AaBack's Grimm: A Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale #4 The Battle In The Hedge Labyrinth’s Dead Garden: The True Beauty, Raisin Sweet-Tooth, And The Jinx-query

By Kristie Lynn Higgins

Type: novella and the word count is about 41,600 words
The fairy tales you know with a wicked twist. Enter a deadly world that could use a little hope and love.

Jane finds she is in a battle with the characters from Little Red Riding hood as she tries to protect the Beast from himself.

AaBack's Grimm Dark Fantasy Action Adventure Fairy Tale Series:
#1 Tale Of Two Worlds: The Wizard, The Battle Mage, And The Werewolf
#2 Friends Reunited: The Janus Beast, The Rose Beauty, And The Cursed Duckling
#3 Dragon Scorned: The Towering Mountain Citadel, The Sword Of Cross-Worlds, And The Maximus-curse
#4 The Battle In The Hedge Labyrinth’s Dead Garden: The True Beauty, Raisin Sweet-Tooth, And The Jinx-query

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristie Lynn
• Release date: Jun 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463425848

Kristie Lynn Higgins

You can also check out my author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/author/kristielynnhiggins

Book preview

AaBack's Grimm: A Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale

#4

The Battle In The Hedge Labyrinth’s Dead Garden:

The True Beauty, Raisin Sweet-Tooth, And The Jinx-query

Kristie Lynn Higgins

Text Copyright © 2018 by Kristie Lynn Higgins

Cover Art Copyright © 2018

Smashwords Ebook Edition

A Fairy Tale painted created by Arthur Wardle

Children reading painting created by Laura Muntz Lyall

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

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Start One Of These Series

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

Chapter One

Take Back The Tear Of Poer

Moments earlier…

Six stood within the Hedge Labyrinth.  Red Northlands Fury, the crimson battlemage, lead Woodsman Of The Sacred Oak, a woodlands elf wizard, and Lykos Of Steel Teeth, the werewolf.  They had come to take back what should have been theirs days ago, what would have given one of them great power.  They wanted the Tear of Poer, a blue gem with untold power, and the only way they could take it was to rip it out of Jane’s eye.  Erosa was also there along with Sun Beast, and they were currently bickering with one another while danger surrounded them.

Woodsman held a new rope he had made as he was fuming over Red wanting to stay at the castle with Sun Beast. Lykos stood by the only way into the garden of the Hedge Labyrinth and blocked it. Red stood in-between Jane and Sun Beast. Jane held her sword PapyrKut while Red held a magic sphere, and they faced one another. Jane held the sword, but she didn’t know how to wield it.

Red questioned Jane, How about I will let the princely dim-whit leave, I will take the Tear of Poer from your eye, then let you leave if you happen to survive, which I greatly doubt, and I will still kill the annoying giant weed? Red turned to Erosa and said, I will kill you only after I have extracted, with extremely painful torture, how you know my name.

That's not acceptable, Jane told her as PapyrKut started to wriggle in her grasp like the sword wanted to run away from a fight that was most definitely coming.

See what you have done, my clueless lord! Erosa yelled as she feared this would be the end of at least one of them. You were the one who was always in a rush to do things no matter the consequences and look at the mess you have put all of us in because you went headlong into an agreement with these people.

This is not my fault, Sun Beast insisted as the situation became clearer by the threat. This is your fault for attacking Jane. I no longer wish to deal with you and your unruly and malicious behavior.

Hey, guys... Jane spoke, trying to get their attention as the three intruders moved to attack them.

Lykos crept up behind Sun Beast, Woodsman started for Jane with the intent to tie her up with his rope, and Red took a few steps away from Jane and headed toward Erosa. PapyrKut continued to wriggle in Jane’s hand.

Erosa huffed, and then she yelled at Sun Beast, I am not malicious and if I am, it is because of having to deal with you!

Me? Sun Beast uttered as he pointed to himself. He never even noticed Lykos prowling toward him in his giant wolf form. Sun Beast insisted, I am the one who has been wronged. You are the reason for... His mouth magically sealed, preventing him from saying anything else, any knowledge pertaining to his curse, and then he shouted once his lips unsealed, I cannot wait for them to get rid of you!

Hey, guys... Jane spoke more in a panic as Red drew her sword, aiming to cut Erosa in two. Woodsman placed the rope back in his robe as he changed his mind about tying the woman up, and he commanded his staff to materialize, and he grabbed it firmly with both hands preparing to cast a spell. The thick fur on Lykos' nape stood on end as he softly growled.

I see how it is, Erosa shouted, completely ignoring everyone else except her dolt of a lord. Always having others do your dirty work. Never were male enough to do it yourself.

Sun Beast yelled back as he equally ignoring everyone else but the vindictive giant rose, I am more male than you could ever handle!

Hey, guys! Jane shouted.

