my direction, I froze, but they continued on without incident after a few more moments.
I sagged, exhaling softly, my legs no longer wishing to move. “Just a little farther,” I promised them, but it wasn’t like I really knew. My eyelids fluttered shut despite my best efforts to remain watchful. “Maybe I’ll rest here for a few minutes. Only a few . . .”
“ Absinthe? ”
I jerked awake, my head cracking into the bark of the tree behind me. The sting arced across my scalp as I blinked blearily at a familiar wet snout.
“Jimmy?” I struggled to get to my feet, but he laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Nae, lass. Dinna fret. Ye’re among friends now, aye?”
I swallowed hard, trying to decide if I was dreaming or not. Jimmy Squarefoot was a Lesser Fae of the Barras with a pig’s face and a hunching lope. Despite his odd appearance, he had never been anything but kind to me and I owed him a lot.
“Where’s the prince?” he asked gently.
“Shit! Talivar. He’s back there”—I pointed into the darkness—“but I don’t know exactly where now, and he’s hurt. He’s been poisoned and he can’t walk.”
Jimmy snuffled, his tongue curling around one jagged tusk. “Aye, well. I’ll finds ’em, belike.” He tapped his nose proudly. “Best nose in six counties, ye ken.”
“I remember. But be careful, Jimmy. The Queen’s men are out looking for us.”
“Aye. That’s why I’m here. Kitsune sent me to find ye. We expected ye here hours ago.”
I pushed up against the tree so I was standing, the pine sap sticky on my palms. “We ran into some trouble. I was trying to find help.”
His mouth broadened into a grimacing smile. “And ye’ve found it, lass. Ye’ve found it.”
The hot water stung the myriad cuts and bruises upon my skin. Gingerly, I sat in the small copper basin, my limbs folded up to maximize the water coverage. The tent I was in was blissfully empty of company, as was my mind, thoughts of the last part of my journey drifting into a blurry haze.
True to his word, Jimmy had indeed found Talivar, sending me on ahead via a turnip cart pulled by a pair of fanged llamas. Our arrival first alerted Kitsune to the elf’s weakened condition.
Although the remnants of the traveling kingdom were much as I remembered them, an air of change swept about the mishmash of tents and vendor stands. The folk moved with a sense of purpose, a hint of excitement buzzing through the crowds. Last time they’d been preparing themselves for a possible battle againstthe same daemons who’d invaded Faerie, but this was different . . .
Perhaps it was only that the Queen had finally reopened the CrossRoads, but it felt like there was something more to it.
Pride.
Not that I’d had the energy to ask. At the moment, I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to acknowledge Kitsune’s presence when she had emerged from her tent to meet me, wrapped in a brilliant sapphire kimono. Her fox ears had swiveled at me curiously as I explained the situation, the fathomless black depths of her gaze resting on me with quiet concern.
She’d clapped her hands in unspoken command and I had let myself be led away, even as Talivar was taken in the other direction. Some part of me should probably have been worried at this, but I’d chosen to throw my lot in here. What else could I do but trust her?
So here I was, attempting to clean myself up—with a modicum of success. As warm as the water was, I had the sudden urge to remove myself from it, the soft robes laid out for me beckoning. Dunking my head beneath the water one last time, I emerged already half-asleep as I slipped into the robe. I barely managed to towel off my hair before I lay down on the stuffed pallet, the robe only partially drawn closed. A moment later, I slithered into welcome oblivion.
The scent of ginger permeated the darkness with a familiar tang and I knew Kitsune was nearby. I cracked an eye to see her shadowed silhouette,
I sagged, exhaling softly, my legs no longer wishing to move. “Just a little farther,” I promised them, but it wasn’t like I really knew. My eyelids fluttered shut despite my best efforts to remain watchful. “Maybe I’ll rest here for a few minutes. Only a few . . .”
“ Absinthe? ”
I jerked awake, my head cracking into the bark of the tree behind me. The sting arced across my scalp as I blinked blearily at a familiar wet snout.
“Jimmy?” I struggled to get to my feet, but he laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Nae, lass. Dinna fret. Ye’re among friends now, aye?”
I swallowed hard, trying to decide if I was dreaming or not. Jimmy Squarefoot was a Lesser Fae of the Barras with a pig’s face and a hunching lope. Despite his odd appearance, he had never been anything but kind to me and I owed him a lot.
“Where’s the prince?” he asked gently.
“Shit! Talivar. He’s back there”—I pointed into the darkness—“but I don’t know exactly where now, and he’s hurt. He’s been poisoned and he can’t walk.”
Jimmy snuffled, his tongue curling around one jagged tusk. “Aye, well. I’ll finds ’em, belike.” He tapped his nose proudly. “Best nose in six counties, ye ken.”
“I remember. But be careful, Jimmy. The Queen’s men are out looking for us.”
“Aye. That’s why I’m here. Kitsune sent me to find ye. We expected ye here hours ago.”
I pushed up against the tree so I was standing, the pine sap sticky on my palms. “We ran into some trouble. I was trying to find help.”
His mouth broadened into a grimacing smile. “And ye’ve found it, lass. Ye’ve found it.”
The hot water stung the myriad cuts and bruises upon my skin. Gingerly, I sat in the small copper basin, my limbs folded up to maximize the water coverage. The tent I was in was blissfully empty of company, as was my mind, thoughts of the last part of my journey drifting into a blurry haze.
True to his word, Jimmy had indeed found Talivar, sending me on ahead via a turnip cart pulled by a pair of fanged llamas. Our arrival first alerted Kitsune to the elf’s weakened condition.
Although the remnants of the traveling kingdom were much as I remembered them, an air of change swept about the mishmash of tents and vendor stands. The folk moved with a sense of purpose, a hint of excitement buzzing through the crowds. Last time they’d been preparing themselves for a possible battle againstthe same daemons who’d invaded Faerie, but this was different . . .
Perhaps it was only that the Queen had finally reopened the CrossRoads, but it felt like there was something more to it.
Pride.
Not that I’d had the energy to ask. At the moment, I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to acknowledge Kitsune’s presence when she had emerged from her tent to meet me, wrapped in a brilliant sapphire kimono. Her fox ears had swiveled at me curiously as I explained the situation, the fathomless black depths of her gaze resting on me with quiet concern.
She’d clapped her hands in unspoken command and I had let myself be led away, even as Talivar was taken in the other direction. Some part of me should probably have been worried at this, but I’d chosen to throw my lot in here. What else could I do but trust her?
So here I was, attempting to clean myself up—with a modicum of success. As warm as the water was, I had the sudden urge to remove myself from it, the soft robes laid out for me beckoning. Dunking my head beneath the water one last time, I emerged already half-asleep as I slipped into the robe. I barely managed to towel off my hair before I lay down on the stuffed pallet, the robe only partially drawn closed. A moment later, I slithered into welcome oblivion.
The scent of ginger permeated the darkness with a familiar tang and I knew Kitsune was nearby. I cracked an eye to see her shadowed silhouette,
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