In the span of a breath, Renner swept the remaining clothes away and hid the wrapped steel. He crouched beside me, muscles taught.

  I just… sat. Heaved in fetid air. Flexed shaking fingers.

  Breathe. Breathe.

  Be brave.

  The rock fell with a heavy thud. Dust plumed from the low ceiling.

  Our little room grew momentarily brighter as putrid green light spilled in. Then it darkened. Baltha’s huge frame filled the gap.

  Her great, liquid eyes glittered. Thick teeth gnashed. “Oh? Freed already? Heh. Blood pumping?” She slouched in. “No tears? No screams? Agnes chose well.”

  I licked impossibly dry lips. “Why… why does Agnes help you?”

  Her baleful eyes fixed on me. Drank me in. “Mm. Little Agnes. Poor Agnes. Black heart all twisted. Loved, once. Baltha remembers that one. Wheezed. Groaned. Agnes begged and swore herself. Heh. He breathed better. Til his neck snapped.”

  I parceled through the broken words. My hands felt clammy. “You… you killed her husband?”

  She snapped her teeth, dragging too-long fingers against the cage. “Oh, Baltha did not. Baltha healed. Baltha remembered. Better, then. Gathered and gifted. Sang. Healed. Til he fell. Poor Agnes.”

  “Her husband was sick,” Renner growled under his breath. “You kept him healthy? In exchange for her service.”

  “Clever meat.”

  I pressed myself back, gagging at the smell of her fetid breath. Warped wood dug into my shoulders. “Why… why, though? Why are you here? You just… live down here in this cave? Venture out at night?” I thought of what I’d seen of the Night Court. Terrifying, but beautiful, and surely not frightening to a creature like this. Other than food, what appeal could this place possibly hold for her?

  She blinked at me. Her jagged black nails slid in through the bars, tapping dully. “Why?” Leathery green skin wrinkled, as if she didn’t understand the question.

  I dragged my gaze away from the wicked-looking claws. “I j-just… surely there’s things for you to eat in the other realm. Surely you could… live freely. Roam about. Not… not have to hide down here, away from the sun.”

  My throat grew thick and any further arguments died on my tongue. It was foolish to think I could convince her to up and leave. Not when she’d been here for so long. Maybe she loved hiding away in this rancid hole.

  Her chest swelled with a great, rattling breath. The force of it pulled some of my hair forwards. “Mm. Meat questions. Baltha questioned. Mourned. Lost songbirds and croaking frogs. Chattering beasts. Fur and flowers and busy bees, the colors of dawn and… ahhh.” She sagged against the cage, nearly tipping it over backwards. Her eyes drifted closed. Her fingers wrenched into the wood, making it groan and creak.

  Slowly, her heavy head twisted. She stared towards the unmoving bodies in the corner. Black, dead eyes and moldy fur gleamed in the darkness. Matted hair spilled down onto the cage floor.

  “Baltha misses you.” Her voice was low. Reverent. “Baltha loved you. Always loved. Even in the wretched dream. Little friends.”

  Deadwood snapped. The cage creaked.

  “Unkind, meat.” She gave a little hiss. Her gaze flicked to me, simmering with fury. “Twisting a knife.” One hand wrenched the rusty lock. Tore it away.

  Renner shifted beside me. Coiled. Ready.

  I shrank back. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “Didn’t mean it? Little humans didn’t mean it. Wretched bright ones. Locked us away. Took all Baltha loved. And the meat stayed. Hunted. Ravaged. Murdered.”

  More wood snapped, falling with a clatter.

  Her teeth gnashed at the air. “Wretched mortal. Fit for death. All you deserve.”

  I huddled against the bars, lifting my hands to shield against splintering wood. She wrenched another bough free. The opening was almost large enough for her to step inside.

  I stared in horror at the gap, heart pounding. Saints, she’s not going to take us out, she’s coming in! We can’t fight her in here! She’ll rip Renner to pieces, and I’ll set the cage on fire. I’ll kill us along with her. We need to get out.

  More wood snapped. She was drooling. I felt Renner shift, reaching one hand down for-

  “I’m pacted!” My cry echoed off the stones.

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  Baltha paused, glassy eyes narrowing. “Heh. What a funny mortal. A lying mortal.”

  “It’s not a lie,” I gasped. My legs were shaking. “I’m… there’s a l-lord. A High Fae. He’ll be… very angry if you h-hurt me.”

  Baltha’s black tongue slipped in and out between her cracked lips.

  “M-moonlight,” I babbled. Cold sweat trickled down the nape of my neck. I could feel Renner’s eyes on me. “And… stars. Other F-fae could see them on me. You’re not supposed to… H-Horace told me it’s not allowed. You’re not supposed to… h-hunt me.”

  Baltha looked nonplussed. Then she hissed out a laugh. It sounded like dead leaves rattling against stone. “Haha! What clever words the mortal knows!”

  “It’s t-true. He said… he said he takes v-vengeance in blood. He…” I drew a deep breath. Lifted my chin. Forced one foot forwards. “He said to tell you that.”

  Baltha stepped back. Her head tilted, black hair spilling down across one knotted shoulder. For a moment, she almost looked like she might relent. Like the threat actually gave her pause.

  But then she gave her enormous head a shake. Snapped flat teeth with a guttural snarl. “Clever words. Vicious threats. Nothing. Laws, meat. No one comes. Bright ones locked the doors. Only Baltha was clever. Only Baltha claims you.”

  Her mouth stretched wide. Jagged claws lifted.

  Renner lunged.

  He crashed through the smashed wood, lashing out with a cry. Dull silver flashed. Baltha batted him away. A thin line of black blossomed on the back of her leathery green hand.

  She grinned at him.

