“Don’t go too far,” Queen Alora ordered sharply.
Queen Mikko simply waved her right hand in the air to indicate she had heard and agreed—a bit rudely.
Queen Alora turned back to the tree and lifted her red nose into the air. “I will not be frightened off by a little rat.”
I shrugged one shoulder, and said helpfully, “It seemed nice.”
“Oh my Fae!” Father shouted. He stepped out from behind the men’s area. “There is a deer back there. It talked to me!”
Queen Alora shuffled behind the tree, griping, “I better get this done before more creatures come.”
King Elon stepped out of the tent, muttering, “That is highly unlikely. Deer do not talk. Are you not feeling well, King Traevon?”
“What did it say, Father?” I walked quickly toward him, ignoring the other king completely. “May I meet the deer? Was it welcoming?”
Father grabbed my right shoulder before I could pass, saying, “He was positivelynotfriendly. He had sharp teeth and told me to quit shitting on his bed. He wasn’t pleased with me.”
I bounced on the balls of my feet, really wanting to meet the talking deer. “Well, if you were relieving yourselfonits bed,that is a perfectly normal response. Let me go, Father. I’ll be nice and apologize for you.”
King Athon walked out of the men’s area.
He dragged a dead, bloodstained deer by its hind legs, its throat sliced neatly open. King Athon’s solid black eyes sparkled in the subdued lighting, and his lips curled back into a cruel grin. King Athon stated happily for all ears, “We’re eating well this morning!”
My jaw dropped. “That deer talked, though.”
The shifter king shrugged a shoulder, his wicked smile still in place. “And I am fuckinghungry. The others may be able to live off the little we’ve eaten, but I cannot. Problem fixed for today.”
King Elon rubbed at his stomach. “Well done, King Athon. I’ll get a fire started for us.”
My nose scrunched in disgust as King Athon started gutting the poor creature. “Isn’t this a little profane for your kind, King Athon?”
He peered up from his bloody work. “A deer is a deer—even a talking one. If it isn’t a shifter, I don’t give a Fae damn.”
Father’s head teetered back and forth. “I’d have to agree with King Athon on this one, Trixie. If it is not a shifter, it is food.”
I shook my head and crossed my arms. “I don’t agree. And I don’t think he should have done that. There may be more—”
“Run!” Queen Mikko screamed—shedidhave a loud scream. She waved her left arm wildly as she sprinted toward us through the mist. “Run, by all the Fae!”
I glared death at the shifter king. “I knew it.”
Then I took off running away from the danger, with my bag slapping against my left thigh. I zigzagged through two nearby black trees and then ran as fast as my weak legs allowed. I chanced a glance over my shoulder, my breath coming in hard pants.
Fifty deer were close behind Queen Mikko now. More than I had ever seen combined in my entire life. Their sharp teeth were bared, and their eyes were set on our group as we raced through the Blood Forest.
Queen Alora tripped over a log right next to me, face planting onto the freezing ground, but quickly shot back up to her feet and sprinted past me—Fae damned long legs.
King Elon soon passed me too, running alongside her.
“Faster, Trixie!” Father barked right behind me. “Get your ass moving!”
“I’m trying,” I shouted frantically. I dodged another tree.
“Try harder!” King Athon demanded nearby.
“Everyone, get to the heavy brush!” Queen Mikko bellowed. “It will slow them down!”
As one unit, we all veered to the left. The black trees were thicker there, and black grass swayed at waist level around the trunks. The pounding of the pack of deer’s hooves beat loudly behind us, the crunch of the frozen shadow leaves like breaking glass. The dense brush was too far, and they were too fast.
