Winna sighed happily as they drove along in the cart again.

The tea had gone fantastically. Marri had been adorable, having never experienced anything like it before. Her large blue eyes had sparkled in delight the entire time.

Now, as they rode along, Marri and Rowan had talked about all the things they wanted to do when they were free.

“But first, I want to go back and free everyone else.” Rowan told his surrogate mermaid daughter, the topic turning serious.

“What if Bellows finds us before we can do that?” Marrina asked, tilting her head to the side.

“What if he does?” Rowan said, grinning, “What can he do to us now?”

“I assume he’d try to get us back, maybe try and get the bands on us again somehow.” she said thoughtfully. “But I wouldn't submit to it now. I couldn't use my voice before, but I can now. I wouldn't let him or any of his cronies put a hand on me now.”

“It was because of his cronies that he got me. There were a good number of them. They managed to catch me and hold me down and got the blasted ring on my leg.” Rowan sighed, shaking his head. “But given you can stop them in their tracks with your voice, that’s not an option, this time.”

“Thank goodness!” She smiled.

Arden was already asleep again, his head in Marri’s lap. They really were a sweet couple. Hopefully they would make their relationship official soon. Maybe they’d even get married quickly. That would be fun. Weddings were always nice.

Winna’s own wedding had been lovely. Every day since the wedding had been pretty good, too, though that had been several years ago, now.

She rubbed her belly, missing her husband. He was just as handsome now as he’d ever been, and always would be, given he was fey.

Lear had brought up getting married magically a couple times in the last few years since their marriage, and she was starting to think that it might not be such a bad idea. Rowan and his wife had a magical marriage bond, and it was clearly something he took great comfort in, since he knew his wife was alive because the mark was still on his skin.

Right now, Winna wished she had such a mark, just so she knew whether or not Lear was alive. He’d seemed pretty deeply concerned when he’d told her that the king had called him back for a mission, short though it was supposed to be. And again, he wouldn't have left her so late in her pregnancy if it hadn’t been very important.

So where was he? Goddess, let him be alright. Please. Raising a child without him would be difficult indeed, especially since she didn't know what she needed to do differently with a fey, or half-fey child. Though Arden, and indeed the rest of Lear’s squad, would likely be willing to step up and help, but that wasn’t their responsibility. Besides, Arden had his own romance with Marrina to focus on, now. He didn’t need to have to worry about his boss’s wife and child as well.

Surely he hadn’t found someone else and abandoned her. She chuckled at the thought. No, he was crazy about her. He told her very frequently, and always said he could not and would not ever cheat on her or leave her for someone else. She could believe him because he couldn't lie, and always made sure not to leave any wiggle room for loopholes in his statements regarding his affections for her. So he never intended to cheat or leave her, so that was most likely not the issue.

But he could be hurt, or worse…Accidents happened. Or maybe his mission, whatever it was, had gone awry.

Winna shook herself and pushed the idea away. No. Lear was fine. He had to be fine.

The chatter in the back of the cart had died down, and a swift glance behind her told her that Rowan and Marri had both fallen asleep again as well.

It was all well and good. She could drive a cart easily enough on her own, and they really needed to catch up on their sleep, after all that travel.

They rattled along the road for a while longer before the cottage finally came into view.

Winna smiled at her peaceful little home.

She swung the cart around wide in the drive so that it would be facing the barn, which would make it easier to put later, and came to a stop.

“Oh, goodness. It’s good to be home.” She sighed, then announced, “We’re back at the cottage!”

Arden shifted slightly, but the three sleepers didn’t wake.

Winna laughed a little, and carefully climbed down from the driving bench.

The moment her feet touched the ground, there was a sudden burst of wind, and rough hands grabbed her arms.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” An unfamiliar voice sneered.

A surprised scream jerked itself from her before a hand slid roughly over her mouth in a painfully tight grasp.

-

A brief, loud cry jolted me awake, and I sat bolt-upright, then froze in terror as I took in the scene around me.

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Fey folk now surrounded the cart, which was parked outside Winna’s cottage. A very familiar figure was holding the poor mage tightly by the arm. Bellows’ other hand was clamped tightly over her mouth.

All eyes turned immediately to me.

Without thinking, I channeled magic into my voice and screamed, meaning to wake up Arden and Rowan, and to hopefully stun and startle our attackers.

So they had managed to keep on our trail. Arden had worried as much.

Winna had seemed largely unconcerned with the fact that we might have been followed, and that had made me relax about the thought as well. But of course we hadn’t expected them to sneak up on us while we were asleep. What were we thinking?!

My scream had something of the effect I desired. It woke Arden and Rowan up immediately, and did surprise the group of fey folk around us, but it didn’t stun them in a magical sense, as I’d intended it to.

In the blink of an eye, Arden had me in his arms, and we were out of the cart, just as Bellows shouted, “Get them!”

The group surrounding the cart attacked all at once.

I saw, to my dismay and sadness, that Irving and Serha were among them, though I didn’t recognize any of the faces of the other fey folk. I knew my still-captive friends well enough to guess that they weren’t acting on their own volition. Both of them would never help Bellows recapture us willingly, and the runes on the restraint bands that they still wore were glowing, which was only further proof of that.

