"Won't matter," Eliam said, getting to his feet, pulling Briar up with him. "He'll track my magic."
They stumbled forward through the darkness. Eliam was half-carrying, half-dragging her, and every step sent her vision swimming. The trees pressed close, identical pines that offered no landmark, no sign they were going the right direction.
Behind them, something roared. The sound wasn't human, but it wasn't entirely fae either. It was pure rage given voice.
"He's coming," Ferria said unnecessarily, her illusions flickering weakly around them.
Then Briar heard it. The sound was like dried leaves skittering across stone, but it was wrong somehow. It was too purposeful, and there were too many sources.
"What is that?" Thaine started to ask.
The first creature dropped from the trees onto his shoulder. It was cat-sized, with mottled grey skin and eyes that glowed red in the darkness. Its mouth opened to reveal rows of needle teeth, and Thaine screamed.
Karse grabbed it and burned it to ash instantly, but more were coming. Dozens of them poured from the underbrush and scrambled down tree trunks. Their chittering filled the air like angry insects.
"Run!" Eliam shouted, but there was nowhere to run. The creatures were everywhere, swarming around their feet and leaping for exposed skin.
One latched onto Briar's torn dress and climbed rapidly toward her throat. She tried to bat it away but her movements were too slow and too weak. Its claws dug through fabric to find flesh, and she felt those teeth graze her neck.
Fire burst around them in a protective circle. Karse stood at the center with flames pouring from his good hand, holding the creatures at bay. But she could see the effort was costing him, and he was starting to sway.
"I can't hold this for long," he gasped.
The creatures pressed closer, testing the edge of the flames. Their chittering grew louder and more aggressive. One darted through a gap in the fire and went straight for Ferria. She shrieked and her illusions exploded around her in panic, but the creature passed right through them.
That's when the stars began to fall.
No, not stars, but arrows made of pure light, streaming from the trees ahead. Each one struck true, piercing the corrupted pixies and making them dissolve into shadow and smoke.
"Get down!" a familiar voice commanded.
They dropped to the ground, and more arrows sailed overhead. The creatures scattered with furious chittering, but more light-arrows found them.
Figures emerged from the forest. They were Star Court guards in silver armor that seemed to glow with its own light. At their head stood Arion.
The Star Court prince looked different than he had at court. He wore practical armor that still somehow looked like captured starlight. His expression was cool and focused as he nocked another arrow.
"Can you run?" He didn't wait for an answer. "We need to reach the border because more are coming."
As if summoned by his words, another wave of the creatures poured from the darkness. But now there were Star Court soldiers forming a protective circle around them.
"Move!" Arion commanded.
They ran, or tried to run, while the Star Court forces held the creatures back. Arrows of light flew continuously, and each impact lit up the forest for a moment. The vicious pixies kept coming, wave after wave, but the soldiers were disciplined and their formation held.
Briar struggled to keep up, but it wasn’t long before her legs gave out completely. Eliam swept her up without breaking stride, though she could feel him trembling with exhaustion. Around them, the battle continued to move. The Star Court forces were walking backward now, maintaining their defensive line while retreating toward the border.
"How did you know?" Eliam asked Arion between ragged breaths.
"Your water sprite reached us," Arion replied, firing three arrows in rapid succession. "He said you were taken prisoner."
Frederick had made it. Despite everything, the little sprite had gotten through. Briar wanted to cry from relief, but she had no tears left. Her body felt disconnected from her mind, floating somewhere above the pain.
Arion sent another arrow flying into the chaos. "Is it true? Has Malus taken the throne?"
"Yes." Eliam's voice was flat, emotionless, but Briar could feel the tension in his arms, the way his grip on her tightened slightly. "He holds the Forest Court. The lords kneel to him. The forests answer to him."
"Then he's the legitimate Forest King." Arion's tone held something careful, calculating. "If he crosses into Star Court territory now, it's an act of war."
