Then with one mind, the birds beat off toward the lake, an angry fluttering mass, swooping and calling.

“They’re flying to tell the queen,” Donovan said. He took the lantern from my hand so I could run faster. “Hurry!”

Jason led the way. Donovan ran between us, the lantern bobbing and jerking in the air a few feet in front of me. I tried to keep up with him, but silk slippers weren’t meant for running. Neither were mountainous ball gowns and corsets.

How long had it taken us to walk through the forest? Fifteen minutes? Perhaps twenty? It shouldn’t take long to run the distance. Five minutes, ten tops. Could we make it to the meadow before Queen Orlaith found us?

Donovan must have checked on me and seen I was falling behind. He slowed his pace. He was choosing to stay with me rather than escape without me. Part of me wanted to hug him for being so selfless. The other part wanted to yell at him to get away while he could. I pushed myself to run faster so he could too.

We passed the diamond trees and went through the ones made of gold. Against the lantern light, their bare branches seemed like rows and rows of jagged spikes. The wind picked up, flooding through the forest in a way that made the boughs lash up and down. It was only the wind, I told myself. The trees weren’t really shaking their branches threateningly. They weren’t reaching out for me with spindly fingers.

As I ran, the goblet slapped against my leg. My slippers had no traction and I kept stumbling, tempting an all-out fall. We passed by the last of the gold trees and fled through the silver. The wind blew bits of dust and bark, making it hard to see. Five minutes, I told myself, I was only five minutes from freedom.

As we rounded a bend in the path, I slid and pitched forward. The only nice thing about running in a ball gown with a huge poofy skirt is they do a decent job of breaking your fall. This advantage unfortunately is counteracted by the fact it’s impossible to get up quickly once you’ve fallen. I cursed and struggled with my dress. Donovan heard me. The light bobbed back to me. I felt his grip on my hand and he pulled me to my feet. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” I didn’t bother to brush myself off before taking off in a run again. “Whoever named these shoes ‘slippers’ got it right. That’s what they do.”

A pine branch whipped out, striking my neck and chin. I pushed it away and kept running, hands raised in protection. A few feet later another branch swept down in front of me. This one larger. It caught on the lace of my sleeve and yanked me backward. I pulled frantically at the branches, ripping the lace to free myself.

I sprinted forward again, breathing hard. A few moments later, another branch swung into the path in front of me. I dodged out of the way, barely managing to avoid it. “The trees are trying to stop us.”

Actually not us, me. Either the trees didn’t see Donovan and weren’t smart enough to figure out the bobbing lantern wasn’t levitating by itself, or they knew I had the goblet and were only charged with stopping me. It’s hard to judge how smart trees are.

“Hurry!” Donovan called. His voice was nearly lost in the angry howl of the wind and the answering moan of branches.

I ran faster, listening for the sound of the birds. They would come back, and when they did, they would lead Queen Orlaith to us.

I couldn’t see Jason up on the path anymore. The other princes could say what they wanted about his lack of rowing ability, but when it came to running through a creepy forest, the boy could put on some serious speed.

How much longer till the trees thinned and we could see the meadow? A minute? Three? I was panting, and each deep breath I drew came in sharp contact with the corset. Donovan slowed his pace so he wouldn’t get too far ahead.

“I’m holding you back,” I said. “Run up ahead and call Jade Blossom and Chrissy. By the time you work the deal out, I’ll be there.”

“I can’t leave you. We’ve only got one light.”

“Go. I can see enough to stay on the path.” The moon was bright and the magical trees had a glow that faintly illuminated everything around them.

Donovan didn’t say anything. He didn’t run ahead.

“The sooner we call our fairy godmothers, the sooner we’ll be safe from Queen Orlaith.”

The light remained in the same position, a few feet ahead of me. I knew Donovan though, knew what to say to make him go ahead. “When the birds come back, they’ll probably search for the lantern. I’ll have a better chance of making it through the forest if they follow you instead of me.”

Donovan said something, maybe swore in frustration. I couldn’t quite tell. The wind howled angrily, tossing his words away before they reached me.

But my request had the desired effect. The light bounced away from me and down the path. Donovan was fast—should-be-in-track fast. Had-practice-outrunning-the-police fast.

I chased after the light, watching it grow smaller. A few moments later, it went around a curve and blinked out of sight. I was alone. Alone in the near darkness with flailing branches that struck at me.

Twice more tree limbs swung down and caught on my dress. I had to break off the gripping twigs to free myself. Each moment I expected to hear the call of the birds overhead, circling the forest to find me. Perhaps they were already above me, leading the queen to my location.

Where did the forest end? Why couldn’t I see it yet? Had the queen put a spell on it so it never ended? Perhaps I would eventually fall down exhausted, and then the trees would grab me in their branches and hold me fast.

I ran on, tired and panting from fear as much as exertion. And then the trees thinned, and I saw the grey shimmer of moonlight on the meadow ahead.

I was nearly safe. When I passed the last tree, I would be out of Queen Orlaith’s land.

A few steps later I could see people: Jason and Donovan talking with Chrissy and Jade Blossom. A nightlight glow surrounded Chrissy, and her wings glimmered on her back. Her hair was no longer pink, but a blonde that shone with intertwined starlight. The modern clothes were gone, replaced by a pale flowing dress.

Jade Blossom stood next to Chrissy, dark hair laying down her back in sleek waves. Her glow had a blue cast to it, and veins of green ran through her wings, gleaming. Jason stood facing the fairies, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath. Donovan had taken off his cloak, and he stood in front of the fairies, turning so he could check the forest. He was waiting for me.

I pushed myself to go faster, willed myself to sprint the rest of the way. We were nearly safe. We just had to complete the deal with our fairies and then we could go home. Home. I wanted to see my parents so badly it felt like a physical ache lodged in my heart.

I should have noticed Donovan’s tense stance and his angry expression. I should have guessed what it meant, but I was too glad to see the fairies. I didn’t pick up on the tone of the conversation until I came within earshot.

“Absolutely not,” Jade Blossom said. Her eyebrows lifted in disbelieving peeks. “However, if you give me the goblet, I’ll see what I can do to help the others.”

Chrissy turned a triumphant smile on Jade Blossom. “Your guy is trying to swindle magic out of you because he doesn’t have the goblet.” She fluttered her hand, shooing him away. “Nice try, Donny. No goblet, no dice.”

“Look,” Jason cut in. “I’m the innocent one in all of this. I didn’t do anything to deserve being here, but I still helped get that cup. Somebody had better send me home.”

Donovan glanced at the path and saw me coming. Relief washed over him. “Sadie!”

The wind let out an offended sounding howl, slashing tree branches in my direction one last time, but they were too late. I passed the last tree and stumbled up to everyone.