Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Gideon

“Fortify the borders!” Keeley commanded. “Move, sir knight!”

Gideon jumped out of the way, searching for any means to assist, but this was a siege unlike anything he’d ever seen. The front of the manor was lined with Valiant Guards striking the gates with a battering ram as others shot arrows over the walls. But the Malevolent Guards showed no fear. With raging battle cries, red dove against silver. The Malevolent were less in numbers but not in ruthlessness.

On the high rampart at the front of the manor, Keeley held a match to a glittering pumpkin projectile. The king didn’t have them in his arsenal, but Gideon had seen them in action. One light of the magical vegetable, and it would flame as many as fifty knights in one drop. Gideon gripped Keeley’s wrist out of instinct, for he knew the men below. “Don’t—they’ll burn.”

Keeley sneered at him, shaking her wrist from his grip and shoving him till he fell. “Until you know what side you’re on, go mind your sister. It’s the only task you can be trusted with.” She looked right at him as she ignited the charge and hurled it over the edge, her face glowing orange in the flames.

It would be inappropriate to find her lovely just now, during a brutal battle, but she was rather splendid in the light of the…flare…that had likely just injured or killed his former colleagues… Oh gods.

Edwin appeared at the flank, holding a tray of bread, interrupting Gideon’s spiral. One of the Malevolent Guards jumped down from the rampart’s raised edge, sweaty and covered in blood. “Edwin, I don’t think we’re in need of bread just now, but perhaps cake for when we’re all done.”

Edwin shook the tray. “This bread isn’t for eating—it’s stale. Harder than a rock.” His eyes twinkled. “Perfect for throwing.”

Gideon grinned. “Attaboy, Edwin.” He gripped one of the loafs and chucked it down, knocking a knight clean off the ladder he’d been attempting to climb. He turned to Edwin with wide eyes. “What did you make them with? Cement?”

Edwin smiled and chucked one of his own over the side.

An office pixie fluttered out, plugging her tiny green ears to block the sounds of battle. “Keeley!” the pixie screeched, voice high-pitched like a bell. “The back gates—they’re getting through! They’re lifting the grate to the guvres’ enclosure!”

Keeley paled. “I’m coming.” She screamed to the crowd: “I need any available Malevolent with me!”

Gideon gripped her arm before she could run. “I’m available.”

An arrow whizzed by, and Gideon didn’t think, just pulled her into him and covered her head protectively, feeling the thickness of her braid doubled up underneath her helmet. To hide the length? That was strange. But she smelled of lemons and sweat, and that wasn’t strange at all. It was glorious.

Her hawk eyes were on the arrow on the wall, then on him. “Okay, sir knight. Let’s see what you can do.”

He saluted, then jumped down from the rise first. And when he looked up at her, he couldn’t help it—the moment demanded it… “Keeley, oh Keeley, let down your—” A hard piece of bread hit his gut. “Oof.”

Keeley grinned as they ran back down into the office corridors, taking the stairs two at a time. She called into a ruby, which Gideon had slowly gathered wasn’t a ruby at all but a device for communication—or lack thereof, judging by Keeley’s growl of frustration.

“Wherever the boss is, he’s out of reach,” she muttered.

Gideon pulled a sword from a mount on the wall before they dove into the courtyard swinging. Knights charged him, and he dodged until he could no longer, felling men he once guarded and protected one by one. He panted at the small reprieve when they were no longer flanked, his back bumping into Keeley’s. When he peeked over, he saw that she had blood caked to her cheek and stray wisps of hair free. His hand itched to push them away.

“I’m sure he’ll return to the manor soon enough,” he told her instead.

But as he scanned the courtyard, with countless knights far outnumbering the Malevolent Guards desperately trying to fight, to push them back, Gideon feared there may not be a manor for The Villain to return to.