Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

ORION

I sprang into action, darting to my left, picking up speed as I crashed into the trees, running without a map or any real sense of direction. But what choice did I have? The more distance between me and these assbugs, the better.

"Dawn! Dawn! Dawn! Dawn! Dawn!" the unlucky thirteen boomed behind me.

Movement above caught my eye again, revealing nothing. I pushed myself harder, leaping over fallen trees, making a sharp left to avoid a tumble down a surprise slope.

Stars! What a close call.

"Kill the cherry fae!" the army cried in the voice of Dawn. "Kill the cherry fae!"

I glanced back, their eyes bright-pink lights in the frozen gloom. Fixed to me, close enough to never let me out of their sight. That left hiding inside a hollow tree out of the question.

Crap.

"Kill the fae!"

I came to another slope, ready to take this one head on and braced myself to slide down the snowy descent, my heart ready to burst out of my chest.

Dear stars, please let me pull this off with grace, and please don't let me plant my face into the snow…

Clinging to faith in my twinkly masters, I hit the slope, arms outstretched like a surfer, axe balanced in my hands. My feet churned the snow as I slid with the grace I prayed for.

Wow. What a miracle.

I picked up speed, the slope a lot longer than expected. At the bottom sat more snow and forest. Stars only knew which direction I should take.

I'm ready for my second miracle now…

As if to scold me for asking for favors, I collided with a tree root. I didn't see it jutting out of the snow until the last minute, all twisted and gnarled and cruel.

I yelped a nonsensical curse, my right foot colliding with it at full speed. My ankle twisted, possibly breaking. I wasn't sure, but the pain burst with agonizing heat.

Wonderful.

And I lost my axe.

Curse that root!

Closing my eyes as I flew forward, I held out my hands, ready for more pain.

The seconds seemed to slow to a terrible crawl. Taunting me, playing games with my anger and my fear.

Just get it over with!

When I hit the ground, my hands slid off to the side, my face in the snow. I yelled, getting a mouthful of dirt and flakes. My body turned to the side. I tried gaining purchase on, well, anything, the skin of my palms slicing open with each attempt.

Why me?

I hit another jutting root side on, jagged edges gouging through my clothing and flesh. The force sent me rolling down the rest of the slope until a snow-covered boulder brought me to a stop.

My right arm broke under the impact, pinned against the pesky boulder. Pain surged through just about every inch of me. Black dots danced across my vision, an extra dose of terror thrumming in my veins.

Oh, stars. I couldn't move. Even with the incredible, rising agony, I tried getting back on my feet, only to be met with defeat.

Not now! I admonished my body.

It clapped back with extra pulses of pain.

Ugh. What a shame my healing ability didn't work on me. Talk about cruel irony.

"The cherry fae!" the army cried from the top of the slope.

They lined up together, a force of nightmares, their rags fluttering in a rising wind.

"Kill the fae!"

Any chance of help? I thought at Wendy in my pocket.

No answer from the queen bee as the undying fae possessed by Dawn charged down the slope.