A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales – B&tB Book 2)

Suddenly the whole social class issue made a lot more sense. Large houses rose before us, two stories and surrounded by large plots of mostly cultivated land. Lovely flowers bloomed beside cobblestone streets and lamps with candles nestled inside hung from light fixtures. Clearly someone walked around at night, lighting those and replacing them. Who paid for it?

More roads intersected up ahead, a maze of a neighborhood.

Hadriel trotted up beside us, looking at Nyfain, clearly wondering how to proceed.

“I’ll need to see their town council and discuss my presence,” Nyfain said, his tone resolute.

I swung a foot over the stallion and jumped to the ground before he could grab me. I motioned for Dabnye to jump down after me. “By the sound of it, her mother doesn’t have too long. We’ll walk from here.”

Nyfain turned on his horse so he could look down at me. “You are accompanying me. There are certain protocols each village has devised since the curse…”

“No offense, your royal highness, but stick it up your hole. As we’ve just gone over, I’m not a noble for you to command. I’m just a common girl.” I shrugged and grabbed Dabnye, jerking her to the side. “Let’s get out of this neighborhood. It’s giving me hives.”

“Sir…” Hadriel looked between Nyfain and me.

“Go with her. Make sure she…” He rolled his shoulders. “On second thought, come with me. You can hold the horses. You couldn’t help her anyway.”

“There’s the spirit, sir. Insult my masculinity whilst forcing me to spend prolonged time in your presence, which will likely make me shit myself before the day is through. Fantastic. I will look forward to my eventual demoralization.”

“Less talking, Hadriel,” Nyfain growled. “It’s giving me a headache.”

“Yes, sir.” Hadriel showed me his teeth with wide eyes and a help me vibe.

I didn’t waste any time. I plucked Dabnye’s sleeve. “Let’s hurry. I’ll need to gather some supplies, but I want to see your mother first.”

We jogged around the outskirts of the nice neighborhood. Slowly the houses diminished in size. The yards didn’t look so nice. The shutters weren’t so picturesque. Across a dirt lane pocked with ruts and holes, the dwellings weren’t much more than shacks.

“Goddess help me, that was a steep decline,” I muttered, turning down a small lane that would barely fit a horse, let alone a wagon.

“You’re probably from somewhere fine. We don’t have much in this part of town.”

“Was this the most influential village in the kingdom before the curse?” A child stared out a window, her face dirty and hair disheveled. At least they were still producing kids.

“Second most, I think? I haven’t ever seen the others. I can’t imagine it being nicer than this. I mean…up near the village center.”

“You have a center, huh? My village is the poorest one, I think, and we just have a square. We don’t have much, but the poorest of us have more than this. This is…” I gritted my teeth as anger ate through me. It was unacceptable, that’s what it was. This village wasn’t a unit. They hadn’t come together to look after each other. They had cut the weakest members off and turned their backs on them, not even giving them medicine for the sick.

“Fuck this shit,” I said as she turned down a trodden collection of weeds and stepped over a hole in the porch of a ramshackle structure. It wasn’t much more than a lean-to. “Fuck all of this shit. We have some empty places in my village. You could go there.”

“We can’t visit other villages. The demons will kill us. Only the prince moves between villages, from what I’ve heard, and he does it within the shadows.”

“I doubt the demons will give two shits about you, to be honest. No offense.”

She looked at me like I’d grown a third eye, then glanced down at my clothes. “I’ve never heard such a fine lady…”

“With a mouth like mine?” I grinned and waved her away as I pushed open the wobbly door. “Don’t mind my clothing. The prince insisted that I dress up before visiting the villages. I was wearing his childhood clothing for a while. I was wearing plain men’s clothing before that, made by my mom or brother.”

“But you’re so pretty.”

“You can’t help the face you were born with. It doesn’t make me who I am. Now, show me your mother.”

