“What’s all this?” Leaa asked, glancing from one to the other.

“Nothing, nothing,” Mouse said, waving his hand.

“I’m trying to seduce Clarita,” Brittany replied, at the same moment.

Leaa’s eyes went wide. Her mouth formed into an ‘O’.

Mouse watched Leaa, concerned. I don’t care, but not everyone thinks the same way.

“How wonderful! Feel free to invite her to my garden some time. I’ve got such a quiet, secluded space, it’s perfect for a private date,” Leaa enthused.

“You—er, you don’t…?” Mouse asked.

Leaa waved her hand. “Dryads have a very different set of mating rituals than you meat types. I can barely tell the difference between your men and women, and I expect you’d be as stymied, faced with a roomful of dryads.”

Mouse looked over Leaa, her womanly curves and soft, sweet face. “Really?”

Leaa nodded. “I grew all this for the humans’ sake. My natural form looks much different.”

Mouse took a deep breath. “Just to confirm, but, er, the Mage-Emperor, are you…”

“That meat-sack? No. Oh dear Mother Tree, no. No offense, but I’m not attracted to meat.”

Is anyone actually trying to wed the Mage-Emperor, aside from Sabelyn? Mouse wondered, running a hand down his face. Even I’m not going to wed him myself, just hand him off to Moss, if I can ever get her to take my place.

“No, no. Don’t worry, Mouse. I’m no competition to you,” Leaa assured him.

“Oh, no, I—” Mouse glanced at Brittany, who grinned wide, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I can’t explain this. Might as well just give up and accept it. Besides, there’s no harm in everyone thinking I’m after the Mage-Emperor. It’ll keep them from suspecting I’m a man. “Yes. Thank you.”

Leaa smiled. “If you want a private date with him, my garden is always—”

“There’s no need, no need. I’m grateful for the offer, Leaa, but no need.”

Leaa raised her eyebrows suggestively. Her lips curled into a smirk. “Oh, my apologies, I forgot. He has spent an awful lot of time in your bedroom lately.”

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“That was for the purification ritual,” Mouse explained.

“The purification ritual, sure,” Brittany chuckled. She and Leaa exchanged a look.

Leaa sighed dramatically. “Elves have a low pollination success rate, correct? I’m sure there won’t be any ‘little troubles.’”

“But at this rate… Oh dear, do you think we’ll have a little half-elf running around in another few months?”

Mouse shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Honestly.”

Brittany chuckled. “Only teasing, Mouse, only teasing.”

Gawain bumbled up to them, shells overflowing from her arms. “What’s going on? Are we leaving?”

“Someone got bit,” Mouse explained.

Gawain furrowed her brows. “I know Goro bit Gale just a minute ago, but he only drew a little blood. We don’t have to go home.”

“No, there’s… it looks like a vampire bite. We’re worried there might be a dangerous undead running wild,” Mouse said.

“Oh.” Gawain’s ears drooped, disappointed. She sighed.

“We can come back to the beach another day. We aren’t leaving forever,” Mouse soothed her.

Unappeased, Gawain trooped back down the beach, her ears still drooping. Lifting her hand, she let out a tired call. “Come on, guys, time to go.”

Mouse watched her go. Her every movement oozed disappointment. It’s really too bad. It would’ve been nice to stay on the beach a little longer.

At the edge of the water, something flickered. Mouse snapped his head up, eyes narrowing.

A blond man stood there, feet in the retreating surf. Back to Mouse, his ragged hair fell well past his waist. It caught in the wind.

“Mouse?” Spar asked.

He took a step forward. How? He can’t be there.

The man turned. Xenozar looked at Mouse, eyes all black, glittering in the sun. He smiled, slowly, showing fierce incisors.

“Mouse!” A hand grabbed his bicep.

Mouse blinked. Xenozar vanished. The waves churned, spitting up white foam. Green-blue water swirled.

Spar turned him around. “Are you alright?”

Mouse pulled his arm free. “I’m fine. Just got distracted a moment.”

Spar frowned. “Mouse, please. I know you want to be up and about, but you have to take care of yourself. Are you alright? Did you get purified this morning?”

“I’m fine, Spar. Everything is fine.” Mouse hurried away toward the other princesses.

“You didn’t get purified, did you.”

“It’s not important. It doesn’t work, anyways.”

Spar grabbed Mouse again. “Do you realize how fragile your state is right now? There’s so much blight inside you, Mouse. It’s incredible that you’re conscious at all, let alone for this long. You can’t play with this. Please.”

Mouse glared at Spar. “Stop it. I’m fine. Everyone thinks I’m insane, I get it, but I’m fine. I really am.”

“Mouse…”

He rounded on Spar. “Do you think I liked it? Getting locked up. Tied down to my bed and trapped in that room. I won’t let you people tie me up like that again. I don’t care what you think, I’m fine. Leave me alone.”

Retracting his hand, Spar fell back. Mouse stomped away, too angry to care. I’ve been normal. I’ve been normal all day. One moment, I hesitate for one fucking moment, and it’s all ‘oh, Mouse, you pitiful, stupid, crazy little thing.’ Shut up! It’s not fair. It’s not fair! I’m not crazy, but everyone expects me to be, so any time I do anything I just—

He sighed out and ran his hands down his face. Deep breath. Deep breaths, Mouse. Don’t act crazy. You can’t act crazy.

Ahead, a shrill screech echoed.

He snapped his head up. Not again.