Sorem regretted having his horse. Without it, he, too, could travel in the wagon with Vadde. To be honest, he wasn’t sure they were even going in the right direction. The Jvalan had said west, but they traveled east, away from the path he’d originally followed.

Less for actual worry and more for a way to establish the lines of authority, Sorem trod up to the front of the wagon and demanded, “Where are we going? I have means to find the Fairy King.”

The hunchback kept his eyes forward, muttering when he answered, “Makes no sense in chasing a quest. That lasts years. The Fairy King has several temples. We can pinpoint him from there.”

Matax scoffed. “Hell, we can even summon him, too, can’t we?”

Wyrn’s head turned so slowly to face him that it appeared possessed. Through gritted teeth, the hunchback agreed, “Yes, I suppose so and we’ll have to do that now.”

The fairy looked pensive, but Sorem was pleased—the Jvalan was still working. Compelling these brutes to truth and nothing more.

And it was a brilliant idea. Why hadn’t I thought of it? Sorem admonished. He decided to share his own insight. “It has to be a temple. A shrine is far too weak.”

Eyes on the path before them once more, Wyrn nodded. “Yes. I’m aware of that.”

“And we must gather one that’s old. Nothing new. That leaves about three possible kingdoms close by, Wisen, Rowil, and Vane. Their temples are the most authentic.”

The knowledge adequately conveyed, the bitter hunchback gave a nod rather than argue.

“Good.” Sorem fell back beside the wagon again, sitting bold. At least that savage now knew his place.

Someone let out a scream, drawing Vadde’s focus.

“What? What is it?” Matax asked, turning.

Jeze laughed. “Come to shower me with affection again, Matax? Stop. It’s making you look weak.”

Everything about Matax’s personality said he was a boisterous blaggard but now he simply turned to face the road once more.

Vadde scolded Jeze. “We cannot touch the horses. It might get spooked.”

“Really? But it’s so much smaller than I’m used to. This may be my only chance to ride one.”

“Surely, you’ll have other chances.”

“Not likely. Matax hates being this size.”

Vadde studied her curiously. “But you said he insisted you two take this form.”

“Yes. I don’t know why. He made me promise not to change back without his permission.” Jeze scoffed. “I’d like to see him enforce that .” They came to a stop and Jeze looked at Vadde for approval before reaching out to stroke the horse’s leg. “It’s so powerful.”

Her expression of wonder had Vadde smiling.

Sorem wanted to ask the fairy to not touch his steed, but Vadde looked up at him and begged, “Would you let her ride it for but a moment? It doesn’t have to be long.”

Those big brown eyes held Sorem captive. He wanted to refuse but how could he?

“All right,” Wyrn said, jumping down, “we’ve reached the end.”

The end? The end of the valley?

Sorem was almost giddy with excitement.

When he looked up from the women, however, what he saw was…a statue. A very small, ugly, statue.

It was in the shape of a troll, it’s mouth gaping. Knowing what Sorem knew of this valley, he half expected it to be real.

Matax jumped down next and hurried around to pick Jeze up. “Take off these blasted shoes.”

Jeze draped her arms around him and declared, “Never!”

He groaned but carried her to the statue.

Vadde readied to jump down on her own.

“Wait,” Sorem called. When she paused and looked up at him, he took the opportunity to slip off the horse and approach her. He bowed while extending a hand which she took.

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” she said with a laugh.

Sorem reminded her, “You are a princess.”

As soon as Vadde stepped down, her smile vanished.

Wyrn watched them but with no discernable expression Sorem could read.

Matax followed his gaze, confused. “Why would you care about a princess and prince’s involvement? At least you get to bed her.”

Vadde’s breath hitched. “Stop saying such things.”

“Well, what things? It’s the truth. Any and all men can drool over you as much as they’d like, but at least this Jaffo need fear none because you rest your head beside him each night without fail. And not just rest, if—”

“Oh dear….” Jeze, one hand extended, turned to look back at the crowd. “I think I’ve made a mistake. Or is this supposed to happen?”

She pulled her hand back, but from forearm to fingers, everything was gone. They could see down to the bone.

Vadde screamed; internally, Sorem did as well.

Wyrn simply sighed. “You were supposed to take care of her.”

“I was taking care of her just fine,” Matax fired back. “If not for your mean bedfellow!”

“My wife.”

“Same thing!”

Vadde rushed to Jeze, tears in her eyes. “You’ll be okay. Don’t panic. Don’t panic!”

Wyrn grabbed hold of her before she could reach and tucked her close to him. “She is fine. It’s a spell. Look.”

After she calmed, the hunchback called Jeze close and marched back to the wagon for a piece of cloth which he draped over her hand.

The outline came into view.

Her hand was invisible. Sorem was impressed but kept his mouth shut.

Vadde regarded Jeze’s hand in relief then hugged her tight. “Oh, thank goodness.”

Jeze laughed. She waited for Vadde to let her go before taking the cloth off and holding her invisible hand up. “Matax, isn’t this amazing?” She turned and regarded the statue in confusion. “But fairies are bound by few laws. And I’ve traveled past this marker before without disappearing.”

