With a final burst of speed, Spark flung herself forward and caught the fruit in one hand. Using her bow, she beat back the dark birds and hurried to summon up one of her elemental spells. Air—that would do it. Clutching the apple to her chest, she chanted the awkward syllables.
A gust of wind swept through the clearing, whipping her hair into her face, and pushing the crows back. Spark turned and ran, the angry calls of the birds following her.
She made it about halfway through the orchard when the blossom-scattered grass before her erupted into a tangle of thorns. Leaping back, she saw that the wicked briars had sprouted all around her, and were closing in quickly. One long, sharp thorn pricked her wrist, painful as a needle.
“Kijherba Oncoti!” she cried.
Instantly, a wall of flame sprang up before her. Spark gestured it forward, and heard the briars screeching as the fire scorched them. They shriveled, and she leaped over the blackened tangle and kept running.
Spark’s breath rasped in her throat as she raced for the edge of the orchard. She leaned forward, forcing another burst of speed. Behind her, the crows still called. A quick look over her shoulder showed a mass of thorns following in her wake, twisting and writhing along the ground.
She burst out of the orchard, only to rock back at the sight of a huge silver serpent blocking her way. Seriously—the game wasn’t making it easy for her.
The serpent hissed, showing a long, forked tongue, then reared back, preparing to strike. Spark scrolled rapidly through her spells. She’d already burned the charms for air and fire, which left earth and water.
A thorn grazed her boot, and the crows called harshly behind her. Pulling on all her reserves, she wove the words of her remaining elements together, and flung them toward the serpent. Instantly it began to sink, surrounded by a pit of mud. It flailed back and forth, splashing clods of grass and thick gobs of mud up in huge gouts, but it was stuck, and sliding lower by the second.
Tucking the copper apple into her pocket, Spark sprinted to her right, cutting a wide path around the serpent now mired in muck. As she ran, she morphed into her fox form. Four paws dug into the grass, and her keen ears heard the swish of feathers behind her. She zigzagged, foiling the attacking crow. It screeched in anger. Another sound, a weird grinding, vibrated beneath her feet. Ahead, thorny briars burst out of the ground.
She leaped, just clearing the tangle. To her left, the serpent lunged, missing her by inches. It smelled like dry bones.
Her tiny heart pounding, she reached the crest of the hill. As soon as she topped it, the stench of the hairy man hit her like a wall of compost, making her eyes water. The sounds of pursuit faded, but she kept running until she reached the cottage.
“Heehee,” the hairy man said. “A frightened fox. Has it forgotten how to be mortal?”
She almost had forgotten once, during the battle with the Dark Queen, but that time she’d stayed in her fox form far longer.
“Not even,” she said as she transformed back into her human body. “I have the apple.”
He scowled and held out his hand. Spark retrieved the fruit and gave it to him.
“You have succeeded.” He didn’t sound happy about it. “Take the apple.”
She hesitated. Was this some kind of fey trick?
“Go on.” He thrust his hand toward her. The copper apple shone brightly against his coarsely haired palm.
“Why?”
“Your quest was to fetch the apple and show it to me. The reward remains yours. Take it quickly, ’ere I transport you to the next level.”
Spark snatched the gleaming fruit from him. During the final battle with the Dark Queen, both Tam and Jennet had used talismans they’d won in-game. Maybe the apple would prove equally helpful.
Of course, Jennet also had a magic sword she’d gotten from the Elder Fey. Somehow, Spark didn’t think she was in line for a gift like that.
The hairy man lifted his hands, inscribing symbols into the air that left a glowing afterimage. The cottage tipped, the sky reversing, and she was enfolded in dizzying light once again. She gripped the apple, concentrating on its smooth solidity.
After three whirling heartbeats, she landed on solid ground. Swallowing hard, Spark looked around. She was in another clearing, this one in a piney forest. The moon-pale mushrooms surrounded her, and the sky overhead was the dark blue of early evening. A handful of scattered stars dusted the sky.
Good. She was progressing through the world, every level taking her closer to the Dark Court.
Spark tucked the copper apple away. With a deep breath, she stepped over the faerie ring and started down the dusky, beckoning path.
Aran followed Thomas back to the tent, his thoughts spinning. He didn’t like being forced to reverse-hack into the real world. On the other hand, think of the cheats and exploits he’d learn, which he could sell once he got back.