Imperfect Souls (RV 1)

[Markus Everglade]

“What he means is that he’s been thinking something along those lines the whole time,” Dasher retorted dryly. She looked up at him, ears at disapproving angles. ‘Mister smart ass, feeding me cryptic lines all the time.”
“If we want to be technical, it’s smart aleck,” Raythor returned. “Even I thought I was crazy about all this before anyway.”
“So she never meant to murder most of us, did she?” Rose burst. “If we died, so what, no big deal for her because she still had the rest of us to feed off of?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“That means every choice we made is what’s putting her on the Lainan throne,’ Markus said. The room went silent for a minute as that sunk in. Kylara found herself holding her finger, staring forward. Kenetari had run out of blood to make her brother read. She needed someone tied into it, meaning Maria, who had bleed more, wasn’t part of the next step of her plan. What did that mean? How was she personally connected to that-
The thought cut off. Her eyes had fallen on Raythor. Raythor, who she had been obsessed with since she was little and knew all about through his story. Who had been just like she’d imagined and, somehow, even better. Believably innocent. Human. Raythor, who was Kenetari’s little brother.
“What?” Raythor blinked at her.
“She’s using me to watch you. To make you do something or stop you from doing something,” Kylara said slowly. She watched his eyes drop, focused on the crown of Anella’s head.
“Which, do you suppose?” He swallowed.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Raythor,” Dasher’s tone was the least bit warning, “trust yourself. Not what you think she wants.”
“What about Laura? She does incredible shit and Sabbath sure wants her.” Ross leaned back on the couch.
“It may be important.” Dasher perked up. Oh great. Kylara rolled her eyes. “Laura’s new found magic- cancelling spells- is not the highest level she can obtain. This level was awakened by an old guard elementist, the next will be when she experiences extreme fear, the last when the reverse world disappears.”
“Meaning it’s close to opening soon?” Ross had started rummaging through Markus’s bag. He pulled out an apple and started crunching on it. “I don’t know about that.”
“It probably will be, yes. Close to wherever Laura’s powers are released.”
“The reverse world portal?” Markus’s eyes bugged. “One that is going to consume our world if someone doesn’t sacrifice themselves to stop it?”
“Yes.” Dasher nodded gravely. “I have a feeling Kenetari knows this and has a plan for it. She’s probably chosen someone.” Kylara’s eyes moved fearfully over to Maria. Before she could really process if the initial fear was at all valid the door banged open.
A sheepish looking Tyligo came in. “Hello uh… lords and ladies… you look most… most engaged… but I have a bit of a message.”
“And?” Rose rolled her wrist inward.
“The civil war is erupting in full. Princess Daphne has made it home safely, but King Brian won’t help either side. He had an alliance with King Ian personally, you see, and now that’s it’s broken-”
“He’s waiting to see who’s still standing when the dust settles.”
“Well, yes, I suppose. General Vyncent will be returning here shortly to mobilize the army and he wished for you all to know that.”
Ross took a very loud bite of his apple. “Great. What side are we on? Sounds a bit dicey.” Tyligo stared at him. “Yeah, I get that face a lot.”
Kylara knew that was true. She glanced at Markus. He had sunk his head into his hands. She was willing to bet it wasn’t because of Ross. Rea was clenching her fists in her lap, Ketra was taking a long deep breath and Rose was on her feet.
The red haired girl strode up to Tyligo. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“No, my lady.” Tyligo raised his hands to better protect his face.
“She’s good. She’d God damned fucking perfect. We needed Dragoon.” Rose charged around the room muttering under her breath. “My parents are going to fucking kill me for choosing a side if the wrong one wins. Damn it, damn it, damn it….”
“Hey, hey, calm down.” Ross stood up. Rose growled at him (Kylara was rather impressed), pinned him to the wall and started screaming at him.
“She does have a point. This could dramatically shift politics across the continent. It may or may not be for the better. Thousands of people could die for this,” Rea noted.
“Could is not will.” Markus finally raised his head. “And it certainly isn’t guaranteed that we’re going to lose.”
“Can we win?” Rea looked hopeful.
“We’re unsure of the numbers,” Tyligo put in.
“Then maybe yes.” Markus got up, went over to Rose and redirected her. “We won’t know until we try.”
“There’s a battle cry for you,” Ross said cheerfully.
“My lords and ladies!” Hydria ran in breathlessly. She took a moment. “The Whitestars have moved on the castle.”
“How the hell did they get here so fast?” Rose erupted anew. Markus moved in front of Ross.
“The same way we got here, I’ll bet,” Kylara offered.
“We were going to fight anyway, fighting here makes no difference.” Markus shrugged. “I suggest we split up in case they make it inside.”
“Agreed.” Rea nodded firmly.
“Rea we should protect.” Markus gave her a questioning look. Kylara wasn’t sure why he bothered. The prissy queen was no good for fighting.
“I agree with that as well.”
“Gabriel, we’re going to need you as a medic. You and Rea lock yourself in Laura’s room, it has a good bolt in it.”
“Without guards?” Rea’s expression became horrified.
“Not without guard,” he assured. “Ketra this isn’t because you’re my sister, but we’ll need a fair sword user. You and Rose take up guard duty and Maria… they need magic.”
“Fair enough.” Maria nodded.
“What? Let me fight!” Rose complained. “I don’t want to be a guard!”
“I can assist. My companions are skilled healers,” Hector offered. He’d been here the whole time, saying nothing. What was that guy’s deal anyway? Kylara shook her head.
“Thank you.” Markus smiled gratefully. “The rest of us we put in two groups. Laura, Ross, you’re out only two archers so I’ll have to divide you. Blade, Anella, Dione, Rose and myself are going to watch the side doors and for any signs of attempted magical entry. Laura, Dasher, Kylara, Raythor and James, I need you on the wall telling us what’s coming.”
“Shouldn’t both of us be protecting you?” Laura scanned his face.
“I’d worry about you if you were with me,” he dropped his voice to say this. Kylara, close enough to hear it, pretended not to. She hadn’t seen him in weeks and already he was reminding her why she hadn’t killed him. It would have been like stabbing a puppy. Markus raised his voice again. “You’re both skilled archers, there’s a chance you can do real good from the wall.”
“Alright.” Laura cracked a smile. “Alright.”

“Tell me what to do.” Nightshade glanced at her superior. “Who am I targeting?”
“We want Princess Rose but take a few.” Lydrion frowned, thinking. Moving to night was a good move, a fairly planned one, but Kenetari wanted Whitestar castle attacked directly. Wanted the nobles to lose at her feet and bring their countries down with them. So they needed bait.
“Do I kill?” She raised her ears. Her fur blew around her in the rising wind storm, black velvet disturbed by one of the few things in the world she couldn’t control. She had an army behind her and two powerful elementist generals at her side. His pet acquisition could handle this. He knew that. He just remembered when he’d been in her place, standing there willing to do anything to get ahead.
Before his sister had cut him out of her life. Before he’d met Kenetari and they’d started preparing for war. Lydrion had always longed to be something better than he was. To be a noble or a king. Anything but the son of a pig farmer, the sickly half of a pair of twins. He just wished he didn’t have to take everything from the daughter of the first person he’d ever killed to do it.
“Kenetari wants one of the Everglade siblings dead, the other alive. I think you should kill Markus; he’s the more dangerous of the two. After meeting the flame elementi, I don’t want the water on their side. Other than that she wants her brother, Anella, Queen Rea, Maria, Laura and Kylara alive. The rest are expendable.”
“Understood. I won’t need more than three hours, I promise you.”
“Don’t underestimate Glasswater’s men. Do this right.”

Laura tightened her bow strap, double checking that she needed. Satisfied, she started toward her group with her thoughts on the battle ahead. It was good she wasn’t in Markus’s group, really. She would be emotionally compromised. It would take a bit to relearn how to fight beside him with their new relationship in place.
Arms went around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder. “Hey. I’m sorry I did that, Laura.” Markus let her go.
She turned to face him, patting his cheek. “It was a fairly logical decision even if you made it for emotional reasons.”
“A little of both, give me some credit.” He gave her a smile. “I love you. I’d tell you to be careful but I know you can handle anything that comes your way.”
“Then you be careful. Ross may be good at saving you but he’s not half as good as me. I’d become less than rational if I lost you now.”
“There’s not a chance in heck you will.” He kissed her, holding it for a while. “I promise.”
“And you never break your promises.” She kissed him back. “I love you.”
“We ready, Blue?” Ross’s head popped around a corner.
“Yeah, we’re ready.” Markus squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Good luck, both of you.” Laura composed herself. “Try not to die, Ross.”
“Cowards never die.” Ross saluted. She watched them both leave, trying not to let her heart sink. She went into her group’s room quietly. They looked like they’d been waiting on her.
“The stairs should be this way.” Raythor motioned with his head. He started toward them, already up a few stars before Laura, Dasher, Kylara and James had a chance to follow.
“How do you always know the architecture of any building we’re in like the back of your hand? We’ve been here for what, a matter of hours?” Dasher asked.
“I have a good memory. That’s it.”
“Spread out, look over the wall,” Laura ordered automatically. The cold air bit her face, brushing away the warmth Markus had left behind.
She focused again, tuning out Dasher and Raythor’s conversation. Her father’s castle was less ornamental than Rea’s, but it wasn’t as fortified as Imperia. King Ian had probably made sure it was just fortified enough for no one to complain about it. She let out a sigh, leaning against the stone. The army was visible, yes, but the lack of vegetation let her see pretty far. That made judging how long it would take them to get here a little more difficult, with no landmarks to measure their progress. They could be as much as a half an hour away. She already knew there were a lot of them just for this.
This fortress was their ace. Her father’s men were well trained and they were strong. Vyncent would be here soon and that would quickly decide the battle in their favor. That didn’t mean she wasn’t scared. Scared that they’d lose and they all die, that nothing that could be done to stop it. Silly emotional things she didn’t like to deal with and that hadn’t made her a good archer. That didn’t mean they would just go away, or that her fear no longer had unfortunate consequences. She hated that.
“You good?” Raythor was scanning the ground next to her. “Ah, we’re outnumbered.”
“Since when can you tell when people are emotionally distressed?” Dasher stood on her back legs, staring over the wall.
“She is isn’t she?”
“Well… yes.” Her eyes darted at Laura. “I’m an empath.”
“I see.” She didn’t have much else to say on the subject. Kind of a useless power. Laura wasn’t going to say that, of course, but she was sure Dasher already knew it.
“Are we expecting someone else up here?” Kylara asked. “I hear footsteps.”
“It’s probably my father’s soldiers,” Laura said absently.
“I don’t think so. They want to kill us.” Dasher got down and shifted.

[Markus Everglade]

“What?” Laura turned, drawing her bow. She saw the first man, notably not in soldier’s garb, came up the stairs. She shot, praying she wouldn’t she wasn’t shooting their own men. Laura saw the arrow pierce the man’s throat, felling him quickly. His companions just kept coming. She shot again, hitting the second man in the arm.
Kylara stepped in front of her, slashing at the injured man. He blocked it and they started fighting. Everyone else started fighting alongside her and more and more enemies were coming. Laura started shooting again; close range made it easy to kill, and tried to figure out what to do. That must have warped in here and that meant there could be any number of soldiers coming in after them.
“Damn it.” Dasher was pushed down, barely blocking her attacker. Laura shot quickly, bringing the soldier down on Dasher. Dasher swore again, trying to move out from underneath the body. Laura slung her bow on her shoulder and moved to help.
“Don’t move.”
“Shit.” Dasher panted, eyes darting at Laura. “That’s the elementist who tortured us in the woods.”
“Charmed you remember me.” General Tobias nodded at both of them. James, Raythor and Kylara, their opponents dead, raised their swords at Tobias and the remaining five enemy soldiers. “Cute how you think those little metal sticks mean anything against magic.”
Laura raised her bow, aiming at his forehead. “How about wooden shafts?”
Tobias’s eyes glowed and a black energy streak moved toward her. She braced herself but Dasher stopped it with a light shield. It fizzled and disappeared as soon as it was hit. Laura gave Dasher a grateful look. Her shape was shifting; Laura could see her ears getting pointier. Dasher covered them quickly, eyes shut as she focused to restore her human body.
“Human lover,” Tobias scoffed. “You probably couldn’t pull up that shield again if you tried. Pathetic.” Laura kept her eyes lowered so he couldn’t see her surprise. He hadn’t seen Dasher start to change, he’d assumed she couldn’t. She guessed Dasher was keeping her shape so her fragile natural form couldn’t get crushed.
“Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that,” Raythor said flatly.
“You’re joking.” Tobias’s attention shifted. “Kenetari’s baby brother sleeping with one of us.”
“f**ker,” Raythor took a step forward.
Kylara grabbed his arm. “Easy. He has a short temper. Don’t push him, I beg you.”
“Grab his foot when he attacks Raythor,” Dasher whispered.
“How do I get over there without them seeing me?” Laura whispered back.
“Leave it to me. Slide your bow and arrows first.”
She nodded, taking off her weaponry and sliding it carefully until it bumped Kylara’s foot.
Tobias’s eyes darted at her. “Smart girl. You’d do well to all drop your weaponry.”
“Right, like you’re going to kill me. I know she wants me alive.” Raythor rolled his eyes.
“Kenetari doesn’t care at all about your little whore.” Tobias focused on Dasher. “Her I can torture to death while you watch.”
“That’s it!” Raythor broke free of Kylara’s grasp and charged forward. Tobias’s head turned and he fired off another blast of black lightning at him. It hit, taking Raythor to the ground.
“Drop your weapons or I keep going,” Tobias said coldly.
“Oh my God.” Kylara knelt, James blindly following. At the same time Dasher flashed a blinding light and Laura moved forward quickly. Her fingers closed around Tobias’s ankle, withering his attack in the air.
“What the sky?” Tobias looked at her with confusion. There was a loud twang and an arrow lodged itself between his eyes. Laura watched stoically as the life drained from them. Then she got up and quickly stabbed a soldier with her back up dagger, blocking another hit with her arm until James polished her attacker off.
Laura stood calmly, surveying the damage. Her arm was bleeding; her dagger embedded in a dead man’s chest and Tobias’s head was crowned in blood, his scarred body in a black pile on the floor. His men were in unnatural positions for anyone living and her allies were alive, if hurt.
“Nice shot,” Laura said.
“Thanks.” Kylara returned her bow. “So they can get in the castle anyway they want.”
“I’d say so.”
“Help me get that guy off Dasher?” Kylara asked. Laura nodded, stepping over the man she’d stabbed. “James, see if Raythor’s awake.”
“I’m fine.” Raythor had pushed to all fours, breathing hard. “I’ve had so much worse. You alright, Dash?”
“I shifted for a second. My legs are pretty bad.” Dasher forced out painfully. Kylara started shoving and Laura joined her. Soon, they’d rolled the body off of Dasher. Laura winced at the sight of her legs. There was a deep impression in them, like pounded dough. “I’ll switch back….” Dasher rolled on her side, panting hard. Laura gave into the urge to stoke her flank comfortingly.
“Dash….” Raythor moved her head into his lap. She smiled up at him. “You’re a heroine you know that?”
“Of course I do. I’m also incredibly modest.” She laughed. “Get me to the infirmary and I’ll be fine. Trained elementist healers will know just how to handle this.”
“Getting down there is going to be rough,” Kylara mused.
“Safer than staying up here for another round of that,” Raythor said mildly.
“True enough. What would Blue do here?”
Laura thought about that for a moment. “Have Raythor carry Dasher. We’ll circle around them. I’ll go in front so I can shoot down a few soldiers before they reach us.”
“Let’s go.” Raythor lifted Dasher, carefully supporting her legs.
“Wait, get the General’s necklace.” Dasher lifted her head. “I guarantee we can use it for something.”
“Kenetari grade thinking, Dash.”
“I’ve got it.” Laura leaned down, tearing the necklace from the corpse’s throat. It dangled off the chain, moving so much she couldn’t even see the shape. She lifted it up, feeling a little prick when she touched it. Her blood trickled over the little round emerald and it, very faintly, glowed. She slipped it around her neck, knowing they didn’t have time for her to stare and wonder. They had to go now.

Hector patiently waited until the attack on the castle was declared. He waited until Rea, Gabriel, Ketra and Maria had finished running around like chickens with their heads cut off and taking their positions. Silly, cowardly Rea was in the furthest corner, clutching her dagger. Quiet Gabriel had his healing equipment spread out on the bed, his sword near but not in his hand. Ketra was nearest the door, Maria directly behind her, he making up the third point of the triangle.
There would be no one coming through that door to kill them but they didn’t need to know that. It would ruin all of Hector’s plans if they did. His three elementists nodded at him.
“Hey!” There was a loud knock on the door. “It’s us, let us in! We’ve got injured members! They’re in the castle!”
“That’s Kylara.” Maria went to open the door Ketra stepped her with an arm.
“We check everyone,” Ketra said firmly. “What’s the password?”
“It’s Ross is a bastard.” Kylara pounded the door. Hector actually chuckled at that.
Ketra opened the door and Kylara stumbled in. The assassin herded everyone away from the door, allowing Raythor, cradling Dasher, inside. Laura and James straggled in behind her. Discussion of injuries ensued but Hector turned it out. Hector’s eyes had fixed on Laura’s face. She was nearly the image of Charity except the color of her eyes. The shape of them was the same, the hardness identical.
Laura glanced at him. “What?”
“Nothing. Just noting how like your mother you are. I never really noticed before.” He gave her a noncommittal shrug.
“You knew my mother?” Her attention shifted from Gabriel diligently bandaging her arm. “I didn’t know that.”
“I only met her a few times but she was a very memorable woman.” Hector’s gaze went to the window. It was warm enough in Laina so that what would have been snow was rain. It was fairly light, nothing to worry about. No one else seemed to have noticed it.
“Why the hell are you crying now?” He struck her across the face, hysterical. The room around them was pitch black, closing in on both of them. It was just him, her, the chair and the darkness.
“Because she’ll hurt my daughter.” Charity raised her tear stained, pale face. “She’ll hurt her, use her up and throw her away. Just like you.”
“She’s going to make me good enough for Kira again. I’m using her.” He was shouting now but he didn’t care in the slightest.
“I hope that’s true.” Charity closed her eyes. “Go ahead. I forgive you. You feel like you have to do this.”
“Shut up!” He slashed across her throat, the blood gushing all over his hands and her body. He screamed and screamed, falling to his knees as the sound starting hurting his own ears.
“Why the hell are you crying?”
“Hector?” Laura was staring at him intently. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Hector stood up slowly. “I made a choice once that changed my entire life. You came so close to doing the same didn’t you?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
He stepped forward. “Ghost, Loss, Twilight, I think we should take everyone to a safer place.”
“Yes,” Ghost nodded.
“Hey, about Laura looking like her mom… are you Lainan? You look it.” Raythor, on his knees in front of the bed Dasher was laid out on, looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
“I am.” Hector shrugged.
“Why are you so nervous?” Dasher asked, sitting up on her newly fixed legs.
“Because I find Laura to be beautiful.”
“Get out of here while you still can,” Jason begged. “Don’t go in there and kill her. She’s someone’s wife, someone’s mother. I don’t care how much you miss your sister, if you have to do something like this to get her attention it isn’t worth it.”
Laura’s dark green eyes were on his, cutting into him. Hector held her wrists down. She didn’t look happy but she didn’t move either. He could see the cat’s head necklace hanging from her throat; see his probably dead general’s emerald resting against it, stained with blood.
Charity had gone fully limp, slumped over. This must have been how Kenetari’s parents looked when they died- throats hanging open, dried blood on their clothes, the part of them that had made them human completely gone. He finally got to his feet, feeling sick and so filthy he could think of nothing but getting clean.
“I won’t let her use me up.”
“This isn’t going to change anything.” Hector pulled back, signaling to his elementists. “But my name is Lydrion Archer. I met your mother right before I killed her.”
There were flashes of light all around them. His elementists had forced everyone else in the room to sleep. They were sprawled out over chairs, tables, the bed, the floor. Like the dead, they had the chance to arrange their limbs with any purpose.
“Twilight, take Princess Ketra.” Lydrion scanned the room, deciding what else he wanted.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Laura had her bow pointed at his forehead.
“What do you hope to accomplish?” Lydrion just blinked at her.
“To go down like my mom.”
“Because she’ll hurt my daughter. She’ll hurt her, use her up and throw her away.”
“Do it Twilight,” Lydrion said firmly. Laura fired an arrow. Loss stopped it with a light shield just before it touched his skin. Lydrion used the distraction to stab Laura through the stomach, pinning her to the chair with the weapon.
“I respect that.” Lydrion beckoned Ghost over. “I’m going to let your friends live because of it. You’re going to be fine, by the way. I’ll wake up Dasher when I leave to make sure of it.” He pulled his sword from her body. “You and your mother are both very beautiful.”

