Page 103 of Fae Crown

“Who are ye?” Edsel growled from behind me.

“Drakes Hiroshi Asher of Bendisantos,” Hiroshi began, “Ryder Link of Magiarantos, and West Renato of Encarantos. At your service.”

“Don’t go offering up our service,” West protested. “Not till we understand what the fireball’s going on and why he’s with Elowyn.”

Edsel grunted.

I asked, “Is Rush with you guys?”

They looked at each other. Whatever hope had bloomed brightly at their arrival withered.

“Sorry, Elowyn,” Ryder offered. “He’s not. He couldn’t leave ‘cause of the Nuptialis Probatio. But he asked us to come find you.”

“The Nuptialis Probatio’s over,” I said, too blandly considering the topic, wondering how or when I’d see my mate again. “The queen canceled the trials.”

As one unit, the brows of the three men arched up their foreheads as they exclaimed a unified, “What?”

I frowned. “Apparently she’s immortal now and so she doesn’t need heirs anymore. She plans to rule for-fucking-ever.”

With shocked expressions, the warriors gaped for a few seconds.

“That can’t be…” West eventually muttered.

“If only,” I said, petting a calming Saffron.

Several groaning creaks sliced through our communal lament. A small, soft squeak to my left signaled that an invisible Zafi was stillhere.

“It’s the arbosauruses,” she hissed too close to my ear.

Her breath tickled, and I pulled away, pressing Saffron more snugly to my chest as I joined my companions in examining our surroundings.

Nothing seemed any different. Towering trees wove above us to form canopies that would have blotted out the moonlight, had there been any worth noting. The trees’ branches dipped low, but nothing?—

With the lumoon in hand, West spun to illuminate behind him.

Several branches as thick as my arm were creeping toward him.

I gulped. “What the sunshine…?”

“It’s the arbosauruses,” Zafi whispered somewhat unnecessarily.

The branches stretched toward the men and kept coming.

Ryder drew a sword. “That’s not good.”

“No, it isn’t,” Hiroshi agreed, drawing his own blade.

“Yer metal ain’t gonna hurt ‘em,” Edsel said. “Not enough, anyhow.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Ryder asked over his shoulder without removing his attention from the encroaching trees that apparently had teeth.

I shuddered and scooted backward with Saffron in my arms.

“Well?” Ryder snapped when Edsel didn’t reply.

“I’m thinking!”

“Seriously?” West grumbled, drawing his own blade despite Edsel’s warning.

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