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Mazie clicked her tongue, and the horse began moving faster. Mer hid a wince as the mount jostled her. The ground sped by, and Mer found herself knotting her fingers in the horse’s wet mane, praying she did not fall from the mount to be trampled underneath its massive shaggy hooves.

Nausea rose up, and Mer tried to focus on the tall dark-green pine trees that crowded along the road like stoic sentinels. The muddy lane abruptly ended in a large grassy meadow dotted with deep red flowers that looked as if they had tiny little faces.

Her eyes widened as a pair of light blue feline eyes appeared underneath the darkened boughs of the trees, and a shiver went down her spine.

Fiilee.

Mazie slowed the horse and swung down from the saddle. She wrapped her hands around Mer’s bruised ribcage and helped her slide from the tall horse. Mer wobbled and locked her legs, refusing to look any weaker than she already did. Wet grass tickled the bottoms of her bare feet.

Mer swiped the water from her eyes, not moving as she watched five winged felines saunter out from beneath the pines. Her breath caught.

Thefiileewere a sight to behold.

Her gaze latched onto the largest feline. It was covered in so many dark spots that it appeared to be black, but on close inspection, the creature had a thick white undercoat. It stretched its massive bat-like wings and shook the water off before folding them against its strong lithe body.

She’d never been this close to one of the beasties before. During the war, she had seen them in the skies, but this was something altogether different. Mer took one step toward thefiilee, mud and grass squishing between her toes. The feline eyed her and laid its ears back.

A warning not to come any closer.

Mer listened and redirected, keeping her eyes on the feline who watched her with glittering eyes. Mazie silently trailed her, her hand resting near the sword on her hip.

“I know,” she whispered. “I’m not invading your territory. I’m just escaping the rain. You stay there, and I’ll stay here.”

Her legs tingled uncomfortably as Mer tried to work feeling back into them, the worst of the rain blotted out by the thick pine boughs. Just how long had she been unconscious? Her legs were numb from thigh to toe. In the water, she was light and weightless, but not here. It was always disconcerting how heavy her body felt on land.

“What are we doing here?” Mer asked Mazie.

The warrior woman said nothing, just stared at her.

The dowager queen urged her horse closer, haughtily staring down at Mer from beneath the hood of her cloak. “Whatever our king wishes.”

Lovely. A spoiled king with an overprotective mother.

What did you expect?

Mer smiled at the woman and turned her back, purposely dismissing the queen. She edged farther underneath the bough of pines, her breath fogging the air.

Mazie followed behind, the gait of her steps differing.

“How’d you wound your leg?” Mer asked rubbing at her arms.

Trenches bite. She hated the cold. It was enough to make anyone grumpy.

“I was born this way.”

Mer’s brows rose. “And yet you’re an elite warrior in the king’s guard. You must be very, very good with that sword.”

“I am.” Not false modesty, just raw truth.

Note to self: don’t anger Mazie.

She surveyed the convoy from beneath her lashes. It was telling that they hadn’t brought along the Sirenidae healers and handmaidens, nor any of her things. Either it wasn’t safe to travel with those, or they had wanted to get her back to the palace immediately.

It seemed none of her people were to be trusted.

Especially after you tried to kill the king.

It wasn’t her best choice, but Mer couldn’t find it in herself to regret her actions. Every time she saw the blood-soaked scarf around his neck, she gained a little thrill of vindictive pleasure.