Though repeatedly grumbling, Harper committed to the task, more out of fear of Caracae than a desire to do her duty. They moved fast, once Serin started snoring, with no idea how long they would have, and Caracae gently lowered Harper down, holding an outstretched hand above her. It was only when the thief was halfway to the bed that Arabel remembered the tiny lady in her jacket, and had an instinct to call it off, call them back – but it was too late. She couldn’t make a noise or risk jeopardising this.

There was no need, she told herself. Harper knew what she was doing. She could get the princess free and escape without Serin ever knowing they were there. In the worst case, she only needed to get Vivaria out of the cage. Freeing her from the queen would allow Caracae to shrink Serin.

Arabel wondered if they should do that anyway. The thundress only became more captivating as Harper lowered towards her, the thief’s slow approach giving a new sense of her scale. Serin was thick-set, big even for one of them, and though majestic at rest – her face sharp-nosed and skin flawless – it was terrifying just thinking of the raw power she held. One of those bare thighs was wider than most houses. Harper landed on the furs above the giant queen’s folded right arm, tiny next to it.

The thief stalked towards Serin’s head. Arabel held her breath as she reached the ropes of braided hair that flowed across the bed. Harper picked out a route, then started climbing, finding hand- and footholds in the knots of hair. She crawled up over Serin’s shoulder and hesitated only a moment before lightly stepping from the hair onto the queen’s skin. Harper paused in a low crouch, hands out, watching for a reaction. Serin didn’t stir, peaceful in sleep with her mouth slightly open. With the next shudder of a snore, Harper stepped quickly over her chest, then paused again. Waited, then moved with another snore, the sound and movement masking her steps.

Harper crept around the curve of Serin’s breast into the valley of her cleavage, a soft incline as the weight of the breasts had pulled them down and apart. She finally reached the cage and Arabel let out her breath with relief.

Princess Vivaria stirred and jumped up in surprise, but Harper quickly put a finger to her lips, whispering for her to stay still. The tension in the princess was palpable, watching on hands and knees as the thief inspected the lock. Harper picked at it, pulled away, picked again. Vivaria shifted impatiently.

“It’s taking too long,” Eko whispered, standing at the edge of the beam, next to Arabel’s hand.

Harper paused and looked up to them – the sort of look that said something was wrong, confirming Eko’s fear. She ducked back into work, but still nothing happened.

“Unfamiliar locks,” Arabel thought out loud. “Or enchantments? Who knows what they use in the Nidings to seal cages?”

“Give her time,” Grawn said. “She’ll get there.”

Harper stepped back from another attempt with irritation, though, and the thoughtless action made Serin react. The queen’s head rolled to one side and she breathed in deeply. A hand came up and Harper ducked down as it brushed across the top of the chest, unconsciously scratching an itch. It swept past the thief by a foot, if that. Then the arm rested there, blocking the path Harper had come from. She stared at it for a moment, then backed off, shaking her head. She said something to the princess, raising a hand for stillness, but Vivaria moved to keep her in view.

Harper walked softly down past the cage, scanning Serin’s flat abdomen, deciding her next route. She was giving up. She turned back, concluding every direction was too far, and waved up to the rafters.

“She wants you to pull her out,” Grawn said.

“Arabel?” Caracae deferred the decision. Well, if she couldn’t open the lock, what else could they do? But she was giving up very quickly.

“Just bloody open it!” Vivaria cried, loud enough to reach them on the beam.

Serin’s eyes shot open. Everyone flinched as the giantess rolled to the side – Vivaria’s shouts were silenced by the huge breasts closing over her cage and Harper was thrown off to the side. The thief landed deftly on the fur, rolled, and started running. Serin quickly pushed onto all fours, eyes roaming the bed, and the necklace swung down, Vivaria shrieking in it.

It was a long way to the edge of the bed, and rather than sprint for freedom, Harper gave up on stealth, waved both hands and yelled, “Lift me, witch!”

Serin was on her in an instant, a huge hand slapping down onto the fur, flattening Harper with a scream. She was gone, squashed out of sight. The hand closed and came up, Harper’s legs twitching from between two fingers. Serin sat back against the wall with satisfaction as she held the thief up to inspect. The cage flopped back against her chest, coming still enough for Vivaria to regain enough composure to start cursing again.

The queen pulled the cage up the chain and dangled it before her face.

“A rescue attempt, dear princess? You know what that means.”

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“No!” Vivaria protested. “I don’t know anything about this; I’ve never seen this woman before! She has nothing to do with my father!”

“My terms were clear. Any intrusion at all is unacceptable.”

“But it’s –”

“Be quiet.” Serin’s tone was suddenly terrifyingly commanding, making Vivaria cower in the cage, arms up defensively. The queen lowered the necklace and unfolded her other hand to let Harper lie limp across her palm. The thief panted for breath, seeming unable to move, but when Serin lifted her closer she pushed up onto her elbows and scooted back. Serin said, “How many of you are there?”

Harper shook her head in numb fear.

Serin raised her other hand and Harper rolled away from it. She’d barely started crawling when the queen’s finger and thumb clamped on her right hand and pulled her back. One of the queen’s hands closed over Harper’s lower body, holding her in place, as the other stretched Harper’s arm. The thief cried out as it reached a limit.

“Talk or I will tear you apart,” Serin said.