She led me through the dimly lit interior and into the back bedroom—actually, the only bedroom. It held an empty cot and a sickbed. A woman lay in the bed, her arm thrown to the side and her breathing shallow. She didn’t open her eyes or show any sign that she knew someone had come into the house.

I felt her pulse, then her head. Burning up. Her face wasn’t sallow, though. She wasn’t wheezing. No coughing.

“She’s got time. It’s not going to be fun for her, but she’s got…a couple of months, at least.”

The girl sucked in a shaking breath and held it, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

I put my hand on her shoulder. “Sorry. I’m not the bedside nurse of my family. I’m the jerk who talks to herself out in the yard and hands off the nursing to others. You can see why. A couple months is very good news. I’d thought the situation was dire. It isn’t. We’ll save your mom for the time being, no problem, okay? Then we’ll save her for good. You’re not going to lose her.”

A tear leaked out, and she wiped it away, nodding.

“Okay.” I patted her. I needed Hannon. He was the other half to this healing team.

I braced my hands on my hips, looking around. No fireplace in this room.

Out in the living room, the ground beneath the small pot in the hearth was cold. I pointed at it.

“What’s the deal with no fire?”

“We don’t have money for fuel. With Momma not working, and me not getting much for my sewing…”

I nodded and stepped out of the house, looking down the lane. “What about your neighbors? What kind of situation are they in?”

“Um…”

I stepped forward and went to the next house over, opening the door without ceremony and popping my head in. “Official business. Right ball of the prince.” No one sat in the living room. The single bedroom in the back held three beds, one of them occupied by a man who could barely take a breath. Liquid had collected in his lungs. He didn’t have long. “Crap.”

I pushed my way out, heading down to the next house. Dabnye followed, probably not knowing what else to do.

“How many in this village are sicker than your mother?”

“I don’t know. There are about a dozen in this section.”

I pushed my way into the next house. A little boy looked up from two blocks on the floor. His eyes took in my clothes and he froze.

“Where’s your—”

“What is this? We’ve paid our rent.” A woman in a mustard-yellow apron thundered from the kitchen so quickly that she still had flour on her face. Her scowl etched deep lines in her face, and bags circled her eyes. She wiped her slick forehead. Someone groaned from the back room.

“Damn it, you’re sick, too. Is this whole fucking village sick?”

Her demeanor changed, her expression turning desperate. “It’s not me. We don’t need the potion for me. It’s for Rufus. Please help him.”

He was in one of the two bedrooms, coughing into a napkin. I stopped by his side and took the napkin away, startling him. No blood. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes reddish.

“Nah, he’s good for a month or more.” I walked by her, ignoring her confused expression, then stopped at the door and turned back. “Does anyone in this area have access to a large fire? We need a cauldron over a large fire, inside or outside, doesn’t matter.”

“Uh…Maryanne down at the corner house. She has a cauldron in her backyard. They say she dances naked in the moonlight. She’s not in her right head.”

“She sounds like she’s about to be the most liked person in this area of the village, actually.” I met Dabnye at the door. “Show me to her house.”

No one was home in her three-room house. The back door was open, a screen covering the doorway. Beyond, most of her backyard was covered in healthy green plants, reaching up to the stark, white-yellow sun. To the side, a large cauldron hung over ashes. Over it, a little roof held up by four posts was embedded in the ground.

“Maryanne, is it?” I asked from her back door.

She startled and stood, a woman a little older than me with large brown eyes and a small nose. Beads of sweat shone on her rich bronze skin, and a large hole in her tatty pants gave me a glimpse of her knee.

“I already paid rent,” she said with a lovely cadence to her voice. She could sing, I bet. Probably when she was dancing naked in the moonlight.

I looked down at my outfit. “Man, this is great. I wonder if the people in the expensive part of town would hand over rent if I just wandered into their houses. When’s rent time?”

Her eyebrows sank.

