A Court of Sugar and Spice: A Nutcracker Romance Retelling by Rebecca F. Kenney

Author:Rebecca F. Kenney [Kenney, Rebecca F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-07T05:00:00+00:00

We run until our lungs ache and our legs burn. We run deep into the night, until I think I can’t keep going, I can’t—and yet somehow I do. Lir lets us slow down occasionally, because Clara and I are children of a quiet, sedentary household, unused to running for any sustained period of time. But after every period of walking, he makes us jog again.

After hours of traveling as fast as we can manage, Clara looks up, her face brightening. A second later I hear it, too—the hum of whirring wings.

The Sugarplum Faerie lands lightly beside Clara. He’s smudged with smoke. Bloody wounds glisten raw on his bare chest and arms.

“I killed them all,” he gasps, and smoke issues from his cracked lips. “Even the big one.” He coughs up more smoke.

Clara makes a pitiful sound at the state of him, but Lir says crisply, “Don’t fuss. He will heal quickly.”

“You’re welcome.” Finias glares in his cousin’s direction. “I questioned the leader of the group before I ended him—he told me Theanne betrayed us.”

My instincts were right.

Lir shoots me a look of startled admiration. “Really?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” says Finias. “Lucky for us she only told the local commander of the Rat King’s forces, and he attacked us without sending word to the Rat King himself. So I believe we’re safe to continue our quest.”

“How do you know he wasn’t lying?” I ask.

“Truth candy.” Finias gives me a half-grin. There’s blood on his pointed teeth. “Very rare, very difficult to make, but we needed to know if the Rat King has heard of the Prince’s return. For now, he’s still in the dark. We must take full advantage of the time we have.” He adjusts the large satchel he’s wearing so its strap sits between two of his wounds. “I brought what I could pack in a hurry. I’m afraid most of my spells were ruined, and I couldn’t find the bag of weapons Louisa brought with her, either. We’ll have to do without some of the things I’d planned to bring. As for supplies, horses, and food, I’ll send messages for our allies to meet us as Dellwyn Ford.”

“Messages? How?” I ask.

“Magic.”

He seems too tired to provide further explanation. Just as well, because I’m probably too tired to listen. My brain is content to accept “magic” and move on.

Clara lays a hand on Fin’s arm as we begin walking again. “Are your little pets all right?”

“Yes, they’re fine! A nose for danger, those three. They would have run off long before the rest of us knew there was anything wrong. They have their own tunnels in and out of the house, as well as their own burrows in the forest. They’ll be all right.”

“Oh good.” Clara sighs with relief. “I’m sorry about Theanne betraying you.”

“She and I had a falling-out some time ago,” Fin says. “I thought I had softened her up with my gift today, but perhaps she still holds a grudge. She always hated your father, Lir, but she despises the Rat King, too, so I thought she would be a safe choice.

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