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“Thank you.”

“So who are you, then? Why are you here? Most people stay the hill away from the shirt-suckling Swamp of Monsters.”

“My name’s Jules. My boat got shipwrecked off the coast. Who are you?”

There was a drawn-out sigh. “I suppose I might as well tell you. You were going to find out sooner or later. I am”—there was a dramatic pause—“Ilyana the Golden!”

It didn’t ring any bells. “Who?”

“Are you serious? Ilyana the filching Golden!”

“Should that mean something to me?”

“Yes! I’m incredibly famous. The most famous woman.” The incredulity in her voice was palpable. “My name is known throughout the Red Empire! And the Green!”

“Oh, that explains it. I’m not from either one. I live in one of the little northern countries. Why are you famous?”

“Well…I’m the most beautiful woman in the world.”

I couldn’t keep myself from wincing. “I’m sorry. That must suck.”

There was yet another pause.

“That isn’t the reaction most people have.”

I shrugged. “I’m guessing it’s why you’re in a prison cell right now.”

“Good guess.” She laughed, a single flat, bitter note. “The beauty thing was supposed to be a gift. From the fairies.”

“I wondered if it might be. I’ve got some experience with fairy gifts.”

“This is the fifth time I’ve been kidnapped. Some people don’t like to take no for an answer.”

“It’s been three for me, so far. Mostly when I was younger.” I’d been kidnapped four times if you counted the most recent one, but I generally didn’t. I’d effectively volunteered to go to Tailliz with Jacqueline, after all.

“Sorry to hear it,” she said sympathetically. “It socks bills, every time.”

I made a connection, something I should have figured out right away. “Wait—are you the genius’s fiancée?”

“If you want to call it that, sure,” she said. “Although I’m not really that into him. I have this strange aversion to being abducted and imprisoned by smother-fearing rice-hulls.”

“He’s going to force you to marry him?”

“Yup. I don’t suppose you’ve got a way to bust me out of here?”

The genius wanted to marry a pretty human. So he’d found the prettiest human there was.

Something along the same lines had happened to me, once upon a time. The troll king of the western isles caught wind of how valuable I might be and decided I’d make the perfect spouse. Not the exact same motivation as the genius, but eerily similar nonetheless.

“Actually,” I answered slowly, considering, “I might be able to get you out. If you don’t mind it taking a while.”

“I don’t have any pressing engagements. Except, you know, the one I don’t want.”

I reached out with the senses I’d possessed ever since the day the fairy gave me my gifts. It was more difficult when I wasn’t actually touching a plant, but I had a bit of range to work with. As I’d suspected, we were underground. I felt for what was in the soil beyond the brass plates and gave it a nudge.

“All right,” I said. “I’ve started it going.”

“Started what going?”