The Goblin's Crown

Chapter Forty Seven: City of Thorns

The air was thick with the smell of cooking and the commingling of a thousand voices. Below me, within the protective tangle of thorns, the Unseelie faeries lived in blissful ignorance of the wolf scratching at their door.

Unwinding the chain of my iron pendant from the handle of my knife, I looped it around my neck, letting the hunk of metal bob heavily between my breasts. Against my skin, it hummed warm and alive with the constant flow of power as it cut my path through the protective walls of the faeries' nest.

"Describe it," Snorri said, beating his wings slowly.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, keeping my balance as I stood straight on his back. "The illustration on our map is exact." I panted, excitedly. Wide open eyes took in the city below hungrily. "The thorny vines were not just a representation of magic. There are literal thorns surrounding the city."

"Do you see a way in?"

"No, the vines are interlaced so thickly, I can't see a single building. There is some space between them though." My eyes scanned the thorns, noting the filtered light pouring through several bare spots between the vines. "Most of them seem a tight fit, but I think I can wiggle my way through. The hard part will be finding a good place to drop me off." From what I could tell, the briars were fiercely armed. Every square inch was prickly with thorns. "Circle around. I'll tell you when I see a good spot."

He swooped around the city in a circular pattern, looking for all the world like a vulture intent on a meal. With each pass, he dared to go a little lower, angling his wings just enough to improve my vantage point, but keep me from tumbling from his back.

"Closer!" I demanded. "We're still too high!" The thorns were so thick and evenly placed, they were all blending together from our height. I needed to get as close as possible.

A rumbling, like the earth itself was growling at me, echoed through The Hollow's Branches. One of the tentacle-like vines that moved the city through the branches, detached from The Hollow's branches and shot at us like a bolt of lightning.

"Shit!" I spat. Quickly dropping into a crouch I grabbed a hold of his collar. I gave it a yank, attempting to guide him into a banking left turn out of the assaulting vine's path.

The vine snapped like a whip at the air, so close a wave of wind and sound sent us into a chaotic tumble. I was knocked from my perch and plummetted towards the city and all its lovely, sharp thorns.

"Matilda!" I heard Snorri shout my name. I pried my eyes open as I somersaulted ass over head through the sky to see him zooming towards me, his wings flat against my spine and arm outstretched for me, desperate fingers clawing.

I reached towards his hand with my own greedy fingers. Our fingertips were a breath apart, so close yet so far. I stretched my arm out as far as I could. Fire burned through my muscles in protest. I grit my teeth against it. A little closer. Just a little closer.

I could not let it end here.

Unfortunately for me, I would learn a valuable lesson that day. Gravity is a bitchy bastard.

"No!" I heard The Hollow's voice boom through me as my back slammed against a vine. I rolled off that one, then another, only to hit a third, more prickly one. My legs came down hard, skewering themselves on tall spikes while the rest of my body was stabbed by a thousand smaller thorns.

The screams of pain and the multitude of obscenities from every language I knew that followed was completely involuntary.

"No! No! NOOOO!!!" The Hollow screamed, drowning out my own voice. "You will not die! I will not have my work wasted!" Against my consent, my muscles twitched, trying to pull my battered limbs free of the knife-like things skewered through them. The pain was so immense, my vision flickered white as I teetered in and out of consciousness. The Hollow continued trying to force my limp body free, regardless of my torment. Greedy, cruel thing.