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She couldn’t believe she talked herself into coming down here. But she couldn’t let the children go alone and she was the only one who could reasonably accompany them. She had Molly with her, but the girl was just as nervous as she was. What a pair they were, jumping at shadows as they trailed among their delighted charges.
A tantalizing smell drew her as she hurried to catch up to the children and she turned her head out of curiosity. It reminded her of rich lattes that she would grab at the mall with her friends in her youth with just a hint of something minty within that dark richness. She didn’t see any sign of what the delicious scent came from but startled as her gaze landed on a massive dark green male. He was enormous, not only tall enough that he towered over most of the other fae surrounding them, but thick with muscle.
He probably was the muscle.
She shivered a little, her eyes falling on the large hands that hung loose at his sides as he stalked in the direction of the entrance with an unusual grace despite his size, a fuzzy feline tail twitching irritably behind him. The tail was a bit of a surprise. It was long and sinuous and covered thickly with dark fur the same color as the hair that spilled around his shoulders.
She couldn’t see anything of his face since his back was turned to her, but the flutter of his hair and the dark braids caught within it, several of them crimped within little metal beads, somehow made him seem even more dangerously powerful. But there was something else, a soft seductiveness to those strands. She watched it brush against shoulders that possessed a heavy natural plating with an almost rocky texture. That plating seemed to extend down most of his back and was clearly visible since for some reason he was bare from the waist up, leaving his muscles to flex openly as they soaked in the late afternoon sun.
He looked brutal—a perfect killing machine. She felt herself quiver as she watched him, his muscles flexing powerfully with his stride. She wouldn’t be surprised if his entire body were covered in patches of that same protective plating. A quick glance at his arms in profile confirmed that more of his body bore it, and she could see it along his outer bicep and down the front of his forearm. His large hands seemed mostly free of it except around the ridge of his knuckles.
A male like that would be difficult to take down should he decide to attack. The fact that there was a lethal silence to him as he walked away only reinforced that impression, and she gratefully hurried away from him and deeper into the carnival. Not even the massive gray creature, his mouth gaped slightly due to the enormous teeth jutting out from his lower jaw so that he seemed to snarl as he thumped his tree against the ground, intimidated her quite like the other had. And that was despite being larger in size and possessing an even more plating that jutted out and rose in thick peaks on his shoulders. Even his bald head had a thick cap of this rocky plating in place of hair that set him apart from the other male.
And yet, for all his size and fierce appearance as he banged his tree and bellowed with red paint covering him like blood from a sacrifice, this gray one had a quietness to his features and a calm within in his dark eyes as he cautiously eyed the children pausing to watch him.
“Don’t get too close,” she nervously reminded them, especially for the benefit of the younger children who were looking up at the troll with rounded eyes.
They nodded quietly before hurrying after the older children who had already moved on to watch the dancers. MaryAnne grimaced at the willowy fae jangling their skulls as they danced, but at least they were a little farther away. It was the elven-looking females at the fore that made her frown with concern, especially as Michael edged closer to one with a flirtatious grin on his face. The female returned the sixteen-year-old’s smile, and MaryAnne groaned to herself. He was going to get himself eaten alive.
“Let’s keep moving,” she instructed the children as she grabbed hold of the collar of his coat and gave it a tug. Gods save her from horny teenagers.
Michael groaned loudly in disappointment but obediently followed MaryAnne’s lead, moving farther into the lights dancing within the darkness, the music swelling slightly as the air filled with fragrant treats that made her mouth water, temporarily numbing her fear as sweet memories came tumbling to the fore. Memories of the fairs of her childhood, as did the lit-up metal rides spinning cheerfully. Suddenly it didn’t look quite so dark and dangerous but oddly warm and inviting. It didn’t feel right, some part of her was screaming inside even as the tension eased out of her, and she relaxed, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
What a fun carnival. All the games and laughter and rides. It had every joy from her youth coming to life right before her eyes. How did they do it? Did it matter? The rides spun and lights twinkled as performers danced among the crowd. She was almost inclined to dance with them. Wasn’t that funny? If only the music weren’t a bit off. If only. If only. She lost her train of thought, breathing in the delicious scents further, feeling light and happy despite the hollow feeling of fear that rested below the surface. Her joy felt like a fragile thing, and she embraced it even more.
