Vadde submerged again. Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to keep her head up above the water. None of that compared to the taste of blood she had to contend with.

A jar. She, a human being, now fit inside a damn little jar.

Her mind raced, her body and eyes burned. Never mind the gashes in her feet. But what was on her back? A shiver ran through her at the thought of the wings she now had.

There wasn’t much time to make sense of any of that.

She slammed against the glass. The water sloshed and shifted with her captor’s steps. When the jar finally tipped, Vadde tumbled out of the water, crying.

People hurried to clean her feet then bound them; someone tended to her back.

She simply bawled.

“Move her,” Aggu instructed.

Matax, now fair skinned and towering over them in human form, looked from Vadde’s pathetic frame resting by the wagon, then back to Aggu again, brows creased in confusion and disgust.

“You’d let him do that to her? You’d let him torture her? But you’re one of us.”

The moonlight caught Aggu who stepped toward him, meeting him face to face.

“What I am, is the wife of a giant. And if you think my methods are questionable, then I’d invite you to take it up with my husband.”

Matax clenched his jaw. He let out a sigh then raised both hands. “It won’t do any good. Her wings were never used. She cannot yet fly. Maybe she never can.”

Vadde floated before him, and he examined her back.

“Especially with what he’s done to her wing.”

Aggu ignored him and brought a sheet to cover Vadde from view. “Shaza,” she said, “are you listening?”

“M—ma’am. I…far be it for me to tell you how to run your house, ma’am, but we succubuses don’t work well in deception.”

“Deception? Let me remind you that it’ll be you dead with a giant’s child in your womb if this doesn’t work!”

Shaza quieted. Finally, she squeaked out, “Right.”

Aggu told Matax, “You may go—”

“The hell I will. You left me under that table for three days! And I don’t leave this bitch until I am paid—”

A hand struck him.

Vadde couldn’t see what was happening, but Shaza’s gasp resounded.

“Ma’am, how’d—how’d you get him to shrink down like that?”

Aggu grunted. “That is his actual size. So long as his wings aren’t bound, that is what he’ll revert to. Here.” Matax now returned to his previous prison, she said, “Take this jar and put it in the house. Whatever my son does with it, is his business.”

“Y—yes, ma’am.”

Something must have caught her if the scream was any indication.

“Oh,” Aggu drawled, “and let me not remind you that I’ve buried far more helpful people than a succubus.”

An eerie silence came and then a slow voice. “Ye—yes, ma’am.”

Within minutes, the wagon was in motion and Vadde fought to calm. Each time she closed her eyes, Wyrn’s cold, unfeeling face came to her with a shiver.

The aching in her feet resounded throughout her entire body and the sobs came back again.

Aggu said nothing as they traveled past the river and into the woods. Vadde wasn’t versed enough in the area to know which path she took, but there must have been a road of some kind if they could travel this way.

She wanted to understand how she’d been transformed into a fairy. She wanted to demand the woman release her. She wanted to admonish the betrayal, but one thing didn’t come to mind, going back to her hunchback.

The first day, that was all she could think. And she’d screamed at Wyrn’s gigantic form until her throat was raw. He said nothing. He did nothing to acknowledge her.

And now this.

“I hadn’t expected you to make it this far,” Aggu grumbled, annoyed. “And I’d more than put out the effort.”

Vadde stifled another sniff, angry with herself for giving this monster the satisfaction.

“I’d even made a second tournament to ensure yours not reach him. My son never makes a mistake when I request anything of him. It was no coincidence the city names were so similar. And yet…and yet,” she said, frustrated, “he not only found you, but won you. And leaving you to the mercy of a jealous succubus after the fact should have more than done away with you.”

The bitter laugh she gave off came with a swear.

“Goddess…. That absolute bitch. Well, all right. The Living Goddess wants to rescue you from beyond the grave. Let her. And I will beat this curse if it’s the last, the very last thing I do.”

Still shivering, Vadde gripped the cloth below her to find it was clothes. It was the shakiest she’d ever dressed, using her sense of touch as her guide.

What was happening? What was going on?

She needed more information—she needed to make sense of it all.

Five years ago, The Living Goddess herself forced her parents to give her away to whoever won her. Orm had come, but Wyrn was victorious.

And she’d loved him, Wyrn…like a fool. She’d love the man to near drown her in water every night, squeeze her in the palm of his hand as if she were nothing, then stab her in the feet out of spite.

Hadn’t he loved her?

Hadn’t he seen her?

And how was she able to turn into a fairy?

Her mother’d taught her of the Fae, but only that they could cause trouble and were best avoided. But nothing of The Living Goddess, the Fairy Queen made mortal and worshiped as a pagan deity. That, she’d all learned while living with the giants, more specifically, from Matax and Jeze’s interactions.

Jeze. Where was she now? Still in Wyrn’s shield? Dead?

The wagon finally came to a stop, and someone approached.

“Witch, where is my horse?”

The voice was one Vadde would know even in death. She was barely in her dress when Aggu jumped down off the wagon.

