Page 12 of Solar Shadows

Fine. I focused on her movements instead, watching the footprints slowly appear, and listened to her clogged chest rasp away.

“I ate one Moon, and wish to taste another,” she said.

She’d butchered Uncle Jonathon, boasting to Drake that she’d eat well after pulling out his intestines.

Gross.

“You’ll never get your grubby hands on my brother,” I countered.

“And what about you?” she replied, her honking breath a brutal, eggy tirade. “Can I lay my grubby hands on you?” she said.

Over my dead body and my ghost.“Go fuck yourself.”

She didn’t answer for at least thirty seconds, her breaths labored.

“Is that how you speak to the one who offered her help to spare The Moon’s life?” she finally responded.

My stomach flipped, my chest tight with rage as the image of his corpse flashed in my mind yet again. “For what? You didn’t do it out of the goodness of your heart. And you want him alive so you can eathim? Oh, yes. You’re a real fucking saint, aren’t you?”

“Such a hurtful thing to say,” she answered.

“Yet true.” My fingers were numb, the adrenaline ebbing. I needed to get somewhere warm like five minutes ago. “How am I here?” I added.

The fae woman stopped walking. “Because I have managed to find myself a new path. One I will explore to the fullest.”

I’d like to explore smashing her invisible face into the nearest tree. “Why am I even here?”

She tutted. “So many questions The Sun knows I won’t answer freely. Just know that you are important to me. All three of you are, not just The Moon.”

Screw this. “As I said, not happening. No Aurora brothers for you.”

“The Star is the trickiest of all,” she waffled on, giving no shits about what I’d just said. “I wish you well in finding him for me.” Another cackle followed.

Done with this hag, I considered making a run for it into the forest, or even the orchard. Would it trigger a successful escape attempt, or only get me hanging out with the blue apples?

Wouldn’t hurt to try. Now I just had to summon the strength to go for it.

“The Sun will taste sweet,” the fae rasped. “I can already anticipate the sunshine in my belly. You look like you’re full of flavor.”

“Of course I do,” I couldn’t help firing back. “I’mthe most delicious of all fleshy nibbles.” I flipped her the bird.

My middle finger set off an alarmingly loud cackle to startle creatures in the forest. White birds took flight, something else squeaked in fright. I even spotted a bunny hopping away for dear life around the tree line.

“Soon you—” She stopped, gagging on something.

I waited, listening to the sounds of her banging on her chest, the satisfying choking noises drawing my lips up into a smirk.

That’s right, eggy breath. Drop fucking dead.

She screamed, the blood-curdling ferocity of it making my heart leap into my throat. She kicked up snow, clearly spinning in an enraged circle.

What the fuck?

I slid back, pushing myself away from her toward the trees.

“This is not happening!” she yowled “This will not fail!”

Shit. Shit. Shit.