Page 23 of The Iron Raven

“Keirran can take care of himself,” I assured her. “Trust me, he’s not too keen on someone throwing themself in harm’s way for him. Worry not, though. I’m sure we’ll get into plenty of life-threatening situations before this is done.”

“Yes, well.” Nyx wrinkled her nose, that hint of a smile creeping through again. “Don’t expect me to throw myself in front of a charging death machine for you, Goodfellow.”

“Aw, why not? Is Keirran the only one with that privilege? Am I not handsome enough to die for?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Goodfellow.” Miss Stacey swooshed through the door before I could ask whatthatmeant, and shoved a bowl into my hands. “If you’re going to be here, make yourself useful and go boil some water. Otherwise, kindly stay out of my way. Now...” She turned to the faery on the bed, climbing onto a stool to better see her patient. “What was your name, again, dearie?”

“Nyx.”

“Well, Nyx. Since I can expect everything from cockatrice bites to being kicked by an irate unicorn with this one—” she jerked a thumb at me “—please show me what I’m dealing with today. Where are you hurt?”

Nyx pulled aside her cloak, and the gnome’s lips tightened.

“Oh my.” Putting down her glasses, she leaned forward and peered at the wounds. “Three lacerations, fairly deep, made by something quite large. They look clean, though.” She eyed the Forgotten over her glasses, pursing her lips. “What were you and Goodfellow fighting, anyway?”

Nyx shifted on the cot. “Why do you want to know?”

“Well, if I’m going to save your life from a basilisk’s poisoned claws, it would be helpful to know such things,” the gnome replied. “The same goes if you’ve been stung by a manticore, bitten by a lycanthrope, stared at by a Medusa, or stabbed by a goblin. The more information you give me, the less time I waste guessing and the quicker I can prevent your insides turning to mush or your flesh becoming stone.” She gave Nyx a stern glare. “So, I don’t care how ridiculous or dangerous a stunt Goodfellow convinced you to try. If you want me to help you, I need to know what I’m dealing with. Including the type of creature that attacked you.”

“I...don’t know what it was,” Nyx said evasively. “I’ve never seen the likes of it before.”

Stacey turned in my direction.

I shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’ve never seen it before, either.”

“That I findverydifficult to believe, Goodfellow.”

“Hey, you know me, Stacilla.” I flashed a grin at her. “I can’t lie, remember? Iwillsay it was a big ugly bastard with antlers and claws and tentacles growing in places tentacles shouldn’t be. And it had a really bad attitude.”

And it had done something to me. Something I didn’t want to mention or think about, because I was fairly certain the healer couldn’t help. It wasn’t the horns and hooves that bothered me (though I wasn’t exactlypleasedabout them; fur in summer was just a pain), it was what this sudden transformation meant. Robin Goodfellow, the Puck of the woods, was back. Evil ideas flitted through my mind, pranks and schemes against all those who had insulted, threatened, or cheated me in the past. Pranks that, while I knew they were cruel and spiteful and just downright mean, still sounded hilarious.

I didn’t like those thoughts, but I couldn’t drag others into my plight. Whatever this was, whatever had happened to me, I had to deal with it myself. I knew how these things worked. A simple potion or healing salve wouldn’t cut it. Maybe the only way to break this curse was to destroy the creature that gave it to me. All the more reason to bring in the big guns.

The gnome sighed. “I see,” she muttered. “Well, that tells me nothing, but so be it. I will work with what I have. Now...” That dire glare turned in my direction again. “Where’s that water, Goodfellow?” she demanded. “If you want me to help your friend, I suggest you make yourself useful.”

Giving Nyx a sympathetic grin, I scampered out and did what I was told.

Later, having been banished to the living room, I leaned back against a floral, gnome-size couch and waited for the hallway door to open again. The cottage was still, the faint scuttle of a rodent or brownie in the kitchen the only sound in the darkness.

In the sudden quiet, I ached, the beating I’d taken earlier becoming more apparent with new bruises and twinges I continued to discover by shifting around. Despite the constant, low-grade throbbing, I felt my eyelids getting heavier, my chin falling to my chest as I slumped against the sofa.

I dozed.

And though it was impossible for the fey, I dreamed.

“You killed her.”

That voice. I knew that voice. Cold. Merciless. Unforgiving.

I turned and saw him behind me, felt the chill from his presence spreading over the ground. His features were cloaked in shadow, hidden from sight, but I knew him as surely as I knew my own reflection. Even if I hadn’t, two things would’ve been a dead giveaway: the ice sword, unsheathed at his side, that glowed like a neon icicle, throwing off waves of mist and cold that writhed into the air; and the lethal silver eyes that glittered like the edge of a blade, glaring at me with utter hate.

“Ash.” My voice came out flippant, and those silver eyes narrowed to slits. I could feel a dangerous grin creeping across my face, and the hilts of my daggers pressed into my palms as I turned to face him fully, raising my weapons. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Still going on about that, are you? I told you it was an accident. When are you going to forget?”

“I will never forget,” the shadow said quietly. “You killed her. It’s your fault Ariella died. Because you are nothing but a force of mayhem, Goodfellow. Your pranks consume whatever you touch, and you care nothing about the aftermath left behind. I will put you down, once and for all, and the rest of the Nevernever will rejoice that Robin Goodfellow is gone at last.”

Deep inside, I felt a ripple of disquiet, the feeling that this scene wasn’t right. The accident... I knew what Ash was talking about, of course. How could I forget? The day when I’d unknowingly led my two best friends into a monster’s lair, and one of us hadn’t survived the encounter. Ariella had been struck down and killed by a giant wyvern, and Ash had never forgiven me for her death.

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