Despite the fact that he was carrying me, Arden spun, kicking out and blasting the crony who I didn’t recognize away from us, which let Arden escape from the blur of fey folk fighting.

“Start singing!” he told me, “Stop them before they can get another band on Rowan or something!”

“Right.” I took a deep breath and pushed more magic into my voice, starting to wrap my song around our attackers, including Irving and Serha, but I could free them once we incapacitated Bellows.

Arden put me down and I heard Bellows laughing nastily. “Your song won’t work on us today, Marrina! Might as well give up!”

I frowned, but continued to sing. My song-magic had never not worked before.

“He said it won’t work!” one of the fey folk, who looked elvish, I assumed, cackled, pulling out a rock from his trouser pocket and holding it up for me to see. Runes glowed brightly on its surface.

I stopped singing. “Well, f*ck.” There was no point in wasting my magical energy singing if they had the means to protect themselves from it. Of course Bellows would have taken precautions in case I sang. He wouldn't have known we’d be able to get our bands off, but he might have worried that would be the case, and there were always loopholes in what we could find even with the restraints, like the song I’d used to trap the young men who’d jeered at me.

“You all think you’re so clever! But you didn’t know I’d tracked you all the way here already!” Bellows hissed, grinning evilly. “But you can’t escape me! You might have freed yourself for a little while, but I’ll soon have you back! And you’ll pay for daring to leave!”

Rowan still tussled with the fey attackers, but they were swiftly overpowering him, thanks to their advantage in number. I noticed that Irving and Serha had stepped back though, looking very miserable, but alert.

Winna’s eyes flickered back and forth. They were scared, but not truly panicked. She was just going with it for now, it seemed, and I didn’t blame her. There was every chance that she’d get a chance to escape.

“How did you find us?” I demanded.

“Did you not think I wouldn't have a way to track any property of mine that escaped?!” Bellows chortled. “These goggles on my head,” he didn’t risk letting go of Winna to motion at them, “let me see the trail that your bands left behind. Although I see you managed to get rid of them somehow. That won’t do! It’s a good thing I brought more with me. And it looks like I’ll have an elf to be adding to my little collection now, too!” his eyes raked over Arden.

“Half-elf.” the white-haired soldier corrected almost lazily. “And I’d rather die.”

“Would you rather her die?” Bellows grinned, shifting his hand from Winna’s mouth and grabbing her throat instead. “And her child?” He started to squeeze, and the pregnant mage choked and gargled.

Despite being choked, Winna wasn’t entirely without her senses. Her strange magic surged forth immediately. Bellows looked startled, apparently not having realized Winna had her own magic. Given she was human, he’d have hardly expected it, and it had always seemed like he wasn’t particularly good at sensing magic, anyways.

It was just a quick little spurt of magic, but the human mage was able to push the evil dwarf away and break his grip on her, just as he turned his gaze away from Arden and me.

Seeing that Winna had given him an opening, Arden blasted forward, fire blazing to life along his shoulders and arms.

Winna stumbled away from the evil dwarf, clutching her throat and her stomach, trying to catch her balance.

Terror that she’d fall and hurt the baby filled me, but Serha darted forward to help her.

“Careful!” the selkie gasped, steadying the pregnant mage.

Winna’s eyes flickered to me, and I nodded, dragging myself towards them as they headed in my direction.

But before she and Serha could make it to me, one of Bellows’ cronies shouted an order at Serha, “Stop!”

The runes on her band glowed, and my selkie friend froze. “Serha!” Irving shouted in alarm, seeming unsure as to what he should do.

Since the fey cronies had subdued Rowan, who now appeared to be unconscious, a couple of them joined Bellows in fighting Arden, who was currently overwhelming the dwarf with his strength and flames, while another two came to deal with me, Winna, and Serha.

That left just two to hold onto Rowan, who had apparently been faking unconsciousness. He seized his chance and bucked wildly with all his strength, effectively tossing away the fey cronies attempting to keep him restrained.

Total chaos erupted around me.

Winna was doing her best to fight off the fey men who’d come to subdue us, Serha was still frozen in place, looking terrified, Rowan was fighting again, Irving was writhing in pain on the ground, being shocked by his restraint because he’d ignored a direct order from a crony to stab Rowan in order to subdue him again. Arden was now fighting with three people, and I was sitting there, useless because of whatever runes Bellows had carved onto those stupid stones.

One of the fey men attacking Winna broke away and came for me. I recoiled, and tried to move away as quickly as I could, but to no avail.

“Come on, little fish!” The fey man reached out and grabbed me roughly by the arm.

I spat on his face, and tried to pull away.

He swore, then reared back and struck me hard across the face.

I fell back, the world spinning, and threatening to go black.

The leering face of the fey man who’d hit me loomed in my vision as he pinned my hands down above my head with one hand. There was a flash of metal, and I felt a sharp, cold prick of a knife against my throat.

“One move and you’ll never sing again, fishy girl.” His smile was full of malice.

My blood ran cold.