Markus’s back hit the wall for the third time. His ears were ringing and his whole body ached. Peregrine, who had been blowing him into the wall again and again with her wings, didn’t even look phased. All the same, he picked up his sword and got back to his feet.
“You aren’t going to run at me again, are you?’ Peregrine sighed heavily. “This is getting fairly tedious.”
“I wouldn’t want to bore you,” Markus said. He inched toward the window carefully. She just watched, waiting. Probably, he realized, to knock him out of it and to his death. He’d have to risk it.
Markus’s other options had dried up. His flask had torn from his belt and smashed on the ground far from here. Rose had gotten slashed in the leg and he’d sent her with Ross to the medic’s room. Anella and Dione were doing their best to fight off the human soldiers and Blade was engaged in a crazed looking tail battle with Nightshade. Markus had actually volunteered for this fight. He’d thought he could handle it.
Boy was he ever wrong. He looked up at Peregrine again, who was still watching him imperiously. Markus stared her down, inching his hand out the window so the rain fell on his skin.
Peregrine tilted her head. “What are you going?”
“I honestly have no idea.” Blue energy curled up his arm like a snake, shifting to his chest and then up his outstretched sword arm. Markus slashed at the air, feeling the strength in it.
“Oh yes. That’s more effective,” Peregrine said dryly. “Now your metal stick glows.” She spread her wings.
Markus whipped her left arm forward, flinging the water droplets. They hit the floor. Peregrine actually laughed. She stepped forward, her paws splashing in it. Markus spread his fingers, focusing as hard as he could. Nothing.
“Give it up. This is pathetic,” she said.
There was a pop in Markus’s fingers. Peregrine took a step back. It didn’t stop the droplets on the floor from crawling up her body and pinning her legs to the ground. She started trying to take flight, wild eyes watching him.
Markus looked at the sword in his hand and shook his head. “I won’t-” He flipped in the air and hit the wall again, his head cracking on the floor and bouncing back up. Markus’s vision swam and felt a flash of nausea.

[Markus Everglade]

“I’ve got this one mom. We have some unfinished business.” Nightshade’s familiar feet padded toward him. Markus felt the bile rise in his throat. “I incapacitated Prince Blade. Kenetari wants some captives and he’s not waking up any time soon. Might be a good choice.”
“Have fun, honey.” Peregrine, newly freed, walked off.
“Don’t raise your sword at my mother. It pissed me off.” Nightshade let him get into a sitting position. He gripped his sword. The water was gone and it felt like his energy had gone with it. His head felt like it was exploding. “Can’t get up, can you?”
“Not really.”
“Perfect.” Nightshade’s symbol turned jet black, followed by his eyes.
Markus felt his skin rip open randomly, leaving behind thousands of little cuts. Then the real pain started. His vision went out entirely even though he was forcing his eyes open. It felt like his skull had split open and he heard someone screaming. He realized, dully, that it was him. All of his memories flashed before his eyes and he saw Nightshade’s claws rip through them and watch them actually start to bleed. Markus heard Laura’s voice, his parent’s voices, Ross’s, everyone he’d ever met, running through his head at once. He kissed Rose, got his scar, sat through a boring dinner… his sight came back in an explosion of color and he sucked in breath.
“If I was strong enough to control you mind, I would. That, pretty boy, is Phasing Shadow, the strongest shadow attack there is. I can see all of your memories, I can manipulate and change them and I can make you scream yourself to death. This is going to be a very long night for you and it’s only just beginning.”
“My bones are hollow.” Dasher’s voice reverberated around is brain. He kicked out hard into her chest, hearing a crunch. Instantly his head cleared a little. Markus got to his feet quickly, jumping her slashing tail in a rush of adrenaline. He slammed his heel into her ribcage, as the bones sunk into her organs.
“You know what I’m good at, Nightshade?” Markus wiped the blood off his face. “Paying attention.”
“Markus!” Ross ran up, Laura right after him. “You’re not dead! You did save your own ass!”
“I know.” He adopted a wide grin. “There’s a first time for everything.”
“Oh, I have some bad news- Hector was Lydrion and he stole your sister and Gabriel.”
“What?” Markus’s jaw dropped.
“We’re not exactly sure where they were taken.” Laura explained as best she could. Markus nodded at appropriate points. He had a feeling his headache was about to get much worse. When she was done she gripped his arm. “What did she do to you?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, I’m promise. It was the same spell from the forest.”
“I see. Well, there is more work to be done. We’ll think of a way to rescue your sister and Gabriel as soon as the battle is over.”

“I feel drunk. Do you feel drunk?” Dasher’s head was on the bed and she looked very sleepy. She hadn’t made her way back into it after healing Laura.
“Rose is in my lap. What the hell do you think?” Raythor asked dryly.
“It’s not my fault Ross came in here, said ‘take this’ and left. I can’t get up, you know.” Rose glared at him. She was tired, in pain and terrified. She’d be damned if she didn’t take all of that out on Raythor. He didn’t seem to have the energy to move her; he just kept sitting there with his legs out and his back against the bed. “Can’t Dasher heal me?”
“I really don’t think she had it in her right now.”
“You have funny bangs.” Dasher giggled.
“Oh yeah, she’s ready to be a medical professional. I was completely wrong.”
“Shut up.” Rose gritted her teeth. “You’re such an idiot.”
“And my bangs are hilarious. I don’t know how I manage it.”
“I can heal her. Give me a sec to get over there.” Maria, in more or less of a heap with James and Kylara, did her best to get up. “Wow that’s some good spinning.”
“Makes me sick,” Rea muttered, covering her eyes.
“What the hell spell did she use on your people?” Rose demanded. She pulled her skirt up over her wounded leg, trying not to look at it.
Dasher giggled again. “It’s called dizzy sleep. It mimics the effects of alcohol on our systems. It’s so silly.”
“Explains why it’s not working on the lush.”
“He does have luscious hair.’
“Oh Dash, go back to sleep.” Raythor patted her head. “Let me remember you as you were.”
Maria shook her head and knelt down next to Rose. “This isn’t too bad, I can fix this.”
“Thank God! It hurts like a bitch.” Rose breathed a sigh of relief.
“Do you have any idea how much you swear?” Raythor commented. She elbowed him in the gut.
Maria shook her head again and called up blue energy. Rose felt water fall in her wound and, slowly, it closed and stopped hurting all together. “There you go. I’ll help you up.” Rose was in the air again before she knew what was happening and on her feet before she could get her balanced. She splayed out her fingers and froze. “You’re good, you’re fine.” Maria patted her back. “Magical healing usually makes humans a bit unsteady afterwards.”
“It’s true,” Dasher slurred.
Raythor scooped her up and set her on the bed. “This is so much easier now that she has four legs.”
Rose watched as she almost instantly went to sleep. She crossed her arms and looked away, pacing the room. “What are we supposed to do now? Are we going to be attacked again?”
“Lydrion told Laura no, not in this room. Since he had the chance to kill us and didn’t I tenuously believe it. This has become personal to them too,” Maria said. “All things considered waiting it out here isn’t a bad idea.”
“I don’t like it.” She was largely ignored. Rea had gone to sleep. James was standing guard over her, weapon drawn but resting on the floor. Even Kylara, usually so pro killing people, was resting against the wall.
“Waiting this out until morning is the best we can do.” Raythor moved to lock the door.
There was a sharp scream. Rose saw Raythor’s hand stop dead. She couldn’t blame him, she recognized it too. She gripped his shoulder. “Anella?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Show me what you can do, apprentice.”

Anella held up her sword, backing up and up. She kept her eyes carefully away from Dione. The two of them had gone after retreating soldiers, long before Laura and Ross had shown up, and ended up down a long hallway with Kenetari at the end of it. Anella had wanted to run as soon as she saw the dark girl but Dione had refused to back down and Anella really, really owed her.
For a while the two of them together had actually proven a fair match for Kenetari alone. Dione fought like a crazed wildcat, actually wounding her several times, and Anella had got in a few lucky shots. Despite everything, she never seemed to feel it. When Dione tried to finish her, Kenetari just blocked and slammed Dione’s head hard into the wall.
As Rea’s knight lay on the ground, her head bleeding, Anella screamed. After all, there was no one to save her now. No battered and bruised Raythor, no heroically confident Markus. Just shy little Anella Nightheart against one of the strongest fighters on the entire continent.
“Now this is a little more even.” Kenetari took another step toward Anella. The corner of her mouth was torn really in two, the result of a particularly lucky shot of Anella and her sheet white skin showed off the blood like a medal of honor. Other than that, Anella couldn’t even see the damage. The rips in the black cloth folded over on themselves; obscuring any wounds beneath, hiding the red liquid they produced in the dark color of the fabric.
Anella was not so lucky. Her right arm hung loosely at her side, a deep red gash stretched down it and her white dress announced everywhere Kenetari had torn her apart. She was breathing heavily, sweat beaded on her brow, stamina fading. It didn’t seem right that Kenetari shouldn’t feel the same way. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.” She laughed; a clipped laugh that sounded so much like Raythor’s Anella actually flinched. “You’ve gotten so much better and look, mouse- you still have your dominant arm.”
Something very like bravery rose in Anella’s chest. She slashed her sword again, slowly enough so that Kenetari would definitely block it. The dark girl did so expertly and, with a twisted little smile, she started forcing Anella’s sword back toward her face. Anella tried to drop her sword and duck, but she hadn’t practiced being the defender. Her movements were just a fraction too slow and Kenetari’s sword cut into her turned face.
Anella dropped to her knees, clutching the cut. She felt where her ear had been split in two by the sword and clutched at it with blind, white panic. Kenetari gazed down at her without much interest, actually twirling her sword around a bit. When Anella showed no sign of getting to her feet she actually sighed.
“You’ve giving up. You lose one little ear and you give up. Pathetic.” Kenetari turned and Anella saw the sword glistening over her shoulder. She realized blankly that Kenetari was preparing to finish her off. Without a sound, Raythor was in front of her and Rose was beside him. Anella stared without comprehension at his black clad back.
Before she could make sense of anything, Kenetari had turned and re-aimed her attack. Her sword burrowed its way through Raythor’s chest and out his back. Anella saw he’d tried to block and went for the wrong angle, taking the hit head on. She heard a squishing noise as Kenetari pulled the sword back out of his body. Anella heard Rose screaming Raythor’s name in a numb haze. She let it filter through her ears, getting to her feet. Kenetari was standing stock still; it was so easy to approach her, to press the point of her sword to the dark girl’s throat.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen. No path was supposed to let him die.” Kenetari’s eyes stayed fixed on her brother. “I found a way. I did it.”
“Pity you won’t live to see the result.” Anella straightened her arm, eyes narrowing.
Kenetari met her eyes. Anella shivered. The deep blue irises were completely and utterly devoid of any emotion at all. It wasn’t that she wasn’t feeling anything, it was that she couldn’t. Anella couldn’t imagine living that way. Somehow, Kenetari didn’t look like she wanted to continue doing so. Anella slit the dark girl’s throat, forgetting everything- her split ear, Raythor dying on the ground, Rose’s screams, all of the people Kenetari had killed- except those empty eyes.
Anella’s cut left a glowing yellow light in its wake. Kenetari slid to the ground, fingers twining in Raythor’s hair as she died. Slowly her shape shrunk and shifted, revealing the angles of the canine body grotesque and twisted with deep wounds. Pallas lay dead before Anella’s eyes. She dropped her sword, feeling the side of her eyes sting.
“Anella… Anella, help me, he’s still alive.” Rose looked up pleadingly. She was pressing down hard on Raythor’s chest, hands red up to the wrists.
“I wouldn’t bother.” Peregrine stood in the center of the open hallway. “I’ve been told to kill anyone who stops me from getting Princess Rose back to Whitestar.”
“You’re g-going to h-have to g-get t-through me first.” Anella balled her fists.
“What is wrong with you humans? Don’t you ever know when you’re outmatched?” Peregrine’s eyes started glowing a deep orange.
“Wait.” Rose stood up. “I’ll go with you. Just don’t hurt them.”
“R-Rose…?”
“Raythor wanted to see what his apprentice could do.” The princess stood as straight as she could. “Well, I learned more than just how to hurt people from that idiot. Take care of him for me, Anella. I will never forgive you if he dies.”
“Smart girl.” Peregrine waited patiently for Rose to walk over. When she had, they both disappeared in a whirlwind of light.
Anella practically flung herself on the ground, fumbling to put her hands over Raythor’s wound. Then she defaulted to the one option she had left: she screamed for help.

Markus watched helplessly as Raythor was dragged into the room, laid out on the one bed and stripped of his tunic. They were down two of their usual healers, left with the less skilled magical healer Maria and Laura, who had her in-the-field-use-what-you-can medical knowledge. Ross could deal with frostbite, sure, but that wasn’t going to help in the slightest in this case. Markus was a bit on edge. Being completely useless worried him almost as much as the gaping hole in Raythor’s chest.
“Markus.” Laura darted a glance at him. “Micromanage, babe. You’ll feel better, you always do.” She turned her attention back to Maria. “How can we handle this inside wound? Should we cut him open?”
He took a second to revel in the fact she’d just called him “babe” before the crushing weight of his missing sister set back in. He set about to micromanaging. “Someone needs to talk to Vyncent- he arrived toward the tail end of the battle and I don’t think any of us have contacted him since.”
“I can do that.” Rea stood. “We have a few things to discuss.”
“Thank you.” Markus bowed his head respectfully. “Could I get someone to watch the windows-?”
“I’ll do it. I have to do something,” Kylara cut in.
“If I don’t know how an internal structure looks it’s difficult for me to fix it,” Maria said. The room went silent. She had her hand, glowing blue, pressed to Raythor’s chest. “I’m keeping him alive like this but when my magic fails, so does he.”
Everyone stood still. Maria’s nurses, Laura and Ross, looked like they’d guessed as much. They both had blooded hands and blank expressions. Ross was balancing a bowl of red tinted water with a rag in it, his eyes on his cousin, on his knee. Laura had her lip firmly between her teeth, thinking.
“What if we open up a body and look at the lungs? Would that help?” Laura asked. People started moving, going about their tasks again.
Maria frowned but eventually nodded. “I could do that, yes. I’m going to need a corpse with no chest injuries.”
Markus and James instantly started for the door. Maria reached out to stop the prince. “I’m going to need you to forgo the he-man act for a second. James, please go for it.” James left. “You have water magic. I’m going to need to move to study the lungs and Raythor doesn’t have that kind of time. You’ll have to take over, just for a few minutes.”
“Alright.” It wasn’t. Markus’s healing had been pretty limited thus far, even on King Ian’s men.
“Good. Come on over.”
He trudged over like a sleep walker, lowering himself to his knees beside her. He heard a body slid into the room; saw Laura and Ross move out of the corners of his eyes. “What do I need to do?”
“Keep your hands wet. Where my hands are, yours should be.” Maria’s magic glowed brighter for a moment. “Get your powers started. The beautiful thing about water spells is, if they can, they find a way to work. If you can keep focused your magic will find what’s wrong in his body and try to help it. Ready?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t.
Maria shifted her hands and moved his into their place. Markus felt frayed flesh squish beneath his palm. The blue light covered his hands almost in response to that disconcerting feeling. The energy flowed, sinking into Raythor’s pores. Markus felt his breathing sync with the dark haired boy’s, felt every beat of his heart. Maria was right, if this power could find a way to flow it would. His body had done this without much help from his head.
“What the hell…?” Raythor’s blue eyes met his feverishly. “Why am I not dead? Didn’t I…?”
“Had him sedated. Don’t worry, I’ll do it again,” Maria said. She didn’t look up from his corpse studying.
“You’re not dead yet. We’re trying to fix it,” Markus assured.
“Where’s Anella, where’s Rose? Are they okay?” Raythor scanned his face. Markus didn’t know how to answer that.
Anella did so for him. “We’re both fine,” she lied. She came to kneel by his head.
“Your ear… no one’s taken care of it.” Raythor’s eyes widened.
“I can’t even feel it, I promise. Dasher is still passed out; she won’t wake up thanks to the spell. Maria has to save all her energy for you.”
“Not worth it.” His eyes glazed over. “She punctured my lungs, breathing really hurts.”
“You’ve going to be fine, I promise.” Anella didn’t notice that she was crying but tear after tear started running down her cheeks.
“No I’m not.” He smirked. She vehemently shook her head. Raythor took a firm hold of her hand. “Listen, Anella… I have to tell you something.” He was starting to wince. “You know Henry, in the story? How she didn’t hurt him?”
“Mm hm.” Anella clutched at his hand with both of hers.
“I think Moonlady thinks I’m your Henry and….” He cut off, leaning his head away from her. Even his dark hair couldn’t hide the fact he was coughing up blood. “’Nella I… I l….”
“Maria!” Markus applied more pressure. The light of his magic flared but Raythor kept coughing.
“Hey, hey, it’s not your fault Blue.” Maria gently moved him out of the way, replacing her own hands. “The wound is still progressing; we’re just slowing it down.” Raythor took a shuddering breath and passed out. “Laura, clean him up for me. Ross, enlarge this wound. Use that knife on the table.”
“Are you serious?” Ross made a face.
“You want your cousin’s friend to die? Get it, Rainbird.”
“Alright. Damn it....”
“Markus put your hands over mine. We’re both pretty drained but we can combine what we have left.”
“Okay.” Markus laced her fingers through hers, focusing again. He watched Ross cut Raythor open, a vaguely nauseous expression on the blond’s face. Then Maria’s magic kicked in, more powerfully than any of Markus’s own and Raythor’s whole body glowed blue. Raythor’s lungs became visible through his chest and his heart beat became deafening. He rolled over; moving up on his elbows, and threw up blood all over the floor.
Ross wrinkled his nose. “That was the grossest thing I have ever seen.”
“Oh Raythor.” Anella moved up onto the bed next to him, putting a hand on his back. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
“That’s devotion, girl.”
“Flask, Ross.” Laura held out her hands. He sighed and gave it to her. She pressed it to Raythor’s lips and helped him drink the contents.
“Nope, I do not want that back.” Ross shook his head.
“Get him an apple.” She looked at him pointedly.
“I am not making out with….” He trailed off. When Markus didn’t say anything, he finished: “Karian. I’m going to get that apple. Got to get his breath fresh and all.”
“Can you breathe?” Maria was checking Raythor’s chest carefully. “Anything on his back, Anella?”
“Just a new scar,” Anella said.
“Yeah, I can breathe fine,” Raythor said. He sat down, dazed. “God, I can breathe fine.”
“You’re probably going to live.” Maria smiled. Slowly, everyone else did too. It was, after all, the only good thing that had happened in the past several hours.

