“Do you believe him incapable of stealing? Cheating? Lying?” The witch laughed, but lightning sparked all around her. “That’s adorable. But it’s not cute enough to spare you if you don’t hand it over.”
Saeldian shook their head. “I don’t know if he stole it, but I can’t give it to you.”
The woman shrugged. “You have a new pet, then.”
“She’s not part of this.”
“Shewasn’tpart of this. Until she attacked me. Am I supposed to forgive that?”
“I won’t try to hurt you if you let her go—but if you won’t, you owe me revenge.”
The woman tutted. “Revenge? Against me?”
Saeldian shrugged. “I’ll do my best. But Jubilee isn’t part of this. If you let her go, I’ll be happy to listen to your story.”
“You’re in no position to bargain.”
Saeldian shrugged their right shoulder. They shifted theirweight to their right foot. “Time for a different position, then. And elsewhere!”
Kell broke right immediately. Lorzok followed. Ahead of them, Saeldian ran, leaping over a fallen log. The world around them shifted, forming a path between the trees.
Saeldian sprinted down the path. Kell followed Saeldian; Lorzok, carrying Jubilee and Timtim, kept on his heels. Saeldian’s pace slowed—not to something more manageable, but to the best they could muster, until they were only walking as fast as they could.
“Can’t run anymore.” They looked back. “No path, though. No trail. You, Lorzok?”
“Me,” Lorzok agreed.
“But she’ll find me,” Saeldian said.
“Don’t say that,” Kell interrupted.
In the distance, voices howled.
“One day, I will learn to shut my mouth,” Saeldian groaned.
“She conjured backup,” Kell said. “Run.”
“Where?”
All around them, blackberry canes choked the trees. Only a wide-limbed oak stood free, its branches spread across the clearing it claimed. Only one opening, headed back the way they came.
“Blackberries,” Saeldian said. “Just to make sure we know we’ve been herded into her pen.”
The howling sounded again, closer.
“Lorzok. How well do you know the trees around the grove? Did you spend time with any of them?”
“You want to know if I can cast the spell that will allow us to pass through this oak to a tree in the village.”
“Yes.”
Lorzok shook his head. “I have tried. I’m not strong enough.”
Trapped. No. The Feywild became what you felt it was. There had to be a way out.
“We’ve got to do something,” Saeldian said. “We need time.”
Saeldian stepped away from the trunk. They pointed at the blackberries and whispered, “Flourish.”
