“Flank him!” I screamed.
Hatter and Dum followed through, each attacking the beast from the side, and buying me time to position myself to sink the claw into his skin. Hatter’s sword slashed the shadow monster, and shimmering aether spilled out of his hide.
My brows pulled together. I’d fought many ferocious magicals before, but this creature was a total mystery. I didn’t know a single race of fae that could be killed by a claw doused in the blood of their enemies.
Or one that bled aether.
I dodged backward a step as a hand with overgrown claws lashed out at me. As soon as the hand fell, I pivoted and returned the attack with the claw.
The beast caught sight of my weapon and reared back, away from me, spraying aether everywhere, including splattering on my face. I gasped. As if the aether had forced a revelation into me, I suddenly understood.
This thing, this horrible monster, was aether-blessed. He had to be the general Henri had mentioned. The one who’d fought the war and created this forest of terror. Somehow, he was still alive, haunting the woods—and had it out for the caterpillar.
And now us,I thought as the beast released a resounding roar that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.
Dum had been sinking her tiny teeth into the creature’s back every chance she got, and was about to do so again, when the monster pivoted away from me to round on the pixie. My heart lodged in my throat as large jaws snapped in the pixie’s direction, and Dum disappeared.
“Alice! Now!” Henri screamed. “Attack!”
I lifted the claw high overhead and leapt. Time slowed as, with each passing millisecond, I expected the beast to turn and sink his teeth into me next.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he was cringing and whining, thrashing his head about. When I was close enough, I took advantage of his distraction, and slammed the claw hard into his back.
The bastard exploded into a cloud of smoke as the aether that had been holding him together soared away through the forest.
I gasped, collapsing to the ground where the monster had stood. Two rubies, his eyes, fell beside me as a slight weight landed on top of me.
I scrambled away, only to stop when I realized who the weight belonged to.
“Dum!” I yelped. “Are you okay? Did it bite you?”
What a stupid question. The pixie had been in the monster’s mouth! Of course it bit her!
“It tried, but I attacked its tongue.” Dum smiled proudly. Her fangs were longer than I’d ever seen them.
“Oh . . . Damn, girl, that’s vicious,” I replied, impressed by her bravery.
“Thank you. Can I borrow your cloak to dry off? That thing had horrid breath, and I don’t want to stink.”
“Here.” Hatter handed her a shirt from his bag. “Use this. We’ll check on Dee.”
Dee!
I rose and darted over to where the other pixie lay on the ground. She was breathing, and my heart rate slowed in relief.
“She’s still passed out, but alive,” I said as Hatter joined me.
I picked up the pixie, who stirred as her eyelids fluttered halfway open.
“Thank the gods,” he replied, looking relieved.
I didn’t answer, only began stroking Dee’s tiny head, pushing her red hair out of her face.
Her eyes fluttered again and then opened all the way. They focused first on me, then Hatter. “Did you get that monster?”
“We did. How do you feel?”