Chapter Thirty Two

Carina’s Elite

Laura woke up with a phantom pain in her stomach. She lay there for a moment, waiting for it to go away, trying not to remember anything Lydrion had said or done. She had trusted “Hector” and his patient, no nonsense way of doing things. She shouldn’t have been so naïve. She sighed, forcing herself to her feet. Laura mechanically got dressed and washed up, keeping her mind blank until she started toward the door. After Raythor had wakened, everyone had headed to bed. She’d done the same once she’d assured her father she wasn’t dead and said goodnight to Markus. Due to the cuts on his face, it had been a little more chaste than what probably would have happened otherwise.
Laura felt her face heat up. Markus had come, said he loved her and promised to marry her. Kissing him and touching him were going to become a normal part of her life. She could forgive a lot of her mistakes if they led her to a point in her life where that was possible. She’d walked to his door without really thinking and she just shrugged and knocked.
“Come in,” Markus called. “It’s not locked.”
“Markus?” Laura opened the door, carefully walking in. He was by his window, looking out with a fixed stare. He face was free of cuts but she could still see some of the exposed parts of his arms, his neck and as far of the “V” of his collar dipped and it was obvious he had just healed what he could and left the rest. She hugged him from behind, pressing the side of her cheek into his back. “You fixed your face.”

[Markus Everglade]

“Yeah. Then my magic kind of gave out.” He put his hands over hers.
“You would do your face first,” she teased gently. “Did you sleep at all last night?”
“No. It’s just… my sister and the other’s in Kenetari’s hands….” His grip tightened a little. “If Ketra dies I don’t know how I’d handle it.”
“Are you knuckles bloody?”
Markus stayed silent for a moment. Then he nodded his still crownless head. “Yeah.”
“Let me patch you up.” Laura drew back. She dipped a smaller bowl into the wash basin in the corner, grabbing a rag. She set both on his bed and rummaged through his bad to find bandages. “Come sit down.”
Markus did, watching her with a bit of a smile. “You just half convinced me you packed that bag.”
“I just know how you pack.” She sat next to him. Some of the little cuts didn’t look good, some were even bleeding again. She carefully started cleaning them. “Are those everywhere?”
“Pretty much.”
“Would you be comfortable taking off your tunic for me?”
“Sure, you’ve seen me shirtless be… oh, we’re courting.” His eyes widened. Markus tilted her chin up and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her until the air ran out of his lungs. “Almost thought that was a dream. I love you.” He unlatched his belt and slipped his tunic off over his head, actually folding it before he set it down.
“Wow.” Laura stared at him. “Where did that come from?”
“I wanted to do it last night.” Markus smiled. “How does it look, healer.”
“Bad. Why didn’t you clean these? You could have gotten an infection.”
“I don’t know.”
“Or you’ve been thinking of everyone but yourself.”
“I’ve been thinking of myself.” He kissed her again.
“Point gratefully taken. I can see how you’d forget it.” She began binding his cleaned arm. Markus put his forehead on her shoulder. She was pretty sure he was falling asleep and she didn’t move him. It took almost half an hour to cover every wound she could see and he didn’t budge the entire time. Laura started helping him lie down.
“She knows we’re coming.” Markus sat up, looking perfectly awake. “So she’ll keep them alive, right? As bait? We won’t come after bodies; Ket wouldn’t even want us to if she was dead.”
Laura thought about that. “Logically, it would be to Kenetari’s benefit to keep them alive. She’s far more focused on manipulating us than killing us and I believe she wants the royals especially alive.”
“And Gabriel?”
“I don’t think she expected him to be here. I couldn’t say.”
“We have to go to Whitestar. It’s what Kenetari wanted all along but we don’t have a choice. We get them back or we die trying.” Markus’s voice became resolute. He put his tunic back on and moved to look in the mirror. “I just have to stay calm and level headed, think of some way we can make it through this alive. For some reason everyone seems to be counting on me now and I can’t fail them.” He turned and looked at her, falling silent. Laura gave her a little encouraging smile. “And I want to live so that I can be with you. It’s selfish but it’s what I want.”
“Come here.” Laura held out her arms. He sat next to her and she held him. “It’s what I want too. I’ll never stop protecting you. No matter what happens.”
“You’ve always been my guardian angel,” he whispered. “You always put me first, always wanted me to be happy. Just know that, if I wasn’t before I am now. I’m so happy with you.” Laura felt unexpected relief wash over her, felt her guilt break. He hadn’t been truly happy in a long time. Now they both could be.
Laura drew back to kiss him. They continued with a slow, even rhythm and she felt her mind go blank. Markus put a hand behind her head, his fingers in her hair. He seemed to be exploring its new length and she let him, smiling against his lips. “Getting used to it yet, Markus?”
“I think I like it but it might just be the positive association.”
“Guardian angel?”
Markus colored. “Um… you know my brain, Laur, everything’s a story. You came to me when I needed a friend. I just always fit.”
“I love you.” She smiled. “Only you would conjure a story of two imperfect souls brought together by need.”
He leaned back, his head touching the wall. Markus folded his arms over his chest, adopting his thinking frown. “I’d never thought of it that way. That’s a good way of putting it.”
“It just seemed like a tale you’d tell.” She reclined next to him so she could play with his hair. “What happened to your crown?”
“I left it in Bloodroot. I think. Probably.”
“Oh Markus.” She laughed. “You finally got rid of it.”
“I know.” He smiled. “It was a good day when I realized it.” He turned his head to look at her. “You’re going to love yours.”
Laura made a face. “Will I have to wear a dress all the time?”
“I promise you, only on special occasions. I do have a plan for when we rule, though.”
“You do? Already?”
“Yeah. I think about it when I day dream a lot. I want to make you joint ruler.”
“What?” Her heart slammed. She knew what that entailed but… to bestow it on a general’s daughter? Ivy had not accepted it from Audrion. She calmed herself. Laura would take this one step at a time. The relationship was still so new and they still had so much left to do. To fight for. She hugged him. “It will be a long time before we’re king and queen.” If, her brain added. “But I know you’ll be a good ruler.”
“I admire your faith.” He yawned. “I don’t believe my father shares it.”
“But he loves you, Blue. Deep down, he knows you can be king.”
“I know he loves me.” He slipped his arms around her. “Something I’m surprised and proud to have discovered.” He kissed her cheek. “Vyncent loves you too.”
“I know.” Laura felt the air sink out of her lungs. She was still… working on accepting that fact.
“I have to sleep.” He grimaced. “Just for a little while. Are you…?”
“I’ll stay. I trust you.” She grinned at him mischievously. “I’m not leaving you again.

There were roughly a hundred soldiers, ten servants and eleven people he’d spent a lot of time with, himself included, crowded in the banquet hall. Raythor listened with occasional and largely unnecessary nods as Vyncent outlined his plan of attack to the assembled group. The general was going to head straight for the heart of Whitestar castle, spitting his soldiers into two to assault both the front and the back of Whitestar castle at once. It would certainly help with their lack of numbers but maybe she’d lost a few last night and taking down King Ian. Maybe they could actually win but Raythor was going either way. The ginger banshee’s ghost would haunt him if he didn’t.
“Raythor?” Dasher spotted him from where she was sitting with the ROE. Her ears flattened against her skull. “What are you doing out of bed?”
“What are you, aren’t you pretty hung over?” Raythor returned. A few soldiers caught their whisperings and snickered. He fought down a smile himself. “Your fur is looking a little greener than usual.”
“That isn’t even possible, Raythor.”
“I don’t know, I can see it.”
“If you want to know, my skin is actually rather pinkish under here.”
“Oh I know, you’re my illicit Human Lover girlfriend remember?”
“Raythor!”
This caused very poorly restrained laughter from the back rank of soldiers. Raythor was fairly sure Vyncent had started grinning as well. Dasher strode over and herded Raythor from the room, ignoring his smirk the entire way.
“Must you make bestiality jokes in public?” Dasher asked in exasperation. She’d taken him into a little study off the main hallway.
“Where else would I make them, Dash?” He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
“You’re a giant pain but I think that’s why we love you. Why are you up?”
“Because I feel fine.”
“You technically have parts of another man’s lungs in your body right now. A dead man, on top of that. Are you not seeing how you need to rest so your body can get used to it?’
“Laura is fine, didn’t she get skewered?”
“Yes she did but none of her organs got touched.”
“You’re kidding me. Pinned to the chair by her stomach and she didn’t get hit in a single organ?”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” Dasher sounded frustrated. “I think Lydrion’s healers took care of the worst of it before they left. She won’t talk about it.”
Dasher’s eyes were full of worry. They’d spent a year together and he’d never really been able to read her expressions unless they were painfully obvious. Something like concern for him masked behind anger he wouldn’t have understood even a month earlier. Raythor didn’t want to think too hard about what that meant.
“Hey, it’s fine Dash. I’m going to live; I’m really damn hard to kill.” He cracked a smile. “Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry.” Dasher rolled her eyes dramatically. “All he ever does is get skewered and she says don’t worry.”
“It’ll turn your fur prematurely gray.”
“Oh sweet Illios.” She tapped her snout on the ground. “I do have some good news and some bad news for you.”
“Fine. Bad news first.”
“I figured you’d say that.” Dasher looked up at him, eyes anxious again. She rested her little white almost cat like paw on his boot. “The worst of it is that Ketra, Gabriel, Blade and… Rose have been taken to Whitestar as bait.”
“Rose is gone?” His throat felt very dry.
“Yes. After the shape shifter posed as your sister died, General Peregrine showed up. She demanded that Rose go with her or you and Anella would die. She gave herself up for the both of you.”
Raythor bowed his head, swallowing hard. There was an unfamiliar burning sensation at the sides of his eyes. “That’s my princess alright.” He took a minute to restore his blank expression. “And Anella’s injury?”

[Markus Everglade]

“I used my last bit of magic to mend the facial wound, I couldn’t manage the arm. She um… got salt in a diagonal section beneath her eye and it scarred. It looks quite a bit like Markus’s but it’s fainter. You can barely see it.”
“Markus’s is really damn visible, Dash, how like his are we talking?”
“It’s on the other side.” Anella came in timidly. The rest of the group filed in behind. She turned her face and ran her fingers along the scar in question. It was longer than Markus’s, diagonally beneath her entire left eye, Lainan pale against her skin.
“I’m so-” Raythor started.
Anella hugged him. He froze in her arms, completely confused. “Thank you, thank you, thank you Raythor. I would have been killed and you got so hurt….” She reached up and kissed his cheek. Raythor stared straight ahead. He knew he’d smile just a little too widely if he didn’t. “It’s so much easier being the one with their eyes closed.”
“Oh I know, I know. I’m still sorry about your scar, though.”
“You called me ‘Nella.” It was all she said before she pulled away but he didn’t think he needed it explained. Maria was giving them both a knowing little smile from the corner, cementing it. He must have said it. Must have told her.”
“Did you tell him your new little theory, Dasher? About who ever the hell he’s got living in there?” Ross asked without much interest.
“We didn’t get to the um… good news.” Dasher flicked her ears sheepishly.
“Nice. You made up good news.”
“I didn’t make it up, really….”
“You’re just pretending that he didn’t get the short end of the stick out of that trio.”
“Raythor, we think you hold the soul of Paramour the murderer, the one Phoenix killed in the myth. In that case, it would make sense for Kenetari to be Pearl, to have such unusual resistance to pain. It would explain your survival last night as well.”
“Paramour the murderer?” Raythor said skeptically. “We?” He had faint, confused images of Rose pressing down hard on his chest, trying to save him, her hands stained to the wrist. It wasn’t the only thing that explained his survival.
“She isn’t even named in most versions of the story but she has your gift when she is. Paramour was framed for the murder she was supposed to have committed.”
“What?”
“The real killer isn’t named but… it’s in some versions.”
“So Markus isn’t Pearl then? That seems off.” He played up the sarcasm. This was crazy. He knew myths came from half-truths and misunderstandings, there was probably no more than a grain of truth in this whole thing.
‘He actually can’t be because he’s an elementi. It just doesn’t happen that way.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m just going to ask one more time, this doesn’t affect our relationship does it?” Markus took hold of Laura’s hand and looked concerned.
Dasher laughed. “No, Markus. The story does not tend to repeat itself quite so literally. Raythor for instance probably won’t be murdered: he already lost himself by getting amnesia, like a death. So the relationship Laura has with Pearl, whoever they might be, Kenetari or not, doesn’t have to be romantic.”
“Right then.” He composed himself. “We should get going.”
Raythor hung back as everyone left again, grabbing Anella’s arm so she had to do the same. She gave him a curious look. He let go. “Did I tell you anything yesterday?”
“You tried to.” Anella tilted her head in that way she did. “You started saying that Moonlady thought you were my Henry but you… didn’t get to finish.” She fiddled with her cross. “I um…well…I sort of um….” She looked up the stairs behind them. “Is it okay if we talk s-somewhere else?”
“Sure.” He let her lead. No one had noticed they hadn’t followed them and it would be easy enough to slip away unnoticed. Raythor had almost told her. When he had thought he was going to die, sure but that was a lot for him. He could tell her. He could do this. Probably. This was a lot harder than getting stabbed. Raythor left his thoughts again when Anella stopped, looking back at him. She’d taken them to a balcony, one she must pass by on the way to her room. She must have planned this, at least a little. Raythor’s heart slammed. What was she going to tell him?
Anella wasn’t blushing. She seemed suddenly, very calm, and he couldn’t look away from her. She could tell him anything she wanted to. “Is this alright?”
“Yeah. I like being out in the air.” He smiled. They both moved, looking down over the balcony, just beside each other. He wasn’t going to press her and he was too nervous to press himself.
“How are you feeling?”
“Good. Doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Do you… I mean… you just get hurt for people all the time….” She trailed off. “You could have fought her off a lot of ways, Raythor and….”
“And I chose the only one where I’d be sure to keep you safe. I miscalculated my block and that’s what got me hurt. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“You almost died.” Her hand slid over his on the stone of the balcony.
“That’s kind of common with our group of friends. Exceptionally common with myself.” Raythor reached up and touched the scar beneath her eye. “Did you rub a pound of salt in here?”
“No I….” She smiled at him. “I didn’t think you were going to make it. I guess I’m always going to have a reminder of what that felt like.” She reached up and their fingers intertwined against her cheek.
“Paramour will protect me,” Raythor said. He worked to keep his expression level. That was a really unfortunate way to have phrased that. He was the only one who knew that but still. Awkward. “Or at least, you know, keep me alive long enough for someone to patch me up. It all gets kind of fuzzy when it gets to the details.”
“It does seem to, doesn’t it?” Somehow they’d drawn a little closer. “What… what were you going to tell me?”
“No no, you first. Mine can wait, it waited all night already.”
“I… don’t know how to say….” She met his eyes. A smile crossed her face. “I love you, Raythor.”
“What? Really?” He almost laughed. Raythor put his forehead against hers. “I was seriously going to tell you that. I love you.”

