What I found even more interesting was the woman Lord Hale had on his arm. I knew her. Her name was Lady Swan, but I’d known her as Cedar at Silverveil. She’d never liked me and I wasn’t surprised at all that she and Hale had hooked up. Also in the procession were a few more from the Royal House as well as other Nobles. Of note were Lady Silvermane of Pegasus House, the queen’s daughter. We knew she was involved somehow, though perhaps not entirely willingly. It was her second, Lord Horn — Hale’s father — who was much more involved and probably influencing her to help. Yet, I had trouble believing that she knew nothing. If her mother, the queen, was involved, Silvermane would have to know something.
Another spike through my heart was seeing Lady Skyfire, of House Wyvern, marching with the queen. I’d always admired her and didn’t want to believe she would be involved with any of this. In truth, she might not be, but might just be a pawn, supporting the queen here, but not knowing what was truly happening. I wanted to believe that, but I had to assume everyone was against me right now.
The queen took the stage and began her speech. Someone used magic to enhance her voice so everyone could hear; perhaps that was her spirit-gift?
My heart was thundering in my ears — anxious for what was to come — and I hardly heard the speech. The queen was done far too quickly — though that was probably just my perception — then she was moving down the stairs at the back of the stage and heading for our laneway.
My heart pounded all the harder. I was going to do this. I was going to kidnap the queen.
I looked to the others, wondering if they were as scared as I was. Yet they all looked at me with certainty. They believed I could do this.
I smiled to reassure them, then we joined hands with Fin, ready to jump down.
This was it.
Chapter 7
We appeared justbehind the queen’s party. The only Nobles with her now were her second, Merlin, Lord Hale, and Lady Swan. They, along with half a dozen guards, were moving quickly down the laneway. Eorthan made a motion sweeping outwards to the side with both of his hands. Anyone in armor was suddenly flying to one side, which included Lord Hale. That left the queen, Merlin, and Swan.
Elvi, the stone wielder made a similar motion, only pushing down with her hands. Merlin and Swan were suddenly trapped calf-deep in the stone street.
Fin Jumped to the queen and vanished with her.
The guards lining the street were only now beginning to react. MyHerogift surged. I’d hidden a short-sword under my commoner’s clothes and already had it in hand. I reacted faster than they did, moving to protect our group. Midnight was doing the same, but unseen. Ahmaia was throwing about guards with her cloth-arms.
We only had to last a moment or two before…
Fin returned.
We rushed to him and a moment later were back in our cliffside hideout.
“We did—” My words were cut off by seeing Alvere holding the queen as she collapsed. She had both hands at her throat. ‘What…?”
I rushed to him.
“You’ve killed me!” the queen hissed, as she strained to gasp in a breath.
“It started as soon as Fin arrived with her,” Alvere said, just as shocked as I was.
The queen’s desperate gaze found me and she let out a sort of coughing laugh. “Of course,” she croaked. She reached up and fingers dug into my arm. “You can’t save me, but… you need… to…” she was struggling more and more to get air. Her words becoming quieter and more desperate. “Merlin…” a long gasp, as eyes rolled back. “…is…” I couldn’t even tell if she was breathing now, her body convulsing as if trying to breathe, but getting no air. “M—ahhh…” The last of her air escaped her and she went limp, her hand, nails digging trenches into my arm fell away, slapping to the floor. Then, the faintest bit of mist slipped out from her lips.
“What in The Black Pits!” I said. What had just happened?
“A mistweaver did this,” Crane said crouching next to me.
“Sorry, what?” I hadn’t heard that right. I couldn’t have heard that right.
“A mistweaver.”
“We killed the mistweaver.Ikilled the mistweaver.”
Crane shrugged. “That last puff of mist leaving her, that’s what seals it. A mistweaver did this, some sort of curse. Perhaps something to the effect of: if she left the capital she’d die? It may have been something lingering from the one you killed, but we can’t discount the option that another is out there.”
“Another mistweaver?” I’d nearly died fighting the first one. I would have died if Ant hadn’t been there to patch me up afterward.
My mind was spinning. None of this made any sense. I’d tried to kidnap the queen and instead I’d killed her, because of some mistweaver’s curse.
“What was it she said at the end?” Alvere said laying the body down gently. “Merlin is Ma…?” He looked at me. “Merlin was her second, yes?”
