Chapter Seventeen Arthur

I must get to the queen.

She needs to know what is going on and send guards to help.

Of course, I try drawing the guards in to help as soon as the attack happened but none of them take orders from me. It's all wasting valuable time and my heart hammers as I think about how I have deserted Mabel and the others.

But I can help more effectively by deserting them.

I know this when I truly stop to think about it, but my heart is in a panic at leaving them all behind. After all, what if something happens to them? What if I could save one of their lives by being there?

I try to distract myself from those thoughts as I blow up the stairwells, my haste creating great gusts of wind that push others to the walls as I pass them by, some staggering and falling, a couple even losing their balance and tumbling down the stairs. But I can't worry about any of that. Only Mabel matters now. Only reaching the queen can do anything that will right this terrible situation.

With my breath catching, I quash the panic. Pushing through, I gain a little more speed that helps me clear the last two flights of stairs leading to the queen's chamber. I hope to all the gods above that she is there. I don't allow myself to think about the further time lost if I have to search for her.

Her door is guarded as I approach, but it always is, and doesn't guarantee she is there.

"Siorah!" I call out, not bothering with formalities, hoping this will anger her more than it would a polite interruption, because anger will draw her out.

There is nothing but silence and I wonder if I should head to the war room. She might still be there, nutting things out with her advisers. However, I don't think so. Her chambers are safer, built to protect and shelter her.

"Fuck off, Ornath, she doesn't want to see you," one guard says but I am not deterred.

"Siorah!" I continue shouting. "You need to come out and speak to me."

I feather my voice, pushing it through the cracks of her door, hoping it bleeds inside and irritates her enough that it works but I am getting despondent.

"What?" she finally demands a moment before she appears, and I allow myself the first deep breath as hope bleeds into my body and settles my nerves just a little.

"Mabel has been attacked," I continue. "I fear it is headed by those that seek to return Mabel to King Gilberd."

"Why should that be of any concern of mine?" she asks and anger flares inside me because she knows me, she knows how much Mabel means to me. She should care about things that are important to me, regardless of the time she kept me captive here. I thought we were beyond this, that she actually gave a shit about me and my personal wellbeing. Perhaps I was wrong.

However, I am terrified that not only is Mabel's life in danger but that the king might actually be trying a coup at the same time.

"I think the king might be here."

Her lips thin, the color draining from them just as it also bleaches from her face. I can see the same terror there as what I am now feeling. I may not be convinced Gilberd is here, but I am not above exaggerating the situation if it means she sends her guards to help me out.

"He can't get in here," Magnus says. I hadn't heard him approach as he is free of his chains for once. His hands settle on Siorah's shoulders, and she instantly settles under the touch.

"You're right," the queen utters as she stares up at me. "There's no need to panic just yet."

"But you have to help Mabel," I return. "It's the right thing to do."

"What, so she can come back here and stir up more trouble? Let the king find her and take her. Maybe he'll leave then."

I gulp, my mouth going dry as I try to swallow back the bitter bile rising to choke me.

"How can you be so heartless?" I ask. "I thought we were friends."

"Heartless is forcing you to stay here now that I know your real name. I must think of my citizens," she returns viciously.

I look at Magnus, a frown donning his pale brow. His gaze connects with mine and I can see he is not happy with what the queen is saying. I swallow hard against the thin threat she made of making me stay here again, once more her prisoner, and I have to be careful if I want to avoid that fate.

"You know damned well the king isn't going anywhere now he's here with an army, regardless of whether he gets Mabel or not. Sacruemus is almost on us and there is no way it is a coincidence he is here now. There is no way he would give up an opportunity like that."

"Ornath is right, we need to take this threat seriously. You know I don't believe in coincidences, and this smells like an obvious plan to me."

Siorah looks back at Magnus, her small frame tiny but fierce as they exchange a look that says far more than could likely be said with words alone. I wait it out a while before adding to their silent conversation. "If you help Mabel now, you will also be cutting down King Gilberd's army before he has a chance to smuggle any of them inside tomorrow."

I hope it's enough. It's the last card in the shitty deck I am playing with. Siorah continues looking at Magnus for a moment longer before nodding her head. It is the slightest of movements, but it sets my heart pattering with hope.

"Alright," she says, finally turning back to me. "I'll help Mabel but only so we can eliminate some of the enemy. This is only to protect my people."

I swallow down my irritation at the fact she is making it more than clear that I mean nothing to her. All that matters is Mabel and I will take any break I can possibly get at the moment.

"And you'll let Mabel come back here?" I prompt, pushing further than I probably should but I can't have her left outside Siorah's protection. Not with Sacruemus fast approaching. "And her monsters."

She sends me a steely gaze that has me trembling, but I refuse to show my fear. Instead, I clench my jaw and stare her down, as equally determined as she is.

"Mabel and her monsters can stay here only until the festival is over. Then, I never want to see them again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Absolutely," I return, not giving her any more chances to delay matters. Turning, I rush back down the plethora of stairs, desperate to join the battle.

The air is thick with moisture as I rush from the castle. I fly through it, cutting it and making it swirl around me, billowing and sucking at me. But I don't let it slow me. I can hear the guards behind me, moving just as quickly, their mission to destroy as many of King Gilberd's men as possible close in their collective minds.

It takes some time to reach where Mabel's boat was taken hostage, and my teeth are clenched tightly as I try not to run through all the worst-case scenarios in my mind. I can't let my mind run away with what could go wrong. The queen's protection is at my back and Mabel and the others are more than competent in holding their own against their attackers.