[Markus Everglade]

“You… you do?”
“I do.”
“Raythor.” Her smile became radiant and, suddenly, his eyes were focused on her lips. Before he could sternly tell himself not to give into his impulses their lips were touching. He didn’t know which of them had started it. It had just seemed like they’d both just gotten closer and closer until it was inevitable. The hand that had been holding hers was now cupping her face and the other went loosely around her waist, pulling her closer. He kissed her as gently as he could, realizing that this was what it meant to be innocent: he could deserve a moment like this, deserve even being around someone like her. Know what it was like to not push down every emotion, to feel wholly and purely connected to someone without the horrible, lingering fear that had always sat in his gut like a stone. Anella loved him back. The thought filled him like wine rushing to his head and he drew back, saying her name. She’d said it, aloud, she’d meant it, but it was going to take his mind a little time to process that.
“I love you,” he said. That gorgeous smile was on her face again. It was getting a little closer. “That… that was your first kiss, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.” She hugged him. “And I’m glad it was with you.”
“Really?”
“Of course, really.”
“I didn’t think this would end this well. I didn’t think you’d feel the same.”
“Of course you thought that. And I… I never imagined that anyone would ever say those words to me. I love you and I convinced myself I wasn’t supposed to fall in love or at least that no one-” She broke off, biting her lip. “That no one would ever love me.” Her voice had dropped to a whisper.
“Don’t say that.” Raythor tucked her hair behind her ear. She shivered against his touch. “You’re so beautiful, kind and sweet. I can’t imagine anyone not loving you.” He caressed her cheek very lightly, his hand trembling. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this.”
“Yes you are.” She shook her head like she couldn’t believe he’d said that. “I think about you pretty much all the time.”
“Yeah, same.” They both laughed a little. “Feels a little bit like going crazy, doesn’t it?”
“A little, but it’s a happy insanity. I am always smiling when you’re around.”
“I make you happy?”
“Yes, you do, more than anyone I’ve ever met,” Anella said breathlessly. “It’s true….”
“Anella….” Raythor said shakily. He kissed her, a little more insistently than he had before, still holding her like glass. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He was so happy he didn’t really know what to do with it. He didn’t think his body was really used to so much of that particular emotion. It was like some sort of foreign entity taking over.
“Anella! Karian! You up there?” Ross shouted from below. “We’re leaving soon, you know! Whatever the hell you’re doing, hurry it up!”
Their lips disconnected quickly. Anella squeezed his side. “W-we’re coming, R-Ross! J-just f-feeding T-Thunder!”
Ross answered without shouting, so they couldn’t really hear it, but Raythor was pretty sure it was something along the lines of “So that’s what they’re calling it now” and “I bet Karian ‘hurries it up’ naturally anyway”. Raythor did his best to ignore it. Ross was probably going to attempt to beat the crap out of him later but that was fine. This was worth it.
“Do you want to… not mention this until after Whitestar? We can tell people if that feels too weird to you but… yeah….”
“Good idea.” She nodded. “After that we’ll… figure out a way to stay together?” She looked hopeful.
He nodded back, kissing her one more time. “No matter what.”

Ross stepped outside, took one look at the line of people waiting for them and moved in front of Markus with his bow drawn. Laura had done the very same thing and they stood together, shoulders actually touching, ready to start killing things in the name of Everglade. He had to admit, he’d kind of missed his job.
“I take it you don’t trust me.” General Porthe had an amused expression on his face. Ross resolved to shoot him first. “I can understand that. I am keeping some unusual company, for your perspective.”
“Davon,” Rea said warmly. She went right past their lines of defense and let the general kiss her hand. “I knew you’d arrive. You’ll march with us; we’re going to need Carina’s elite.”
“Are you against us?” Markus asked thinly. It was so hostilely straight forward that Ross was reminded of Audrion.
“What are you talking about?”
“Allow me to explain.” Davon patted her shoulder. “David was acting as a spy for Carina in Whitestar castle. He and Jason Whitestar are friends and Jason chose a new side because of it. It’s simple, really.”
“David!” A Carinian soldier snaked through the group, going across the field to hug David.
“Kira.” David sounded close to tears. “Oh God, Kira, I’m so sorry about Pallas….”
“David, you have permission to stay behind with your wife,” Davon said.
David started. “Sir?”
“I’ll not have your head here when you should be fighting. That’s how elite lose their lives. Stay.”
“If that’s an order.” He smiled.
“I’ll take your place, Catshadow,” Saria offered.
“Appreciated, Straightarrow.” He saluted her and he and his wife went into the castle.
“Markus?” Laura hadn’t shifted her bow in the slightest. Ross hadn’t lowered his more than an inch but that little display had weakened his resolve to shoot Davon in the face.
“At ease,” Markus nodded. Ross nodded, dropping his guard.
“You trust Porthe?” Laura didn’t budge.
“Hey, David was a friend of Everard’s and Porthe was Will’s best friend. I don’t see why we shouldn’t trust me,” Ross offered.
“If you don’t trust me, trust the judgment of the White Knight of Carina,” the general said. Behind him his soldiers, mostly men Ross knew, were getting restless.
“If my prince has given me a ceasefire then I don’t kill you,” Laura said flatly.
“Hey.” Markus put a hand on her shoulder. “Not anymore.”
“Fine. Let’s talk about this.” Laura adjusted her grip. “You friend tried to kill mine. Yours claimed to be working for Kenetari and was arrested for treason. Now he’s free, he’s in my father’s castle, and he’s had a sickly sweet reunion with his wife you probably knew was here. Could you tell us when the acting stopped and the truth started?” She narrowed her eyes. “How am I to believe you didn’t stage everything? How could I know if it was if the emotions Kira brought out in Catshadow were so real even our empath couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t?”
“You are your father’s daughter,” Davon said carefully. Vyncent’s face filled with pride. “You’re all so used to being tricked, liked to and betrayed by everyone but each other. I understand your hesitance, Lady Glasswater.” He moved in front of Rea. “I offer my life, if you find me impossible to trust.”
“You’re betting on the fact that I won’t attack an unarmed man because I was raised in Everglade. I want you to know that if Markus wasn’t here, you’d lose that bet.” She let the words hang in the air. “Killing you just isn’t worth him never being able to forgive me.” Laura lowered her bow and then re-secured it on her shoulder. She didn’t say another word; though it was clear Davon was waiting for something.
“Any further objections to Carina’s elite joining your cause?” Davon kept his hands up, away from his weapon.
“We could use the men. We march.” Vyncent signaled his men forward and their march started before anything else was said.
Ross fell back to fall in step with Markus. “What do you think?”
“I think most of what David said before was true. I think most of their exchange was.” Markus frowned. “There are things people can’t say from the confines of their position. We all know this but… I don’t think it’s enough to betray Carina or to lose everything they have. We can trust them as allies, if not people.” The prince shook his head. “I believed David. Those emotions were not fake, absolutely. Even if he was manipulated through Kira she’s not in danger anymore. We can’t hold Porthe accountable for his association with David, in my opinion.”
“And Whitestar?” Laura’s voice was flat.
“I intended to find that out.”
“You intend to find that out?” Laura raised an eyebrow at him.
“I do, my lady. Allow me to restrain your murderous tendencies for a little longer.” Markus gave her an affectionate look. He turned back and waved. “Hey! Anella! Can I ask you something?”
“What are you going to do with my cousin?” Ross tried to sound indignant. Actually, he’d half hoped Markus and Anella would get together. Ross could’ve swooped in and helped Laura- he mentally slapped himself. The idea couldn’t be more ridiculous, sadly enough.
“Yes Markus?” Anella fell into step with him.
“Jason Whitestar is the one who tried to kill you and Raythor, tight?” The prince was boring a hole into Jason’s back with his eyes.
“Yes. He’s the one who dragged Raythor to the dungeon.”
“Then if he really has turned over a new leaf he’s going to feel bad about what he did. If you could talk to him maybe you could see just how guilty he feels.”
“I can try.”
“Make Karian go with her. They’re cousins, right?” Ross shrugged.
“Actually, I was going to ask you to. But the three of you certainly have an interesting dynamic. Actually….” Markus turned again. “Raythor!”
“You’re bossy today, handsome,” Laura teased.
“Well I am a prince. This is what we do.”
“Oh God you two are openly flirting.” Ross made a face. The couple gave him horrified expressions.
“Yeah?” Karian came up soundlessly. Markus, happy to change the subject, quickly explained his idea. The dark haired boy did his usual blank face routine in response. “Fine.”
“Let’s go then.” Ross shoved Anella and Karian forward, a hand on both their backs. Karian flinched but didn’t say anything.
“Ross are you alright?” Anella blinked at him.
“Yeah, why would you ask? Don’t I look fine?”
“You do. I’m just sorry. I know you liked Laura.”

[Markus Everglade]

Ross didn’t have an answer for that. He didn’t want to articulate the confusion in his head about Laura. Not in the slightest. He didn’t even like having the confusion about Laura. He’d always been more of a love them and leave them kind of guy.
“Hey Whitestar.” Raythor went ahead of them. “Don’t you want to meet your first cousin properly?”
“I don’t make nice with murderers,” Jason said coldly.
“Really? Because you grew up with my sister.”
“She’s your sister by blood. She’s my reality. Don’t think you know how that felt, amnesiac.”
“I remember enough to know exactly what Kenetari is. She only shares it after she’s beaten you and left you for dead.”
“Why do you always have to piss people off, Karian?” Ross asked with exasperation.
Jason chuckled. “I’m not pissed. I guess we have more in common than I thought, Raythor. That’s exactly what she did to me.”
“I have no idea what’s wrong with your family as a whole, Karian, but it’s some serious shit.”
“I know,” Jason and Karian said together. They exchanged looks. Ross hated Jason already.
“Jason.” Anella, looking sweet and innocent as all get out, had her hands folded and her head tilted. Jason actually cringed when he turned his head to see her. “I just want you to know that I forgive you. That we all do. It’s difficult to turn against someone you love.”
Oh, that was evil. Ross felt himself smile. God he loved his cousin. Jason seemed at a loss for words for a while.
“I don’t know how I feel about her anymore.” Jason even sounded guilty. “And I won’t turn back. She had my brother and father. Davon is going to help get them out.” He stared straight ahead moodily. Ross was so violently not surprised that Jason and Karian were related that he didn’t know how it had ever been in question before. It was going to be a very long three days.

****

Gabriel was sleeping, slumped against the wall. He’d refused to take the cot Rose and Ketra had shared the night before just as he’d refused it the first night. He kept telling her that no lady should have to sleep on the floor and he was so very sweet about it that she couldn’t even think of arguing with him. Gabriel was the only one taking this confinement with any dignity. Rose was, and she knew this, angry and scared. Ketra was moody, spending most of her time sitting on the cot with her arms wrapped around her legs. Blade was even worse stripped of his magic, moving little from the tattered rug in the corner.
It was a depressing little cell of a room. Rose hated its shade of gray, its square shape, its stone floor and its uncomfortable cot. No matter how much she complained, Gabriel found a way to soothe her. It was strange. He was the first and only person to be able to do that. She watched his chest rise and fall, her eyes heavy. It was just the room, her friends, the darkness and Gabriel’s chest rising and falling… at least that meant he was alive and so was she, for now. That was what sustained her when the door opened.
“This is who you chose?” Kenetari surveyed the room. She nodded at each of them in turn. “I like it.”
“I thought you would.” Hector- that rat bastard, his name was Lydrion, she’d have to remember- put an arm around Kenetari’s waist. “Though we didn’t manage to kill an Everglade.”
“That’s fine. Markus is mine now.” Kenetari casually drew her sword. Rose balled her fist and Ketra and Blade both stood. Gabriel was awake now, his arms folded over his stomach, a strange look of calm on his face. “Calm down, little ones. I’m not here to hurt you; this is just to stop you from having any silly ideas.”
“Why are you here?” Rose challenged.
“I want to know if my brother is alive,” she said bluntly.
Rose felt as though her heart was making an attempt on her life. The only reason she was even half sane was because she hadn’t been thinking about it. Hadn’t wanted to remember herself hunching over Raythor’s body, palms pressed to his gaping chest, screams coming and going in her throat. “I don’t know.” But she’d sacrificed herself for the maybe.
“What did Ben say?” Lydrion asked.
“He could only read so far as Kylara standing outside Whitestar castle. We’ve cut out all other paths.” Kenetari seemed a bit delighted.
“Well that’s what they can give us. Any favorites?”
“You know.”
Lydrion strode forward, grabbing Rose’s arm. She was so surprised she didn’t put up a fight. She was out of the room and it was looked behind her before anyone had a chance to react. Rose felt the tip of Kenetari’s sword at her back and she sucked in air, trying to make herself as small as possible. They didn’t go far but it felt like an age and the fact she was shoved into a dark room at the end of it didn’t help matters.
“Blade is going to cut you up.’ Rose bristled when she regained her balance.
“Flowers, my elementist put a very strong pacifism spell on him. He can’t touch anyone,” Lydrion gave her another shove into a chair.
She was about to go off on a tirade about what she planned to do to him personally when she saw who she assumed was Ben. He couldn’t have been more than eleven and he looked just like Jason but he also looked so small. Fragile, really. It seemed impossible that he understood any of this.
“Ken.” Benvolio beamed at her. “How did the attack go? No one has told me.”
“Fairly well.” Kenetari took hold of Rose’s wrist and extend it across the table, palm up. Rose caught a flicker in Lydrion’s eyes. “Pallas died.”
“What?” Benvolio’s face crumbled. “How?”
“Anella cut his throat open-” Rose started. Kenetari slammed her head against the table.
“The details aren’t important,” Lydrion said smoothly. While Rose was still groggily recovering he cut her palm and squeezed the blood out on the table.
Benvolio perked up. He spread his fingers in the red liquid. His eyes rolled back in his head like he was having some sort of seizure. Then they went back to normal and he smiled at Kenetari. “I got a lot from her.”
“Should I take her back?” Lydrion’s hands closed on her arms again.
Kenetari shook her head. “Let her hear.”
“I was given three paths for her.” Benvolio stroke the cat that had jumped up and draped itself on his shoulders, his smile widening. “The first begins with the death of Miss Nightheart and then Rose’s escape with the others. She goes off with the Karian Killer after the battle is over and kisses him a lot of times. We won, though, even if we let them run.”
“What?” Rose burst. “No, no, no, no, no… that could never happen. Absolutely never could that happen.”
“This hinges on Anella’s death? Who kills her?” Kenetari asked.
“Lydrion does when she’s not looking. He was very angry. I’m not sure about much else.”
“The second path?”
“Lydrion kills Gabriel and Rose. We win. He decides not to leave the tower in this one.”
“Fair enough.”
“The last is… strange. Everything is burning and she’s just screaming and screaming. I think all the Royalty of Everglade is dead and she’s about to be too. It always gets more confusing if there are a lot of people dying.”
“How do we trigger that?”
Benvolio shrugged helplessly. Kenetari glided over and patted his head like he was a very good dog. Rose stared down at the table with disgust. It didn’t seem right that a child should have to do something like this and it didn’t seem fair that the best option she had led to Anella’s death. She didn’t want that and she certainly didn’t want Raythor all over her because of it. If there was a way out of her impending misery she couldn’t think of it right now. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try.

[Markus Everglade]

Chapter Thirty Three

Fifteen Voices

“Red, blue, green, two sevens, six three and a picture of what I assume was a dog,” Raythor said. He added in very long sigh at the end. It had been three days since the group and the two armies had left Vyncent’s castle. They were no more than ten minutes away from Whitestar. Tomorrow would start the battle that would probably decide the war.
Tonight they were just watching Saria play memory games with Raythor. As far as Anella could tell it consisted of the princess scribbling on a piece of paper, flashing it in front of Raythor’s face for five seconds and then asking him what he’d seen. The dark haired boy couldn’t have seemed more bored. Anella guessed that because that, for him, this little “trick” was completely normal and he didn’t even have to try. He was humoring Saria anyway. It gave this late night campfire vigil some sense of levity, of normalcy. He wasn’t the only one putting on that front.
Saria raised another paper in front of Raythor’s face, counted out loud and pulled it away. “Okay, go!”
“Half a horse, two flowers, a ‘Q’ and a father with one part shaded in, near the bottom,” he said blankly.
“Where are they on the paper?” Saria asked.
He started straight ahead as though he were still studying the paper. “The horse is here, the first flower is there, the second is in this corner with the ‘Q’ and the feather is there. The shading is around here, I’d say.” He touched the air in front of him in six different places as he spoke, not really thinking about it.
Saria clapped her hands. “See, Markus, I told you he does that! He has some invisible wall that helps him remember things.”
“It’s not an invisible wall, I still just see the paper if I want to.” He shrugged. “It’s natural for me.”
Markus gave him an odd look. The prince was nestled between Ross and Laura, a sleepy expression of his face, his girlfriend’s head on his shoulder. He had only half been following this game and this “invisible wall” concept seemed to catch him very much by surprise. “Raythor, that’s not normal. I think that’s a bit like my hair.”
“Which should also give you that horrible feeling of suddenly being alone,” Ross chimed in, fluffing Markus’s hair. Markus laughed, ducking.
“Oh I feel that. I know it’s not particularly common.” Raythor sighed again.
“Let’s see how this works….” Markus reached over, picking up one of Saria’s sheets. “Anella, mind trying?”
“No, not at all.” She sat forward, trying not to notice Raythor smiling at her. He’d become an incredible distraction lately. Anella used to just think about him on occasion, get a little flutter in his chest when he smiled. Symptoms of her crushes that had been far exceeded after the night they’d danced together. Now she thought about him almost constantly and her heart slammed into her ribcage almost anytime they spoke. She was far too in love with Raythor Karian.
She refocused her attention on the paper. It was gone before she got much more than a feeling of it. “Um… t-there were some animals, t-two I think, and a-a lot of n-numbers.”
“Two cats and one through ten, in a circle, with A,R,K, and N in the corners,” Raythor said automatically.
“Interesting.” Markus returned the paper, frowning with thought. “I think maybe we can use this.”
“How do you mean?”
“If you could scout the castle. We could search it for any weak points. You could memorize how the extension looks and draw a map for us to work off of.”
“I’m not much of an artist.”
“I’ll g-go with you,” Anella offered. “I t-took some d-drawing l-lessons.”
“Thanks. This shouldn’t take long.”
“Be careful,” Dasher begged. She raised her head off her paws to stare him down. He just nodded before the two of them disappeared beyond the fire’s light.
Once they were out of sight, Anella took his hand. Raythor smiled at her. “It’s nice of you to put up with Saria.” She was trying not to laugh.
“Yeah, I’m really fantastic.” He rolled his eyes. “I can tell she’s related to Rea, oh boy. I’d say it was a Carinian thing but they’re nothing like you. You’ve never once made me memorize your crazy sheets of paper and list off the contents. Thank you, Anella. I’m much moved.”
She did laugh. “You’re so welcome. I was thinking about doing it but now I know how much it means for me not to, I’ll banish the thought from my head.”
“Who wrote those things, did she?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe?”
“It’s just the A,R,K, and N on that last one… those are kind of our initials.” He shook his head. “It’s probably a coincidence, or she messed up spelling something.”
“…Nark?”
“Alright. That took away any possible romantic connotations,” he teased. Raythor looked up at the sky and Anella realized the trees were ending. “Are you going to be okay?”
Anella rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. “It seems to end faster when you’re around. I might kiss you.”
“I think I can handle that. Lived through it before, you know.” He kissed her quickly. Anella felt that luxurious heart pound in her chest she got whenever he was touching her. She didn’t want him to pull away but she knew it wasn’t a good idea to be standing twenty feet away from Whitestar kissing. Imagine Kenetari walking in on that.
She blushed. Raythor moved a bit farther away. “Sorry, sorry. Should I warn you? I haven’t been. Do you hate that?”
“No, Raythor I never mind when you kiss me. I just thought about um… y-your sister s-seeing us.”
“Ah.” He grimaced. He was just… freely having expressions around her. He’d been doing it before, to an extent, but now she really noticed it. “Yeah, that would do it.”
They stepped into the moonlight and Anella almost stopped breathing. She held onto his hand tighter and the whispers were softer, sweeter. Anella didn’t know if that made them better or worse but at least they were quieter. They snuck around the castle like thieves- well, not like in his case- his blue eyes taking in everything. Anella did her best to get a general

