mill. Relief, anxiety, and deadly purpose combined in a dizzying rush. Sassy was here. They had found her.
A high-pitched whine made him turn. Collier’s device was a dull, angry orange.
“Demon,” Collier whispered. “You sure this is the place?”
Grim exited the car in a blur of motion. “Aye.”
As he drew his sword and started for the crumbling structure, a piercing scream shattered the glade, and the walls of the rickety dwelling trembled and swayed.
“Sassy,” Grim shouted, rushing for the little house.
The ground heaved, throwing him to his knees. Grim struggled to his feet on the rolling turf, intent on reaching Sassy. He took a staggering step and the cabin exploded with light.
Light poured out of Sassy, gushing in rainbow torrents from her body, eyes, fingertips, and the soles of her feet. It flooded the dim interior of the cabin, streamed through the windows and open door, and shot through the gaps in the walls and the tin roof. The bands at her wrists snapped and the ropes binding Cassandra to the chair slithered to the floor.
Laser beams of light spun around Sassy and Cassandra, forming a shining shield between them and the Hag.
“You think a few moonbeams will stop me?” The Hag raised a skeletal hand, and a ball of black flame appeared. “Don’t make me laugh.”
She threw the smoking ball at Sassy’s shield. It ricocheted off the glowing bands and bounced harmlessly out the door.
The Hag shrieked in fury.
Holding on to the chair for balance, Sassy got to her feet. Her knees knocked and she was trembling. Going supernova took a lot out of a girl.
“Leave,” she told the Hag. “While you still have a chance.”
“Or what, Fairy Fart?” The Hag bared her sharp teeth. “You’ll sparkle me to death?”
Cassandra rose. Her face was twisted with loathing. “You killed Jamie’s babies.”
“Jamie Schmamie. I’ve killed lots of people. So what?”
“I’ll tell you what.” Cassandra’s voice shook. “The name Jamerson Lee McKenna ring any bells?”
The Hag drew back. “He was my son. How do you know Jamerson?”
“He was my big brother.” The veins stood out on Cassandra’s neck. “I was raised on this farm. Jamie had three children.” Her voice rose. “I loved those babies like my own and you ate them.”
Cassandra’s face was white. “Those three headstones under the tree belong to your grandbabies. I buried them there, or what was left of them. You ate your own kin.”
“You’re lying.” The Hag recoiled. “I don’t believe you.”
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it, Mother.”
Shiitake mushrooms, the Hag was Cassandra’s mother? Mind officially blown.
A droning noise began in the distance and swelled.
The Hag rounded on Sassy. “What’s that? What have you done now, you troublesome little bitch?”
Sassy regarded the horrible old woman with pity. “I told you to leave. Too late now.”
Thousands of fairies swarmed into the cabin. They flew in through the doors and windows and crawled through holes and crevices. Some were lovely to behold with luminous pointed faces, teardrop eyes, and wings of spun sugar. Others were bent and hideous with horns, pointed teeth, claws, and fiery eyes. Others still resembled moving bits of moss, twigs, leaves, bark, and stone. Some glowed with starlight and moonlight, some with the pulsing heart of a fiery ember. They chittered, chirped, trilled, growled, hissed, and grumbled. The clamor was deafening.
The fairies rushed the Hag. Fluttering, clawing, climbing, the avenging troop tore at her skin, hair, and runny black eyes. The Hag screamed and slapped at them. With a furious screech, she ran outside. The fairies swarmed after her.
A lone fairy darted up to Sassy. Clear as a raindrop with wings like frosted lace, the tiny creature hovered in front of her. Tilting its delicate head, it chirped something in a high musical voice. The message was clear: Seriously, you’ll want to see this.
The fairy sped away.
Sassy dashed into the yard and was greeted by an astonishing sight. The witch streaked around the clearing with the fairies in hot pursuit. And something else, as well: Mea the Maserati. Mea’s doors opened and closed, and her trunk snapped like an angry mouth. Engine growling with the ferocity of an attack dog, the sports car harried the witch.
Shrieking threats and curses, the witch broke away, dashed down a grassy lane and across the field in the direction of a broken gate. The car and the fairies took off after her, bird-dogging the fleeing crone.
Sassy heard a deep shout and was snatched up by a pair of strong arms.
“Sassy.” Grim crushed her to him, raining kisses upon her