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hairs at the end. A naskink, a creature commonly used as a beast of burden, because they were docile and easier to tame than felipar.
    Corin stepped up to the seat and offered Selina a hand. She reached out and took it, holding the hood low over her face with her other hand.
    "Up yeh go, Miss."
    She sat down on the hard seat and fought off the urge to glance back at the feyquin.
    "Ayup-yup!" Corin slapped the reins on the back of the naskink, which let out a low moan into the darkening land. The wagon lurched, and she let go of the cloak and grabbed the side of her seat to keep her balance. Once the creaking wagon moved steadily, she dared to let one hand off the seat to hang onto the cloak.
    They rode in silence into the growing dusk. Stars lit in the heavens above, chasing the last of the sunlight fading behind them.
    "How far will we get tonight?" She raised her voice over the creaking of the wagon.
    "The missus expects me home. Yeh can rest there. We'll take yeh to Dorrinton in the mornin'. Yeh'll find soldiers there. Bigger town. Cap'n Samners'll help yeh along."
    As the moon came up, a light not far from the road—the glow from a window—shone through the trees. So close! The feyquin would never find her, let alone catch her. Selina sighed and let go of her hood.
    "Whoa!"
    The jerk of the wagon stopping made her grip the seat again to keep from bouncing off. She wanted her carriage back.
    "What is it?" She saw nothing in the moonlit gloom of night.
    "Heydy, stranger!" Corin said.
    Her heart skipped a beat and she pulled her hood low to hide her face.
    A shadowy figure detached from the road and moved towards them, his black hair peppered with gray. No. It couldn't be!
    "What's a man doing out this late?" The man came up on her side of the wagon, his eyes glinting in the moonlight with a hardness that chilled her.
    Faldon!
    "Your wife is waiting at home, old man."
    Selina looked to Corin, but his eyes widened with fear.
    "Thank you for bringing the lady to me." A hint of warning edged the man's otherwise welcoming tone.
    "How did you know?" Corin asked.
    Selina bit her lip and restrained herself from slapping the old man.
    The stranger met her eyes with a smile as if she asked the question. "You don't think I didn't expected it? I would be disappointed if you hadn't tried...Selina."
    She yanked the hood off. "I'm not going back! You can tell your friends."
    "That's why I'm here."
    "How—" She shook her head. "No. Leave me." She glanced aside. "Ignore him, Corin. Let's go."
    "Can't, Miss. He's a hold o' Dandy."
    She noticed then the cursed man's hand on the rein. "You!"
    Faldon reached up and grabbed her waist.
    "Let me go!" Selina kicked and pounded, but had no leverage on the narrow seat. "You heathen! You...bastard!"
    He lost his grip and she fell hard to the ground. Tears of frustration welled up as she rolled to get her feet under her.
    His weight tackled her to the ground, face down.
    "Get home, old man!"
    The slap of reins preceded the creak of the wagon into the night.
    Selina struggled against the man's hold. Faldon's hold. She could hate him when she thought of him as the irritating feyquin. His arms tightened around her and she kicked and wiggled. The man either felt nothing or ignored her. "Get off me!"
    When the creak of the wagon vanished into the night, her tears flowed, and she ceased her struggles. Frustration and hopelessness erupted into light sobs.
    Somewhere amid her tears, his hold loosened and his weight shifted from her. She laid still, sniffing. "Why are you doing this? Why won't you let me go?"
    "For Faldon."
    "Selfish, arrogant bastard!" She ground the words through her teeth, wishing she could hurt the feyquin. While part of her liked him as a man, she wanted to hate him for who he really was.
    The man shoved her aside. "Go then. See how far you get on foot."
    Was he serious? After all this, he would let her go? She didn't care. Selina smoothed her hair and stood, her chin in the air. She