“Yeah, I’m not from here. Listen, you have a lot of sick people in these parts.” I pointed to the cauldron. “Do you use that for brews or draughts or anything more useful than dancing?”

Her expression soured further, and she turned more to face me. “Look, I’m not trying to summon the demon king or practice black magic or anything. I don’t even dance around it! I just make a few natural remedies to try to help with the sickness. It doesn’t even work! I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“Clearly you are doing something wrong if your remedies don’t work.” I walked out into her extensive garden, identifying the various plants. Dabnye pushed up next to the screen door, watching.

“Who…who are you?” Maryanne asked me.

“Someone who could use your help.” I pointed down at the everlass. “Where did you get that?”

Guilt crossed her expression before it cleared and she lifted her chin. “It grows everywhere around here. I replanted them from the edge of the village. They were wild. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Crap on a cracker, this place has done a number on you. Look, lady, I’m not here to get you in trouble. Don’t let these fine clothes fool you.” I bent to the everlass and plucked off the dying leaves. She made a sound and stepped forward, but ultimately held her tongue. It wasn’t because she realized I was pruning.

That done, I stood and glanced back at the dead fire. Then at the house.

“Have you harvested any of this everlass?” I asked. “Have you dried it?”

Her face closed down. “No,” she said.

I smirked. “You’re a terrible liar.” I crooked a finger at her. “Come with me.”

With a straight back, she did as I said. I had to hand it to Nyfain, these fancy clothes he’d insisted on had set me up great.

In her kitchen, by the small, round table, I waited for her to enter. Dabnye filed out of the way.

“I need parchment—or something to write on—and something to write with,” I said.

Maryanne frowned at me, moving slowly to make it clear that she didn’t want to do any of this but realized she had no choice. I could not wait to barge in on the fine people who’d made the rules in this establishment so I could give them a taste of chaos. My anger was rising with each passing moment.

She slapped some homemade paper down on the table, parchment clearly way too expensive and labor-intensive for her resources. The paper was oddly brown and misshapen, but it would work. She followed it with a quill and a small container of ink.

“First, I like your pushback. Good on you. Second, I hate these things.” I picked up the quill and sighed. “Don’t you have a fountain pen?”

“Some of us don’t have the money for an actual fountain pen.”

“I don’t have fuck all, and we have a fountain pen. Fine.” I sat down at the table and scratched out the recipe for the nulling elixir, including when to harvest the leaves and dry them. I gave her a few options there, just in case. That done, I wrote out the demon-sex-magic-be-gone draught.

“Now, here’s the thing,” I said when I pushed it away. “You need to baby those everlass.”

Confusion bled through her scowl as she looked down at what I’d written.

“She’s the one,” Dabnye said quietly. “I went to the castle and brought her back to see Momma. She’s the one that makes the potion. She made the prince come and everything.”

Maryanne’s eyes jerked up, taking in Dabnye. Then me. “What?”

I pointed down at the paper. “I’ve written out the recipe for the nulling elixir. It’s an elixir, not a potion. I’m not magical in that way. This was given to your village already, but clearly it wasn’t passed down to you for some reason. My whole village has that recipe, though some aren’t good at making it. Some are just too sick. If you follow those instructions to the letter, you should be able to re-create it. Now, here’s the thing. You need to baby that everlass plant. You’re treating it like all the others, and that just won’t do.”

As her face went slack at the news, I explained how to better work the plant. Then we talked about when she’d harvested, how, and how much of the dried plant she had on hand.

“It’ll have to do for now. Get it to the sickest people you know. Don’t worry about using rainwater for this batch. Just use normal water. You should have everything else in your garden. Start with small batches and see if they work. Once you get the hang of it, use that cauldron. Keep them from dying.”

“But this recipe…” She studied it in disbelief. “It’s so simple.”

