"Come here, little one," I crooned, squatting before the bush with my hand outstretched.

The child flinched as roars and screams swallowed my next plea, and she pressed her back into the spiny trunk of the bush, preferring the pain of thorns over trusting a stranger. I frowned and glanced at my body. Surely, she could see I was no monster. From what I'd seen while riding through the village, if my ears were pointed and eyes more luminous, I could easily pass as Fae.

"Please. I'm riding to the palace. We can wait for your mother there."

She blinked. Once. Twice. Then inched forward until her small brown face popped through the shrubs and into the sunshine. "No. Mother. Now."

The horse snorted behind me, and his hooves clacked on the cobblestone road as he shifted nervously. Only a few minutes had passed since we stopped, but already the air was heavier with smoke and the rank stench of burning flesh. If I didn't get out of here soon, they would force me to face the fierig or the Fae prince—neither choices appealed.

Neither did abandoning this child to a violent end. She was close enough I could grab her, and if she was a human child, I would do just that. But not a Fae child. Lorcan spent an evening educating me on the different races of the Summer Court. Since this village was so close to the palace, its population was very diverse, and young Fae often looked similar to one another, only developing the common characteristics of their kind after reaching maturity. She could be any number of things—an elf, druid, pixie, goblin... the possibilities were endless. And all dangerous to a weak human.

A terrible plan formed. Whispering, I said, "What if you get on my horse and ride to the palace? I'll look for your mother and send her to you."

She rolled her lip under her teeth. The action revealed razor sharp canines. "I could do that."

Taking my hand, she came out of hiding and followed me to the horse. Her little nostrils flared, and she eyed me suspiciously. "You smell funny."

"I was working out," I replied, knowing she wasn't talking about body odor. I settled her in the saddle. "What does your mother look like?"

"She's tall and slender. One eye blue and the other is green." A faraway look crossed her face. "She has the prettiest moss growing down her neck and over her shoulders. Little white flowers grow in it, and she has big, iridescent wings. And when she left the house today, she tied her hair back with a yellow scarf. Her name is Flora."

"That's very helpful." She sounded like a forest sprite. "Hold tight and don't stop for anything. He'll go home. He knows the way."

I stepped back and slapped the horse's rump in an echo of Calix's earlier move. He neighed and bolted, taking the squealing girl deep into the forest and hopefully toward safety. Swallowing hard, I spun on my heel and stared at what was left of the village. Blackened air veiled red flames, and every so often lightning slashed through the darkness.

The smart thing to do would be to turn back and tell the little girl I couldn't find her mother. The chance the sprite was alive was small, while the chance I would die searching for her was high. Or Calix would catch me...

It was too late now. I'd made a promise, and no, the irony of that thought wasn't lost on me. Keeping one promise meant breaking another, but if the price was my soul or my body, I knew which one I was willing to pay.

Taking it street by street, I darted between rubble and bodies, eyes constantly scanning for anyone who fit the child's description. I found three other sprites. All dead and twisted beneath debris. One burned across half her body. But all short and stocky without flowers in their moss.

The heat intensified as I drew closer to the center of the village, and between howls and crashes, I caught the shouts of what I assumed were soldiers. And where there were soldiers, Calix would be. The realization made me lose my balance, and I tumbled back, striking my shoulder against a broken stone pillar.

"S-shit," I shouted as pain radiated from the point of contact. The stone was blazing hot, burning through the fabric of my blouse and leaving a red welt that would surely blister.

"Quiet. Are you trying to draw the beasts back here?"

One green eye and one blue glared at me from the shadows between two walls that had fallen into one another, creating a perfect hiding space. I stifled a whimper and maneuvered around the debris between us.

"Flora?"

She pulled me into the small space. It was so tight, our bodies pressed together and beneath the smoke, I caught the fragrance of sweet summer grass and gardenias. "How do you know my name?"

"Y-your," I choked as the wind whipped a cloud of smoke into our hiding spot. "Your daughter sent me to find you."

She gripped me by the collar. Tears streaked her round cheeks, leaving muddy tracks. "My Fawn. She is safe?"

"I sent her to the palace and told her I would bring her to you."

