Mischief hesitated before she nodded.
Gisela held her hands out as she kept the officer from pursuing Mischief. “What are you doing here, Captain?”
He angled an arrow at her heart. “On your knees.”
“I’m Gisela of the Queen’s Guard and I’m here on her business. Lower your weapon.”
He hesitated. “Her majesty said nothing of this in her orders to us.”
“What are your orders?”
“None of your business.”
Aggravating beast. “Let me get my papers.” Gisela slowly reached into the pouch at her waist. She pulled out her royal dispensation that bore Meara’s seal, thankful that while she couldn’t conjure weapons, she could at least conjure this.
She held the parchment out toward the captain.
A white equine, he had dark human skin and black, suspicious eyes. He approached her slowly until he was able to take the paper from her hand.
His lips moved as he read the decree that gave her authority to act on the queen’s behalf. There were only a handful of them who held that document. Mostly because her mother didn’t trust them not to get her into trouble with the High King who was already looking for any reason to go after her.
He examined the seal. “Gisela…are you her assassin?”
She nodded.
“Then you’re under arrest.”
Those words were so unexpected that it took her a few seconds to react as the centaur came forward.
“I serve the queen!”
“You’re a traitor, and we’re under orders to arrest or kill you.”
Gisela lunged at him.
Shoving her away, he called out for others to assist him in arresting her.
She immediately returned to her bird form and launched herself toward the sky.
Arrows followed after her.
She dodged one, but the moment she did, it threw her into the path of another. Pain exploded in her shoulder as the arrow ripped through her wing. Unable to stay airborne, she tumbled toward the ground.
Gisela tried to catch herself, but the pain was too much. She hit the ground hard and then exploded back into her human body.
She tried to summon clothes but couldn’t. The pain was too great and made it impossible for her to concentrate on anything other than maintaining her form. She heard the centaurs rushing her.
Get up!She shouted at herself, doing everything she could to crawl forward.
It was useless. Blood was smeared on the ground, all around her and her side was pouring even more.
So, this is how I die.
She’d always wondered when and how it’d happen. Strange how it left her cold and ambivalent.
The only thing she’d always known…
She was alone for the event.