“Using everlass is always mostly simple. It’s how you treat the everlass that determines what results you’ll yield.” I stood and stepped away. “Another thing…do you have anything that can be used as fuel? I need to make a different sort of very dangerous elixir for the few who are barely hanging on. No one seems to have a proper fire around here, but you look like you have a couple pennies to rub together. Nyfain can ensure you are compensated…however that happens. I’m sure he has gold or wood or something, I don’t know. Go cut some down during the day from the Forbidden Wood. There’s plenty there. I know a birch that needs to go…”

“Who are you?” Maryanne said with wonder.

“Someone without any fucks to give.” I pointed at her. “Fuel?”

“Y-yes.”

“Good. Get it going. You have someone down the lane at death’s door.” I walked out through the front door and waited for Dabnye. “Show me how to get to the council. This shit show has gone on long enough.” They would be convening because Nyfain was here, and I had some choice words for them.

We stopped in quite a few houses on the way so I could assess the damage. The shanties were clearly the hardest hit, their lack of good diet and probably hard labor taking a toll. As we neared the center of town, their market a sprawling affair within wrought-iron gating, things turned a corner. People were up and moving around for the most part, shaking off the worst effects of the sickness. They’d gotten the nulling elixir.

It hadn’t helped everyone the same, of course, the worst of them only rebounding a little. They’d need more doses and quicker, and it didn’t seem like they’d be producing it themselves. This village was apparently relying on me to supply everyone.

The council convened in a small white building with a spire and carefully cultivated grounds. A little play structure existed for well-fed and clothed children, who played with smiles on their faces and not a care in the world. Quite the difference from the other side of the village. Or from my entire village.

Dabnye stayed very close to me, pulling gazes to her like bees to bright flowers. I marched through the village center, rage pumping through me, power barely kept at bay. The crowd parted, confused, then scowled at Dabnye.

“Excuse me, but what is the meaning of this?”

A man with a large mustache and dark circles under his eyes stopped in front of me. Clearly he’d gotten some of the nulling elixir. The signs of weakness showed, but he was bouncing back. For now.

“What is the meaning of what?” I stopped for a moment, topping his height by a few inches and beating his scowl from experience.

“Well…” He chuckled softly, trying to hide his sudden wariness. “This little girl looks like she is far from home. Is she troubling you?”

“No.”

He waited for more. I didn’t provide it.

“Yes… Well, you see, the thing is, we don’t allow beggars—”

I slapped him in the dick. Not too hard—just enough to bend him over and quickly release his breath. I could’ve gone for the face, but that wasn’t unique enough. I wanted him to remember me. Now he would.

“She’s not begging,” I told him in a firm tone, loud enough to carry. “She is looking for the nulling elixir that is her due. And I am wondering why she has not gotten it. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I grabbed him by the shoulders and bodily moved him out of the way, a little rougher than was absolutely necessary.

Surprised gasps sounded from the quickly gathering crowd, and I sure hoped it was because of my violence and not because they could feel my power. Still, I wasn’t totally naïve—I’d firmed up my place in the rumor mill. Oh well. A reckoning with the demon king was inevitable anyway, right? What was the difference if he came sooner or later?

I cranked the bronze handle in the wide double doors and shoved them open, walking through. A little kitchen sat off to one side with two women busy preparing pots of water and tea sets. How quaint. On the other side of a half wall, eight men and women sat in couches or chairs, facing Nyfain, who sat seemingly relaxed in a seat a few paces before a stage. Various musical instruments waited on the stage, and I assumed this was a place for dances or concerts or the goddess knew what. We didn’t have anything like it in my village.

Nyfain looked up from above steepled fingers. Intense wariness flowed through the bond. He knew this wouldn’t be good. Amazingly, though, he wasn’t getting up to stop me.

Hadriel was nowhere to be seen. He’d probably stayed outside with the horses.

The council members turned or glanced my way.

I wasn’t sure how to start. Yell? Throw something? Try to overturn one of the couches they were sitting in? My rage begged for all of those things. My animal wanted violence to match my mood.

