It was getting close to dusk, and Mara had been able to bathe, change and enjoy a very belated lunch while waiting for her failed stalker to turn up.

That the only place to bathe was the pool in the centre of the clearing mattered not at all. In her true form, clothing was an adornment, not a necessity.

As the light deepened in gold, The Green King turned his head to one side of the clearing and, following his unspoken request, Oaken ambled to an area where the trees were not quite so densely packed.

Jax was soon visible, black feathers shining in the evening light as he hopped and jumped from one branch to the next, chuckling to himself.

He reached the final tree, then waited, one eye cocked back the way he’d come. Mara joined her two comrades beside the Green King’s throne and waited.

There was a crashing and thumping in the undergrowth and Jax finally took wing, soaring across the clearing to land on the back of the throne, the bug still firmly in his beak.

The instant Jax cleared the standing stones, swearing erupted from the trees. Clearly the stones had done their job and the tracker was no longer working as it should.

Brenton came into sight a moment later, sweaty, scratched, covered in leaves and twigs and blowing like the bellows.

He stopped in confusion at the edge of the trees, unable to see clearly into the circle, but knowing there was something there.

“Oaken my friend, would you be so kind as to assist our visitor? He seems to be having trouble entering the circle.”

Oaken creaked forward as Brenton tensed, he may not be able to see clearly, but he could still hear.

Before he could do more than think of turning and trekking back into the darkening forest, Oaken has reached out a massive wooden arm, grabbed Brenton by the torso and lifted him over the stone circle.

Job done, he dropped the kicking, screaming man onto the grass and ambled back to his favourite hollow.

The Green King tilted his head questioningly at Mara.

She rolled her eyes but walked slowly towards Brenton, who was sprawled on the ground, watching Oaken’s departure with huge eyes.

He sat up and yelled at the giant’s back, “And stay away! There’s more where that came from buddy!”

Mara laughed in spite of herself, “Really, you really think you could take on a wood giant and win?”

“I’ll set fire to the dumbass piece of shit, come on Mara, you’ve played your stupid little game and I’ve won, let’s go.”

She stopped just short of his feet and laughed again, mockery so strong even Brenton felt it and scowled.

“You? Win? You are the most pathetic little loser I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting. And I have met many people, of many stripes in my time.”

“Oh, you’re doing your little cosplay thing are you? Simon said you were into some Celtic roleplay bullshit. Nice dress, it’s gonna look even better on my bedroom floor.”

Mara stepped forward, bent, reached out, and dragged him up by the throat.

“I think it would look even better soaked in your blood.”, she smiled, letting him look his fill at her true form.

She knew what he saw, the deep green, almost black, flowing hair, shining with water, cascading down her back, the pale, pale skin, reflecting some of the green of her hair back into her eyes, the vivid green of lakeweed. She also knew he saw the pointed teeth, and pointed ears and her smile grew wider.

“Nice makeup and prosthetics babe, but you’re taking the whole vampire thing a little too far.”

Mara snarled, he shrank back in spite of himself, “I’m a Morgen you lack-witted fool.”

She moved her grip from his throat to his ear and began dragging him across the grass to the Green King’s throne.