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“I have someone on the inside,” Warden says cryptically.

“Inside what?”

“Moranik castle.” Warden glares at me. “This way. There’s a back entrance.”

I follow him around the cliff face which rises into the castle itself. I could get up there in no time, but it seems Warden has other ideas. We reach a small crack in the rock, far too small for either me or Warden. I feel my Wyrm form expanding, wanting to get this part over with.

I don’t care much for Lord Guyzance, and making an enemy of him is not going to trouble me at this point.

“Wait, Fenrother!” Warden says, and he walks through the solid rock.

An enchantment of course. Something I detest. The feel of the magic on my scales makes them crawl. All of this seems awfully well planned for a creature as damaged as Warden.

But everything I do brings me closer to Alice, so I push through the veil of the enchantment and find myself in a small cave, made all the smaller by the large hairy withers of Warden.

“What now?” I huff at the scent of horse arse in the confined space.

“We wait for my contact,” Warden says.

“Is it the Bluecap lurking in the corner?” I ask. “Because if it isn’t, I’m just going to kill him.”

“I’d like to see you try,Wyrm.” The Bluecap bares his sharp teeth, his large downy wings slicked to his back, his red eyes glowing with hate.

Bluecaps are feral creatures, supposed spirits of the caves and mines meaning they prefer the dark. Their natural calling means most of them are assassins, like this one. I will not turn my back on him, not now, not ever.

“Easy,” I snarl. “I’ll rip your wings off.”

Warden hangs his head and swears under his breath. “This is my contact, Fenrother. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t eat him.” He looks up at the Bluecap. “Linton, this is Fenrother, the…”

“Lambton Wyrm, I know.” Linton bristles, a dagger clutched in each hand.

“I’m here to free my mate from Queen Mab. Warden says I need a Barghest to do it.” I sigh, folding my arms. “I do not need a Bluecap.” I stare over at Warden. “I don’t need any of you. I’m going to go get her myself.” I thrash my tail to get him to move out of my way.

“And risk being permanently trapped in the Night Lands?” Warden says. “Because that’s what she’ll do to any of us who threaten her authority, let alone what she might do to your mate.”

Next to him, the assassin shakes his wings, teeth bared and red eyes wild. “I’m with the Wyrm,” he says, voice half strangled with violence which is barely repressed. “Let’s kill the queen.”

Warden stamps his foot, sparks flying up as he does. “As much as I’d like to join you bunch of idiots in your suicidal mission, I’d rather get one over the queen and stay alive.”

Linton growls. I join him.

“Or you can both die. I don’t care.” Warden glares at us both.

“I want my mate. I don’t want to go to the Night Lands,” I concede. “But I do want to kill and eat anyone who gets in my way.”

“You’re not going to get an argument from me on that score,” Warden says. “Killing is the only thing which keeps me sane.”

Linton shrugs. “I kill for gold, and I kill for fun,” he says, somewhat unnecessarily.

I still don’t think I need these monsters, but on balance, I’d probably rather have them on my side against the Faerie than roaming the Yeavering and causing havoc.

Or I could use them as a distraction while I get my mate and take her far from the Faerie hills. The curse, I can deal with later, once I have my Alice in my arms, where she belongs.

“Let’s go get the Barghest,” I grumble.

Linton fades back into the cave, and Warden trots after him. I partially change to my Wyrm form because it makes me feel better, and we wind our way up a number of rough-hewn passages inside the cliff which smell of decay until Linton comes to a halt. There is an iron gate.

“Iron? In a Faerie stronghold?” I query.