The hilt of PapyrKut became increasingly hot. Jane quickly glanced at the short sword and thought she saw what looked like flaming blood twist around the hilt and guard. Jane turned her attention back to the Woodsman as he started to speak in a whisper to his wooden staff that had an attached ax blade. Purple magic started to swirl around the staff and ax, and Jane knew that whatever that magic was it would soon be aimed at her. She glanced at her sword again. Jane didn’t know how to defend herself, and all she could think about was how she had died when Erosa had attacked her. Her arms started to tremble, and she didn’t think she could move frozen by a spell of her own making, a spell of fear.

Look at me! Jane screamed as loud as she could at those she hoped were her friends. She shouted with all her might at those who were the only ones who could save her, Look at me! See me! I’m right here! See me!

Erosa and Sun Beast stopped their bickering and turned to her and when she finally got the attention of the two, she told them, We're all going to die if we don't work together! Set your squabbling aside and help me! Sun Beast, call your guards in.

No need, Red told her. I have erected my own protective barrier around this maze, so no one will disturb us.

Erosa, can you do something about her barrier? Jane asked the giant rose.

Not the way I am now, Erosa replied. The Beast had magical seals placed on me that have weakened me drastically. If he were to remove them–

Jane turned to him and said, Remove those seals so Erosa can drop the barrier and you can call in your guards to assist us.

I will not, Sun Beast said. I went to a lot of trouble and gold to have them spelled in the first place.

Red turned around as the woman tried to unite the other two against her group, and Red ordered, Woodsman, stop dillydallying and seize Jane. I told you to begin the removal while I deal with this giant weed. I will come and assist you once I have cut her in two.

The woodlands elf wizard mumbled to himself, What does she think I’ve been doing here all this time while casting? Does she believe I am spelling my own princess to appear who will invite me to her castle for a night in the library?

He decided he would pause the spell and capture the woman before she escaped. Woodsman shifted his grip on the staff so that he could use it as a weapon. He ran at the woman and his black hooded robe fluttered with his rapid movements. Jane lifted PapyrKut as the woodlands elf wizard came at her wielding his staff, and he swung at her and easily disarmed her, sending the short sword flying across the garden. She took a step back from him, but Woodsman quickly lifted his staff, and it glowed purple as he continued his casting. Jane froze in her spot, and her body lifted into the air as he started to remove the Tear of Poer from her. She felt something moving through her right eye, and she instinctively wanted to move her hand up to her face to protect the eye, but she couldn’t move.

Do something! Erosa yelled at Sun Beast as she wanted to race over to the woman. Save Jane before it is too late!

He looked at the female elf who would be his Beauty and heard her scream and saw the pain on her face as the woodlands elf wizard continued his spell on her. He hurried forward to help her when Lykos moved and rushed ahead of him and blocked his way. Lykos morphed into his semi-form, the true werewolf form, and snarled at Sun Beast.

Stay where you are, prince, Lykos warned. Or I will hurt you.

Sun Beast roared and ran forward, but Lykos easily knocked him to the ground and held him down with his large werewolf claws.

I told you not to move, Lykos told him. You are lucky that the full moon is not out or I might not have been able to hold back my fury.

Red’s sphere glowed and flames surrounded her sword as she approached Erosa and said, Your vines look a bit deadly, so I think I will get nowhere near them. I will fling fire from my sword and watch you burn. Do you experience pain as a plant? I do hope you experience pain as a plant.

My lord, release the seals, Erosa pleaded. She knew her life meant nothing to the Beast, so she added, Release my magic so I may rescue Jane.

Sun Beast peered up from his position on the ground and then looked back to Jane as she continued to shriek in agony, he turned to the giant rose who he hated more than anyone or anything, and then he glanced up at the drooling werewolf, slobbering all over him. He would have to make a decision and make a decision fast. Sun Beast couldn't save Jane on his own, but he didn't want to give Erosa back her power. Jane was important to his freedom. Maybe he could find a way to save Jane and not the giant rose. Maybe he didn't need Jane. Maybe his Beauty was still somewhere in Grimm. He struggled against the werewolf as he made his decision.

Fine! Sun Beast yelled. What once I sealed away, now unseal. What magic was taken away, now take back! Release the one who broke my heart in two, the one I hate more than anyone else! Let the third seal I placed on her be removed.

A bright light broke over Erosa’s right side as if unsealing her right arm.

Take away all the seals! Erosa shouted. Let me have use of all my power.

You are very powerful, my cutthroat sorceress, Sun Beast told her. You do not need all your power to defeat the crimson battlemage.

I have three I must defeat, my unyielding lord, Erosa insisted. Or have you forgotten the one who entices your libido?

I know the count of our foe! Sun Beast shouted back. I will take care of this mongrel here. You deal with the battlemage, and then I will rescue Jane.

As Jane’s screams became louder, Erosa realized she wasted too much time arguing with Sun Beast, so she surrendered her verbal battle with him and focused on her foe standing in front of her.

Red had not been standing idly by waiting on the giant rose. Red had been walking around her, setting fire tracers that would set forth in ablaze once she had laid all of them and once she gave the command. Erosa looked all around the dead garden to see what she could use to defend herself and death was all she saw. The garden and all that was within it was hers to command, so she raised an undead army of plants. Thorny vines sprung out of