She didn't have time to stop and question them as she continued running, the sound of the upcoming threat behind them keeping her on her toes.

A roar shook the air ahead of them, causing the swarm of killer fey to freeze in midair. It came again, guttural and savage, as something rattled the wall of thorns, coming toward them with the sound of snapping wood. Hundreds of creatures in the brambles were fleeing for their lives. The faeries scattered. Buzzing in terror, they vanished into the hedge, through cracks and tiny spaces between the thorns. In seconds, the whole swarm had disappeared. Something was coming down the trail, ripping through the wall of thorns like it wasn't there. Something black and scaly, and much, much bigger than the spider

She slowly reached for her sword, somewhat prepared.

"Thiiiief!" roared a deep, inhuman voice, before a gout of flame burst through the hedge, setting an entire section on fire, making the air explode with heat. Ironhorse bugled, rearing up in alarm. Puck cursed, grabbed her arm, and yanked her back the way they came.

"Thief? Who stole what?! Which one of you messed up?!" She snapped, terribly confused and frightened.

They fled down the trail after the strange girl and her muscle-necked companion, feeling the heat from the monster's fire at their backs. "Thieves!" the terrible voice snarled, staying right on their heels. "I can smell you! I can feel your breath and hear your hearts. Give me back what is mine!"

"Great," Puck panted, as Ironhorse cantered beside them, bellowing that he would shield Claire from the flames. "Just great. I hate spiders. I hate wasps. But, you know what I hate even more than that?"

"What?!" She snaps, continuing to sprint away from the threat.

"Dragons. Remind me to kill Grimalkin next time we see him."


The trail narrowed, then shrank down to a tight, thorny tunnel that twisted off into the darkness. Bending down and peering into it, one could just make out a door at the end of the burrow.

"Will do!" She shouts, glancing behind them to get a look at their chaser.

Puck was right, it was a dragon. And it was huge and scaley and black.