With Kendra on my arm, I sprang forward, circling the pub to find the lord’s carriage, his driver flat on his back with Frisk sitting calmly atop him.
I scoffed and put my hands on my hips, even knowing Frisk couldn’t see me. “Is that really necessary?”
“What?” Frisk blinked his wide, dark eyes—the picture of innocence.
Stifling a laugh, I muttered, “Keep watch, will you?” and flung open the carriage doors.
It appeared empty at first glance, but I knew better. The queen had gotten crafty with her methods. No doubt mythievery had her growing more and more paranoid. A smile formed on my lips at the thought of mighty Calista wringing her hands in frustration and anxiety.
But no. That wasn’t my stepmother. She was much more likely to kill someone instead of fret.
All life is precious,my father had once said.We must protect our own. Especially those who cannot protect themselves.
That was why I was here: for the humans. For the people of this court who suffered under Calista’s rule.
“There,” came Kendra’s soft voice. She pointed her elongated snout toward the cushioned seat. “It’s glamoured.”
I pressed down on the seat. A low creak echoed, and I pushed harder, feeling around the outer edges of the seat until I found a small lever. I pulled it, and the mechanism released a tiny compartment underneath.
“Wow,” I murmured. “Fae glamouranda hidden mechanism? The false queen must be worried about bandits or something.”
Kendra snorted. “Rightfully so.”
I peered into the compartment and gasped. Piles and piles of gold, some in pouches and some simply spilled over as if the lord had been in a hurry. He likely wanted to down a few more drinks before he had to report back to court. What a gluttonous goat.
“See anything good?” Frisk called out.
“Hush!” I hissed. “You’re just an ordinary fox, remember?”
An innocent chitter followed my words, and I laughed. Not many fae folk knew of the faerie creatures that roamed the woods of the Winter Court. Most dismissed them as children’s tales, but I knew better. I lived in these woods, and the faerie creatures were my closest friends. Some were ordinaryanimals, but others were sentient. Some even had magic, just like the fae folk.
I opened my sack and started scooping coins into it, wincing as they jingled loudly. But there was nothing but the quiet, frigid air behind me. Even so, I didn’t want to push my luck. My movements were quick as I shoveled more and more coins into my sack. I was almost finished when Frisk gave a low bark. I went rigid.
Damn. Out of time.
I bit my lip and gazed at the pile of coins that still remained, knowing it could help fund the rebel cause. How could I just leave this gold sitting here?
“Eira,” Kendra hissed in warning.
Ignoring her, I swiped one last handful just as someone grabbed my cloak from behind.
“Who’s this, eh?”
Kendra skittered up my arm, burrowing herself in my hood to stay out of sight. I wriggled, struggling to free myself. Too late, I realized I’d let my invisible glamour fall in my haste to grab more coins. I couldn’t risk using it now; very few people knew the extent of my magic, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Someone yanked me out of the carriage and spun me around. It was the red-haired lord. He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “Ah. You’re a looker, aren’t ye?” His bloodshot eyes drifted to my rounded ears, and his eyebrows lifted. “Andhuman.”
People often mistook me for a full-blooded human, even though I was half fae. My ears were both a gift and a curse in that sense.
I knew how to get myself out of this situation. But I hated playing the damsel.
I pretended to gasp. “Oh please, good fae lord, please let me go! I didn’t mean any harm!” As part fae, I couldn’t lie, but I had plenty of practice skirting the truth. In all honesty, Ididn’tmean any harm; generally, we tried to steal without hurting anyone.
“Save it, lass, I can see the gold gleaming in your pack,” the lord spat. “I think the queen will be pleased I’ve finally caught one of the Snow Princess’s thieves.”
So he didn’t know it was me, then. Relief swelled inside me. One of the benefits to being an invisible and unloved princess was that no one recognized my face. I released an anguished wail and covered my face with my hands. “Please.Please! There must besomethingI can do to make it right. Name your price.”
The man’s hold on my cloak loosened slightly. “Any price, eh?” The dark hunger stirring in his eyes told me all I needed to know.
