The Rebel Queen (Outlaw #1) - Lexi Blake Page 0,108

not in a relationship with, the best advice is to run. Because it probably is going to eat you in a non-erotic fashion. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to run because of the freaking invisible rope that bound me to Rhys.

“Mother, I am not turning us around so you can see the incredibly large troll that is coming to eat us.”

That was what I was afraid of. I was even more pissed at the Hidden Assholes. “Really? I mistakenly hit you with a snowball meant to unleash some of my son’s reasonable anger at me and you try to feed us to trolls?”

“If your boy is who he says he is, he’ll get you out of it. If he isn’t, then he’s only good for troll meat.” The male’s voice whispered across my ears.

“Rhys, I think you should do something.” It was one thing to get super cold, but I wasn’t about to be eaten by a troll. I had things to do, and I couldn’t save the world from the inside of a troll’s belly.

“Do what?” Rhys asked, clearly exasperated.

“I don’t know. This is the point where your father would use plants as a weapon or something.” Dev would already have us out of the rope and he would be trying to use it on me in some weird sex way.

I caught the scent of really righteous BO and knew this particular troll didn’t keep up the fastidious grooming routine some did.

“You can handle this, Green Man.” The female’s voice was quiet as though she had moved and was now closer to Rhys than to me. “My partner has what the humans would call a short fuse. He’s stubborn, too, or we would be having this conversation in a civilized manner. I can sense your power. I believe your mother is correct, and you could be all she says you are. The Hidden Ones need help. We’ve been apart from our fellow Fae for so long we cannot connect anymore. We cling to shadows and old grudges, and it is killing us. But they will not listen to you until you prove yourself. So I will step away. You will live and be our hope, or you will die and we will know there is none.”

There was something desperate and plaintive in her plea. Something that made my heart ache because I’d heard that plea before. I’d heard it in the leaders who were trying to save their people—even from themselves.

“You look tasty.”

I turned my head enough to get a look-see at the troll who was planning to make us a snack. “I’m not. I think you’ll find I’m very gamey.”

“Mother,” Rhys hissed.

“Lee isn’t coming, baby. I need you to be ready to run if we can get out of this rope.” My adrenaline was up. It pulsed through my body and reminded me that I could get out of this. I could save Rhys, and maybe if I was fast enough I could save myself, too.

“Or you can unleash all that power,” the Hidden One said. “I can feel it. Why are you so afraid? Are you so afraid you will let yourself die, Green Man?”

I was starting to panic because Rhys truly was afraid of his power. He was terrified of it, of what it could do, of what it could cost him. “I did it. I hit your asshole husband or whatever he is. Rhys did nothing. I want a judgment. You have rules? Well, then you have to have justice, and killing my son isn’t justice. I demand a trial.”

It had worked for me before. If they took me to some weird hidden realm to be judged, I would go with them. I would trust that Danny and Dev would find a way to get me out if I couldn’t do it myself. The one thing I couldn’t do was watch some troll take my son’s life.

I planted my feet in the snow and started to push against Rhys, trying to move so I was in front of the troll.

“You want a piece of me?” I yelled the troll’s way. I was ready to kick and bite and fight. Anything to give my son time to get away.

And then the ropes came off and I felt a wave of warmth, a strong wind that blew the cap off my head. The snow beneath us melted and grass sprang under me. The strong body that had balanced me shifted, and I was on my back in the