Well, maybe Ash knew where Ethan was? Maybe, to take her mind off it she could ask. Ash spun her again. His eyes were bright as she came back to his arms

Her mind is too focused on getting through this and then getting the hell out of here. She could make herself sick. Maybe make herself puke. That'd be enough to make them let her leave, surely?

Definitely. The music ceased as Ash pulled her into a final spin. She ended up pressed against him, his face inches from hers, his silver eyes bright and intense.

That makes her tense up even more. She just wants this to be over.

A scream shattered the night. The prince released Isiea and stepped away, his face shutting into that blank mask once more.

The scream came again, followed by a thunderous roar that rattled the tables and sent fine crystal goblets crashing to the floor. The bramble wall was shaking wildly as something large tore its way through. Fey began shouting and pushing one another, and Oberon stood, his ringing voice calling for order. For just a moment, everyone froze.

Lise immediately became panicked, but stayed as calm as she could.

Isiea stares at where the sound is, surprised. She's been carrying around her knife in, well, a place she knows nobody's gonna touch unless they want a big slap to the face. It's wrapped in cotton to prevent it from scratching that particularly sensitive area, but she'd brought it just in case. She ducks into the shadows for a moment so that people won't have to see where she's hiding it, and takes it out.

(So...as it turns out...it's not a manticore)

The brambles parted with deafening snaps, and something huge clawed its way free. Blood streaked the tawny hide of a monster--not a shadowy, under-your-bed bogey that jumped out at you, but a real monster that would rip open your stomach and eat your entrails. It had three horrible heads: a lion with a bloody satyr in its jaws, a goat with mad white eyes, and a hissing dragon with molten flame dripping from its teeth. A chimera.

For a heartbeat, it paused, staring at the party it had just interrupted, the heads blinking in unison. The dead satyr, now a chewed, mangled mess, dropped to the ground, and someone in the crowd screamed.

The chimera roared, three voices rising to a deafening shriek. The crowd scattered as the monster gathered its hindquarters under it and leaped into the fray. It came down beside a fleeing redcap and lashed out with a claw-tipped paw, catching the faery in the stomach and disemboweling it instantly. As the redcap staggered and fell, holding its intestines, the chimera turned and pounced on a troll, bearing it to the ground. The troll snarled and grabbed the lion's throat, holding it away, but then the dragon head came down, clamping its jaws around the troll's neck and twisting. Dark blood exploded in a fine spray, filling the air with a sickening coppery smell. The troll shuddered and went limp.

Gore dripping from its snout, the chimera looked up and saw the table of the noble fey.

"Find Ares. He's the kelpie from before." Isiea commands to Ash, not caring if he won't listen. She takes the cotton off of the blade, staring up at the monster.

(whos finna get got)

Wow. Of course she'd never seen a real chimera, but...geez she didn't expect it to be...that terrifying.

She soon snapped out of it. She was definitely not in the mood to be almost killed-again.