Red and Her Wolf (Kingdom, #3)

Miriam’s head snapped up and Danika’s eyes widened because the eyes staring back at her were a solid white and the voice that came out sounded as deep as a man’s. “The Heartsong must be saved.”


Goose flesh skittered down Danika’s back, Miriam was in full ‘sight’ mode. It could take hours to snap her from these trances and Danika couldn’t let that happen. Miriam was vulnerable and exposed when using her third eye.

But if they had any hope of saving the Heartsong, Danika needed to wake her friend up.

“Mir?” Danika shook her gently. “Wake up, dear.”

“Save the Heartsong,” Miriam intoned, heavy inflections undulating against the translucent bubble like waves crashing upon a rocky shore.

“Oh bloody damn, bloody, bloody, bloody damn…” Danika muttered, slapping a still mumbling Miriam on first one cheek, then the other. The skin turned crimson and still Danika slapped her. “Wake up, you gnatty old fool. You want us to save the chit; wake the bloody hell up!”

Miriam’s head lolled around, but the whites of her eyes remained. The wolves were gone, the girl… who knew where, this couldn’t be happening. Heart thundering loud, Danika grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at Miriam’s face.

The fairy coughed, but still did not cease her rambles.

Quivering, on the fine edge of desperation, Danika did the only thing she could think of. “Incendio!” she cried, pointing her wand at Miriam’s feet.

Thick waves of amber encased Mir’s bare feet, and a shriek that made Danika’s ears ring, sprang from the brunette’s mouth.

“My feet!” Miriam cried, blinking big lavender eyes up at Danika accusingly as she stomped the flames off, “What have ye done?”

Danika flung her arms around her friend’s neck. “I’ll tell you later, we must find the Heartsong, Mir, she’s in grave danger.”

Mentioning the girl almost seemed to make Miriam forget her momentary anger. “Yes,” she said, “we must.”

There was a resolute tone to her voice, no longer fear, but knowledge of something deep and powerful.

“Follow me,” Miriam cried, and streaked in a blur through the air.

Danika followed, large blades of grass slapped their faces. Her pulse pounded a furious tempo in her ears. They had to make it. They must make it in time. The Heartsong must not be killed. Though Danika had only ever thought of her as myth, all knew to kill the Heartsong was to release the dark magic that beat within her soul. It must never happen.

Up ahead a thatched roof cottage came into view. A silver plume of smoke curled like a beacon through the air, then a scream that rang with pure and primal fear, blasted all around them.

“Inside. Hurry!” Miriam cried, her wings beat faster as she streaked, a golden bolt of lightning cutting a straight path through the navy blue sky.

Sweat dripped down Danika’s back with the effort to keep up, yet still she urged her wings to pump harder. Faster.

They sailed through the half opened door and the scene within was chaos. On the ground Jana the Green lay dead, her wand dangled limp from lifeless hands. The Green had assumed the form of an elderly woman; her silver white hair was long and tangled, partially covering one eye. Her pudgy face forever frozen in a soundless scream--a big black wolf lay on the floor, savaging her, ripping off her hand, spitting it out, and then ripping off the other and doing the same. Fleshy parts of the Green were everywhere.

The Green--one of the Powerful Ten.

Shock rooted Danika to the spot, scrambling her brain, her ability to reason or think. The slaughter of the Green--so shocking, so unbelievable, Danika could hardly breathe. Of all the fae in all the world of Kingdom, none were more powerful than the Ten. That the wolves could destroy her with such ease… Danika’s gut clenched--insides revolting at the earthy, metallic stench of so much blood.

Backed into a corner of the wall, the Heartsong screamed and screamed, quivering within the folds of her red cape. A basket lay by her feet, yellow apples rolling like heads on the packed dirt floor. The red wolf Danika had spotted earlier, stood in front of the Heartsong, growling with its hackles raised. Ready, it seemed, to pounce and tear the girl limb from limb.

The big black wolf lifted its shaggy head, glowing yellow eyes swiveled toward the girl and he gave a long, low whimper.

The red wolf growled and snapped its fanged jaws.

The black wolf’s nostrils flared, as if scenting. His head bobbed up and down, his tail thumped excitedly on the ground. He whimpered again.

The other wolf growled louder, taking a menacing step towards the girl. His gums pulled back, revealing wickedly long incisors.

The black wolf shot to his feet. A rumble tore from his chest, spilled up his throat, and dropped from his tongue. But Danika was dazed to note the black did not eye the girl, rather he eyed the red wolf.

The girl whimpered, refusing to look at anything.

“Oh no,” Miriam said.