[Markus Everglade]

impression, she would have to be drawing this and she wasn’t nearly as good as Rose so they’d have to be content with some really nice rectangles. She was great at those.
It was a beautiful building. The stonework was decorated with the family symbol, a bright white star, and the gray of the stone almost shimmered. It struck her that this was, at some point, Raythor’s mother’s home. Where she had probably grown up. Where she had chosen to leave behind forever for the deserts of Caltha. Anella was sure there was a very good reason for that, probably a lot of them. She supposed Kari’s decision had been a “path” that had led to a lot of things, was the reason she and Raythor were standing here now. Kari would have had no idea what would happen after she made that choice. No one could have guessed.
After they circled the castle they started back, fingers still tightly clasped together. The whispers were getting a little louder, but she could manage them. After all she had a lot to think about. Provided that she lived, that everyone did, her life was finally falling into place. Anella loved her family, but sometimes she still felt lost, isolated, and alone. All that had slowly faded when she’d started on this quest and it was gone now. She had friends that she could trust, that she really cared about and who cared about her in return. She had Raythor. He wasn’t exactly who her Rainbird relatives had wanted her to wed, far from it in fact, but he was everything she wanted.
As they made it back into the safe shade of the trees, she squeezed his hand again. “Raythor?”
“Yep?” He was looking at her a little proudly. He’d clearly expected to be sexually assaulted in the moonlight. She couldn’t exactly blame him.
“Would you want my father to find you a job in my village?”
“Well… yeah. Yeah I want that.” Raythor smiled. “If that’s fine with you. I don’t want this to seem like it’s going too fast or anything. It would just be… really nice to have a way to see you every day.”
“I can’t imagine not seeing you after I… I told you. This is definitely what I want too. Never tell yourself it isn’t.”
“I love you.”
She echoed the sentiment and their lips met, just as naturally as they had the first time. They let themselves indulge in this, just for a few minutes. For all her dreams, all her hopes, everything good that had come from this quest could be shattered in a few short hours. He pulled away first, giving her the sweetest smile she’d ever seen on his face. They walked back in a short of warm haze and when Raythor let go of her hand as they approached the very outer glow of the firelight, she almost didn’t understand why.
Markus voice, uttering the now familiar phrase “let’s think this through” jolted her back into reality. She saw the prince lean forward, taking a confused Laura with him “I want to fight together but once we’re actually inside I propose a rescue team. They’d go straight for Ketra and the others. I’d ask the assassins, as the strongest fighters, to go. Dasher could watch your back with magic; we can handle ourselves without it if we make it that far. Raythor can pick locks so I think I’ll ask him as well. And I think Anella would be a good idea.”
“We know that hall,” Kylara said. “We’re up for it.”
“I’d be happy to and Ray will agree. He wants to save Rose,” Dasher put in.
There was a lull. Markus hadn’t yet noticed they’d returned but almost everyone else had, and Anella felt many pairs of eyes on her. She couldn’t fathom why Markus had added in her name. She still struggled to understand why she’d been invited here at all. That didn’t mean she wasn’t glad to be. Even if she died tomorrow, at least she’d finally really gotten to live her life.
“There’s a crack in the wall,” Raythor announced bluntly.
Markus jumped. Raythor didn’t wait for an answer of any kind, he just grabbed Rose’s bag, which they’d brought with them, and started searching through it for paper. He sketched quickly when he found it and handed it to Anella. She fended off a giggle. Raythor was good at a lot of things but drawing was definitely not one of them. Anella refined the lines and added in decorations on the castle walls that they could use as landmarks. Then she gave it to Markus.
The prince took a second, just holding it and blinking. “We can use this.” Markus raised his head, scanning the group again. “We’ve just for to get the magic users there….” Then he shook his head, grinning sheepishly. “Me, of course. I can shield you two until we get there.”
“Do you think your magic will last through all that?” Dasher asked. “Because, if not, you’re going to be shot. Probably a great deal of times.”
“I know that. I’m willing to take the risk. Any other way and we lose units. I want to avoid that if we can.”
“Will you allow your nobility to kill you?”
“I won’t stop it if it tries.”
“What we do without you, Blue?” Ross punched his shoulder playfully. “Someone needs to care about the greater good and it ain’t going to be me.”
“If you get shot I’ll slaughter everyone who shut you,” Laura said sleepily.
“Adorable.”
“That’s how she shows affection.” Markus tried not to crack a smile. “Love you too, Laur.”
“You’re planning to magically take out that wall?” Jason asked.
“Yeah. It should get us inside the castle fast. That’s our best chance.”
“I’ll tell Vyncent and I can help cover you. Wind magic isn’t the best at taking at walls but I can help you shield everyone.”
“Thank you.”
“M-Markus?” Anella met his eyes carefully. “T-thank you. For t-training me and… everything. Whatever h-happens, I’m p-proud to be here. I t-think we a-all are.” There was a murmur of agreement that made Anella flush. Markus smiled at her gratefully.
“Markus, I think it’s about time for an over sentimental morale boosting speech. I know you’ve got on in there,” Ross said.
“What can I say?” Markus shrugged his shoulders. “I think it speaks volumes that we’re all here now. We all had the chance to leave or to go it alone. Instead we’re chasing after four people most of us met only months ago like they’re our princess in a castle from a fairy tale but only because they really, truly matter to us. Because this journey has connected us all if not forever then for when it counts the most. It’s changed us in ways we can’t guess and may never be able to. We are….” Markus’s eyes darted at Laura. “Imperfect souls drawn together by need and held together by emotion. The Royalty of Everglade.”
“That was pretty good. I’ll take it.” Ross stuck his hand out. “Shall we?”
“Really?” Dione scoffed. She put her hand on his. Soon, they were all touching somehow.

****

Markus twisted Eclipse’s reigns between his fingers. He wasn’t conscious of doing it and he kept darting his eyes down and becoming transfixed by the leather and flesh against black fur. He was grateful Vyncent was here, doing the real leading, but that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty. He’d not only planned to endanger his own life but had gotten Dasher, Maria and Jason to assist him with something that might not even work. They all trusted him far too much.
He looked at Laura. She was so focused, so ready. She always had been when it came to war. Markus had always envied that about her. He wasn’t like that. No matter how much he liked to believe that everything would be okay, he wasn’t like Ross either. Ross just knew. He was cheerfully talking to his cousin like nothing was wrong in the world. Even if they felt as nervous as Markus did, both of them had made an art of not looking it.
Markus raised his head and saw it. Whitestar lay before them, so white it almost looked marble. The army in front cast the only shadow on the entire building and the effect took his breath away. Even as archers appeared over the walls, arrows at the ready, there was a sense of making it to the end of a long journey, of finding what they’d been seeking all along. He caught a glimpse of Kenetari’s pale face before the fighting started.
He dismounted quickly, handing off Eclipse to a foot soldier, and ran forward. Dasher, Maria and Jason caught up just as his blue shield rose up over their heads. He felt the arrows pounding into it like rain. His limited magic was already weakening and he ran faster still. If they could just get to the castle the tides could turn in their favor, he knew it they could.
The four of them stopped, panting before the castle’s wall. Maria searched for a second, finding the crack and pressing her palm to it. She looked back. “Ready?” Maria and Jason nodded. “You alright, Markus?”

[Markus Everglade]

“For now, yes.” Markus nodded too. He saw an arrow’s point burrow into his magic and shivered.
“Let’s do this.” Maria pressed her palms against the shattering rock. Water filled every crevice and, slowly, started to freeze. As it expanded Markus could actually see into the corridor within. Dasher took a deep breath and her star brightened to blinding levels and Markus covered his eyes. There was a cracking sound and the soldiers on the wall cried out seconds before their thud of rubble drowned out their voices.
The prince forced his eyes open and smiled ear to ear. It wasn’t a big hole but oh was it enough. The arrows thundered down quickly and the shield began to waver above them. Maria and Dasher looked back at him. “Come on, we’ve got time. Go!”
Dasher scrambled up over the rubble, Maria right after her. Markus waved at the army to signal their success and darted inside. Jason dropped back, calling up his own shield, ready to guide as many soldiers across as he could. Markus turned away and realized they were surrounded.
“How many?” The prince asked, drawing his sword.
“No more than we can handle.” Maris stood at his back.
“Just what I wanted to hear.” Markus struck out, slicing into an opponent’s flesh, and pulled back quickly. He and Maria dug in their heels and fought them off as best they could. Silver flashed and blood flowed quicker than he could process. Dasher shifted and joined them, moving the odds just enough for them to win. He stood breathless, bodies littering the ground.
“We going back for the others?” Maria asked.
“Yeah.”
“You’re not going to make it with your shield.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Find her.” Dasher grinned. She dropped back to four paws. “Do us all a favor when you do.”
“I’ll give it everything I have,” Markus promised. The girls surrounded themselves with magic and darted out through the wreckage. Markus kept his eyes level, trying to ignore the overpowering scent of iron in the air. He went up the first set of stairs he saw, breaking into a run. He made it up several flights and down a long hallway before he stopped.
“You broke my daughter’s ribs.” Peregrine stared up at him coldly. Her wings spread, tips touching either side of the hall. “All of them.”
“You gave me a headache,” he returned. “A bad one.”
“Insolent bastard.” She beat her wings, sending him flying back down the hallway. He landed hard bur managed to keep his sword. “Your little whore murdered my husband. Now I’m going to return the favor. Scream for me, princess.”
“In your fucking dreams.” Markus called up the last of his magi and channeled it into his sword. She raised her wings, gathering energy. He threw his sword before she could act, guiding it with a thin blue thread. Markus slashed the air with his hand a split second after she attacked. There were two thuds. The second was when he hit the floor. The first was accompanied by a squelching noise he’s never heard before and never wanted to hear again.
He laid there, chest heaving, staring at the ceiling for a good two minutes. Then he lifted his head and took a long look at the corpse he created and the severed head lying limp against the wall. It was some unknown force of nature that compelled his to rise, retrieve his weapon, and continue on his way.
“You saved your own ass,” Mercury noted.
“I have it in me, I guess.” Markus wasn’t even mildly surprised to see him.
“I thought I’d have to rescue you.”
“I didn’t know that was in your job description.”
“You’re supposed to fight her.”
“Am I supposed to win?”
“That would be telling.”
“So it would.” Markus sighed heavily. Mercury had herded him to a large oak door. It was decorated with carved clouds and ivy, a black hinge holding it in place. He touched it, inhaling slowly. “My friends… are they still alive?”
“That I can show you.” His eyes went white and the hallway was slowly encased with ice. Markus saw everyone reflected in separate sheets of ice and he walked, dazed, up and down the line. Laura was shooting archers off the wall, her gaze hard and focused. Ross was beside, head high, talking a thousand miles a minutes. Markus saw the rescue group running across the field beneath Dasher’s dome of light, huddled close together. He saw Rea, Davon and Vyncent shouting orders, Dione, James and Jason defending them. He saw Rose pacing in a locked room, his sister numbly watching, Blade and Gabriel by the door. They were alive. He let out a sigh of relief.
“Alright. I’m ready.” Markus retraced his steps, stared down the door.
“Good luck, Markus.” Mercury gave him what he supposed what could be called a smile. “You’ve been very useful to me. It would be unfortunate to lose you now.”
“Thanks. You always know just what to say.”
He chuckled. “Goodbye.” He and the ice faded. Markus reached out, took hold of the doorknob. He was ready. As he’d ever be, anyway. He couldn’t let her silence fifteen voices.

****

“They kept Princess Daphne upstairs. I’d say that’s our best bet,” Kylara said. They’d reached the castle and she had, quite automatically, taken the lead. Raythor didn’t much mind, he wasn’t exactly the heroic general type himself, and he did have some idea where they were going. Kylara kept carefully ahead of them, Maria no more than a pace behind, with Raythor, Dasher, ad Anella bringing up the rear in a lopsided triangle.
Now that Vyncent’s army was approaching the gap in the wall, Kenetari’s army was outside fighting. Kenetari had a lot more men than Vyncent did. The odds of them winning were none too high. Still, it was hard to think of that as they wandered the empty halls, searching for something they might not even recognize if they found it. He was so unfocused that when Kylara stopped he ran into her hard.
“Raythor.” Kylara’s voice was shaking.
He blankly began to apologize when Dasher stepped on his foot and directed his eyes upward. There, above the fireplace of this wide hallway, was a portrait of a woman. He knew her at once. Why shouldn’t he? He’d been seeing her in his nightmares for nine years.
“That’s your mother. That’s Kari,” Kylara said with disbelief.
“Yeah.” He closed his eyes. “I know.” His mind had already locked away the image. The elaborate gold frame a doting father or husband might buy. The way her long unbound hair blended into the dark background. Her deep, ocean blue eyes, her ghost pale skin. Her lips, the color of a frozen rose. His mother had been beautiful in life.
The image fractured like a mirror. He saw her lying there, at his father’s side, throat gaping, blood splattered on the carpet and the walls. Raythor reached down and took Anella’s hand. She started but laced her fingers through his.
“Are you a-alright?” Anella swallowed hard.
“I’m fine. Let’s keep moving.”
“Yeah,” Kylara agreed, turning around. They all stopped dead.
Sabbath Whitestar, a group of twenty behind him, stood squarely in their way out. “I thought there might be someone playing at a hero in my castle.”
Raythor raised his heads over his shoulders. “I’m no hero, Uncle Sabbath.”
A sharp frown creased his skeletal face. “You know.”
“Even peasants know two and two make four.”
“Clever. You’re just as witty as your mother was.”
“And what was it like raising her murderer?”
“He helped her.” Kylara narrowed her eyes. “There is no way a little girl could have covered her tracks so thoroughly by herself. She had to have had help. Rich, powerful help.”
“Very good,” Sabbath said flatly. “But I’m not going to let you talk me into distraction.” He raised his hand and the soldiers rushed forward. They got slammed from behind.
“The elite and I have this covered,” Dione yelled. “Get moving!”
“Maria, shield!” Kylara responded. Maria covered them all quickly in a blue dome and they clustered around her. The five of them barely made it through and Maria’s magic failed the second they turned the corner. They kept running, not looking back, feet pounding against the stairs. It was only when they stopped running that he realized he’d never released Anella’s hand. Raythor took a moment and then did so, a bit awkwardly, and they started pulling doors open. Most opened easily and he’d gone through about five when Dasher stopped them all.
Not having the power left to shift, she’d stood on her hind legs to nudge it only twice. On the second she declared, simply: “Raythor, locked.”
“Too easy,” he returned. It was almost a question. He fiddled with the knob, trying to determine what sort of lock it was, and then quickly slid his sword between the lock and the door. It clicked. “There we go.”
“Did you rob a lot of houses or what?” Kylara raised an eyebrow.
“So many.” He smirked. Raythor pushed the door open. Four apprehensive prisoners stared back at him. Then Rose catapult hugged him.
“You son of a bitch! You aren’t dead!” She pulled back and slugged him in the shoulder. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, you whore!”
“Sometimes I think you swear just to swear.” He looked back; saw Anella hugging Blade and Ketra calmly inquiring about her brother.
“There is a pacify spell on me,” Blade said, once the reunion was finished. “Might you, Princess Dasher?”
“I’d love to.” Dasher’s star shone. “Un-pacify!”
“I am fairly certain that is not a word.”
“Now you can kill people again. Do you care?”
“Not at this direct moment, no.”
“What is our plan of attack?” Ketra asked, studying all of them gravely. She focused on Raythor the longest. He shrugged his shoulders and quietly passed out his extra daggers.
“Back to the fray,” Maria supplied, with a shrug of her own.
“We should help Dione,” Kylara agreed. “Let’s move.”
“I’ll catch up.” Raythor let out a long breath. “I need to find Benvolio. I promised Jason.”
“Fine,” Kylara said dismissively. “Silver princess, Rose, you want to go with him, I know you do. We’ll be downstairs.” Kylara darted off, Maria, Dasher, Ketra and Blade after her. Gabriel stayed, shifting his weight.
“You coming?” Raythor asked pointedly.
“I… well, yes. I imagine you could use the help.”
“Let’s go ten, Raythor. I want my sword back and the room where Benvolio was has it,” Rose ordered.

****

[Markus Everglade]

“I was wondering if one of you would come searching for me.” Kenetari hopped off the table and started towards him. She toyed with the hilt of her sword, a tiny smile on her face. ‘I should have known it would be you, little prince. The two brightest stars our armies have, shining together.” She stood before him almost personably. Kenetari extended her sword and Markus stopped it as though they were shaking hands. This wasn’t the room he had expected. It was bright, lightly colored. The desk, dark wood, looked well worn, the bookshelves were full of thick volumes, papers cluttered it all and a mirror hung above the shelves. It was a normal, human room. For a family. Everything that she set out to destroy, that for her was a lie.
She moved quickly, cutting a deep gash into his arm with her sword. He reacted, only managing a grazing blow to her side that barely drew blood. Markus stepped back just in time to avoid taking another hit and he managed to block the next shot. His arm throbbed but it was bearable. He could do this.
“It doesn’t take much to make you bleed, does it?” Kenetari kept him dancing to her tune. Markus was forced into chairs, bookshelves, and the desk. Books scattered on the ground and he felt his heavy boots rip at the pages as he moved. “I really did expect a challenge from Everglade’s golden boy.” She put her weight behind her next attack, ramming the bookshelf again with his body. Markus pushed back, forcing his way back into the center of the room. She struck at his stomach, narrowly missing, and jerked her weapon up, forcing him to block his face.
Kenetari began forcing his sword back toward him with her own. He felt the familiar pressure in his arms, felt his pulse speed up and his muscles start to act. Before he knew what was happening, he’d dropped and cut her stomach wide open. She pulled back with a start, covering the wound and glaring at him. Markus just smiled. She’d felt that. The great, invincible Kenetari had felt that.
“Did you think Raythor wouldn’t warn me about that little trick?” Markus asked, breathing hard.
Kenetari didn’t answer. She pulled her hand away. He prepared to block but instead of attacking, she threw the blood in his eyes. Markus’s body automatically panicked and she grabbed and twisted back his wrist in the confusion. She disarmed him, sinking her nails into his cut. “You little bastard. Have a cute little counter for this?”
Markus blinked the blood from his eyes, feeling energy surge inside of him. He kneed her in the gut and escaped, scrambling to find his sword. Kenetari kicked him hard while he was crouching and slammed her elbow into his temple, slumping him over. She pressed her knees to his beck and her sword point to his neck.
“It seems you did. Continue impressing me.” She waited patiently. He thought about it. Then he kicked the book shield, her sword nicking his neck, heavy tomes and dust raining down on both of them. He felt a crushing pain in his legs and crawled back, grabbing her sword before he realized Kenetari hadn’t moved. Markus stood, walking over carefully, sword pointed at her. He lowered in, breaking into low, barely controlled laughter.
The little decorative mirror has broken over her head.

