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“Lucilia Gladial,” said the tallest with long dark hair before pointing to her blonde friend. “This is Valiz Rifiel. Both of us are merchants’ daughters. Our fathers are wealthy and powerful. What does your father do?”

The first sour-looking female had prepared me for this, so I did not so much as blink at this odd, and frankly insulting, introduction. Lucilia and Valiz intended this to be a pissing match of who possessed more coin. They wouldn’t be pleased to hear my story.

“He’s a fisherfae.”

“I knew it!” Valiz muttered. “You walk like a commoner.”

I balked. The nerve! Though some people had looked upon me skeptically, none had spoken so rudely. Determined to show that they couldn’t beat me down, I rolled my shoulders back. “Perhaps. But at least I know how to talk to someone who will soon be the Lady of Guldtown.” I paused and glanced around. “Which shops did you say your father owns?”

Valiz gasped, but Lucilia placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. “Why?”

I smirked. “If I continue to hear such disrespect, I’ll make sure not to spend any Lisika coin at your establishments once I manage the warden’s household.”

Valiz gripped her friend’s hand. “You can’t!”

“Once I’ve married the high lord, I can.”

Stars, I would burn in the afterworld for all of my lies, but I couldn’t help myself. These arrogant, rich fae would reap what they sowed, perhaps for the first time in their lives. I would have loved to do this to the stuck-up vampire nobles in Sangrael.

“Please!” Valiz said. “I don’t agree with her! Lucilia has always been too quick to judge. Foolish, really. I wish to—”

A blast of a horn cut her off, and both females’ faces paled. Without another word, they spun and ran down the street, leaving me standing there as dozens of other fae scattered and fled into buildings.

My heart pounded as the four knights rushed over, swords drawn around me. What was going on?

An answer came when a dozen hideous orcs turned the corner. Their gray-green skin seemed to absorb the sun’s light, and gnashing teeth revealed a mouthful of decay and rot. But the most alarming thing about the creatures facing me was their sheer size. Each was at least one and a half times the height of Warden Roar and bulging muscles made them all the more intimidating.

I took a step back, hoping not to draw attention, but at my motion, the one in front spotted me.

He pointed at me with his sword. “Hostage.”

Burning moon! For the first time in my life, I wished I wore unassuming clothes and not the beautiful dress Roar had gotten for me. It made me stand out far too much.

The horde descended but before they made it halfway to me, three of the faerie knights Roar had left with me rushed them. The last knight came up to me and gripped my forearm. “Milady, come with me. We must return to the castle.”

I glanced back at the monsters and down the street where Roar had gone. Sounds of clanging metal, grunts, and monstrous roars came from that direction. Some of the orcs rushed that way too. “What about the warden?”

“When they come into the city, my lord helps us handle the hordes.”

His wording made it sound like the orcs appeared in Guldtown often. And maybe they did. The fae had been surprised to see the orcs, but none had frozen like me. They knew exactly what to do.

Under the knight’s protection, we carved a path through the city toward the castle. The gate stood just in sight when another orc stepped into the road from an alley directly in front of us.

The monster bellowed and lifted in an axe slick with blood. I froze and reared backward, but my protector was not so cowardly. He lunged at the beast.

I held in a scream as the orc’s axe came close to the knight’s chest, but he dodged just in time and his sword slashed across the monster’s arm.

The orc roared, and though such an injury would have taken me out, the creature spun and swung again.

Rooted in place, I watched, both aghast and impressed as the faerie and the orc battled. Sword swung against axe, the pair grunted and growled, and blood sprayed when one managed to strike. I held my breath until finally a moment came that the faerie dropped the orc to his knees. My fists clenched, ready for the end, ready to run again.

The sword rose, an instant from decapitating the orc, but before the sword came down, the orc pulled a dagger from his boot and slammed the blade upward, under the faerie knight’s ribs. My mouth dried up as the knight fell to the snow, where the orc swung his axe again, decapitating my guard.

Blood sprayed; some of it so far that it struck my cheek. I swallowed down the vomit climbing my throat as the head rolled, and I had to bend over to breathe.

Then, the orc roared, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. I straightened, only to find that the creature had lost no time. His beady, black eyes were already latched onto me. He lifted the axe, blood dripping from the blade and charged.

I twisted to run, but I had underestimated the creature’s speed. Who would’ve thought such a lumbering monster could outpace a light and agile faerie?