I still have no idea if King Gilberd is here or if this is entirely a rogue attack by Reeve, but I feel it in my smoky bones that Gilberd wouldn't miss such an opportunity to attack. I am only confused as to why he attacked a day early. Perhaps he got the dates wrong? Information is hazy as to how things operate within the borders of Kiros Somu, it's entirely possible he is expecting to breach the castle now. In fact, he may not have even been expecting to come across Mabel. This might all just be an accidental meeting. I shudder at the fact the fates can be so cruel more often than not. Surely, we all deserve a break after what Reeve did to us originally.

But then I hear the clash of weapons and smell the coppery tang of blood and know I've reached the fray. I dive in, grabbing a sword from one of the slain after making sure it's no one I love and then immediately stab one of Gilberd's guards through. They are wearing the colors of his lineage, so I have no doubt now that the king has instigated this attack.

I am still surprised, though, that Tomkin was heading it. The pirate is a wild card, someone no one should trust, and I wonder at the king's motives with this one. It would make much more sense to have Reeve himself lead them to the castle.

A man thrusts forward, narrowly missing me and I jump back on instinct. The human swords can't kill me, but my human senses are still strong. My training as a knight makes sure I cannot fight my instincts. Still, it gives the guard a sense of control and he laughs at me as he jabs forward again. This time, I fight the urge to duck and allow the sword to rush through me, slicing into the smokiness of my belly as I draw the solidity of me away from that area until just pale wisps of smoke are left.

I watch for a mere moment as the man's face pales and then I run him through. He barely notices the mortal wound at first and I pull my sword free. The rush of blood wetting his trousers finally breaks through his shock and he looks down as I stab him again. Drawing my sword upward this time, I rip open his stomach and the man desperately clutches at his insides as his intestines unravel and spill to the ground.

I have no need to watch as he dies, instead moving forward as Siorah's guards fan out around me, also slicing with their metal weapons and bringing down further men. Ahead, I hear a female shout and know instantly it is Mabel. Rushing toward her, I don't care for the battle around me. I need to be by her side. I crave her as much as the treacherous curse makes her crave Reeve.

But it ends here.

I will find Reeve and I will kill him. Fuck the consequences. If the other monsters disappear and I am human again, so be it. Mabel will just have to learn to live with it. I am past talking about it now. Reeve and Gilberd brought the battle to Kiros Somu, the place that has been my home for much longer than Enzoria has been, and so it shall end here.

"Mabel!" I call out and several guards turn towards my voice. Whipping their heads back to the battle at hand, they surge towards the woman I love, and I realize my mistake at drawing attention to her.

Rushing forward, I whip up the air around me, drawing the fog towards the small group, letting the confusion of the dense air and strong winds do my work for me. When I see their indecision, I quickly drive forward. My smoke starts to dissipate but I don't care because Mabel is there in front of me and I draw everything to her instead, draping her in clouds and hiding her further from the sight of the enemies.

Ahead, I can hear Brugo and Zeklan also battling away. Their grunts and groans are music to my ears, reassuring me they are still alive. However, I cannot hear Fenn and that has me worried.

"Have you seen Reeve?" I hiss lowly into Mabel's ear, and she shakes her head.

"Tomkin is somewhere over there last time I checked," she replies, pointing back the way I came from.

"Then that's where we need to be," I whisper, dragging Mabel along with me as I reach out to Zeklan as well, hoping he can hear me inside his head. I'm not sure if he has a connection with me like he does with Mabel, but I must because I can see him whip his head around a moment before he shouts at Brugo, and they both start heading towards us.

Allowing Mabel to lead, I keep a lookout for Tomkin until I spot him fighting off two of Siorah's men.

"There," I shout. Pointing, Brugo and Zeklan immediately follow my lead.

Approaching, Mabel gasps and I see a moment later what has her so worried.

Fenn is fighting the pirate. Or, more to the point, he is trying to, but Tomkin has the upper hand, and he leans over the satyr, his sword clashing against Fenn's. The satyr is prostrate and the pirate looms over him as Fenn gnashes his teeth and fights for his very life as the much larger man leans with all his weight against his weapon.

"No!" Mabel roars, finally coming to her senses and rushes towards Tomkin, her sword thrust out in front of her body.

I follow quickly behind with Brugo and Zeklan directly behind me as we rush in to save Fenn's life.

Tomkin and Fenn are so involved in the desperate fight that neither of them notices our approach. It is all we need to ensure our victory and, to be honest, neither myself, nor Brugo or Zeklan are needed because Mabel has this entirely under control. I smile with pride as her massive sword cleaves down over Tomkin's head. It hits directly and the man goes down quickly, blood pouring from the wound and I'm not even sure the man knew what hit him before he died.

"Are you alright?" Mabel asks, her voice thin from panic.

"Of course, I am," Fenn replies, a smirk on his face. Although he looks paler than normal. "Can we fuck yet?"

I roll my eyes and turn back to the battle around us to notice that the clatter of metal has dropped to below a din, only the occasional sound of weapons striking down. I use my strength to push the fogs aside for a moment so I can assess the situation, only to find that all of King Gilberd's guards are now dead or dying and a smile spreads across my face.

Oh, the queen will be happy with this.

But, first, I need to check the boat they arrived on.

Without pause, I surge forward, allowing my body to shift and thin, turning myself into nothing more than the fog that surrounds us and sidle onboard the small vessel that collided with ours not that long ago. It only takes a few minutes for me to search the entire ship. Coming aboard, I solidify once more.

"There's no one left," I say.

And that should make me happy but, instead, unease settles upon me like the surrounding swirling mists.

Where the fuck are Reeve and King Gilberd?