Flora closed her eyes and muttered a prayer in a foreign tongue. I strained to catch the words, the silky syllables pulling at something deep inside of me, but most of it was carried away on the wind. When she opened her eyes and caught me staring, she smiled.

"You smell like the human realm."

"So your daughter told me," I muttered.

Hand against my heart, she continued, "Our kind is a friend to humans. We are not like the Lords and Ladies of the Court, and now I owe you a life debt."

"We haven't made it out of here yet."

"Fawn did, and that is all that matters."

Tears prickled in my eyes. Flora's love for her daughter was clear—like my father's love had been for me. It made me ache for him.

"We can go back the way I came. It was cl—Ahh!"

Our walls flew apart, leaving us exposed, and looming above us was a flaming fierig, its sharp teeth visible through lips split apart in glee. I pushed Flora toward the street, scrambling until I found my footing to run after her and only just missing losing my head.

The fierig bayed in frustration. Its call shook the rubble on the road, and the flames cloaking its twisted limbs pulsed and flared as it took a step after us.

"How do you kill one of those things?" I panted, catching up to Flora and wiping sweat from my brow.

"Lead it to a river, pierce its heart, or behead it."

"It has a heart?"

Flora grunted and snatched me out of the way of a stream of fire. I gaped. They could throw their flames. We were royally screwed.

"A very small one." She pointed. "Look, the soldiers and the prince were herding the rest of the fierig to the river. This one is young and small. It must have been slower than the others and gotten separated."

I risked a look over my shoulders. The fierig rampaging after us was easily the size of an SUV. Hadn't Calix said they were the size of horses? That hadn't seemed big at the time, but then I remembered I was in Faerie. I should've asked what kind of horses.

Roots burst through the ground. They formed a barrier between us and the monster, but several branches already smoldered in the heat. Still, it gave us enough time to turn down an alley and reach another road.

Flora continued drawing on her power, using the earth to protect us. "The river is on the other side of that street."

I could see it. Blue and sparkling through the smog, but the fierig was gaining ground despite Flora's best efforts. Efforts which were also draining her and slowing her down. She caught her breath against a leaning house.

"I have enough strength left to pull up one more barrier. If you take this alley here, you'll get ahead of me. You can make it to the river, and when he's through with me, call out. Be a spectacle. He will be filled with bloodlust from his meal, and he won't hesitate to go after you."

"No." I pulled her arm and dragged her toward the alley. "We go together."

"My life debt will be paid."

"You can pay it by surviving," I hissed. The edges of my hair turned black as the fierig drew closer, and all the moisture seemed to disappear. "I made a promise to Fawn, and I intend to keep it."

"Human—"

"Hey! Hey! Here stupid," I screamed, running down the primary thoroughfare waving my arms.

Flora shook her head, but it was too late. The fierig had taken my bait, and when I looked toward Flora again, she was gone—hopefully running toward the river.

I picked up a handful of rock and slung it toward the monster. A few pieces must have struck tender spots, because it stumbled and cried out. The moment its focus shifted away from me, I ran with a renewed sense of purpose. While I might be okay being the sacrificial lamb, it didn't mean I was going to go down easy.

The air cleared with every step I took. Charred grass spread out before me, leading to the rushing river where several fierig corpses already floated. At the river's edge, soldiers stood with their heads together, none of them paying attention to the two females barreling down on them. Not until Flora called out and shook the ground beneath their feet.

"What the hell?" One said, his arms flailing about as he turned. First, he saw me. Then, the fierig.

I didn't hear what he said or see what he did. My attention was drawn to the figure rising from the water. Steam rose from Calix's body, and his garments hung heavy on his frame, highlighting every muscle. He swept his hands through his hair, ringing out the strands as he raised his eyes, his gaze meeting mine.

I tripped but didn't fall. A sharp claw whispered by my neck. It was so close.

"Luna!" Calix shouted. Lightning webbed across the sky.

"Catch me," I said, leaping into the air. This time, the burning was in my skin, not on the surface. In the same spot as before.

Black mist enveloped me, and I swore I could feel arms wrapping around my waist, squeezing tight. And then we plunged into the river, the fierig tumbling in after us.