fingers, crushing them against the handle of her own weapon. The hammer dropped.
Danielle thrust her sword through the bottom of Roudette’s cape, pinning her in place long enough for Talia to land another punch to the side of Roudette’s head. Roudette reached up to grab Talia’s wrist, so Talia dropped a knee into her stomach.
That was enough. Roudette doubled over, and Talia pressed a knife to her throat. Danielle yanked her sword free, keeping it pointed at Roudette. The whole fight was over before Snow could even decide which spell to cast.
“Care to try that again?” Talia kicked the hammer away.
Roudette flexed her fingers. “Striking the hand that holds the weapon. That’s an unusual tactic.”
“First rule of sik h’adan,” said Talia. “Attack whatever target your enemy presents.”
Roudette laughed. “Risky. Miss by even a tiny distance, and you break your hand against my hammer.”
Talia’s breathing was fast but steady. “I don’t miss.”
Danielle turned around. “Where are we?”
“Arathea,” said Talia. “Outside the city of Jahrasima.”
Snow started to stand, and the world shifted as though she were still in the fairy ring. She sat back, fingers digging into the dry earth as she blinked to clear her vision.
Jahrasima sat upon an island in the middle of a perfectly circular lake. Snow remembered reading about this city. Jahrasima and its eight sister cities were gifts from fairykind, meant to atone for the curse of Sleeping Beauty. They said the water in the lake never dropped, even in the hottest part of the dry season.
Trees ringed the water, tall and broad-leafed. A stone path, somewhere between a dam and a bridge, offered a road into the city proper. Orange sunlight rippled on the dark water. Snow cupped her eyes and looked to the sky. Arathea was far enough west of Lorindar that the sun appeared to have jumped backward.
They had arrived a short distance beyond the lake’s edge, in a farmer’s field. Small gullies ran in parallel lines from the shore, diverting water to irrigate the crops.
“I thought we were supposed to arrive in the city itself,” Talia said.
Snow pointed to the water. “Do you know how much magic it takes to sustain that lake? Bringing us into that city would be like trying to throw a stick into a whirlwind. You’re lucky we got this close.”
Danielle still held her sword. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, and she looked queasy. Given how seasick Danielle got while sailing, Snow could imagine how the fairy ring must have affected her.
Despite her nausea, Danielle’s voice was firm as she faced Roudette. “What did you do to my stepsister?”
“I needed someone to carry the sprite.” Roudette didn’t try to move. She was far calmer than anyone in her position should have been. “To bring Talia here alive, if possible. Charlotte was supposed to release the sprite at Stone Grove. I didn’t think she had it in her to fight.”
“But she did,” said Danielle. “So you killed her.”
“The Duchess killed her,” said Roudette. “Your stepsister was dead the moment the Duchess gave her that gown with the fire sprite hidden within it.”
“Snow could have saved her.”
“Maybe.” Snow rubbed her fingers against the base of her skull. “The gown carried the sprite’s essence. Trying to remove it could have freed the sprite.”
“Charlotte died well,” Roudette said. “She died fighting them.”
“Shut up.” Danielle pushed back her sleeve, exposing her bracelet. “Fairytown will be told exactly what the Duchess did today. If Trittibar earned exile for saving your lives, the Duchess has earned far worse.”
“What about Roudette?” Snow asked.
Danielle swallowed, her uncertainty clear to anyone who knew her. She glanced at Talia, who nodded and adjusted her grip on her knife. Danielle straightened. “Would you like a moment to pray and prepare yourself, Roudette?”
Roudette kept perfectly still. “Kill me, and the
Danielle thrust her sword through the bottom of Roudette’s cape, pinning her in place long enough for Talia to land another punch to the side of Roudette’s head. Roudette reached up to grab Talia’s wrist, so Talia dropped a knee into her stomach.
That was enough. Roudette doubled over, and Talia pressed a knife to her throat. Danielle yanked her sword free, keeping it pointed at Roudette. The whole fight was over before Snow could even decide which spell to cast.
“Care to try that again?” Talia kicked the hammer away.
Roudette flexed her fingers. “Striking the hand that holds the weapon. That’s an unusual tactic.”
“First rule of sik h’adan,” said Talia. “Attack whatever target your enemy presents.”
Roudette laughed. “Risky. Miss by even a tiny distance, and you break your hand against my hammer.”
Talia’s breathing was fast but steady. “I don’t miss.”
Danielle turned around. “Where are we?”
“Arathea,” said Talia. “Outside the city of Jahrasima.”
Snow started to stand, and the world shifted as though she were still in the fairy ring. She sat back, fingers digging into the dry earth as she blinked to clear her vision.
Jahrasima sat upon an island in the middle of a perfectly circular lake. Snow remembered reading about this city. Jahrasima and its eight sister cities were gifts from fairykind, meant to atone for the curse of Sleeping Beauty. They said the water in the lake never dropped, even in the hottest part of the dry season.
Trees ringed the water, tall and broad-leafed. A stone path, somewhere between a dam and a bridge, offered a road into the city proper. Orange sunlight rippled on the dark water. Snow cupped her eyes and looked to the sky. Arathea was far enough west of Lorindar that the sun appeared to have jumped backward.
They had arrived a short distance beyond the lake’s edge, in a farmer’s field. Small gullies ran in parallel lines from the shore, diverting water to irrigate the crops.
“I thought we were supposed to arrive in the city itself,” Talia said.
Snow pointed to the water. “Do you know how much magic it takes to sustain that lake? Bringing us into that city would be like trying to throw a stick into a whirlwind. You’re lucky we got this close.”
Danielle still held her sword. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, and she looked queasy. Given how seasick Danielle got while sailing, Snow could imagine how the fairy ring must have affected her.
Despite her nausea, Danielle’s voice was firm as she faced Roudette. “What did you do to my stepsister?”
“I needed someone to carry the sprite.” Roudette didn’t try to move. She was far calmer than anyone in her position should have been. “To bring Talia here alive, if possible. Charlotte was supposed to release the sprite at Stone Grove. I didn’t think she had it in her to fight.”
“But she did,” said Danielle. “So you killed her.”
“The Duchess killed her,” said Roudette. “Your stepsister was dead the moment the Duchess gave her that gown with the fire sprite hidden within it.”
“Snow could have saved her.”
“Maybe.” Snow rubbed her fingers against the base of her skull. “The gown carried the sprite’s essence. Trying to remove it could have freed the sprite.”
“Charlotte died well,” Roudette said. “She died fighting them.”
“Shut up.” Danielle pushed back her sleeve, exposing her bracelet. “Fairytown will be told exactly what the Duchess did today. If Trittibar earned exile for saving your lives, the Duchess has earned far worse.”
“What about Roudette?” Snow asked.
Danielle swallowed, her uncertainty clear to anyone who knew her. She glanced at Talia, who nodded and adjusted her grip on her knife. Danielle straightened. “Would you like a moment to pray and prepare yourself, Roudette?”
Roudette kept perfectly still. “Kill me, and the
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