“And not Wynn,” Elric said. The twisted feeling in his stomach hardened and turned into a rock in his middle. He turned back toward the shield.
“You aren’t really in danger,” Zephyr said. “The fighting lessons aren’t serious. The queen wouldn’t let you come to harm.”
“Death is not a game.” Elric had come too close to it before.
Zephyr tucked his head in a shamed bow. “Look, I like you, Prince Elric. I’m just doing what I was told.”
“And allowing me to be a sacrifice,” he said.
Zephyr didn’t have an answer.
Elric felt as if his heart had slowed to a cold and heavy thrum he could feel in his face and shaking hands. It made sense. As terrible as it was to find out he was a sacrificial lamb, it made sense. His thoughts drifted back to a warm night long ago in the Otherworld when he had been tending his sheep.
He knew a wolf was close. He could feel the beast stalking his flock, and when he saw movement in the woods, he went toward it with his sling in hand. He knew the wolf could attack him at any time, but he had a weapon then, and he knew a wild creature would be scared of him.
Now he had nothing. He had no power in this world, no magic, a mortal life, and enemies who would not be afraid of him. Elric let out a slow breath, pushing the air from his lungs until the lack of it hurt.
By filling this role, he could hide his sister and protect her. No wonder Master Elk had hurried to make sure she was out of sight as quickly as possible. And now was his chance to fool the Grendel and his minions. He could keep her safe. He lifted his chest, drawing in a fortifying breath. “Take me to Master Elk.”
Shouts arose from the far side of the hill. Elric froze. A blood-chilling howl echoed in the distance. Zephyr’s expression darkened as he rose a few feet in the air. Elric stepped forward, ready for the role he had to play.
There was a rustling in front of them. The dark ears of a red fox peeked over the rippling grasses. She reached a patch of low clover, then collapsed, falling to her side as if she had been struck with a club. Glimmering silver mist streamed from her shoulder.
“Fox?” Zephyr looked as stricken as he watched the other fairy collapse in the clover.
“Hurry!” Elric yelled to Zephyr as he rushed forward. “Fox, are you all right?” He knelt beside the wounded fox lying in a heap of red fur in the clover. His hands shook as he reached toward her.
In a flash, the fox transformed into a young fairy warrior. Silver light bled from the gash in her shoulder.
“It’s not safe for the prince. Don’t come closer. Go back!” she shouted, holding her bleeding arm.
“You’re wounded.” Elric couldn’t hide the disbelief in his voice. Fox Snowsong was one of the elite guard. Her shoulder had been torn open. Elric looked for something to tie off the wound. He knew how to stop blood. But he didn’t know how to heal a fairy. Magic flowed through their veins instead of blood.
“Zephyr, get over here!” Elric shouted at his friend. “She’s hurt. You have to use your magic to heal her.”
Zephyr still looked stunned. “But I am not good at healing. Even with Master Elk’s lessons, I’m hopeless.”
“There is no other choice, so do it!” Elric shouted. He reached up and pulled Zephyr down next to him. “You were working on it right before I left the arena.”
Fox’s long red braid swung behind her as she cried out and fell back down into the clover. Zephyr came to her side, he stared at his hands, slowly they began to glow. Sweat beaded on the fairy’s brow as he reached through the air. He caught the silvery light pouring from her shoulder, and pushed it back toward the wound.
“Good work. Keep trying.” Elric moved back to give him room.
Fox hissed in a breath, but did not struggle as Zephyr attempted to heal her. “There’s a reaper trying to break through the shield,” she said. Fox swiped a hand over her brow, pushing aside her fringe of bangs. Silver light glittered along her brow as well. “It’s throwing itself against the shield over and over. I’ve never seen one so aggressive. It won’t stop fighting. It’s already formed a crack, and it may break through. Elk and I went through the shield to try to fend it off. It was too strong. Elk is still fighting it.”
“Is he hurt as well?” Elric stood and took a step toward the crest of the hill.
“I don’t know, but you have to stay back,” Fox called to him. “If you fall through the shield, you could be trapped on the other side. Only someone with pure fairy magic can pass through and still come back.”
A howling scream filled the air, followed by what sounded like the high trumpeting call of a large deer.
“I have to do something.” Elric ran forward. He didn’t know what he could do, but he had to help. He couldn’t just stand there.
Elric rounded the top of the hill and looked down on the scene below. The colors of the shield shifted in bright blues and greens in front of him as he watched the place where it met the bottom of the hill. It reminded him of bits of colored glass. A crack sliced up the shield, jagged and threatening, like a frozen bolt of lightning.
On the other side of the shield, a creature the size of a bear lifted its head. It was a terrifying mix of beast and man, standing on its hind legs at easily nine feet tall and covered in greasy black fur. It opened its long, bear-like snout, stretching the leathery gray skin of its face as it displayed jagged