****

Gabriel watched Raythor pick yet another lock Rose thought would take them into the room Benvolio had been in. She was rattled, he could see that. She didn’t like what she’d seen in that room but she wasn’t going to talk about it. He’d tried to coax it out of her but she’d tensed up and beat the shit out of their only pillow. So he hadn’t tried that again.
He glanced at Rose. Maybe he could ask her again now, there weren’t any pillows around. “Rose?”
“Yeah?” She fidgeted nervously, eyes fixed on Raythor like a hunting dog on a rabbit as he searched the latest room.
“When Lydrion dragged you away… what happened?”
“Oh.” Fidget, fidget. “A lot of things.”
“Did he… hurt you?” Gabriel let his worst fear slip out.
Her eyes widened with confusion. Then she shook her head. “Oh no, no. This little cut’s the only physical thing that happened to me.” Rose let out a long breath. “Benvolio is definitely a Blood Reader. He listed off all these options of what could happen and we lost in all of them. Some of us died in all of them. I just… couldn’t handle that. Not now, not after all this.”
“Catch.” Raythor chucked her sword at her head. She caught it without thinking, fingers running over the decorations on the hilt. “I didn’t know you liked my gift so much.”
“Watch it,” Rose snapped. “No little boy?”
“Obviously.”
“Where do we go now?”
“We keep trying, I guess.” He carelessly took the lead. They straggled behind, Anella still pushing at doors. She stopped dead.
“Rayth?” Anella pointed into the room. Gabriel really couldn’t see what it was she was indicating but he did catch a wince on Rose’s face. He guessed that was due to the sudden familiar manipulation of Raythor’s name on Anella’s part.
“Hold my sword, Dash,” Raythor said absently. At this, Rose smiled. When he placed the weapon in her palms he shook himself. “Sorry, masochist. No one else has ever called me that.”
“It’s f-fine.”
“Masochist? What the hell do you two do when I’m not around?’ Rose burst. Neither of them answered, which Gabriel figured was just as well. Rose sighed and moved closer to see, dragging him with her.
There was a ten year old boy balled up in the corner, a furry mass where his head should be. The mass took note of Raythor, turning its face and observing him with bright golden eyes. The cat seemed to find him acceptable and looked away again. Benvolio raised his head and held up a dagger.
“Raythor? What do you want?” Benvolio’s expression became wary.
“You know who I am?” Raythor dropped to the balls of his feet. “Or… what?”
“Both. I know more than they think I do. I know she did it.” He stood, briefly towering over Raythor, the cat in his arms. “You’re here to get me out of here.”
“Yes.”
“Take me to my brother.” His mouth trembled. Gabriel saw Raythor look away. Benvolio was crying. Gabriel understood. None of them had wanted to think there were any innocent victims on the Whitestars side but in war there always were. No matter how corrupt the opposition. He remembered the last one all too clearly.
The cousins walked out of the room in silence. Anella moved to hug Benvolio, giving him the release he needed to just sob and sob.
“Raythor.” Rose looked at him pointedly. “That is your ten year old cousin, idiot. Why is Anella the one taking care of him?”
Raythor gave her a dirty look but knelt down and sincerely hugged Benvolio. The boy wrapped his hand around Raythor’s wrist, his face in Anella’s shoulder. “My family has done so many terrible things… I helped them do so many terrible things….”
“You’re way too young to let that destroy you, kid,” Raythor soothed. “They’re your family. Of course you helped them. Anyone would have done the same. That doesn’t mean you have to live the rest of your life with that weight on your shoulders.”
“Nothing’s ever going to be the same, is it?”
“No, it’s not. But sometimes good things can come from bad things, right?”
“Right.” Benvolio wiped at his tears, straightening. “Let’s go find Jason.”
“That worked?” Rose looked at Gabriel skeptically.
He shrugged. “I suppose it did.”
“Lydrion’s upstairs. Waiting like a tiger,” Benvolio commented. They all exchanged looks.
“He and the mutts, I’ll be,” Raythor said. “We can’t handle that.”
“What about with magic?” Markus stood at the end of the hallway, bloodied and limping but very much alive. There was a moment of silence as they all took in what that meant. Gabriel couldn’t believe a monster like Kenetari was dead. Not that easily.
“Maybe we have a chance.” Raythor’s voice was flat, utterly hopeless. Gabriel supposed he couldn’t blame him. “Benvolio, I can’t imagine you want-”
“No, I can lead you. I know right where he is,” Benvolio said firmly. “This rebellion has to end and it won’t if all the generals aren’t dead or powerless.”
“Who are the generals?” Markus asked. He stepped forward, arms crossed. Gabriel didn’t know if he was trying to look intimidating or not. Maybe the prince didn’t believe Benvolio was trying to help, but he hadn’t seen the boy cry. “Are you the youngest Whitestar?”
“Yes, I am. The generals are- were- my sister, my father, Lydrion, Tobias, Peregrine and Nightshade.”
“Then Lydrion who’s left. We’ve got to try,” Markus said. Gabriel saw his entire expression change, his mouth start to move. He blinked and Markus’s expression was normal again. The prince blinked at him. “What?”
“Nothing. Your face change.”
“Oh.” Markus flashed a diplomatic smile. “It’s been a long day.”
“That’s a smile full of lies,” Rose whispered conspiratorially. Gabriel grinned.
“We should move,” Raythor said gruffly.
Benvolio moved forward, beckoning them after him. They all ascended the stairs, which were a long affair, all silent as the grave. Somehow, it was relaxing. There was nothing around them but stone and steps and windows. Here they wouldn’t get hurt. It felt like a physical jab when it ended and the pale boy guiding them pushed the door open. The cold air drove up the hair on his arms and he dropped his face, shielding it from the wind. When had it gotten so cold?
Markus went past all of them, standing at the wall. His back tensed visibly. “We’re so overwhelmed; we don’t have half the numbers….” They quickly joined him, legs pressed to the stone. The prince was right; it wasn’t looking good for them out there. There stayed quiet for a long time, just watching. Gabriel felt his heart drop to his shoes when he saw more soldiers coming over the hill.
“Markus… aren’t those the Gladian colors, blue and white?” Rose’s eyes darted toward the prince.
“That’s… that’s my father,” Markus said with disbelief. “Those are his personal soldiers.”
“He came for you, Blue. Congratulations.” Rose patted his shoulder. She, Gabriel noted, had to reach way up there to do so. “No more moping around. We’re going to win this and we’re taking Lydrion down with us.”
“You’re confident.” Raythor caught her gaze.
She moved to punch him in the arm. “I was trained by the best, jackass.”
“Can’t wait to see you in action, princess.”
“Are you going to get married or come with us?” Markus titled his head forward, a smile tugging at his lips. Raythor and Rose were the last two left at the wall. Gabriel watched them break away, cheerfully bickering about Markus’s comment. It was easy to forget where they were, why they were here.
The tower on the other side of the wall loomed before them. The door opened slowly, with a sort of dramatic flair. The five of them went into defensive positions quickly, spreading out in an arrow shape behind Markus. Benvolio ran behind them, clutching his cat, getting as far away as possible. Lydrion and his three elementists stared him down without any sign of doubt.
“Interesting. Let’s make this a bit more personal, shall we girls?” He crossed his arms, sword cockily in it’s sheathe. “Ghost, I recommend revert for Raythor.” Markus charged them, smashing into an almost instant light shield. Gabriel followed his example and slashed at it with his sword, getting a crack after a few dozen strikes. “Heart’s tie for Anella. Element’s bond for Markus.”
“Sir?” Ghost sounded surprised. Lydrion removed a flask from his belt and dropped it to the floor. Water spilled, slipping beneath their boots. The elementist girl nodded. “I see.”
There were three very bright flashed of light. Gabriel heard Raythor gurgle and drop to his knees. Anella made a near squeak and dived after him. Markus attacked more vigorously, cracking the weakened shield but he was just letting Gabriel and Rose through. Gabriel had already guessed that the prince’s feet were stuck to the floor.
“What the heck?” Markus tried to jerk his legs up helplessly. “Oh… bind to my….” He dropped and started trying to wipe up the water.
Gabriel and Rose exchanged looks and kept going forward. Lydrion seemed unbothered. “Disarm, shift ladies.” Gabriel felt his sword rip from his hand. Before he could react, a tall blonde girl had grabbed him and slammed his head onto the stone. He found himself staring into Rose’s frightened eyes.
“Anella!” Rose cried.
“No use. She can’t leave Raythor’s side, even if she wanted to.” Lydrion rapped her head on the wall. Gabriel started squirming, kicking behind him at the knees of the shifted elementist. He wasn’t coming close and there was a sword at his neck. Lydrion kept going until there was blood dripping from Rose’s ear.
“Coward!” Gabriel screamed. “Hiding behind these dogs so you can terrorize unarmed, helpless people!”
Lydrion looked at him coldly. “You think I couldn’t fight you” He let go of Rose, who fell to the ground. Then he pressed Gabriel’s sword back into his hand and made the girl let him go. “Let’s find out.”
Gabriel looked down at Rose, bile rising in his throat, and nodded. They sparred for a while, testing each other’s limits, isolating themselves from the others. Gabriel got in a quick hit on Lydrion’s leg and he stumbled, using the momentum to run Gabriel through. His vision went in and out, his body screaming. Gabriel stepped back, pressed against the wall. He could barely breathe and his heart was pounding furiously.
Lydrion gripped his shoulders. “I don’t have to hide.”
Markus pulled his flask from his waist and threw the water over the two closest elementist sisters, his hands lighting up as he desperately tried to cast a spell. The distraction wasn’t enough for them to release either of their spells and Markus, letting out a long breath, tried to get rid of the water beneath his feet again. Anella was crying with pure frustration, she couldn’t move a muscle and Raythor was coughing blood onto the stone at least once per minute.
Rose was on her feet, one eye red from the burst vessels within it, a trickling river still emerging from her ear. “I’m still alive,” she said thinly. Gabriel quite painfully stood too, his hand pressing hard into his wound.
“You still have so much resolve. It’s really charming.” Lydrion stabbed out at Rose and she raised her hand, watching his face shift as she let the tip go through her palm. She punched him across the jaw so hard he hit the floor. The sword stuck and she pulled it out painfully, unwilling tears sliding down her cheeks. She threw the weapon over the wall.
Gabriel registered numbly that the elementist’s magic was almost gone. They started toward him and Rose anyway, all three surrounding them slowly, Ghost stooping to help Lydrion. It was pretty much over. Gabriel moved, shakily taking Rose’s hand, and kept his eyes firmly open. He wouldn’t meet his death like a coward.
Arrows flashed and lodged in the wings of the two elementists still in their natural form. Screaming, they vanished in a mini-nova, freeing Markus and Anella. The prince restrained Ghost with a near strangle hold and Anella bashed her sword into the elementist’s skull. Raythor got back to his feet, coughing but apparently no longer dying again.
Lydrion’s face went more ashen than usual. Rose raised her sword to finish him, the action clearly painful. The two light elementists returned, one stealing their sister, the other taking Lydrion. They had to be incredibly drained, Gabriel’s brain managed to register. Sure enough, there was another flash above the forest just behind the castle and four bodies plummeted back to earth. Gabriel realized that the forest had somehow started on fire in the battle and their opponents had just fallen into an inferno. It was his last real thought before he passed out.

Laura did her best to patch up her friends, Ross most reluctantly helping with what he considered the more “disgusting” wounds. She wasn’t sure what his system of qualification was but she had never even pretended to know how his brain worked. Fewer of them had taken damage than she would have guessed but what they had sustained was life threatening and almost impossible to treat at all here. Markus’s arm wound was almost to the bone. Well, as far as she could tell from the clotted mass of blood lodged in it. Rose had passed put altogether. She had some sort of head injury, a troubling one at that, and all she could do for her hand was try and staunch the blood. Gabriel was by far the worse, he needed magical help and fast, but what he was going to get was Markus slowing the wounds progression using the blacksmith’s own blood as a catalyst.
Raythor was dutifully carrying Rose, despite his persistent cough, and Anella and Ross were carrying Gabriel between them, Markus’s hand never shifting from Gabriel’s wound. Everyone but Ross was quiet and subdued. They went down the stairs at a slow, plodding pass, Laura at the forefront.
“Is Kylara still fighting down there?” Raythor asked.
“Last we saw, but we’re trying to get everyone out fast,” Ross said. “Kenetari came out earlier, with this like tiara of blood, and goes into the forest. Next thing we know there’s this ring of branches around Whitestar and she sets them the fuck on fire. So we’re being… what was it, Laur?”
“Smoked out, Ross.” She rolled her eyes. “We were sent to get you out.”
“By the queen?” Markus asked blankly.
“By your father.”
“Ah.” He fell silent. Laura had kind of expected that reaction.
“Markus d-defeated her,” Anella put in quietly.
Ross perked up. “Really? I mean, clearly she’s harder to kill than an armored cockroach, but defeating her… that’s something.”
The prince related his fight with Kenetari in an unadorned, quiet manner. Laura had never seen him use fewer hand gestures and she found herself further subdued by the story. “I left her there,” he finished. No qualification. No apology. There was a brief, intense surge of anger within her as she thought about how close they’d come to killing the witch once and for all. Then it set in that it was Markus who had fought her. Markus, whose very veins flowed with mercy and whose honor code would never allow him to kill an unarmed person. The angry fire died. He could not have killed Kenetari, not without denying who he was.
“If only you could have dropped the whole bookshelf on her,” Ross said wistfully. “Could have made an evil pancake.” He glanced at Raythor. “Want to hand off Rose, brother of evil?”
“No.” Raythor gave him a long, cold stare. Ross shivered. Laura did her best to ignore them both when she opened the door to the front hall but it was deserted.
It didn’t ease her apprehension. This meant everyone else had already evacuated. The fire must have intensified, at least enough to warrant abandoning Whitestar. They hadn’t been fast enough.
“Let’s go out the front door,” Ross said cheerfully. He shifted, trying it himself, before jerking his hand back. “Maybe not.”
“Check the doors. As many as you can,” Markus said. The realization had dawned on his face. She gripped his shoulder before doing as he asked. Every door was hot as hell and her fingertips were red and cracking by the time she met back up with the others. They stared at her with empty, wraith like eyes. She closed her own, taking a moment.
“So… we’re kind of screwed.” Ross sighed. “Great. I had a date.”
“I hope it wasn’t with my daughter because she is very, very occupied.” Sabbath, a flock of men behind him, stood at the end of the hallway. Dione, James, Kylara and Maria were running ahead of them. They turned when they caught sight of the others, weapons raised again. “She does plan everything so perfectly.”
“Oh no….” The light of Markus’s magic started to flicker. “Maria, help please.”
Sabbath snorted. “There’s a group of armed men coming at him and he’s trying to save the damaged goods. Go ahead, Maria. Honor this idiot’s priorities.”
Maria, hesitantly, turned back and dropped to her knees. Ross and Anella had set Gabriel down carefully and were moving forward to join those who could still fight. Raythor put Rose down and did the same. Laura moved to stand next to Markus, probably for the last time, and they all drew their weapons.
Markus called up a truly pitiful looking shield and Laura and Ross started firing arrows into the crowd of men, Laura aiming for Sabbath first. He was surrounded with soldiers before she could hit him. They swarmed forward, breaking Markus’s shield, and the fighting started. It was obvious they were going to lose almost instantly but that didn’t stop them from trying. Maria cast a scalding water spell, taking out about five men. For a moment, this gave them an edge.
Then Dione was stabbed through the throat. There was a moment where everything seemed to freeze, where everything slowed down. Laura half lowered her bow to try and help but Dione was already dead before she could so much and try and think of how to help. Out of the corner of her eye, Laura caught James deliberately miss a block and take a lethal blow himself. Laura couldn’t blame him; honestly she probably would have done the same in these circumstances. She knew Markus would be the most thrown by this and she started covering him rather than aggressively shooting. Two on their side dead, only six of them left. Over ten on the other side.
Maria managed another attack, this time taking out only three. It was enough, though, to turn things in their favor. To finish this. In a flurry of metal and tearing flesh, it was over. Sabbath was already gone. Another burst of anger shot through Laura but she quelled it. They would kill him later. Soon, if she had anything to say about it. Dione and James hadn’t fought in vain to take out the last standing general; she’d make sure of that.
Markus had already knelt beside Dione, closing her still open eyes. He took a moment, Laura could see him shaking, and moved to do the same for James. The knight was just barely clinging to life and Markus instantly moved to heal him. James grabbed his wrist, shaking his head. His hand stayed there until James’s eyes closed on their own and his hand fell away, limp.
“The… bodies will be safe inside the castle, from the fire. It’s all stone, it won’t get through. We can come back for them when this is all over,” Laura said softly. Markus nodded, but she saw his teeth clench.
“Telling Rea is not going to be easy,” Ross said. Laura shot him a look. “I can do it, Blue. I’ll do better this time.”
“Thank you,” Markus said thinly.
“Hey guys,” Raythor started. It took a second for Laura to realize that he was talking to the Klaras. “I’m really sorry about what I said. I didn’t mean it. You two were good soldiers and I’m going to make sure everyone remembers that. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m s-sorry t-to, for h-hitting you Dione. I’m n-never g-going to forget your speech J-James.” Anella clasped her hands.
Raythor looked at her with a pained smile. “Neither of us are.”
“Are we trapped in here?” Ross asked. There was a long silence. The idea of that was daunting. Trapped in the castle with the corpses of their friends and Sabbath still loose was horrible enough but to know that shortly the doors would burn through and the castle would fill with smoke, maybe fire as the furniture, rugs and tapestry caught, was completely deflating.
“We’ll kick down a door and use it as a bridge.” Markus’s eyes lit up.
Ross blinked at him. “What about that whole burning to death thing? Or choking on big, billowing piles of black smoke? It’s already coming under those doors.”
“Exactly. We need to get out. I can force my shield to last that long.”
“Do you have any water left, Blue? Are we going to hunt down a wash basin?”
“I’ll just use blood. It’s stronger anyway.”
“Still a little gross but alright.”
“Laura, Kylara, you kick down one of those side doors. Everyone else pick up who you were carrying before so we can get out as fast as possible.” Markus squared off and started kicking as hard as he could. Laura and Kylara joined him and there was a cacophony of thuds and a crash as the door hit the burning wood outside and started crackling. He called up his shield again, this time a pale red, and stepped out onto the door. “It’s going to go and soon. Take Gabriel out first, alright?”
“R-right.” Anella, Ross and Maria transported the injured blacksmith outside. Laura saw the door shake beneath Markus’s feet and she swallowed.
“Raythor, take Rose out,” Markus beckoned with the first four were out safely.
“Fine.” Raythor crossed slowly and carefully, his eyes on Rose the whole time.
“Kylara, you’re next.” He actually held out his hand and helped her. The wood was beginning to really heat up and it was going. Laura could see Kylara wincing as she walked and she could only imagine how hot it was getting for Markus.
His magic blinked. He lowered his hand and clutched his bad arm. Markus met her eyes. “Just us now, Laur.”
Laura made it about halfway across before the door disintegrated into burning timber. Markus pushed her, letting her roll to safety. She looked back to see Markus not jumping to safety but going backwards. Being pulled backwards. Sabbath. She got up and went after him. Ross was beside her almost instantly.
“Where is he?” Ross asked, panicked.
“Sabbath got him.” Her heart was slamming hard into her chest. She heard a scream she all too clearly recognized and that heart fell to her shoes. Her head began to pound and she and Ross ran back through the flames. Her flesh screamed at her but she ignored it and soon the two of them were inside panting.
“Did your bow make it? Because mine’s kind of… on fire.” Ross dropped his bow to the ground and stomped on it.
Laura pulled it from her back and some of the screaming in her skin stopped. She threw it back where the door had been and wordlessly started searching for her prince. They didn’t have to go far. Sabbath stood about ten feet in, holding Markus up. He was breathing in quick, shallow breaths and something on his neck was bleeding. Bleeding meant alive. Without even stopping to think she stepped forward to save him.
“I wouldn’t do that. He’s already more than half dead. If I drop him I kind of doubt he’ll survive the journey.” Sabbath loosened his grip and Markus slumped forward.
Ross raised his damaged bow. “How about you set him down gently?”
“I don’t see how that’s in my best interest. You see, you shoot me now and he goes down with me,” Sabbath said. Markus’s hand moved up and Sabbath grabbed it, slamming it against his leg. The blood gushed and then Laura realized, numbly, that it had stopped leaking more blood.
Something inside her seemed to break. Her mind filled with blackness and something besides grief and disbelief gripped her- fear. Fear more blinding than anything she’d ever experienced before. Laura felt herself forced to her knees by nothing at all. A heavy, heavy nothing. She saw a door in front of her, the only thing around her that wasn’t white. It had long, silver brackets framing the black, swirling energy. The reverse world portal. As she thought this, the whiteness disappeared to show her father’s castle, the portal resting on a hill just visible from his study’s window.
The real world returned, in force, with the sound of Ross’s yell. “You killed my friend!” He fired true, even with the extra difficulty, and killed Sabbath instantly. As soon as the arrow was released, the bow broke, scattering in pieces. Markus and Sabbath fell among them.
Laura shoved Sabbath’s corpse away, turning Markus onto his back. She moved his hand to his injury and a faint red glow resulted. She let instinct- a new one, she somehow knew that- take over and that glow got ten times as bright. Markus gasped in breath, staring up at her with confusion. He’d passed out. He’d just passed out.
“Oh.” Rose blinked. “Never mind. Do you think I should apologize?”
“Please go for it,” Markus said dryly. Laura helped him to his feet and they hugged each other. The smoke was all around them now and Laura’s lungs burned. The three of them hurried back to the former door, not speaking any more, and the last touch of Markus’s magic pulled them all through.
They collapsed in a heap outside, coughing. Laura cradled Markus’s head in her lap and ran her finger over the faint white scar that had been left behind on his neck. Sabbath hadn’t fatally wounded him at all. He’d just needed her to think he had, to open the reverse world portal. She grimaced, taking some comfort in the fact he’d never live to see his work realized.
“Hey.” Markus smiled up at her sadly. “We did it.”
“We did it,” Ross agreed, sitting cross legged beside them.
“Congratulations,” Audrion said flatly. The three Imperians flinched. Laura started to move and the king held out an imposing hand. “Elaura.” She realized that, for once, he couldn’t meet her eyes. “That was a valiant act. You’ve protected my son adequately for many years and my country and myself thank you for that. I expect you to continue after your marriage.” Markus’s eyes darted to her face. “As per the law, you’ll wait until she’s seventeen and I expect you to speak with the Times personally.”
“Of course.” Laura nodded.
“Markus.” Those steel blue eyes focused hard on the prince. “Your mother sent this.” He dropped a little bag on his son’s chest. “I have prisoners of war to take care of. The fighting has ended.” He walked off, trailing soldiers after him.
“That man terrifies me deeply.” Ross shook his head. There was a murmur of agreement. They went quiet, watching Whitestar turn a deep, soot black.