“Hello.” I put my hand up for Dabnye to stay by the door. She didn’t need to be a prop in this.

My boots thunked against the wood as I made my way to Nyfain. He watched me the whole way, not offering any emotion.

I stood next to him, where everyone could see me.

“Do you know who I am?” I asked.

“What is the meaning of this?” a middle-aged woman said in an outraged voice. Her fine dress said she had money, and her attitude said she was not used to being interrupted. The others were one and the same.

“I’ll take that as a no.” I braced my hand on the back of Nyfain’s chair, shaking because I was so angry. I tried to stay calm and give them a chance to do the right thing. “I am Finley from Lark Crest village.” A few narrowed their eyes, looking at Nyfain for the meaning of this outrage. My village clearly wasn’t looked upon favorably. “I am the creator of the nulling elixir.”

Surprise lit their faces. Delight.

“Oh, that potion is genius—”

“It has saved countless people—”

“We are so thankful—”

“Enough!” I barked, and power pulsed through the room. This time I knew the gasp was because I’d revealed my hand.

A few faces went slack.

Not much I could do about it now.

“I gave you that elixir in good faith. It was supposed to be distributed to the sickest among you. Why wasn’t it?”

“Well, it was,” the middle-aged woman from before said, her stupid hat propped high on her coiffed head. “We cured all the sickest we had, and it worked like a charm.”

I pointed to the door—I was doing an awful lot of pointing in this village. “The guy I just ran into out there was not the sickest in this village. Not even remotely. There are people on their deathbeds in the cheap section. You should’ve given it to them first.”

An older man with a pressed suit and a gray comb-over offered me a slick smile. “Ah, but you see, young lady, his highness gave us the…elixir in good faith, not you. And his highness knows that in our tithe we have a certain way of doing things. The villagers who offer the most to the village will receive it before those who offer the least.”

Rage boiled and bubbled. It coiled within me, a living thing.

Brain him, my animal said. Twist off his head and kick it around.

No. Physical violence won’t work here. They think with their pockets. They don’t like sharing.

“Fair enough,” I said, and I felt Nyfain’s surprise. “There are a couple of things you should know. First, the nulling elixir doesn’t work forever. It’s a patch. A good patch, but a patch nonetheless. It doesn’t cure. You will never stop needing it, and eventually they’ll die anyway. When they get close to death’s door, you’ll need it more often—stronger, if you can get it—with the best leaves available.”

Slick spread his hands. “We understand. We thank the prince for his generosity.”

“Second,” I said with a smile, “it isn’t his generosity. It is mine. And now that generosity will come at a cost. If you want more, or if you want instruction, you will pay for it. I’ll accept your coin or your trade on an as-needed basis.”

His expression froze. Everyone else’s eyes darted around. Smug pride rolled through the bond.

“You should also know this,” I continued. “I will be donating my time and services to those less fortunate. I will personally help them create and distribute the elixir, and I will be working with an experimental recipe for those on death’s door. I will do this for free until this council decides to create and distribute the nulling elixir as I have requested. If I hear that any of you have ventured into the poorer areas to take what they have made, or to interfere in any way, I will kill you.”

The room froze now, all eyes on me. They hadn’t heard threats like that before. Before long, their gazes drifted to Nyfain.

He dropped his hands to the arms of the chair. “I am declaring this demon-created sickness a kingdom-wide emergency. Internal village rents and taxes are to be frozen until such a time as we have rectified the issue. If that decree is ignored, I will withdraw the crown’s aid and leave you to succumb to the sickness.” He stood and placed his hand on the small of my back. “I back the royal healer’s efforts and stand by her decisions. I will be her broker if you decide to go that route.” He paused for a moment. “Stand,” he commanded, and power pulsed through the room.

Looking around as though they’d been slapped, they slowly got to their feet. None of them uttered a peep.

