“Got it!” Kyi grinned as the lock clicked. Seren fell against the bars. The aches in their muscles had grown into near failure. “Are you okay? We have to get out of here!” Kyi picked them up and gave them a hard slap to their shoulder.

  “I’m okay.” Seren said. “We just have to wait for a distraction.” Seren needed a minute to regain their strength. Though magic was woven into the very fabric of this world, using it exhausted them.

  “I have been hard at work, collecting only the very best and most worthy of children.” The queen’s droning self-congratulatory speech went on and on. “Those who are most worthy will join our treasury! The rest will be a gift from your loving and generous queen to you! My people! To do with what you please!” Another volley of cheers. Seren white knuckled the bars but they couldn’t stop themselves from standing. Biting their tongue hard enough to draw blood.

  “I can’t take much more of this,” they whimpered.

  “Me either,” Kyi tried to empathize. “I mean, what a braggart, right?” Seren smiled weakly. They slumped back to the ground.

  “I have an idea.” Wilbur said. He picked up a large silver rock.

  “Aim for the mesh nets. That way.” Seren said.

  “Got it,” Wilbur said. He cocked his arm and threw the rock. It sailed like a glint of light through the skies and fell with a clatter just short of the mesh knit. It had the right effect. The crowd looked toward the sprites' nests and screams erupted from the crowd.

  “The sprites! They’ve escaped!” The guards yelled. Seren pushed themself up. Feeling a little strength left in them.

  “You have to go straight down that path. Through the pool and that will take you to the forest. The guards were following me in the forest, so shout and scream until you’re found.” Seren directed. “Olders take care of the youngers.”

  “What about you?” Wilbur asked.

  “I have to make the distractions to get you out.” Seren said. “I’ll worry about me. You guys just get home.”

  “Fine, but if you don’t show up then we’re coming back.” Kyi said. An empty threat that Seren couldn’t appreciate through their exhaustion.

  “Okay, get ready.” Seren focused on the panic in the crowd and willed a vision of sprites to appear. They didn’t come in as clearly as Seren wanted. Instead appearing as flickering spots in their vision come to life.

  “There!” A voice cried from the crowd. Seren threw the illusion toward the village and the crowd ran after them.

  “Okay, go!” Seren said, opening the cage door. Wilbur picked up the smallest child and led the children around the cage and into the trees. Kyi was the last to leave.

  “C’mon,” Kyi pulled Seren up to their feet and half carried them toward the treeline.

  “I told you I-”

  “Fine, fine. Whatever. But you aren’t staying in the cage. Stay at least where you can hide.” Kyi said. Taking them into the treeline. Seren felt the biggest relief as they leaned on Kyi toward the exit. But it never could be that easy.

  “The children!” Screeched the Queen. “Forget the sprites. Find the children!” Seren pushed Kyi away.

  “Run for it, get through and salt the waters so they can’t follow.” Seren hissed.

  “What about you?” Kyi hissed, running back.

  “I’ll be fine, go!” Seren shoved him harder. Kyi looks distrustfully at them but ran toward the pool. Seren turned back to the crowd running for the cage. They’d follow the footprints in the snow to the forest. Seren stood, calling more of the power around them and forced it into the snow and underbrush of the forest. Tilling it all so there were no prints anywhere in the treeline. The effort made Seren’s vision go black entirely and they collapsed into the snow in a faint.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Seren blinked back into the waking world as they heard voices approaching the forest. Alarm brought them clumsily to their feet but wouldn’t move them forward. They stumbled forward and fell hard onto the ground. Realizing they had no chance of escape, they curled up under the cloak and stayed still and silent.

  “The tracks go this way!” A voice cried. Seren held their breath as they heard movement running into the forest.

  “What?”

  “Where’d they go?”

  “The tracks have disappeared!”

  Seren held still hoping they wouldn’t be discovered. They flinched as the footsteps came around them on all sides. They tensed, knowing it was only a matter of time before someone stepped on them. They could feel the tug of people stepping around them and even on the cloak itself. But no step fell on them. Seren waited. Completely shocked that they seemed to be completely untouched. The voices were scattering around them on all sides. Though the main crowd had passed, they were still at risk. Weakly, they willed themselves invisible again. Peeking at their hand to make sure they were. But they weren’t as invisible as they had been. Invisible enough if they didn’t move but there was a strange haze around them if they moved too fast.

  Seren stood, holding still and trying to remain unseen. Fae of all kinds were scattered in the forest. Hunting. Seren expected to be disgusted and afraid of them but they just looked like people. People with very pale skin and nearly white blonde hair but people nonetheless. They wore normal clothes. Pants, dresses, snow boots. All in lovely colors and fabrics. Their faces were the same as every other person Seren had ever met. Expressions of worry, of fear, and even of anger. But all distinctly… human.

  “Got one!”

  Seren was grabbed roughly by the shoulders. Jolting them out of their confused thoughts. Their concentration had vanished and without it they had become visible again. Seren fought against the grip but it was clear they had no chance of escape now that they were being surrounded.

  “Is that sprite-silk?” A woman asked in awe as she reached out to touch Seren’s cloak.”

  “There weren’t any children with sprite-silk before.” Another said.

  “Where did your friends go?” A man asked. Seren only hid further under their hood.

  “Let’s take them to the Queen.”

  Seren was seized by two larger fae who held them by their arms behind their back. Nearly lifting them off of their feet as they pushed and carried them out of the trees. Seren fought it but any resistance they offered the fae behind them just lifted them up and carried them before setting them back down and pushing them forward.

  At the stage, Seren was thrown to the ground. They sat up, their hood falling back and revealing their face. They found themself looking up at the fae queen. She was intimidating, unnaturally slender and tall. With eyes devoid of life or love. Her gaze was chilling. Seren felt goosebumps raising over their skin. But they kept the icy cold from worming its way into their soul.

  “What is this?” The queen asked. Looking over Seren critically. “A human-bound child? Already with one foot in our world and yet bound to the mundane world? That must be why you’re here causing all sorts of mischief. Well. As a fae you’ll be required to follow our laws.”

  “I’m not here to become full fae.” Seren spat. The queen paused, a look of visible confusion on her face. “I’m here to save the children. And I did. They’re gone. Back in the city, in their beds, with their families. As they should be.”

  “Excuse me?” The queen turned so severely, her tone like a slap across the face. Seren felt the sting but they didn’t flinch.

  “Yup. I did what I came here to do.” Seren smiled as broadly as they could. The queen stared into their face. Her eye twitched. Her eyes looked deep into theirs. Pushing into their consciousness but Seren was ready. Pushing her back as hard as they could.

  The Queen stumbled back in surprise. Seren stood up and brushed themself off.

  “Now. What do we do now?” Seren said, pretending that they weren’t worried or afraid of what was going to happen next. They took their pocket watch and played with it idly. Trying to seem cool and calm while they anxiously fidgeted.

  “Now we turn you into something as worthless as you are!” The Queen screamed. Seren waved a hand, parrying the scream and its attack that came with it.

  “Or… We could play a game?” Seren asked, the Queen’s rage froze before a little gleam appeared in her eyes.

  “A game? What kind of game?” She asked.

  “One where you win, or you lose.” Seren fake yawned. “Which, of course, you’ll lose.” Seren hoped she would take the bait. Buy them just a little bit more time. The queen laughed, cold, cruel, and skin crawling.

  “I never lose.” She said. “You have my attention, child. What game do you want to play?”

  Amazon.com: E.A Crilly