Chapter Thirty Four

Beneath the tree

They buried Dione and James the day they returned to Vyncent’s castle. It was finally warm enough to rain again and it did, harder than it had in a long time. The boys were all wearing Raythor’s tunics, tight against their chests, the girls in Charity’s mourning dresses. It was just the thirteen of them, the Royalty of Everglade, gather in a half circle around the grave. No two of them had clothes that really fit. Rose was awake but groggy and disoriented. She’d even tried to help Raythor and Ross dig the grave.
Markus, his arm still limp at his side, hadn’t been able to help. He barely felt the rain, though it seemed to be coloring his skin black with the tunic’s dye. He draped his good arm around Laura, trying to keep her shivering body warm. Her lip was in tatters. Rain was dragging blood down her chin and she did nothing to wipe it off. Ross was on Markus’s other side, supporting the wraith like Rea. They both shook as her teeth chattered and her tears flowed. It was her shaking, pale hand that placed the final handful of earth of each of the coffin’s lids. After that, she folded against Ross, sobbing audibly even in the storm.

[Markus Everglade]

Raythor and Anella were beside them. Her hands were folded like a proper lady’s, deep circles beneath her eyes that were rivaled by only Raythor’s. The dark haired boy was the expected ghost and had probably been completely sleepless. He certainly looked it, Dasher had fast hold of his arm to keep him standing. Blade sat before the three of them, head tall and proud, posture grave. He mirrored on four legs what the Calthan assassins expressed on two.
Rose was attempting to do the same, Gabriel’s firm hand on her shoulder. Neither of them looked too healthy but at least they had been supporting each other. Almost everyone was touching someone.
Markus let the echo of the night before they fought resonate around him, swallowing hard.
“What do I do now?” Rea asked against Ross’s tunic.
“Find a new okay.” Ross shrugged. “If you look at life like you’re waiting for the next funeral, there won’t be an okay anymore. So you have to find something else that makes sense.”
“They were very exemplary and loyal knights. It was an honor to have known and worked with them and we will certainly honor their memory in Everglade,” Laura said. “Both of them died bravely for their country and I’m sure that they are both looking down on us and regretting only that they have left you.”
“I’m… I’m sure they are. I thank you.” Rea managed to be a little more put together. “I do wish they weren’t being rained on.”
“We did bury them beneath the only tree in Laina,” Raythor tried.
“The Lainan tree,” Ross agreed. This got a little smile from the queen. “Let’s get you inside before you get hypothermia. She nodded, starting the single file line back into the castle.
Laura fell into step beside Markus. He moved to hold her hand and she distractedly took it. “May I show you something?”
“Of course.” Markus managed a diplomatic smile. He realized a split second later that she could tell the difference.
She took advantage of having his hand to drag him along. Laura took him behind the castle, skirting the door out of the kitchen, and dropped his hand to point. Markus followed the path of her fingers and froze. On top of the little swell of the hill before them was a gate. It was nothing more than blackness held together by a spider thin, curling metallic thread, flat but depthless.
“I believe that is my fault.” Laura crossed her arms again.
“That’s what supposed to swallow our world.” Markus shifted his weight. A part of him, of course, found this fascinating. The other part was very worried. It had, after all, been Phoenix who had first walked into the gate hundreds of years ago. He moved behind her, arms going around her waist. “It doesn’t look quite how I imagined.”
“It looks like what came out of me before. And what I saw when I thought you were dead.”
“I’m kind of happy I didn’t see that.”
“You should be.’ She let out a long sigh. “I assume we’re meant to break the cycle I seem to be entangled in. I just don’t know how I can ask anyone to suffer for two years on my behalf.”
“You can ask me,” Markus offered. He didn’t even think twice about it.
“I won’t. You’re the crown prince, Markus; you need to be in Everglade.”
“Not if it means you won’t be.”
“Markus-”
“There’s n-no r-reason the t-two of y-you can’t g-go back to E-Everglade together.” Anella stepped from behind them, her gray-green eyes on the gate. “Raythor’s dying and… h-he’s Paramour, r-right? I t-think… w-we t-think… t-that the r-reverse world would s-save him.”
“He’s dying?” Markus’s eyes widened.
“He’s been c-coughing for days. There’s a-always b-blood and… m-more each d-day….”
“The Royalty of Everglade has a champion.” Laura’s jaw was tightly clenched. They were going to be talking about this later. Markus would have to try and work out why it had made her so angry so fast before they did.
“You broke her calm.” Markus laughed nervously. “I have trouble doing that myself. I didn’t even notice he was still hurt.”
“H-he’s good at hiding it,” Anella said. It suddenly became very, very obvious to him that she hadn’t been sleeping. “H-he was g-going to a-ask you g-guys l-later, b-but I agreed t-to do it so m-maybe he’d g-go take a n-nap….”
“You’re courting Raythor,” Markus said, without thinking. Anella stared at him like a startled deer. Laura looked at him with confusion. “Sorry… is that wrong? I mean, I figured you were hiding that too until after the battle at Whitestar and then there was never a really good time to bring that up while he was dying and Rea was mourning. Plus, you said we, so I assumed you and Raythor as a unit, plus Dasher who you probably already told.”
“What in the hell?” Laura blinked.
“Y-yes.” Anella nodded, turning bright red. “Dasher w-was um… v-very p-pleased.”
“I’m sure she was, she makes sure you two end up alone together as much as possible.” Markus nodded back. Laura had been stunned into silence. He squeezed her. “What? Sometimes I do notice things, you know.” Laura looked as though she was going to say no to that so he moved on. “Is he able to stay the night? I think it would be good for everyone to have at least that. Especially you and Dasher.”
“Y-yes. Y-yes it w-would.” Anella managed a small smile. “I’ll l-let him k-know.”

“Anella?” Ross, a black tunic draped over his arm and nothing on top, stood in her doorway. She grimaced slightly. That was her cousin, no matter how far removed. “Do you know where Karian’s room is? I need to give him this thing back.”
“If he’s in the s-same room, yes. I’ll s-show you i-if you want.” She stood up, setting down the sword she’d been cleaning. Anella had been putting off taking to Raythor. When she did, she was going to have goodbye and there would probably be a lot of tears and probably heartbreak. He was leaving for two years but… two years was better than forever. She steeled herself, remembering that.
“Hey, your stutter has gotten so much better.” Ross patted her back affectionately.
“It’s better around people I k-know.”
“Well, however that works you are a much more open flower my beauty.”
Anella giggled. Ross was so just so over the top that he barely made her blush anymore. She squeezed past his, knocking on Raythor’s door. It opened rather quickly. Raythor stood holding the door frame, Dasher in her four footed form behind him.
“Hello.” The dark haired boy sounded tired.
“We’ll continue this conversation later.” Dasher primly passed out of the room and down the hall. She’d been trying, without success, to heal Raythor and it had been making her more and more furious as she failed.
“I brought your thing.” Ross shoved the tunic at Raythor, who took it gingerly.
“Thanks.” His attention shifted to Anella. “Anella would it be okay If I talked to you for a second? I had something I had to tell Dasher but I’d also really like you to know.” He tossed his tunic on the bed.
“I hope it doesn’t make her as mad as it made Dasher,” Ross said cheerfully. He saluted them both and headed toward the kitchen.
Raythor waited until he couldn’t hear Ross’s footsteps and drew her inside. “What did Laura say?”
“Yes.” She pulled the door shut behind them, eyes on the floor. “As s-soon a-as I t-told t-them how b-bad your condition w-was, she s-said y-yes. How… how are you feeling?”
“Better than I would be if you hadn’t been killing yourself nursing me for three days.”
“Like you didn’t do the same, before you even knew I loved you back,” Anella retorted. This time she noticed her stutter was gone. She hugged him and his thin arms went around her. “Markus guessed that we were together. Isn’t that weird?”
“Did you tip him off in training?” Raythor teased. He pulled back to look at her. “I mean, there’s no other reason you wouldn’t have a crush on Prince Perfect if your emotions weren’t already occupied with someone else.”
“I actually think you’re better looking.” Anella waited for him to say something sarcastic to that but that had caught him completely off guard. “I always kind of did.”
“Your type must be underfed,” he managed. “It’s uh… probably hard not to guess that we care about each other, even if they couldn’t guess the romantic part. I think Ross is on the verge.”
“We can tell them all when we tell them that… you’re l-leaving.”
“Anella… if you….” He was struggling with something. “If you find someone else, someone better, even if you just don’t feel like it… you don’t have to wait for me. I mean, I could still die and-”
Anella pinned his shoulders and silenced him with a kiss. How could he think she’d want that? How did he think she’d ever love anyone else? He was so silly and so self-doubting and so, so wonderful. Anella tried a trick Kayle had taught her, a very embarrassing incident with a doll, and got his lips to part so she could kiss him deeply. She felt a shudder run through his body and she reached up to hold his face in her hands. Anella pulled back slowly and gradually, whispering his name as she did.
“Okay. We’re not breaking up then,” Raythor managed. “Damn, you’re really good at that.”
She flushed. “So are you.”
“Didn’t really have to do much there. Oh, sorry I swore. I’m trying not to do that because it reminds me of Rose.”
“You’re nothing like Rose.” Anella moved her fingers along his cheek. “I know the reverse world can save you and I know you’re coming back to me. I’ll be there the second you leave that portal and… and I’ll save that for tomorrow. I love you.” She started kissing him again. They actually got a few minutes without interruption before Ross screamed up the stairs again.
“Anella! Karian! You still up there? Blue is calling one of his meeting things!”
“Coming, Ross!” She pulled away from Raythor reluctantly.
“I think he plans that. I really do,” Raythor said. “He is not going to be at all happy when he finds out we’re together.”
“If I tell him it makes me happy and that you treat me well he’ll… tolerate it.” Anella smiled.
“Great. I love being tolerated; it kind of makes my day.”

