It was dark but she could see the most extraordinary creature standing over her. It had the face of a woman, but it also had the look of a... Aradella blinked.A fox?
“Get up. We have to go to my son.”
Aradella managed to sit up. She was still wearing Kaley’s clothes—which was bad. She needed to keep herself covered. Abit of a breeze made her realize that she truly was in the forest. She looked down at a movement by her leg. There were four little foxes staring up at her with big eyes.
Aradella looked back at the woman who was glaring at her. “You are...?”
“I am Toki, the mother of Mekos, and we must go to him. That magic woman is going tokillhim!”
At that, Aradella came fully awake. She realized the dark wasn’t full night, but it was just before dawn—and it was the day she was supposed to be sacrificed. “Tell me what’s happened.” She brushed away the babies and stood up. The terror in the woman’s eyes sent chills down her spine.
“The kits said Mekos and that little man sneaked into that woman’s house. They stole a knife because only it will kill her. Now they’re saying that Mekos hid the knife in his big clothes and he’s you and he’s asleep and she’s going to murder him. I don’t understand.”
“I do,” Aradella said. “He used the mask to make himself into me, but that knife is new to me. If Mekos is asleep, something went wrong.” She looked around. “How did I get here and how can I reach him?”
“My son carried you here, and you are a long way from the steam.”
Aradella knew she meant the steam from the volcano, where the sacrifice was to happen. When the woman turned, Aradella saw that she had a tail.
“I tried to get to him, but they—”
“The guards won’t let you past. They don’t like Lelys,” Aradella said.
“I will give my life for my son.”
Aradella didn’t have time for politeness. “If you’re dead, you won’t be able to help at all,” she snapped. “Get me to Mekos immediately! It’smeValona wants.”
Toki’s eyes changed from fear to resolution. “Can you ride?”
“For this, I can ride anything you have.”
“My friend will take you there swiftly.” Out of the darkness came a huge gray wolf. It looked like it could destroy a human in one bite. “Starken-el,” Aradella whispered. When the animal bent down, she saw it had on a leather collar. Aradella swallowed her fear, threw a leg over the wolf, and grabbed the collar with both hands.
It ran so swiftly that Aradella could hardly breathe. Beside them, Toki was running on all fours. She was more fox than human.
They reached the pinnacle of the Lair just as the sun was rising.
As they’d been told, every woman who lived in the crater of the Lair was there. Young and old, they were standing, their faces filled with grief and fear. They were slowly swaying back and forth and making a low, mournful, rhythmic sound. Behind them, steam billowed up out of the ground, the last remnant of the volcano that had created the crater.
The great wolf abruptly stopped, Aradella slid to the ground, then ran forward. Four fierce-looking female guards flanked her, each one holding a long spear aimed at Aradella’s throat.
“It’s her,” a woman said. Then another said louder, “The princess isthere!”
As the words spread, the forlorn singing stopped, and the women stared in silence.
The guards stepped back and let the princess go through.
What Aradella saw sickened her. She saw herself lying on a long, flattened stone, her body engulfed by her big dress. Her face was calm and her eyes were closed in a peaceful sleep.
Standing at one end of the altar was Valona. She was dressed all in black and gold and looked magnificent. Her eyes were alight as though in ecstasy. Her arms were raised and in her hand was an old knife with a half moon blade.
“I am here!” Aradella shouted as she swiftly walked forward.
Even Valona was shocked into silence and she lowered her arms.
In the silence, Aradella, her back straight, her chin up, walked to Mekos lying on the stone. She leaned forward and put her left hand on the invisible mask on Mekos’s face. At the same time,she put her right hand to where she knew was one of the pockets in the dress, and slipped it inside. As she’d hoped, the knife was there. It was small enough that she could conceal it in her hand.
With her other hand, she peeled the mask off Mekos’s face. When his face was revealed, wearing his own clothes, everyone gasped.