“It smells so good,” Andy groaned as he drew in a deep breath. He looked over at MaryAnne hopefully. “Do you think we could get something?”
She hesitated for only a moment, her hand eagerly going to the deep pockets on her coat where a pile of coins jingled in each. They had brought some bushels of apples that they had picked from the trees that grew thickly around the children’s home as well as a few chickens, a large jug of milk, a large chunk of goat cheese, and a share of the vegetables that grew plentifully in their garden. Though they usually took their excess into town, Tibby had ignored MaryAnne’s concerns over parting with precious food that could be traded for much-needed goods with the explanation that spending a little for some fun wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Wise, wise Tibby. Wonderful woman.
MaryAnne couldn’t imagine now why she’d insisted so hard. The bright metal coins jangled merrily in her pocket, encouraging her to throw caution to the wind. If there were any coins left over, she could perhaps trade them in town where the metal would have a high value—but one or two coins would be enough and fetch a better bargain with the metalsmiths than any bartering she’d ever done, and she had an entire pocket full of them. A strange giggle escaped her, and she giggled again.
How strange. How fun!
She licked her lips as she surveyed the numerous stalls that lined the path.
“Let’s go over to the food stall over there and see,” she said as a fresh flood of excitement powered through her, and like a gaggle of geese, all of her children promptly changed their course to flood over to a wooden structure being manned by a very tall female who grinned happily at their little crowd.
“So many children!” she exclaimed with obvious delight as she set down her ladle beside a large pot that appeared to be filled with a liquid grain mixture. Off to its side a large vat of hot oil lay in wait.
Funnel cakes? Oh, please, let it be funnel cakes. Still, MaryAnne hesitated, her wild enthusiasm dimmed by frustration as she studied the structure for any sign of a price.
Noting her hesitancy, the female’s grin broadened, showing off small tusks and noticeably sharp incisors amid flat teeth. The large ring in her septum winked with her smile, which drew MaryAnne’s attention to it and the gold gleam of thin bands of metal around her small tusks. “What will it be?”
MaryAnne’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t seem to see your prices,” she admitted.
The female glanced at her stall, a frustrated look briefly darkening her features enough that MaryAnne edged back, dragging the children with her. She couldn’t stop herself from jumping a little when the female suddenly burst into laughter. “Seems you’re right. My mate missed that, but he’s been busy setting up. Orc strength is depended on here, so he gets distracted,” she added before giving them a curious look. “My prices are fair and the food good. The cakes and bags of popped corn are a half copper each. A quarter copper for the sugar floss,” she explained.
Sixteen hopeful pairs eyes turned toward her, and MaryAnne smiled. She reached into her pocket to count out some coins while the children eagerly crowded around her, rattling off what they wanted. All except Sabrina, who was drawn forward by Jamie, his hand digging into his own pocket. The orc raised her brows at them, a fleeting look of surprise crossing her face as they slid to the front. Thick arms crossing over her chest, her brow lowered slightly as she regarded them, but it didn’t seem to deter Jamie at all as he tossed a copper to the counter between them.
“We’ll take two of the cakes, a bag of popcorn, and the floss for my girl here,” he announced, smiling with pride as he beamed down at Sabrina as he tossed another smaller copper coin on the counter to join the larger one, entirely missing the impatient look the orc sent his way as she swept his coins off the counter and turned to fill their order.
Sabrina leaned into her boyfriend and turned to give MaryAnne a smug smile. “Don’t worry about getting me any, MaryAnne. Jamie is taking care of me.”
Jamie’s smile grew, his cool gaze turning to MaryAnne only briefly before dismissing her entirely. “Of course. I told you that you’ll never have to worry about anything, at all, Brina. Not when my father runs Parish town.”
MaryAnne kept a polite smile on her face as she waited patiently for them to move and get out of her way. She’d heard all this before. Although closer in age to Sabrina at the age of twenty-five, it hadn’t stopped him from trying the same tactics with MaryAnne over the years until Sabrina caught his eye last summer on one of their infrequent trips into town. As cute a couple as they made, MaryAnne still couldn’t see anything but the same spoiled, selfish boy who wasn’t any more charming as a man than he had been as a scrawny teenager trying to lord it over everyone and get into her pants.
