The lagoon’s waters grow choppy. The fae queen steps back and shields her eyes with her arm. The clouds churn. Thunder rumbles overhead and the bright, swirling light of the lagoon flickers out as something dark emerges from the water. The fae queen sucks in a breath and stumbles back so quickly, her feet get tangled beneath her and she slams to the sand. The wolf and the mouse look at one another. This is how it begins. And how it will end.

