Most of them had arrows sticking out of their trunks, which did not appear to be bothering them any, and one had hooked a fey’s sword in a branch, which it was waving around in an almost mocking manner. The blade reflected firelight over the scene as they circled us, planting themselves in the churned-up dirt as if they’d always been there. Which would have been great, except that I didn’t want cover right now. I wanted Pritkin! And Mircea, and to get the hell out of here—

And then I noticed what was snapping around my ankles.

“What is that?” I demanded, because there was another spell—purple, this time—trussing me up.

“Get used to it. You’re about to have more,” Guinn said grimly, right before I socked her in the jaw.

I didn’t use vampire strength that time, but her head snapped back anyway. But then Rhea grabbed me. Her face was dirty, too, and her usually perfect hair was wild. She looked more than a little crazed.

But not half as much as I was. “Would everybody get the hell off?” I snarled. “What is wrong with you?”

“That is what we must explain,” Rhea said breathlessly.

“There’s no time! Aeslinn is about to eat Pritkin—”

“What?”

“—like right now, so get off me—”

“Where is Aeslinn?” Guinn demanded, grabbing what remained of my hair. “Where is that bastard?”

“Right there—”

“Where? Point him out!”

“The huge ass dragon, are you blind? Now let me up!”

“She’s off her chump,” Guinn told Rhea. “Knock her out and let’s go.”

Rhea didn’t listen to her, but she didn’t let me up, either. “Lady, Aeslinn cannot be a dragon. He is light fey—”

“He’s a light fey monster who has been buddying up to Zeus and learning how to eat souls! And the next one he plans to consume is Pritkin’s! Now let me go!”

She ignored my order again, although the frown between her eyes grew deeper.

But it didn’t matter because the purple spell proved no more of a match for vampire strength than Arsen’s had. I kicked outward and it disappeared with a final zap, making my legs feel numb and weak underneath me. I nonetheless scrambled up—

And was immediately tackled by supposed helpers. “Lady, no!” Rhea said. “You’ll be killed!”

“Damn it, Rhea! I’m not really here!”

But she was strong and determined, and she wasn’t listening to reason. And I was afraid to borrow Mircea’s strength, since it might seriously hurt her. But then Guinn grabbed something out of her waistband and—

“The fuck?” I stared at the thin line of red welling up on my arm, staining the lace. And then at the telepath holding a knife that she must have taken off a fey—and which she was now waving in my face.