Nyfain stared them all down, and I wondered why he got to wear jeans and a T-shirt when I had to wear tailored finery. Though I did have to admit that the effects of these very comfortable clothes were worth looking like a snobby noble.

One by one, they offered stiff bows.

“Come,” Nyfain said to me, his hand applying pressure.

When we stepped outside, he led me around to the back. Dabnye followed at a distance, probably nervous to be in the presence of the prince.

“I’m impressed,” he said. “I thought you were going to explode.”

“I felt like it.”

“This was the better way. The professional way. You’ll get the same results, but they’ll respect you more for this approach.”

“It wasn’t nearly as fun, though.”

“No. Not to fear—at least one of them will defy you. You can set the example then.”

“We’re not done yet,” I said as the horses came into sight.

“I figured. How bad is it?”

“Very. And I am incredibly disappointed in you that you didn’t know.”

He stopped me in front of his horse. Hadriel glanced over from the corner of the building, where he stood talking to a buxom woman with a ruddy face. He straightened up quickly and smoothly put a mug of what was probably ale behind his back. I wasn’t sure who he thought he was fooling.

“Finley, as I said, this village operates a certain way,” Nyfain said. “They all do. Since the curse, this is a fractured kingdom. They won’t let me get too involved in their day-to-day affairs, and I don’t have the resources to push the issue. Just there, I did what I could. I froze taxes and rent so that they can’t siphon the extra money from people you’ll be helping for free.”

“I get what you’re saying, but Nyfain, you are the only person still able to shift in this entire kingdom. You turn into an enormous beast. You have more than enough might. You keep telling me it’s your duty to protect all these people. Well, part of that is protecting them from themselves and each other. This isn’t like normal times. Nothing right now is like normal times. These people are stuck here. They can’t get out and find better treatment. They can’t change their stars if they are constantly kept down. And they are definitely kept down. If you don’t push the issue and do something for them, who will?”

His eyes sparkled and warmth seeped through the bond. He ran his thumb along my chin.

“You will. You will do something for them. You will be their savior, and I will be your muscle. Together we will cure this kingdom.”

He kissed me slowly, nibbling on my bottom lip. “Now I must go to the other villages and warn them of your coming. This village had to learn the hard way. Hopefully the others will start working a little more diligently on spreading the wealth. Hadriel will take you where you need to go. I assume it is to get supplies to help the slip of a girl who likely reminds you of a younger you?”

I put a hand on his chest and then leaned in a little, wanting his arms around me. He complied immediately. “Obvious, is it? She looks about my age when I first had to go into the wood after everlass.”

“I remember. But she isn’t that girl. She won’t have to do it on her own, because of you. Where will you go right now?”

“Home. I need to get some dried crowded everlass and steal Hannon while I’m there. If the kids weren’t in school, I’d grab them, too. We need someone with bedside manner and experience. I only have one of those things.”

He nodded. “We must be long gone before the demons emerge. When you are through for the day, I’ll escort you to the castle.”

Tingles spread across my flesh at the promise in his tone. I could barely breathe as he kissed me again and turned.

“Hadriel, hurry now. The royal healer has places she needs to visit.”

Hadriel took a step toward us, bobbing his head in a strange sort of bow. He showed his back for a moment, upended his mug, and passed it over to the woman. He waved and jogged my way.

“At your command, sir. We will ride!” He untied his horse and swung up onto it in a smooth, easy motion.

Nyfain gracefully jumped onto the back of his stallion, gave me a nod, and kicked with his heels. Man and horse cantered out of the area.

“Oh.” Hadriel stared after them. “Uh…what?”

“He’s going to warn the other villages of my coming, I guess.” I waved my hand at him for help up. “I don’t know what he’s so energized about. The fight has just begun.”

“He’s a dragon. A fight is what he’s so energized about. They live for starting fights.” He reached down and grabbed my hand, not nearly as great at hoisting me up as Nyfain was.

“Great goddess, Hadriel, lift a weight once in a while.”