Laura paid no attention to Raythor announcing his departure and relationship, the backlash afterwards, or Markus trying to smooth it over. She’d only come because Markus had asked her to. She still didn’t feel good about Raythor’s choice somehow, it nagged at her. Laura would not, however, give in to commenting on the matter further. Instead she made a polite appearance and slipped out under cover of Rose’s shrieks.
She quickly headed to her father’s door. Straightening, she knocked.
“Elaura!” Vyncent pulled her into a bear hug. “I was just looking for you!”
“It’s lovely to see you, father,” Laura said with confusion.
“Has my son asked for your hand?” Audrion stepped out of a shadowy corner, face sour.
She barely controlled her expression of fear. How did he sneak up like that? “Not officially, sire, no.”
“Did he open the bag yet?” Vyncent asked.
“Not to my knowledge.”
The two men exchanged looks. Laura had rarely felt this uncomfortable. They seemed to be having a silent conversation and this terrified her still further. Vyncent finally nodded his head. “Elaura, your mother had very few articles of jewelry. She was not a flashy woman and I can see that you are the same.” Laura supposed that was true. She had her staple necklace, the necklace she’d taken off the general’s body and everything Tyligo and Hydria had given her. “I thought you might like her wedding ring.”
Laura started. “You’re giving that to me?”
“You’re my daughter.” He smiled widely. “I’d like you to have it.” He placed the silver ring, carved with waved lines all the way around, into her hand. Laura closed her fingers around it and leaned against his shoulder in thanks.
“Markus,” Audrion said gravely.
“Hello father.” Laura turned to see her boyfriend, his face frozen in shock, standing in the doorway. Markus finally smiled at her. “I was kicked out of the discussion for siding with Raythor so I um… followed Laura….”
“Fascinating.” Audrion rolled his eyes. “Markus, open your mother’s gift.
The prince withdrew the little bag and did so. It held his grandmother’s wedding band and two new plain gold bands, one thinner than the other. She recognized the thicker as John’s by the single nick. Laura subdued her tears. Her dad had given his consent as well.
“I thought a new engagement ring would be more appropriate for you. You may give the other to Ketra later,” Audrion said. Audrion took the bag and left Markus with just his grandmother’s ring. It had three tiny shined pearls and they were reflecting the light all over the room. The myth was that Cassian, Markus’s grandfather, had dived for them himself.
“Right here?” Markus swallowed.
“Was I unclear? On your knee.”
Markus dropped like a rock. Laura moved in front of him, hands folded, head tilted dubiously. Their strong leader had been reduced to a vassal in a matter of minutes. “Laura Glasswater?”
“Yes Markus?” Laura blinked at him unhelpfully.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes Markus.”
“Yes Markus,” he teased her. She scowled at him. Markus pushed to his feet, pushing the beautiful ring on her finger. He collected the rest, putting them carefully in the bag, and returned it to his pocket. He hugged her quickly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She kissed his cheek.
“As you know, King Ian has been killed,” Audrion said. The couple moved away from each other. “As has his heir and wife. Lord Glasswater has been in touch with the castle- they are amiable to giving the crown to Jason Whitestar and promoting Vyncent to his advisor.”
“They?” Markus blinked.
“Those left of the rebels.”
“So Jason is all they have left.”
“Yes, and the boy.”
“Benvolio?”
“I believe so.”
“He made it out.” Markus turned to smile at Laura cheerfully. “He must have stayed behind with his brother.”
Laura blankly returned the expression. Her mind had already fixed on something else. “So, our marriage has become beneficial to you my lord?”
Audrion just nodded. “Yes. The discontent in Laina has been resolved whether or not I approve of the matter of the resolution. Now there will be a stronger king on Laina’s throne, if all goes well- one far less likely to be under Dragoon’s sway. Allying Everglade with such a country greatly reduces the chance of future war with Dragoon. Now I needn’t worry that Laina, Bloodroot and Dragoon will attack Everglade when Markus takes the throne- we already have intimate ties to two of the countries.”
Laura sharply took in breath. She looked at Markus but he didn’t seem at all surprised. A lot of things clicked horribly to place in her head. “I see.”
“If you have no further questions, you may be dismissed.” Audrion began discussing trade routes with Vyncent.
Markus guided her out of the room. They walked for a while before she could convince her voice box it was safe to function. “Your father is an evil genius, Markus.’
“Yeah. I know he is.” He was clearly trying not to laugh.
“He really doesn’t give a damn that we love each other does he?”
“Nope. Not at all.”
“He seemed so sincere….”
“My father has known you a long time. He knew just how to sell it to you.” Markus still sounded pretty cheerful. “He’s always thought Ian was going to fall one day and he just knew he was going to lose this war, especially without Vyncent at his side. He guesses Vyncent would want to stay with you.”
“That’s a little sick.”
“But it was for Everglade,” the prince said, with a rather morbid laugh. “You know why I stopped getting into trouble done? Because he already knew what I was going to do wrong before I did it.”
Laura actually shivered. “I suppose I should feel honored her called me adequate because I’m fairly sure he still hates me.”
Markus shook his head. “No. Now he respects you.”
“Why?”
“Because you went back for me.” Markus put his arm around her waist. “Did I have the chance to thank you for that?”
“Not that I remember.” She smiled up at him. “Despite the manner of it, we are engaged now. I think that calls for celebration.”
Markus leaned his head down to kiss her. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the peace of it. They were so lucky to be alive, she knew that, and was prepared to thank every star in the heavens for it. Laura rested her head on his chest when they broke apart. “You’re very warm, Markus.”
“I try honey,” he laughed, brushing his lips against her hair. “We should go save Raythor.”
“Weren’t you exiled for caring?”
“A little. But they have to have calmed down a little, right? You did.” He frowned. “…right?”
“I disapprove of the tinges of martyrdom implied of all of this but I can accept he’s doing it to save his life. At least, so he claims.”
“You’re still mad at him. Great. They’ll rip me to pieces in there.”
“Who will?” Jason blinked at both of them. Laura quickly explained the situation- ignoring Markus’s far more compassionate protests- and tried to gage his reaction.
He didn’t seem to know how to feel. “I’m sorry we have to part so soon. I was hoping my cousin could join me in the new capital city. I understand I am to be king.”
“He would be a pretty good advisor,” Markus mused. Laura shot him a look. “What? Raythor’s pretty smart and he remembers everything. Aren’t those qualities John has too?”
“I don’t think this a matter we need to be discussing but you are a good judge of character. You’re probably right.” Laura glanced at Jason. “Surely you see similar traits in Jason.”
“I do. Laina’s future is looking brighter than it has in a long time.” Markus flashed one of his more winning smiles.
The corner of Jason’s lips turned up. The he hesitantly met Laura’s eyes. “Laura.” He took a deep breath. “I was the first one my father commanded to kill your mother. I couldn’t do it. There was something in her eyes that stopped me. Something in the way she was never afraid of dying. It broke Lydrion to kill her. It was a mercy that he burned to death.”
“What?” Markus’s jaw dropped.
“There was a flash sighted above the burning copse of trees. Lydrion and his dog fell into it. We didn’t find a trace of their bodies.”
“Not even he deserved that….”
“And Kenetari?” Laura cut in.
“I don’t know,” Jason’s voice darkened. “But if they find her I’ll execute her myself.” He shook it off. “At least my brother survived. What happened to my father is… regrettable but I don’t blame your knight for it. He didn’t have a choice.”
“Thank you for understanding that it was in the line of duty.” Laura nodded.
“Naturally Everglade will still make amends,” Markus added. Such as repair your entire castle, Laura thought. Markus had already told her that was in the works.
“Allow me to speak on Raythor’s behalf?” Jason offered.
Markus grinned. “Please.”

Dasher was somewhat relieved when the verbal flaying of Raythor gave way to peacefully enjoying each other’s company. She knew they all wouldn’t be together for much longer and this was a far better way to spend that time. She watched as her friends- many of them quite nearly her family- played games and got drunk and talked in this room that had previously been used as their war council. She even attempted to learn how to play cards, which she’d never heard of before. Raythor’s cousin amiably kept at it, even though the concept was fairly alien to her. Elementist games far more closely resembled chess. Pieces were far more suited to paws than cards.

[Markus Everglade]

“See? You’re getting it,” Jason said, watching her closely. They were playing something he called double solitaire. She liked it fairly well. “That was a good move.”
“A lot of it seems to be based on luck,” she said.
“True enough. The one player version of this game is far harder to win.”
“Solitaire drives me nuts,” Rose grumbled in agreement.
“Checkmate again, Rose,” Raythor said mildly.
“Fuck you, Raythor.”
“Fuck you so hard you walk funny in the morning, Rose.” He grinned. Rose stared at him open mouthed. Then she chucked a pawn at his head.
“Just get married already, won’t you?” Dasher rolled her eyes.
“How long would that last?” Ross started laughing.
“Three days.” Raythor met Rose’s eyes.
“Two. Two and then I kill you,” she returned.
“Guess I’m more level headed than you are.”
“You’d also be a little more dead than I was.”
“I would love to die in your arms, beautiful,” Ross put in. Rose chucked his chess piece at his head too.
“It’s comforting to know you haven’t changed, Ross,” Markus commented.
“God I hate when he says that.” Ross overdramatically fell over on the couch onto Laura. She tried to shove him off ineffectually, leaning more fully on Markus’s shoulder.
“Hey.” Kylara, standing before the window, raised her hand to it. “Here comes the sun.”
The sun went quiet. Dasher felt a sense of dread settle within her chest. They’d been up all night, waiting to see Raythor off. Now the last grain of sand had fallen. Dasher got to her feet first, extending a hand to her best friend.
“We’re with you to the last,” she promised.
Raythor took it. “I knew you would be.”
She would resume being furious with him after he was gone. The two of them, hand in hand, led the others outside. Dasher lined them up in procession, straight across like they were about to address a king. She hoped he saw the irony in that. Dasher crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow and waited for Raythor to take the reins.
“Wanna just say goodbye en masse like we’re in a big cult?” Raythor looked rather hopeful.
“No,” Laura said.
“Fuck no,” Rose agreed. “You’re getting hugged roughly twelve times.”
“Can we make that eleven?” Ross asked. Rose elbowed him in the shoulder. “Ow! Why?”
“Just for that you’re going first.” The princess shoved him forward.
“Why are you so violent?”
“I’m pretty sure she was just born that way.” Raythor was clearly trying not to look awkward. Dasher grinned.
“So… Karian… you’re courting my cousin….” Ross tapped his fist on the side of his leg. The two boys stood there for a long while, not looking at each other. Dasher stared transfixed at the swirling vortex behind them. It looked as dark as shadow magic but it crackled like fire. She had never seen anything quite like it. It actually went rather well with the faded yellow of the hill it had appeared on.
“Rocelin.” Raythor titled his head somewhat mockingly. He did look a little like a sheep dog.
Ross quickly hugged him, like he was unleashing some sort of spring. Then he stepped back. “You’re a good soldier, Karian, so I’m betting you won’t die which you better not or you’ll break Anella’s heart and… and good luck in the swirly black thing.”
“Eloquent. Gabriel?” Rose gestured him forward.
“It’s was a pleasure to have meet you.” Gabriel nodded.
“You too,” Raythor said. They quite formally hugged.
Rea stepped forward next and most imperiously allowed him to kiss her hand, which he didn’t look that unnatural doing. She drew back with a simple “good luck”.
“Kylara.” Rose’s gaze was lowered now.
“It was great to be able to get to know you as a person rather than a name.” Kylara hugged him much more warmly.
“It’s great that you actually tried,” he teased gently.
“Karian.” Maria gestured at him from next to Kylara. Raythor laughed, hugging her too.
“It’s been one long bloody road, Maria. Thanks for helping me not die.” He pulled back and Dasher watched his face start to change. He was regretting this. They’d made him regret this.
“Blade?” Rose was firm, hands folded now. She didn’t seem as though she was going to move. She didn’t seem to be able to watch as Raythor got on his knees to embrace Blade. “Ketra….”
“You’re the reason I’m still alive if only through a chance action months ago. I’ll always thank you for that.” Ketra gave him the stiffest looking embrace Dasher had ever seen.
“You are so welcome.” Raythor gave her a small smile.
“Laura,” Rose said.
“She is going to hit me. I hope you know that Rose.”
“Really hard too,” Ross agreed.
“No, Raythor.” Laura smiled like a predator closing in on her prey. “Not until you get back.”
“Great.” He laughed nervously. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Best of luck.” She gave him a sort of one armed back pat.
“I hope the reverse world is full of angry monsters.” He returned it.
“Stop being sarcastic.” Rose scowled at him. “Markus, go.”
“Now’s the time for that dramatic speech you’ve been holding in.” Raythor sort of sat in his hip. Rose was beginning to usher away those he had already said farewell to.
Markus grinned. “I don’t remember what was up there, really. But I will thank you for everything you’ve done for all of us. There’s always a place for you in Imperia if you want or need it and I can promise you some or all of us will be here when you return.” Their hug was very nearly a warm one.
“You promise me?” He smirked.
“We’re friends. I promise you nothing less.”
Raythor’s head lowered and that unkempt hair went before his eyes again. “Rose?”
“My turn.” Rose looked back at Dasher and Anella, half of her mouth inclined upwards. She returned her focus to him. It was like something flashed between them, some unspoken insult, some un-given blow. They fell into each other’s arms as though they couldn’t help it.
“You will always be my sister, Rose,” Raythor said faintly.
“That’s a damn good way of putting it,” Rose said. “There’s no one I fight with and care about as much as my siblings. And now it seems like I have another one.” She kissed his cheek, walking away with Raythor’s gaze dogging her step.
Anella, head high, went forward and slumped against him, her arms folded. His arms went around her waist. He whispered to her but Dasher’s keen ears picked up on it. “Come back a few minutes from now. Please. Let me say it one more time.”
“Of course, Raythor. I’m not that excited to let you go.” Anella answered. Her voice was painfully quiet. She pulled back. “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” He had the fakest smile Dasher had ever seen on his face.
Anella went and took hold of Thunder’s collar. The dog had been patiently sitting, omitting only occasional whines. She started back, with hesitance. Dasher took her arm.
“I’ll take the dog back but you have to hold him there for me, alright?” Dasher tried to give her a knowing look. Anella nodded and became rooted to the spot.
“Come here,” Raythor beckoned. “I’m going to try not to have an emotion but it’s going to be rough. You may just disown me.”
“Never.” Dasher promised. She kissed his cheek and then held him tight. She’d rarely felt as at home in her human body. “Thank you for being the one who found me in that ally.”
“Thank you for sticking with me. I needed a friend so badly and you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty.”
She chuckled. “Yourself to the last, Ray, yourself to the last.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“I think I’m going home.” Dasher felt that sink in. She hadn’t said it aloud but she’d known it all along. “It’s the only thing that feels right.”

[Markus Everglade]

“Then you understand what I’m doing here.”
“Yes. I think I do.”
“I’m going to miss you, Dash.”
“I’m going to miss you too.” She hung on for a long moment. He’d been her entire support system for almost a year and her best friend for longer than that. “Following you was the best choice I ever made.”
“Letting you was mine.”
“I’ll be right here waiting.” She let him go with heavy reluctance. Dasher took the dog’s collar from Anella and then stopped the girl for a second. “Stay with him. Till the end. Promise me.”
“P-promise.” Anella colored. Dasher left the two of them alone.

“Thank you,” Raythor said. “I’m sorry… was this stupid?” There was a brief interlude where Raythor stood alone in the hill. Then Anella pressed him to her tightly, her lips against his. His body relaxed. He felt his heart beat quicken and he smiled, pulling her closer. “I love you.”
“I love you.” She smiled too.
“I wish I could have told you earlier but I was just-”
“Vomiting blood?”
“Yeah. A little.”
She laughed. “You’re so morbid.”
“You seem to like that,” he teased. His hands slipped to her waist. There were so few people in this world that he would even consider allowing to touch him and Anella… Anella made him enjoy every contact they had, no matter how small. Why hadn’t he realized how far gone he was sooner? He mentally shook himself. He hadn’t wanted to.
“I’m pretty fond of a lot of things about you.”
“I’m sorry we had to get together during a civil war.”
“I wouldn’t change anything about the moments we did get. Stop apologizing, Raythor.” She kissed him gently, filling his whole body with warmth. “When you know you’ve found who you’re supposed to be with two years isn’t that long to wait. I really don’t want you to die.”
“You’re that sure?” The corners of his mouth twitched. She just nodded. “Actually… I am too.” They kissed one more time, drawing it out as long as they could.
Then Raythor stepped back quickly so he couldn’t change his mind. He felt like he was fading and he opened his eyes so at least one of his senses would function. He saw her gray-green eyes, saw her hands clasped in his. He whispered her name before he faded away completely.

Markus, Laura, Ross, Ketra, the king and his army returned to Imperia three long weeks later. All of that time had been consumed, for Markus at least, thinking of Jason’s coronation. Thinking of the way he’d stood up there with only General Glasswater by his side. Of seeing him there, dressed as a king, looking so painfully young Markus forgot Jason was older than he was. Jason stood, leaned against the balcony, looking down at the people who had, less than a week ago, been killing each other. He told them they wouldn’t have to fight anymore. That, though he regretted Ian’s death, he knew that in its wake Laina would again hold the power it had during the days that Vyncent became a hero. He promised that if he couldn’t live up to their expectations as a strong, diligent king within a year of his coronation he would step down and put General Glasswater on the throne.
This brought cheers from the Lainan people. It brought more still when Jason declared Vyncent a duke and gave the Glasswater family that title and their land as long as they had a legitimate heir to inherit it. He made special mention of Laura as the current heir to all this gifts and said that her children, who would be royalty in Everglade, would in turn become her heirs and all would surely walk in Vyncent’s heroic footsteps.
Markus had ushered Laura onto the balcony with the two men, stepping back out of the way. Laura gave a very awkward little wave, which made Ross snigger. In Everglade they’d expect a polished response for such an introduction. Here, they’d been waiting so long to see Vyncent’s daughter it elicited a third cheer. On Jason’s part, it was a good move. Yes, he’d shown an alternative king with an alternative successor but that successor was unsuitable- she’d give Everglade too much swat over Laina and they’d become a second Carina. Unless Jason quite severely messed up, they wouldn’t remove him from the throne. He was already thinking like a king.
The first thing Markus noticed when his home came into view was the balcony where he would someday be presented as king. The thought had always made him numb. He hoped he could speak half as well as Jason had, look half as confident. Somehow, he’d always pictured himself standing alone up there or maybe with a blurry faced Rose as his side before he’d known how she really looked. Just as alone as Jason had to feel with most of his family gone.
Watching Audrion stride around the castle, completely in control and healthier than almost anyone in Everglade, reassure him that it will be a good long time before he’d be crowned.
“Markus! Ketra! Both my children here at once!” Ivy pulled the Everglade siblings into a simultaneous embrace. Markus felt her stomach, now quite obviously protruding, resting between them. “And Laura, dear! Congratulations! I always hoped he would marry you!” Ivy drew Laura into what was swiftly becoming a group hug. Laura gave what must be her attempt at a formal smile. “You too, Ross! All my maids miss you; I didn’t know you were all such good friends!” Markus had to laugh at that one, which his mother naturally just interpreted as joyful noise. Ivy finally pulled away, giving her son a fond smile. “This is so wonderful, Markus. You’ve always loved her, haven’t you?”
“Oh it went both ways, Laura’s just really good at hiding it,” Ross commented. Laura glared at him.
“That’s so nice. Oh Markus, it was always so cute when you would watch her-”
“Mom, have you said hello to father yet? He’s right over there.” Markus redirected her focus.
Ivy clasped her hands. “Audrion!”
“Ivy.” He smiled. The queen went over to hug her husband.
“I’m going to need a nap.” Ketra rubbed the bridge of her nose, going up the stairs.”
“Walk,” Ross said.
“Ketra needs a walk?” Markus blinked.
“No, no, you’d watch Laura walk. You told me you loved it once by accident. Probably drunk. I get the best stuff when people are drunk.”
“Why’d you have to tell her that, Ross?”
“I think it’s sweet,” Laura said primly. She took Markus’s hand. “I’ve watched you on occasion myself.”
“Weird coincidence that she’d always turn up when you were shadow fighting, isn’t it?” Ross took a preemptive step away from Laura.
Markus thought about that. “Actually, yeah. I just thought it was because I usually did it right after the soldiers finished their training.”
“So Laura could watch you. A lot of little things like that make so much sense now, don’t they?” Ross smirked.
“Kind of.” Markus ran his hand through his hair. Active denial had really made him miss more than he cared to admit.
“Civil war- the most romantic time to realize your true feelings!”
“Your cousin thinks so,” Laura retorted. Ross made a pained face. “She did get the self-sacrificing hero you wanted for her, in a sense.”
“Self-sacrificing doesn’t mean you have to chuck yourself on the knife, does it?”
“I don’t think it ever feels that way,” Laura said softly.
Without thinking about it, they’d all walked to the graveyard. Names they recognized were scattered across the soldiers section but they’d passed all of them by, their three eyes fixed on the gravestone of John Griffin Redfoot. It hadn’t felt that way for Jack. For William. For Charity or the soldiers who had died defending King Ian. For Dione and James.
“That’s why heroes always die,” Ross said matter-of-factly. “They don’t even think about it.”
“I don’t think they regret it either.” Laura shrugged.
“I didn’t when we went back into that fire. Not for a second.”
“It just takes someone or something you care about enough.”
“More than yourself,” he agreed.
Markus squeezed Laura’s hand and patted Ross’s shoulder. “That will always be us for each other.”
Ross reached forward, touched the tombstone. “The three of us against the world."

[Markus Everglade]

~The End~