“Puss,” Gabrielle called in a whisper. “Are youthere?”
“Of course I am,” the cat hissed back. “Now shut your yipping mouth before you reveal us!” Though he was invisible to the eye, his voice came from the throne King Henrik usuallyoccupied.
Angelique scrunched her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead.Naturally, Puss would choose to sit on the King’sthrone.
The main door to the throne room entrance creaked as it swungopen.
Queen Clotilde marched across the chamber, climbing the dais and smiling triumphantly when she reached her throne. She was tall and broad shouldered for a woman. She likely could have been considered a beauty with her fair hair and pleasing figure, but her dress—bedecked in lace and sporting a train several yards long—and the crown perched on her head that was so decorated with gems it was gaudy—spoiled the picture and made her look more like a little girl playing dress-up.
King Henrik ambled in behind her, swaying like an elderly man. Gabrielle said Clotilde had a magical hold on him, but Angelique hadn’t expected it to be this bad. His eyes were open but vacant. Angelique doubted he heard or saw anything aroundhim.
It’s a good thing he’s so slow—we can attack Clotilde while he’s still near thedoor.
She tapped the floor in the pre-agreed uponsignal.
It wastime.
Gabrielle slipped through the cracked door, Angelique’s spell falling from her and making her visible oncemore.
“Clotilde,” Gabrielle called in a strong voice that sounded of steel andiron.
“You!” Clotilde stood, her face twisting with rage when she saw Gabrielle. “Guards, arrest theprincess!”
Gabrielle, wearing the leather doublet and men’s breeches she used to wear during her adventuring days, laughed as she rested the flat of her blade on her shoulder. “They’re not going to come, Clotilde. You might call yourself a queen, but you’re not.” She stalked toward the witch-queen, moving dangerously close toher.
Clotilde’s face turned red. “You might have gotten away before, but you won’t today!” She thrust her arm in front of her, holding what looked like a black diamond that was approximately the size of a crabapple.
The sheer evil encased in the gem made Angelique cringe, for it radiated malevolence like a stench. But she forced herself to stand and burst out of the door, shedding her invisibility and shouting a spell for a shield that envelopedGabrielle.
Clotilde’s forehead wrinkled, and her eyes turned small and beady as she stared at Angelique with obviousconfusion.
Come on, Puss.Hurry!
Finally, Puss’ invisibility spell fell off him, revealing him just as he reached the apex of his jump and knocked into Clotilde’shand.
The black gem fell from her grasp, clattering to thefloor.
“Don’ttouch it,” Puss growled atGabrielle.
“Then hurry up!” The prinzessin growled rightback.
Puss snarled but closed his teeth around the gem. Gabrielle then grabbed him and the two sprinted back to Angelique, who released anotherspell.
“Come back here!” Clotilde shrieked. “You awful—ACK!” she screamed when Angelique’s spell knocked into her, tossing her head over heels so she hit the dais with a painfulsmack.
Angelique flicked some of her magic at one of the curtains drawn back behind the thrones to create a backdrop, and the golden cords used to tie them in place slithered free and scurried to Clotilde, wrapping around herarms.
(Angelique had come a long way since she and Evariste had encountered the black mages in Baris;that muchwas forcertain!)
It was too early to celebrate a win, but everything was falling into place better than Angelique hadhoped.
Gabrielle—still carrying Puss—almostreached Angelique’s side…when the gem was yanked from Puss’ mouth and went flying back toClotilde.
The golden binds around Clotilde shredded to pieces as the witch-queenstood.
Angelique’s spirits fell when she saw the second black diamond clutched in Clotilde’s otherhand.
Oh no…we hadn’t accounted fortwoartifacts of such power—but where did she getthem?
