“Seriously, dude. Can’t help you there,” I called back. “You can’t challenge the Dark Queen. It’s not in the Vampira Carta, the original or the new one. You can challenge me for MOC of NOLA, but before you get to me, you’ll have to fight your way up through my minions, including my primo, the soon-to-be-crowned Emperor of Europe, Edmund the Great, when he returns to the U.S. But he might foist you off to Grégoire first. Oh. Wait. You already ran away from Europe and from Blondie with your tail between your legs.Chicken.”
“What are you doing?” Eli whispered.
“Annoying an uninvited guest.”
Bruiser called out, “The Dark Queen is correct. There is no recourse for challenge of a Dark Queen. And it is well known that you removed yourself, via clandestine means, from the territory of Grégoire of Clan Arceneau, Master of Paris and all of France. And it is confirmed that no one has or can defeat the swordsman—the Warlord of the Dark Queen.”
Over comms, we heard Alex say, “You’ve been targeted. Move!”
In multiple pops that stole the air and made my jaw ache, the vamps were suddenly just gone. Except for Koun, who picked me up and thenmoved. Inside. Fast.
As he leaped, I was somehow looking over his shoulder and saw Bruiser and Eli in transit too. The outer doorsslammed shut. The men were speeding through the airlock and with the inner doors still open.Safe.
Beyond the airlock, a brilliant, scarlet light flashed into place at the twelve-foot-high wall. The outerhedge of thornshad been activated.
The new steel entrance doors slammed closed. The inner doors closed on the heels of Koun and me, my Consort, and my brother.
A single explosion rocked the earth. I didn’t have to ask. I already knew. A rocket had hit the brand-new outerhedgeand exploded.
But what had happened to Mainet when the outer hedge closed? Was he still inside on the grounds with us?
Koun dropped me at the security nook as Eli and he began to give orders. Over Wrassler’s shoulder, I watched cam vid from the other side of the twelve-foot-high gate, enemy men and women dressed in dark clothing with a single white stripe along the left shoulder. They raced into the street, firing weapons at the walls. One woman wearing a white-stripe uniform dropped to a knee, positioning a tripod with what had to be a rocket launcher. How many of those things did my enemy have?
From cover, my people on the far side of the street fired down on the woman. She fell to one hand and her knees in the street, still trying to reach up toward the launcher. Sirens sounded from everywhere. Flashing blue lights approached. The enemies in the streets began to retreat, laying down cover fire. My people, our team at our outer perimeter, under cover, hidden and at least somewhat protected in the buildings we had purchased across the street, returned fire.
The woman at the launcher took multiple shots, her body jerking with each.
Injured, she still managed to reach her weapon. She triggered the launcher. It fired.
A second explosion juddered against thehedge. A display of red sparks and black oily smoke filled the screen. The woman was dead in the street.
Cop cars and two firetrucks came from everywhere as emergency services responded, parking at angles blocking the streets.
The other white-striped soldiers retreated into alleyways. A single magical ball of energy hit the outerhedge. Orange and green sparks shot into the night sky. Magics twisted in the darkness, brilliant as shattered diamonds.
The outerhedgefell. Smoke billowed up, black clouds of sparkling power.
But the attackers didn’t swarm us.
Time passed. My attachment to Eli waned and my heart beat fast and hard in my chest. A painful sensation, irregular rhythm.
No more rockets were fired. “Why didn’t they cross over thehedgewhen it fell?” I asked no one in particular.
“My Queen,” Koun said, “you have not advertised the actions of the Everharts in your city. It is unlikely they knew that the Mithran Council Chambers was so well warded. They expected this to be an easier battle.”
“Our people?” I asked.
“All safe. All currently unarmed and making their way back inside the walls,” Alex said.
“Mainet?” I asked.
“Gone. One cam showed he jumped over the wall just before the outerhedgewent up,” Alex said. “Otherwise he’d be full of silvershot and headless right about now.”
“Well, crap on crackers with toe jam,” I said. I looked back at the witches centered in the circle of my crown seal. They were again chanting, trying to get thehedgeback up. I wanted to talk to them. I wanted to check in on Angie, who had to have felt the magic of the attack and defense. But my needs would have to wait.
“Do you wish to handle the situation outside, My Queen?” Bruiser asked, gesturing to the screens with the cops everywhere.
“No,” I said. “If the Roberes are available, get them on it. Right now, I want a very private chat with the Youngers and you. And tea. And maybe some more po’boys. And bread pudding. With Deon’s bourbon sauce.”
