
    “Kind of part of the same one.”
    “Your speech is unlike any I have heard before. To be truthful, I doubted you were from the walled city.”
    “I get that a lot.”
    He laughed deep enough his entire body shook.
    “Before you say it again, I’m not entertaining.”
    “Why does it bother you if I say it?” he asked.
    “Because it was my quest for a more exciting life that got me into this mess to begin with. I was tired of boring.”
    “You admit you are unhappy with your present situation?”
    “Did I seem happy to be lost in the woods?” I didn’t bother to hide the edge in my voice. I didn’t have the energy.
    “You claimed to be doing just fine.”
    “I can claim a lot of things.” Especially when it meant saving face.
    He kept the horse at the same slower speed. “Was it a man who left you out there?”
    “Isn’t that a personal question?”
    “I am taking you to my home. Is it wrong to ask you a question like that?”
    “Wait.” Panic seized me. “I thought we were going to your house for dinner. I didn’t agree to have sex with you.”
    He laughed. “I realize what you agreed to. Although agree is probably the wrong word. I cajoled you to come with me.”
    “Ok, good. Making sure we are on the same page.”
    “But I want to know what sort of trouble I have walked into.”
    “Major trouble. So if you want to drop me off that would be fine.” Not that I actually meant what I was saying. Now that I got the guy to take sex off the table, I was probably safer with him than out on my own. Besides, I might actually make it to Belgard with his help.
    “Who are you?” He slowed the horse further and then came to a complete stop.
    “Ainsley. I already told you that.”
    “Ainsley from where?”
    “From Charleston.” That was the most recent place I was from.
    “And Charleston is where exactly?”
    “A few hours from Belgard.”
    “I have never heard of it.”
    “I get that a lot too.”
    He jumped off his horse and offered his hand. Not that I could see much of anything in the darkness.
    He led me away from the horse and up to a doorway. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. I waited nervously until he lit a sconce. “Welcome.”
    I took him in. He looked like an ordinary enough man at first. Handsome face. Long blonde hair. But then I noticed something off. His ears were longer than normal. The sight of them brought me back to old fantasy books.
    “You’re an Elf?”
    He grinned. “You did read the old stories.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Interesting good or bad?”
    “I am trying to figure that out.” I remembered Elves usually being good, but I was sure in some stories they were bad.
    “I assure you I am not a danger to you. I would not hurt an innocent.”
    “Which is great to know.” Although what assurances did his word really give? All I could do was blindly go along with it and hope he was safer than whatever else waited outside.
    I glanced around at his neat and sparsely furnished home. The dim light from the sconces made it difficult to see everything, but there were two paintings on the otherwise bare walls.
    I walked over to look at them. One was clearly Elron sitting next to an absolutely beautiful elf girl. “Is that your girlfriend?”
    He shook his head. “My sister.”
    “Oh. She’s gorgeous.”
    “She