“Flag-Staff is not the ally we assume he is,” Brother Al said.
Vic and Eddie looked at each other, then us.
“What do you mean?”Vic asked.
“He just showed us where the ships are,” Eddie said.“He helped us plan an escape.”
“We’re not prisoners,” Brother Al said.
“What?”Vic’s eyes were narrowed.
“Clearly, we have yet to test this hypothesis, but the Prince is a speaker of English, and told us we were pardoned earlier during the trial.He and Venom-heels have a beneficial relationship.Flag-Staff was the one who requested we stay an additional three days.”
“So there’s no danger?Why are we even here?”Eddie asked.
“I think Flag-Staff is trying to provoke a regime change,” Brother Al said.“And yet I find no motive for his actions.I have extensively quizzed the Prince over Venom-heels, the Kingdom of Coral, and Flag-Staff’s history.I find nothing that would explain Flag-Staff’s motivations.”
“He did say something earlier,” Eddie said.“I don’t know.He said something about—when he has more power under his command.”
“Perhaps he seeks to motivate the Prince to ascend the throne, and then presumes to try and take the throne afterwards, assuming the Prince is a weaker target.I admit, the Prince has a kind heart, and I can see the assumption—but he is wise in the ways of the battlefield,” Brother Al said.
“So what do we do?”Vic asked.
“Hear me out,” I said.“I have a plan.We go and tell the Prince everything.And then, afterwards, I’ll take care of the next step.”
“What’s that going to be?”Eddie asked.
I bit my lip.
“Just be patient,” I said.
Chapter10
We had told the Prince everything—and he sat, passively, listening, and then listened as we told him the next part.I admit, I made this part up entirely on my own—but the effect it had seemed to work almost immediately.
I didn’t know what I expected them to do, but here they were now—fighting.Their growls, shrieks, and early blows had summoned most of the nearby Aquans to the hallway outside our bedchamber.Even the Prince made a show of padding nearby, eyes half-cracked and croaking questionably.
“This is your fault,” Eddie screamed.
“If you weren’t such a dick last week, none of this would have happened,” Vic screamed back.
Eddie threw a punch.Vic caught it on the jaw and flew through the nearby wall.Someone was shrieking in the background—someone else was croaking.Eventually, Flag-Staff crept through the crowds, snapping and jabbing with his elbow fins.
“What is going on this time of night?”he demanded.
“Stay out of this, frog-face,” Eddie demanded.
Flag-Staff ribbited, throat expanding harshly.
“Stand down!”he bellowed.
“Not until he admits what he did wrong,” Eddie snapped.
Eddie launched himself at Vic, and the two began kicking and punching at one another.The blows were with their full vampiric strength—they collided like titans made of metal, slamming each other into furniture and destroying it.
“Stop this at once!”Flag-Staff snapped.
“What is the problem?”the Prince asked.
