Finally, after the longest minute of my life, I pull back from him. He sways forward with me, and I have to prop him up, with my arms around his neck this time. I wipe my mouth with the back of one hand, glaring at the faerie, who’s backed off a few inches.

She looks the same way I feel: confused, and a little nauseous.

“Iselia,” Raze says again, this time in a completely different tone. He blinks like someone waking up from a nap, this time gazing at me like I’m some mysterious wonder.

“See?” I say to the faerie. “Too easy. You’re wasting your talents here. Go find someone else.”

And to my enormous surprise and relief, she does.

“Ugh!” As soon as her back turns, I remove my arms from Raze’s neck and shake him roughly by the shoulders. “Raze, snap out of it. Now!”

He shakes his head, pushing me away gently. His hands run through his already-messed hair, making it even messier. “I-I think the magic’s gone now. Where are we?”

For the first time, I notice his clothes. He’s as dressed up as I am, in a billowy white shirt as fine as spider silk with embroidery all along the low neckline, a belt with an intricately crafted gold buckle, velvet breeches, and shiny boots that come all the way up to his knees. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the simple, silvery ring he took back from Leira, which now rests on his right pointer finger.

“Where do you think?” I say, wiping my mouth again for good measure.

He’s still dazed, looking at the forest around us like he’s seeing everything for the first time. “Where are the others?”

I glare at him. “If I knew, do you really think that would have been the first thing I did?” The reality of the situation is settling in now, curling in my chest. Isolde could be in terrible danger. She could be dancing herself to exhaustion somewhere. We need to find her and Olani as soon as possible and figure out what the faeries did with our wagon so we can get back on the road. I don’t have time for his questions.

“You saved me,” Raze says. He stands, stretching. I wonder how long he’s been sitting here. I wonder how long he would have stayed, if I hadn’t come along.

He offers a hand down to me, but I ignore it, creaking unsteadily back to my feet. “If you die here, you can’t pay me.”

“And if I live?” he says, looking at me. I’ve lost whatever shine he saw in the moments the enchantment dissolved, but his expression still seems weird. Maybe he’s just noticing how bad my scars are for the first time. I cross my arms.

“If we live,” I say, “I want an extra fifty percent. And for you to promise you’ll never make me kiss you again.”

Raze reaches for my hand, closing it in his before I can dart away. I look up at him, heart leaping in confusion and alarm. He doesn’t think—