Page 27 of Beast

Reeve disappears, his small body fleeing through thelabyrinth of tents.

A roar so loud I cover my ears fills the world around us.That sound makes me ache.

“Where the hell did that ogre come from?” Dante standsbehind one of the high tents and pokes his head around the side as thoughtrying to look but not be seen. “Holy fuck, that thing is huge.”

I stand beside him and stare out as well. I swallow as Itake in the sight before me.

I cannot see its whole body, but it is massive. It isn’t asbig as a frost giant, but a frost giant has some intelligence. This beast lookslike a creature that only lives to kill. “What is it called again?”

Dante stares up at it, his mouth slightly open. “It’s calledan ogre.”

I feel Meg’s hands on my shoulders, steadying herself thereas she, too, takes a look at the mountain of flesh currently destroyingeverything around it. The ogre is much taller than the tents, his torso barrelshaped and naked. Thick cords of muscles cross his body. His arms are biggeraround than my waist and covered in flesh that has a greenish cast to it.

I do not see how we can battle the creature. Not without apack. A strong pack can take out much larger creatures, but there are onlythree of us. Meg does not even possess claws and fangs.

“I think we could safely call it Godzilla,” Meg says. Thereis a strange silvery item in her hand. I do not know if this is the Godzillashe speaks of or if she knows the name of the beast. Meg clutches the item inher hand, holding it close to her body. “Cian didn’t say anything about ogreswhen he lectured me on all the things to stay away from.”

Dante turns back around. His hand is tight on mine. “That’sbecause it shouldn’t be here. It’s an Unseelie creature.”

“What is Unseelie?” My heart is pounding, but I cannot letthe unknown words pass. It is too much, and I need to understand.

Dante begins walking close to the walls of the tent in theopposite direction from the screaming. “Meg, stay close. Kaj, Beck and Ci areSeelie Fae. It’s basically a tribe. The Unseelie are the other tribe of Fae.”

My bare feet sink lightly into the dirt. “This is a warbetween tribes?”

“No, it can’t be,” Meg says. “I don’t understand it. We havea meeting with the Unseelie king in a few weeks. Why would they attack us? Andwhy send an ogre?”

Dante stops. Up ahead is a wide road. We will be withoutcover until we reach the forest. As we stand there, the ogre attempts todestroy everything it finds. Large items like tent poles and cages and wagonsare being thrown toward anyone who tries to flee.

“There’s no reason to send an ogre,” Dante argues. “An ogreis chaos. No one can control it. It would just as easily turn on the Unseelies.It makes no sense.”

“And it only helps Torin,” Meg says. “King Fergus hatesTorin. He would never aid him. Fergus’s daughter was trapped on the Seelieplane when the civil war broke out. He’s had men looking for her, but he can’tget an army on the plane. He’s sent assassins, but they haven’t returned.”

Ah, now I understand. It’s a bit like a pack war. Packs haveterritories. The Firsts often fight over those territories. These Seelie andUnseelies must be like packs, and Torin and Fergus are the Firsts.

This is not my fight, nor is it Dante’s. We are free toleave.

“We should go to the woods.” I point to a spot of greentrees beyond the tents. “We can hide there.”

We will have to be fast. Even as I think the words, Iwatched a creature fall beneath a large wagon the ogre threw into the fleeingcrowd, but there is no other choice. We must get to the forest. Once there, Ican hunt for us. I know forests. I will be valuable to Dante and Meg there. Iwill not be a hindrance in the wild. I will not feel like a fool there.

“I hate camping. I am going to kick my cousins’ asses whenthey get back,” Dante mutters. “All right. We need to get out of here.”

I turn back and look at the tent where I learned aboutpleasure. Dante has made himself plain. He wishes to use me for a while, butperhaps a bit of affection is better than none at all. I am not ready to bedone with him. I should run on my own, but I cannot leave him yet.

“Cara!” Reeve can be heard calling for his wife. His voicehas taken on a desperate wail.

All manner of creatures are running for the forest now. Theybump against me in their frantic flight from the ogre.

“Cara!”

The ground beneath my feet shakes.

“He’s coming this way.” Dante starts to lead me out. “We’regoing to have to make a run for it. Meg, can you keep up? I don’t want toexplain to your husbands why I lost you to an ogre who seems to be practicinghis left-handed slider.”

Meg seems to steel herself. “I’ll keep up. You won’t lose methat easily.”

Dante’s hand squeezes mine, tightening as though he isafraid to let go. “Stay together. Kaja’s right. We only really have to befaster than the gnomes. They’re short. The ogre should catch a bunch of them,and while he’s eating his appetizers, the main course will be fleeing as fastas our feet can take us.”