Page 40 of Crown of Slumber

But the goblin closest to Aurelia froze, his black eyes going wide as he looked between me and Aurelia. The princess narrowed her eyes at me, only hesitating a moment before she stabbed the goblin in the heart.

“Leave her be,” I said, allowing my magic to flow through me. The force of my power drained me, and the blade fell from my hands. Black spots hovered in my vision, and I swayed, falling to my other knee. I would pass out soon, and the goblins would devour me.

But I could save Aurelia.

Another goblin burst into flames. Then another. Soon, every creature was consumed by this strange blue fire. Their anguished screeches made my ears throb. One knocked into me, and I fell backward, the sleeve of my tunic catching fire. I hastily patted it down to quench the flames, then stared, awestruck, as the goblins dived into the river one by one, leaving a cloud of billowing smoke behind them.

“Up,” Aurelia hissed in my ear. “Now.”

She tugged on my uninjured arm, but I still groaned in pain.Every inch of my body throbbed in an agony that speared through my head like an axe in my skull. Gods, it was unbearable. My head slumped as I yearned for unconsciousness.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Aurelia chided, tugging more forcefully on my arm.

“Shit,Aurelia,” I barked as a fresh explosion of pain coursed through me. I staggered to my feet, allowing her to guide me into the cover of the forest. The river still gushed smoke from the goblins attempting to put out the fire. But it wouldn’t kill them. They would come for us again, more enraged than ever.

“We’re almost there,” she muttered, still half-dragging me.

“Almost where?” I mumbled, my voice slurring. Darkness crowded my vision, and I welcomed it.

A pinch in my arm brought sharp clarity to my mind, and I winced. “Gods, you are violent.”

“Good thing, otherwise we’d be a meal for the goblins right now.”

I blinked hazily at her. Her jaw was set with determination as she stared forward, guiding me toward a destination I couldn’t see. A long, bloody gash ran along her jaw, and another smaller cut bled from her forehead. The back of her dress was soaked in blood from when the goblin took a bite out of her.

“Did you do that?” I whispered. “Did you set them on fire?”

Uncertainty flashed in her blue eyes, but she said nothing. She didn’t look proud or smug. If anything, she lookedafraid.

“Aurelia,” I said, my voice gaining strength. “Was that you? Or something else?”

After a long moment, she said softly, “I don’t know.”

Aurelia kept me awake, pinching and prodding me until I was certain she would leave bruises. But it worked. By the time we reached the small inn nestled in the forest, I was on my feet, instead of being partially dragged. Granted, I was still leaning heavily on Aurelia, but with her arm laced through mine, it wasn’t as obvious.

Nothing could cover up our injuries or blood-soaked clothes,though. There was also an arrow sticking out of the front of my torso, which was quite alarming.

A shimmering, rippling fog hovered in front of the inn, and when we passed through it, the air seemed to rumble.

Was I hallucinating?

“What was that?” I asked.

“Protective wards surrounding the inns,” Aurelia said. “It keeps out the unseelie, like those nasty goblins.”

Ah, now I remembered… Something similar happened on my journey to the Summer Court. I squinted through the fog clouding my vision as the familiar cottage came into view. “I know this place. I’ve been here before.”

“It’s Fellspar Inn,” Aurelia said.

I stopped in my tracks. “Damn.”

Aurelia stared at me. “What is it?”

“I stayed here on my way to your kingdom.”

“So?”

My eyes closed, shame and irritation washing over me. “So… I did not sleep alone for the night.” I leveled a meaningful look at her.

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