Read Steel Shoes :: Human. Mortal.

Taric moved before thought could catch up.

As the fae princess stumbled, he lunged to catch hold of her elbow and wrist.

Her yellow eyes flashed wide, jerking back up to meet Taric’s.

An electric hum raced up Taric’s arms as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The hall had gone eerily silent. As if every fae creature in the room collectively held its breath.

“You. Dare.”

With that whispered hiss, Taric realized that her immobile face wasn’t a quirk of her fae nature, like the creature that asked if it was pretty. This princess wore a mask.

Mortal.

Mortal. Mortal.

As the First ripped her arm from the iron warrior's grasp, the frantic flutter of the Sixth's hands caught the corner of her eye.

Mortal about to die.

The First whirled on the iron warrior, her heart slamming behind her ribs.

“You,” the First hissed through her teeth. “DAAARE!” The word climbed to a shriek.

Her hand snapped out, fingers clamping around the iron warrior’s jaw and lifting.

Oh, shit!

Taric reflexively grabbed the fae princess’s wrist as he found himself summarily lifted onto his toes. Her sharp step caused the case at Taric’s feet to move. The strap had caught around her ankle.

Shit, shit! Taric tried to crane his eyes downward as he fought to balance with only one flesh and blood leg, the new prosthetic uselessly dangling. And damn heavy!

Design flaw. In the back of his head Taric kicked himself for not thinking of how much it would stinking hurt to have the weight of the entire rig hanging off of his shoulders and hip without support. It felt like his left shoulder wanted to pop out of socket. If his stump didn’t pull out of the socket first.

Though he should probably focus on the most immediate problem first.

The fae princess’s nails dug into his cheek, her yellow eyes wide and wild. “Never touch a daughter of the Eldritch King!” she snarled. “Never!”

At first Taric thought his ears were ringing, but ice flooded his veins as he realized the sound was neither in his head, nor an echo of the princess’s shrieks.

The bane shade was singing.