“Four!” Harper shrieked. “There’s four of them! Up in the rafters, watching! One of them’s a palm witch!”

Serin’s eyes widened with surprise and she released Harper’s arm. The thief slumped onto her fist and started rubbing the shoulder joint. Serin looked up at the beams and Arabel dated out of view. Didn’t think she’d been seen, but what difference did it make? The bed creaked as the giantess stood and Arabel looked desperately to Caracae. The witch looked worried, similarly crouching away from the edge.

“I have to shrink them all,” she said.

There was a horrible scraping sound below, a great weight of wood dragged across the floor, and Grawn poked his head out to see. He swore and ducked back, saying, “She’s got a pole.” It must’ve been under the bed, presumably to deal with birds and whatever else got up here. This place suddenly seemed impossibly unsafe.

“It’s okay,” Caracae said, standing, stretching her hands. “I’ll deal with her.”

She took a step towards the edge of the beam, but as she did Arabel felt a rush of air before a shadow swept over them and an object crashed into the beam. Caracae put her hands up to protect her but was thrown back – hit? – and she twirled in her flapping dress through the air, off the other side of the beam. The object smacked into the beam again, shaking Arabel across it as she tried to push down with her hands and knees. There was nothing to hold onto. She looked aside and saw Grawn was grasping about hopelessly. She tried to crawl quickly back to the centre of the beam, spotting Eko a few feet ahead. Another whoosh of air came, though, and the blow hit hard enough to throw Arabel up in the air. She screamed as landed heavily and rolled back across the wood – right over the edge. She grabbed the beam at the last second, gripping on with the tips of her fingers, and a jolt strained her shoulders. Her glasses were knocked crooked but thankfully stayed on.

Above her, Grawn stumbled, one leg off the edge of the beam, arms reaching as he lost balance. He yelled as failed to recover his footing and fell. Serin’s footsteps thundered underneath them and Arabel looked down to see the knight plummet straight down into a waiting hand, which snapped shut over him.

Arabel looked about quickly, searching for Eko or Caracae as she tried with all her strength to hang on. Serin moved loudly across the room towards the set of drawers, and Arabel spotted the witch: Caracae was spread on the top, barely moving. She must’ve cushioned her own fall, to have survived at all, but it had stunned her, and she lay still as Serin loomed over her. The queen shoved Harper and Grawn into the strap of her pants, freeing her hands, then picked up Caracae.

Arabel’s fingers slipped and she gave a startled shout, flapping her hand trying to get hold again. If she could just pull herself back up, if she could just hang on. Eko appeared at the edge of the beam, by her fingers, looking down fearfully.

“Help,” Arabel squeaked, but the monster hunter regarded her with little hope.

Serin moved with calm deliberation below, taking something from a drawer – Arabel glanced to see her slipping it over Caracae. Then the queen turned and looked up, enormous, dark eyes locking on Arabel, knowing she was there all along.

“Let go and I will catch you,” Serin commanded.

Arabel wished she had the energy to curse her. Any kind of comeback would do. But it took everything she had just to keep her grip. She tried to kick against the wood, find some kind of foothold, as her fingers, slick with sweat, slipped.

“Take me,” Eko hissed. “Hide me and we’ll figure it out.”

Arabel gave her a disbelieving look, but the monster hunter nodded encouragement. Arabel’s little finger peeled off the wood and she shrieked. Panicking, she gave one last heave on her shoulder, pulling herself up just enough to reach her other hand close to Eko. Eko was ready and jumped into it. Arabel caught her, closing her hand over her, just as she lost grip.

The beam slipped away and Arabel was airborne, with a cry. She flailed her arms as she dropped, terrifyingly fast, but only for a moment before she hit a warm, fleshly platform, and tumbled into the quickly closing fingers of the giantess. In the impact, her glasses popped off over the queen’s palm, and Eko fell out of her hand. Arabel snatched her glasses back up, moving on instinct, knowing only she was not yet dead or trapped, and she kicked forward and tried to jump free. The fist closed on her on all sides, fingers catching her halfway out, and the wind was knocked out of her. Arabel folded over Serin’s finger as the queen lifted her before her face.

Serin gave her one brief, satisfied look, as Arabel struggled to put her glasses back on, then the giantess lowered her arm to walk across the room. Arabel’s stomach lurched and she felt movement across her gut. Eko, pressed between Arabel and the queen’s palm, quickly moving to slide into Arabel’s pocket.

Arabel twisted, to see Caracae unconscious in the queen’s other fist, just her head and shoulders showing. The queen used that hand to lift the lid of the huge chest. Three people inside darted to the corners like startled spiders and Serin dropped Caracae down between them. Then she plucked Grawn from her waistline and dropped him in, too. Finally, she lowered Arabel and let go of her a short distance from the bottom. Arabel landed heavily and stumbled, before quickly scrambling to her feet. She bumped into Grawn as he rushed protectively to her side, and together they looked at Caracae. A dull chain had been fastened around her waist, clasped in place.

Shouts drew their eyes back up, to the enormous face of the giantess as she looked in on them. Harper was struggling between thumb and forefinger as Serin held her up, apparently not done with her yet.

“I shall have to thank your father after all, Princess,” Serin said, eyes fixing particularly on Arabel. “He has sent me quite a feast.”