“Never in human form,” Wyrn told her. He let out a sigh. “It is a warning sign to the Jaffo where their kin may reside. Men can come and go.”

Sorem finished the sentence for him. “But not the women.” He turned to Wyrn and challenged, “And why is that?”

The hunchback returned his gaze, unimpressed.

Finally, Wyrn answered the direct question, as a consequence of the Jvalan.

“Traditionally, Jaffo men did steal women away. This barrier was to ensure our safety. In the past it used to lock the women in, but now it allows them to leave but takes key memories such as secrets. And to ensure that person never be brought back….”

He hesitated but Vadde finished for him. “They become invisible to all in the valley.”

Wyrn hesitated then confessed, “Yes.” When he stared at Vadde, he looked heartbroken. “The Jaffo didn’t have any women to spare. Even…if they leave willingly….”

The answer satisfied Sorem but not how it came about. Under the Jvalan’s influence, the hunchback should have answered that by himself. Sorem half suspected it was a lie but with such a damning admission, he could accept it for truth. At least for now.

Vadde looked pale when she turned to her captor-husband. “So I honestly could not return, even if I returned here?”

For a long minute, Wyrn said nothing. Finally, he answered, “The original function was to keep anyone from stealing a woman back. And it’s still got those safeties in place. I…I told you, to travel comes with consequences. Once outside, I can try to find a way to counteract the spell—”

“A spell put up by The Living Goddess?”

Wyrn broke her gaze, finding interest in the ground. “If you want to leave, Princess, I don’t want to keep you. I love what we have, but Bonn was right in that I don’t take you into consideration. Maybe this desire isn’t because you don’t value the life I provide, maybe it’s…something deeper.”

Vadde’s eyes misted. “And you weren’t going to tell me? What if I’d run into that thing without knowing!”

“And why would you run into it without knowing?” Wyrn shot her a look. “To escape the hunchback finally?”

At her silence, he let out a growl and marched to the statue.

“Hear me,” he told it, “I am the leader of the Jaffo. I request leeway for two fairies, two humans…and myself.”

Nothing happened.

In the distance, a wolf howled. Sorem instinctively inched behind Vadde. When he noticed his obvious cowardice, he pulled himself together.

“A wolf,” Sorem muttered. “Whatever you are doing, hunchback, do it quickly.”

“It’s not a wolf,” Wyrn said, “it’s a werewolf. They border us in that direction. But in this direction, here is where we find more danger. The brownies.”

Matax shuddered. “Don’t they kill people by going into…orifices and taking human form to grow temporarily?”

Sorem’s eyes widened. “What?”

Vadde was equally appalled. “Is this true?”

When she turned to Wyrn again, he shrugged. “Only when you sleep and only if you happen to urinate on one of their villages without realizing it. So, mind where you go. In fact, I’ll be going with…you.” He turned to ask Jeze. “What are you doing?”

“Well, I need to get out of this dress. I want to see if it’s just the human form that is affected and if I can remake this body free from the spell.”

Matax gasped. “Wait. No!”

But with a zip, she vanished.

No one moved. Sorem appreciated that he could see when she rose up from the dress and bobbed around, her arm restored.

He could see her, but no one else could.

She zipped past the statue unaffected then back again. But when she reached Sorem, she flew to the cage.

A few minutes later, Jeze closed her wings around herself and fell out of the air, landing in human form again.

She was naked, her right arm still invisible, but the haunted expression on her face came with terror.

“There’s a black Fae in a cage on his belt!”

Vadde hurried to pick up the dress and help her into it. “You’ll catch a cold.”

But Jeze shivered when she allowed Vadde to dress her. “But the Fae—”

“We know of the Fae,” Vadde admitted.

“No. You don’t understand.” she took hold of Vadde’s hands and smiled. “This is a night fairy. They are the main fighters in the Fairy King’s army. If they’re involved, they don’t just want him dead and reincarnated. They want him dead, dead.”

Vadde took a step back. “What? What do you mean?”

Jeze’s smile was a constant, even when delivering bad news. “Night fairies are the only ones capable of love. And that love can lead to deep devotion. It can also lead to deep animosity when slighted. As such, they fought the hardest, but when the fighting ended, they wouldn’t—couldn’t stop. This is passion. Therefore, the Fairy King tricked them into a mission into a separate realm. And as soon as they all piled in, he put a rock over the entrance, trapping them for a lifetime, knowing he could never let them out, even if he dared.” Her grin grew as she searched their stunned faces. “Do you know what this means?”

No one answered so Vadde did the honors. “What?”

“The rock hasn’t been disturbed, otherwise the’d be everywhere. And with a great revenge spell, one could be sent to retrieve something. And since all of those are unlikely, that means she was a yellow fairy, like us, and she fell in love.” Jeze’s eyes settled on Matax. “So that’s why you don’t want to stay in fairy form? Because you’re turning again? Soon you’ll be just like her.” She took hold of Vadde’s hands, giddy with excitement. “Matax’s love for me will turn us into night fairies—the strongest fairies imaginable! Strong enough to stop that werewolf about to attack us.”

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