“Puck threw Ash a mocking smile. “You look like crap, Prince. Did you missme?”Ash frowned, stabbing a faery that was clawing at his feet. “What are youdoing here, Goodfellow?” he asked coldly, which only caused Puck’s grin to widen.“Rescuing the princess from the Winter Court, of course.” Puck looked downas the wire-fey piled on the squealing boar, ripping and slicing. It exploded into a pile of leaves,and they skittered back in confusion. “Though it appears I’m saving your sorry ass, as well.”“I could’ve handled it.”“Oh, I’m sure.” Puck brandished a pair of curved daggers, the blades clear asglass. His grin turned predatory. “Well, then, shall we get on with it? Try to keep up, YourHighness.”“Just stay out of my way.”

“What are you doing here, Goodfellow?"Rescuing the princess from the winter court, of course. Though it appears I'm saving your sorry-ass as well.""I could've handled it.""Oh, I'm sure. Well then, shall we get on with it? Try to keep up, your highness.""Just stay out of my way.”

“Ash nodded. “Look for Oberon or Mab,” he said grimly, scanning the battlefield. “They’ll likely be on opposite sides of the river. Try not to engage anything, Goodfellow. We don’t want a fight — we just want to get the scepter to the queen.”“Don’t kid yourself, Prince.” Puck grinned and drew his daggers, pointing to Ash with the tip. “You’re a traitor, Meghan’s the Summer princess, and I’m Robin Goodfellow. I’m sure the ranks of Unseelie will just let us waltz right through.”

“Besides,” Puck said, grinning his evil grin, “who says I came alone?”“You did,” called another Puck from the rooftop he just left. Glitch’s eyes bugged as the second Puck grinned down at him.“No, he didn’t,” said a third Puck from the opposite roof.“Well, I’m sure they know what he meant,” said yet another Puck, sitting atop a street lamp. “In any case, here we are.”

“... What do you want, Ash?" "Your head," Ash answered softly. "On a pike. But what I want doesn't matter this time." He pointed his sword at me. "I've come for her."I gasped as my heart and stomach began careening around my chest. He's here for me, to kill me, like he promised at Elysium. "Over my dead body." Puck smiled, as if this was a friendly conversation on the street, but I felt muscles coiling under his skin. "This was part of the plan." The prince raised his sword, the icy blade wreathed in mist. "I will avenge her today, and put her memory to rest." For a moment, a shadow of anguish flitted across his face, and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were cold and glittered with malice. "Prepare yourself.""Stay back, princess," Puck warned, pushing me out of the way. He reached into his boot and pullet out a dagger, the curved blade clear as glass. "This might get a little rough.""Puck, no." I clutched at his sleeve. "Don't fight him. Someone could die.""Duels to the death tend to end that way." Puck grinned, but it was a savage thing, grim and frightening. "But I'm touched that you care. One moment, princeling," he called to Ash, who inclined his head. Taking my wrist, Puck steered me behind the fountain and bent close, his breath warm on my face. "I have to do this, princess," he said firmly. "Ash won't let us go without a fight, and this has been coming for a long time now." For a moment, a shadow of regret flickered across his face, but then it was gone."So," he murmured, grinning as he tilted my chin up, "before I march off to battle, how 'bout a kiss for luck?"I hesitated, wondering why now, of all times, he would ask for a kiss. He certainly didn't think of me in that way... did he?”

“Princess." Puck's voice broke through my numb trance. I glared poisoned daggers at him and he gave me a weak smile. "Scary, you can rip me to pieces later. His royal iciness isn't looking so good. We have to get him to a healer, now."-Puck”