“Your horse is as dead as you if you’re not careful. In two days’ time, this is as far as you’ve gotten?”

“How much further do you think I would go without what you’d promised me!”

A hand struck a face.

Vadde opened her eyes, desperate for a means of escape. And who was struck, Aggu? Maybe now she’d realize her foolishness by trying to pay for Orm’s silence with a princess. But they couldn’t run. Aggu, perhaps, but not Vadde with her feet in this condition.

“I gave you simple instructions, you imbecile. Go and win the princess at all costs!”

All fell silent save for the distant frogs and crickets making themselves known.

Aggu had also made herself known and Vadde’s eyes remained perpetually opened as the shock washed over her.

For a long moment, Orm said nothing. When he spoke, it came with embarrassment. “Yes. I had done that. I had meant to. But—but she threw herself at me and her father saw.”

His words lit Vadde up with such a fury that she fantasized about standing on these bleeding feet and strangling the bastard with her bare hands.

“So, you used a hunchback to win her instead,” Aggu said, nearly spitting. Finally, she muttered under her breath. “Idiot.” But whether the words were directed at Orm or herself, was unclear. “We are fighting fate,” she said at last. “A fairy’s revenge can extend beyond the grave, and deep into a lifetime.” She asked Orm, “Are you certain you wish to meddle in such affairs?”

Orm’s pensive tone all but vanished. “I want The Living Goddess. That was our agreement. You offer her up to me and my kingdom and your people—your filthy giants—are spared.”

“That’s not all,” Aggu said, “you’ve left out the part where we gain exclusive access to her in our prayers.”

“What?” Orm recoiled. “So—so what, you and those beasts visit my land yearly? Out of the question.”

“She cannot stay with you on your land, it will attract conquerors. You can keep her for a time, but you must relinquish her to the temple. It’s the only place her power can grow unabated. Unless you tether her there, you’ll lose her forever. And rest assured, gaining access to another Fairy Queen is impossible.”

Orm said nothing for some time. Finally, he sighed, “Very well, where is she? The Living Goddess.”

“Dead. And she’s been dead for twenty years now.”

“What? But our deal—”

“Yes. Our deal.” Aggu marched to the wagon and threw back the cover.

The cold night air bit at Vadde’s skin.

“She will be the new goddess.”

With a few heavy steps, Orm closed in then peered down. “I do not understand.” He looked to Aggu for guidance. “How can a human become The Living Goddess?”

“By being transformed into a fairy.” Aggu turned to him finally and said, “The process has started. And it cannot be undone and once it’s complete, you need only imprison her in the temple and come now and then to make your wishes.” She raised an index finger. “While allowing us access to her as well.”

Orm’s brows creased but he paid attention. His eyes settled on Vadde and he scowled, ready to spit.

“She’s not to be my wife?”

“She can no longer be your wife, you moron. She’s been visited by the Fae. Any man’s touch now won’t bring her pleasure.”

The scowl of disgust deepened. “Is that supposed to deter me?”

Aggu blinked at him, surprised. Finally, she glanced at Vadde then back to the prince and said, “A Fae in good spirits brings luck. One suffering brings ruin.” She warned, “You can do whatever you want with her indirectly, but the process has started and any man to touch her now who isn’t a Fae will become sick.”

Her words had Orm deep in thought. “That was not what I had in mind.”

“Yes. I imagine you wanted a wife and a Living Goddess and you would have gotten both if you’d have just employed more patience.”

“And look at her feet. How do I know she won’t cause me harm even now? You people want access to her but don’t keep her yourselves.”

Aggu hesitated then confessed, “There’s no way to keep her now. She’s gotten in my way. And if you will not take her, I will deliver her to the temple myself and shut out all others.”

Orm glanced from Vadde to Aggu once more. “I’m changing the terms of our agreement.”

The aged matriarch bit back a swear. “What?”

“I want more. Obviously, you need me otherwise you would have done just that. I want her as a wife, in my land.”

“And I’ve told you that you no longer can. She’s been touched by a Fae. It won’t work.”

“Well, make it work! What’s the point of a woman whose body I can’t use?”

Aggu stared him down for ages then sighed out through her nose. “One time,” she said, “and it must be at the temple.”

Orm’s expression softened. “Finally. Something useful. Do you have iron to keep her bound?”

“That is unnecessary,” Aggu explained. “She cannot run and should you put iron on her now, she cannot heal either.”

Orm unhooked something from his belt and brought it to Vadde.

The chain wrapped around her ankles seared her skin and she bit back a cry.

“Let me not take your word for it.” Orm mounted the wagon and asked, rather eagerly, “Where do I go?”

Aggu hesitated but once then pointed forward. “You keep going, even when it becomes dark. The animal can see when you cannot.” Before he could flick the reins, she was quick to add, “And you must do your business in haste. And once. Too often and you corrupt her because she cannot enjoy it.”

“Again,” Orm scoffed, urging the donkey with a flick of his wrists, “you assume I care about her enjoyment.”