“How dare you! That would ruin my wiry physique. What would all the boys say if I couldn’t bend just right?”

“Guys don’t give a shit about the details, you know that. They’re just happy for a ride.”

“Truer words have never been spoken. Right, where to?”

I turned to look at Dabnye, watching off to the side. “We’ll be back, okay? Your mom will be fine until then. Help is coming.”

She nodded slowly and took a step back. “Thank you,” she said, and I could hear the relieved tears in her voice.

A lump formed in my throat, and I tapped Hadriel. “Go,” I whispered, grabbing around his body, much smaller than I was used to.

“Frog in your throat, oh great healer?” He kicked the horse’s sides and said, “Hah!”

“Feels good to be back on a horse again, huh?”

“Yes, actually. Butlering is boring. One day I’d like to be the stable master. I’ve always wanted to be. So, what all happened since we parted?”

I explained the state of the village. After describing the council meeting, I said, “That village greatly needs Nyfain’s help, and he barely did anything.”

“What do you mean he barely did anything? He gave them you. That is everything.”

“I shouldn’t be taking charge. He’s the prince!”

“No, doll, you have it all wrong. Royalty delegates. That’s what they do. To avoid looking like tyrants, dipping their fingers in everyone’s affairs, they section off their power. They manage the managers. Given everything has gone to shit, there hasn’t been a manager to delegate to in a while. But now…there is you.

“Nyfain elevated you to the position of royal healer. He has delegated the control of the elixir to you. Plus, he has a built-in threat to get everyone to step into line, since he said he’d support you, and you threatened to kill anyone who interfered with your operations.” He laughed with glee. “He’s probably tickled pink with you, my love. I doubt there is a prouder dragon in all of the world.”

“And he will show his pride by pushing me at the demon king.”

I hadn’t meant to sound so bitter. Or hurt.

Hadriel patted my arm as it wrapped around his middle. “Yeah, I heard about that. He thinks he’s saving your life. And honestly…he probably is. I am absolutely going to try to go with you. Though Leala will probably have a better chance because she’s your lady’s maid. I chose the wrong job. The bitch of it is that I would’ve rather worn the maid’s outfit than the stupid butler outfits. These things are hideous.”

I laughed despite the situation and looked away. “He wants to fight for everything else, so why won’t he let me fight, too? It’ll suck, but I’ll step away when he meets his noblewoman.”

The hush of the wood around us lent weight to Hadriel’s words. “He is letting you fight. He’s letting you fight the greatest battle, actually. He’s hoping you’ll save his people before you get out. It’s a rare honor for him to put so much trust in someone. Since the curse—maybe before—he’s shouldered burdens on his own. Give him some credit.”

My eyes clouded with tears, and I bit my lip, jerking my head in a nod and staring out to the side.

“It doesn’t seem like reality, that suggestion,” I admitted. “Make a deal with the demon king? Leave here for his kingdom? There is no—” My voice hitched. “There is no way. I’ve only recently, for the first time, lived away from my family and my village. And then I had Nyfain to protect me.”

He left his hand on my arm. “That’s it, I’m going to commission a maid outfit. I’ll be your second maid, how’s that? I’ll be with you every step of the way, doll. I won’t leave you to brave the demons on your own. You need a damsel to keep you level. I’m the best damn damsel there ever was. I scream right on pitch.”

I wiped away a tear, laughing.

He patted me. “It’ll all work out in the end,” he said softly. “I have faith in that. The prince has been playing hero, keeping the kingdom cranking, waiting for you. Now you will take over for a spell. When you two come together again, it’ll be explosive.”

“How are we going to come together again if I’m carted off to the demon kingdom?”

“I have no fucking idea, my darling. Not a clue. But you must, or we’ll all perish. No pressure.”

“Fantastic. Great pep talk, as ever,” I said dryly.

“I know, I know, I should stick to screaming.”