Page 37 of Tricky Princess

“Do I look like I guard the walls of Hel?”

“Maybe,” the woman said, crossing her arms. “If you aren’t a guard, then who are you?”

Ellea thought quickly. “A visitor.” She didn’t want to say princess, and honestly, she didn’t know what she was while she was here.

The woman eyed her again before she sidestepped and tried to swipe her legs. Ellea was quicker and dodged it.

“What the fuck?” Ellea called after the retreating woman.

Putting her hands on her hips, she saw the woman run up the valley. She realized they were at the divide.

Oh.

Ellea was brushing grass and sand off of her clothes when a large head bumped into her back.

“We’ll catch up, let’s give her time,” she said, patting her warm neck. The horse stooped down on one knee, helping her climb into the saddle since.

“Thanks, girl. Now let’s go; I have questions.”

Ellea and Mhairi trotted up next to the breathless woman, who was moving pretty fast for a mortal. Well, a dead one.

“You’re a human,” Ellea called down to her.

“Clearly.” She was huffing as she continued to run.

“And you’re going…?”

“To my husband and son.” Admitting that made her move a bit faster.

“They aren’t with you?”

“Clearly, or I wouldn’t be running away.”

The woman stopped and placed her hands above her head.

“If you aren’t going to stop me, can you just leave me alone? You and your horse are going to bring attention, and this is the closest I’ve gotten.”

“Where are they?”

The woman glared up at her. “They are wolven and with the other supernaturals.”

“But…” Ellea paused.

The woman arched a brow at her. “You don’t know?”

“Oh, I know, but I thought they would at least keep families together.” She understood there was a divide, but she’d thought it only meant that they couldn’t leave where they rested. “Did you die at different times?”

Maybe that was it; maybe whoever separated beings had made a mistake.

“Maybe I can talk to someone and fix this,” Ellea added.

“Oh, sweet child,” the woman said, and Ellea glared at her for the insult. They looked like they were almost the same age. “We died in a car accident at the same time. My son is considered a beast by this place even when he carries half of me. All you can do is leave me be so I may try and find them.”

Ellea pressed her lips together, frustrated with herself and how things worked. A mother separated from her son only because his father was a wolven. Did he even carry the ability to shift? She shook her head and reached down her arm. The woman eyed it curiously.

“Take it,” Ellea said, reaching for her. “Let me help you.”

Mhairi carried them easily and Jocelyn, the woman clinging to her waist, was still getting used to the ride.