  Renner didn’t press the attack. Rather than make a stand in this cramped space, he darted to one side. Into the doorway. His eyes flicked to me. Then he ran.

  I covered my mouth. Blood roared in my ears. Baltha stood, ready to crush me if I dared step out.

  No, no I wasn’t fast enough, I can’t-

  Baltha sniffed at her hand. Licked it. The black dripped down. “It has teeth? Meat, meat with teeth.” She cackled at me.

  “Yeah, and look what else I have!” Renner’s voice echoed from the next room. A moment later he reappeared in the doorway, holding…

  I nearly fainted.

  One hand clutched a stiff, rot-smeared rabbit. Its body was wound in wire and brittle gray leaves. His makeshift knife gleamed against the dull, long-dead fur. His face was twisted into a ghastly leer.

  The scene was so bizarre that I just gaped, shaking my head back and forth, mouthing baffled denials.

  He’s insane. He’s lost his mind. He’s threatening a dead rabbit.

  And then I clapped my hands over my ears.

  Baltha screamed. Brown spittle flew and flickered in the dull light. She hurtled towards Renner in senseless fury. Her fists crashed down, smashing stones aside as he threw himself back.

  I was free. I twisted out of the cage and ran after the pair.

  Her bellows echoed off the walls. “No, no, wicked, vicious, wretched little man! Don’t hurt her! Precious, innocent-!”

  I made it to the doorway just as she caught up to him. He was nearly at the far side of the cave. She backed him towards a wall, screaming in rage.

  Renner swore. Dropped the unmoving hostage. Broken metal flashed up and Baltha screeched. Crimson flooded his palm, and he dropped the steel. She swung a limb at him. He ducked as the wall behind his head exploded into pulp. Silver flickered in his other hand.

  I hurtled forwards, hands outstretched. Fingers tracing. The steel wedge sank into her side. She snarled and one huge claw shot out, closed over Renner’s surprised face, lifted-

  “Veth!”

  The fire poured out. Swept across her hunched back and matted hair. The stones shook with her scream and the knotted arm snapped forward. Renner’s head slammed into rock with a sickening crack. She dropped him. There was a vivid smear of crimson along the wall.

  He crumpled.

  I didn’t have time to be horrified. Flames blazed, scorching my hands and arms and she wailed, cowering and covering her face. Rough skin bubbled. Hair melted. Acrid air stung my nose. Bile rose in my belly.

  I kept going.

  The monster’s huge body twisted, clutched at something on the ground, then whipped one flaming arm towards me. Something gray and jagged came flying-

  My head snapped back. I saw white. There was a ringing in my ears. My back hit something warm and hard, and then I was blinking up at the ceiling. It spun with shadows and smoke. My mouth tasted like copper.

  “Wicked, wicked!” Baltha was shrieking. Firelight danced wildly as her burning shroud was wrenched off. The ground shook as she threw herself to the earth.

  I moaned. Tried to sit up. Limbs dragged.

  Get up, get up, get up…

  The ceiling disappeared. My world narrowed to that hideous face, warped with rage and pain. Her bulk swept over me. I gagged on decay and filth and burnt flesh. An impossibly strong hand, trailing sparks and searingly hot, wrapped around my throat. Squeezed.

  I flailed against her. Uselessly. Her weight kept me pinned. Smoke and haze curled all around. My vision grew dark. Every scrap of air was crushed out. My lips couldn’t make a sound.

  The horrible face leaned down. A breath from mine. Yellow teeth gnashed. “Wretched flame, vicious meat, Baltha will flay you-!”

  She stopped. The hand around my throat loosened enough for me to suck in a mouthful of fetid air. Breath brought the world back into dizzy, spinning focus.

  She peered down at me with gaping, liquid eyes.

  I gasped for breath. My hands scrabbled feebly at the iron vice around my neck.

  And then… her face changed. The twisted, hungry rage melted into shock. Her enormous head stooped. Burnt hair dragged across my face and neck. For a moment I thought the hideous teeth would clamp onto my throat- but she continued downwards. Pressed the side of her heavy face against my chest.

  “Is it real?” She was trembling.

  I tried to twist away. Flailed. Gasped.

  Her grip tightened around my throat. “Baltha hears them, oh, Baltha hears them.”

  Renner moaned. So quiet I barely heard it.

  He’s alive, get up, get up-!

  I dug my nails into her skin. Thrashed. Kicked my legs. All of it futile. “Off,” I choked out, vision narrowing to a hazy point, “Let… go…”

  Almost absently, the hand released my throat. I gasped and it covered my face instead. Blocked my vision. Pressed my hair and head into the dirt.

  “Birds,” she wept against my bosom. “Oh, songbirds and golden light. Mortal, how…?”

  I clawed at her wrist. Tried to pry her hand away. Railed against burnt, leathery skin. It was like trying to lift a mountain.

  And then… feathers flexed against my own wrist. Hissing. Velvet unwound, stretched, reached.

  She howled as the split leaves sank like tiny knives into her flesh. Ripped her hand off my face.

  I opened my mouth. Veth. I could set her ablaze. Right here on top of me. It would be a terrible way to die, but perhaps Renner and Teela would make it out alive.

  Then… another. Different.

  It hung in my mind, the only clear thing amid my world of choking smoke and spinning shadows.

  Asking. Offering.

  No. Demanding.

  My fingers shook. Traced.

  “Velidan.”

  I felt my heart swell. Burn. Threaten to burst from my chest.

  The shape hung in the air. Not bright. Black. Waiting.

  Her claw wrenched my wrist. Wood snapped. Hissed. Clattered across the room. She snarled at the fallen ornament, then tilted her head back to me.

  A hand covered my face again. I stared through the cracks in her fingers. Begged my jagged little symbol.

  Do something. Kill her. Save us. Something.

  Anything.

  It tore a hole in the world.