Free Midnight Frost by Kailin Gow

him for their own – the Winter for theirs.” Kian said. “But the Midnight Knight transcends loyalties – he is neither fairy nor centaur, Winter nor Summer, but rather a great warrior whose magic goes beyond the magic of a race or loyalty. The Midnight Knight defends good against evil, with no regard for territorial lines, no regard for clans. And he rewards the heroic.”
    “Heroic, huh?” A smile was beginning to form on Cary's face.
    And thus did Cary the centaur join us on our journey to Vineseed. He was an affable, jocular fellow – he didn't even object to letting Logan ride him in order to speed up the journey (“although I don't normally do this sort of thing,” he explained. “I just don't want him slowing us down.”)
    The danger of dragons seemed to have passed, but we were on alert for other threatening creatures. No sooner had we left dragon country than we passed through a territory controlled by Minotaurs – a creature for which Kian, in particular, now had a special disdain.
    “What's that?” Cary looked up as we passed by a clearing. “I heard a rustling.”
    Before the rest of us could look up, we heard the thud of rapid hoofbeats – a swift charge. A minotaur was rushing towards us, its horns gleaming in the late afternoon sun. A deep voice came from its throat. “Begone! This is my territory!”
    Logan and Kian traded a look, and in a flash they were on the ground, each one brandishing a sword on one side of the creature's body. I watched with admiration as the two of them fought side by side. They had been comrades in arms now for long enough – each able to anticipate the other's every move – the connection between the two of them palpable. Logan darted to the left; Kian went to the right. Logan slashed rightwards; Kian feinted left. The Minotaur was defenseless against their combined power – their muscular grace. I couldn't help but smile. On their own, Kian and Logan were brave fighters. Together, however, they were unbeatable.
    With a series of short, sharp thrusts, they managed to subdue the creature; Cary passed them a rope from his saddlebag, which they used to tie him to a tree-post.
    “Let's get this wretched creature's head off his body!” Kian said, brandishing his sword high.
    I remembered the voice of the Minotaur I had met in the kingdom of the Dead, and felt vaguely sick. That Minotaur had accused me of killing him and all his brothers – simply because he had the audacity to seek food.
    “Wait!” I said. “Let's just leave him there! He's no threat to us.”
    “You think I'm not a threat?” The Minotaur's voice seemed far less ominous now that he was trussed up. He was jumping against his rope. “I'm brave and strong, I am. I can eat you in a heartbeat! Just try me!”
    It was then that I realized what, precisely, this Minotaur was. He was far smaller than the Minotaurs I'd seen in the past – and his voice far higher.
    “It's a baby, Kian!”
    “A baby Minotaur!”
    “I'm no baby!” The Minotaur wasn't helping his cause. “I'm big and strong. Just like my daddy!”
    “We can't kill a baby.”
    “I'm not a baby!” The Minotaur was leaping up and down. “I could thrash one of you in a heartbeat.”
    Logan couldn't stifle a laugh as he knelt at the Minotaur's side. “So you'd prefer it if we killed you, then?”
    The Minotaur stopped short, ceasing its leaping. “I didn't say that,” it said in a small voice. “But I could eat you, you know. If I wanted.”
    “I'm sure you could.” Logan grinned as he gave the Minotaur a soft pat on the head, scratching it behind the ears.
    “Hey, stop, that's...” the Minotaur ceased its protests as it began laughing at the tickle, rubbing its back against the tree trunk and rolling over on its stomach to be petted.
    I broke out into a laugh. “You're pretty cute for a Minotaur,” I said.
    “I'm only half,” the Minotaur said as Logan continued rubbing its belly. “I'm half human – like my mother. My