I would never want to live in a tree. 

It is infested with insects and the walls are so close together that you could suffocate, although the tree nymph is lucky enough to be the same size as the stone it now sits on. The tip of my boot barely touches his lower body. His voice, which sounds like a saw through wood, gives me a splitting headache. I interrupt his monologue. 

"Do you now know where we can find him or not?" The nymph stops drawing beetles in the earth. His bushy eyebrows draw together. 

"Who?"

My hand shoots at my sword on my hip and I pull it out just enough to reflect the setting sun on the blade. 

The nymph scrambles to her feet. "The warmblood is on Count Céres' feast." 

"Count Céres is having a party?" 

The tree nymph nods. 

I play with the tip of my hair, which is lifted off my back by the wind. I like my hair. It is soft and curling at the ends and when it catches the sun it just seems to be on fire. 

"Who are all at that party?"I shift my weight to my other hip and feel the vial of speed enhancer jabbing into my thigh. "Emergency only," Maddox had said, but what's an emergency to him isn't to me. 

"A few pookas, some dryads and a few nymphs. The count likes to throw parties in closed circles." The tree nymph pulls a piece of bark from the tree and begins to chew on it, impervious to the worms and spiders slipping through his tiny fingers. 

The ball of my foot seems to be on fire. Still, I bite through the pain and refuse to take off my ridiculous heels. 

 "Do you know anyone who will be there?" I shift my weight back onto the other foot. Now it's starting to burn there. 

"I know some nymphs who will be there."For the first time my best friend joins the conversation. 

Felix's hoarse voice is completely at home here in the forest. "An idea, Elysia?" 

Despite the pain, I manage to squeeze out a smile. "I want you to deliver a message to them in Lord Maddox's name." I kneel before the nymph and beckon him to come closer. Rarely do creatures get close to me and survive, and rarely do my monsters leave me alone.But here and now, this is nothing compared to what lies ahead. A warmblood will cause a lot of trouble.The only question is how much trouble will I get into.