The Daughters Daring (The Daughters Daring & The Enchanted Forest Book 1) by Steven J. Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

attacked my workers?”
         “We believe you are conducting evil magic here, dark one, and we have come to put an end to it!” Randolph answered with bold conviction.
    “Evil magic?” the witch asked, innocently. “Surely you are joking? My workers have been baking pies as a gift to the king and his people.”
         “The pies are poison!” Elizabeth screamed. The witch put a silence spell on her, but she continued to struggle.
         The witch continued, “I have been troubled with how to deliver my treats to the king. Goblins aren’t known for their baking skills, and no one would want to eat pies delivered by them. So you will be the bearers of my kitchen’s abundance.”
    “We would never,” Randolph started indignantly.
    “You will,” the witch answered, pointing at Elizabeth while dark energy crackled at her fingertips. “And the king will never know, because you’ll all look so innocent, under my spell. Deliver the desserts to the humans, or I will make this girl a treat of my own!”
         Randolph sighed in defeat. He knew the pies meant trouble, but he could not let the witch hurt the daughter of Duke Daring. The gnomes would have to comply. Under her spell, they had no choice. An opportunity to make things right would come; it had to. He only hoped that the witch would not discover Elizabeth’s identity before his return.
    “Very well,” Randolph answered, “we will do what you demand of us.”

Chapter 8
     
         Emily paced the forest floor. “You can't be planning to help her?" she said.
         “Don’t you see, I have no choice,” Randolph explained with a sigh. “She has your sister. What else can I do?”
         Emily threw her hands up in frustration. How could this have happened? The witch had Elizabeth, and would have likely had herself, as well, had Randolph not convinced her to boldly walk out of the cave in her goblin cloak along with his men, who were now loading poison pies onto carts to be delivered to the castle guards, all under the goblins’ watchful eyes. But even now, hidden behind a cluster of trees, she had to keep her voice down to avoid detection.
         If she went with the gnomes and tried to warn the guards, the witch might find out and harm Elizabeth. The thought of staying behind to try freeing Elizabeth also seemed dangerous and difficult. What chance would she have against the witch? Magic blocked any attempt to attack her.
         Elizabeth was always good at coming up with a plan. Emily was better at the physical side of things. A group of goblins she could whack with her staff! But she couldn’t handle this with just her staff. She needed a way to send a warning to the city while finding a way to free Elizabeth. She knew she couldn’t be two places at once; she was going to need help, but who? The gnomes had already tried a direct assault with no luck. She needed something more cunning.
         It was as if Randolph had read Emily’s thoughts. “You can't come with us," he said. “The goblins will be everywhere watching us. If you wait here, I will come back and demand your sister be freed."
         Emily was growing impatient. “I can’t just wait here while you and the other gnomes go commit treason. I will find a way to free Elizabeth myself.”
         “She’s being held by a dangerous witch.”  He hesitated a moment, as if he wanted to give her advice. “Be careful, young Daring.”
         Emily quickly pulled her journal from her pack and tore a page out. Writing on it, she folded it twice and handed it to Randolph. “Give this to my father, if you can,” she said, then watched him go link up with the other gnomes. She made sure to stay in the foliage as a group of goblins followed not far behind the gnomes. Hairy Foot and Stink Eye were there with them.  If they saw her, they’d surely alert the witch.
         Emily turned back into the forest that didn’t seem so enchanted, now. She knew