Rose cocked her head. “In the corridor,” she mouthed.
Everyone suddenly breathed very quietly. Even Fluffy crouched in silence, baring her teeth at the door as if daring anyone to try to get through.
The click of the lock turning into place was deafening.
Ella winced, and I swallowed but managed to give her a reassuring smile. They were always going to find us in here—a shapechanger could follow our scent, or any fae concentrating would be able to pick up some sound we made.
Ari plonked herself on the elegant settee, rummaging around in her pocket. “Get over here—each of you in turn.”
The door leapt on its hinges.
My heart leapt to my throat.
“Quickly,” Ari clipped out, and when I turned, I found her holding up a threaded needle. “I’ll add enchantments to our clothes. It’s too late to hide ourselves, and I don’t have time for anything complicated, but I can make us harder to hit.”
The attackers thudded into the door again.
I flinched, grabbing my necklace and rubbing my thumb over the smooth potion bottle.
Focus. They’re breaking in whether you like it or not. This is unsafe whether you like it or not. You need a plan.
I’d planned out vegetable planting to keep us alive. I’d planned the best routes on nights when balls would bring out the Wicked Lady’s prey nice and late.
I couldn’t fight, but this? This I could do.
“Perry, help Rose.” She was second strongest out of us. “Ella, let Ari work on your dress.”
I blinked when they obeyed. No question, just action.
Perry and Rose grunted when another assault hit the door.
I tried the windows, but they only opened a crack, and the ground was several storeys below. Not an option.
“Right.” I turned, finding Ari stitching away in the hems of Ella’s gown. “They’re going to get through that door soon—it isn’t made to survive an attack. But we can control how and when. Ari, can you make Fluffy bark, please?”
She frowned at her sewing, muttering magic into her stitches. “Uh, yes… Speak. Fluffy, speak!”
The hound barked and under the cover of that noise, I circled to my friends, whispering instructions in their ears.
“We’re going to get in there,” someone shouted through the door, “and then we’re going to string up your little lapdog.”
Stars above, were they in for a surprise.
Ari only had time to stitch into three of our outfits before the door started to splinter. Rose shrugged, gritting her teeth. “I’ll be fine.” Ari’s gown already had protection in it. I fingered the hem where she’d stitched the tiny mountains in the seam allowance. Ella and Perry’s dresses carried similar designs.
My heart pounded as I took my position to one side of the door. It thudded again, and I held my breath, counting in my head. Their strikes had taken on a steady rhythm now the door had begun to break.
This had to happen at the exact moment.
Ella already had the door unlocked, and Rose and Perry stood against it—the only things holding it shut. Ari and Ella kept back, one holding a poker from the fire, the other a heavy candlestick, Fluffy guarding them.
One second more.
“Now.”
Perry leapt back, and Rose turned the handle, pulling the door open as fur sprouted from her body.
Three men in grey armour fell through, as the door they tried to shoulder open wasn’t there.
I dived for the nearest bit of skin I could find, drawing magic from the palace’s stone. Warm flesh, then a gagging gasp and twitching body.
Steel flashed as Perry lunged, piercing the throat of the second man, while Rose, somewhere between woman and wolf, leapt over the bodies.
A scream shattered the air, then a spray of blood coated the corridor’s carpet.
Perry darted out to help Rose, and I reached for the third man’s exposed throat—his gloves narrowed down my targets.
But with a grunt, the bastard twisted away.
And instead of grabbing him, I found only thin air. The floor slammed onto my hands and knees, jolting through every bone. Blood filled my mouth as I bit my tongue.
Steel filled my narrowing vision, coming this way, hard, fast, followed by his sneering face. “You poisonous little whore.”
I tried to scramble away, but bodies made the floor treacherous and I fell.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Rolling onto my back, I kicked and made contact with something hard, but his charge didn’t falter.
Then there was a flash of gold and a shriek, and his mouth dropped open.
The sword slid from his grip.
He fell.
And over him, bent Ella, smashing her candlestick into the back of his head. “Whore is she? A whore?”
He twitched and went still as she turned his skull into a bloody pulp.
Dimly, I became aware of the quiet surrounding Ella and her relentless assault—the fight was over.
Ari watched, eyes wide, jaw slack. Perry leant on the doorframe, eyebrows almost at her hairline. Even as a beast-woman, Rose looked shocked, panting as she stared.
“Ella?” Magic contained, I caught her wrist. “You got him.”
Aside from the breaths heaving through her, she went still and blinked at the gory candlestick. Slowly, she nodded and swallowed, her creamy skin and caramel hair spattered in blood. “I did, didn’t I?”
“You did.” I patted her arm and pulled the makeshift weapon from her grip.
Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a firm nod. “Good. If we were all poisonous, they’d watch their fucking tongues.”
I huffed a laugh. “They would.”
Rose bared her teeth. “They really fucking would.”
The fading rage left Ella trembling and pale, so I urged her onto the settee and wiped the blood off her as best I could.
Perry and Rose checked the attackers. They looked pretty dead. It might’ve been useful for questioning, but our survival was more important.
Eight in total—three in the parlour and five more in the corridor. Considering only two of us were trained fighters, we hadn’t done too badly.
“Nope. Dead as a doornail.” Perry winced as she checked on the last of the fallen fae, and I caught her clutching her thigh. Blood seeped between her fingers. Hers, not her enemy’s.
“Shit, Perry.” I rushed in at the same time Rose did, and we caught her between us.
“I’m fine.” She waved us off, and we let go just long enough to prove that she couldn’t stand on her own.
“You’re not. The question is how not fine are you?” My heart clenched as Rose pulled up Perry’s skirts to get a closer look, shifting back to fully human.
“It’s a clean cut, but deep.” Her eyebrows drew together. “No major blood vessels, but you’re not going anywhere—that will only make you bleed more. Ari, can you embroider some makeshift bandages to help staunch it?”
Ari—mild-mannered, shy Ari—knelt by the man Ella had killed, pulling off his leather cuirass and peering at the bloody clothes beneath.
“Uh, Ari? I didn’t realise you were into dead bodies, but… we could use your help.”
Face flushed, Ari turned to me. “You’re going to want to see this.”
90
Bastian
As soon as I set foot in Dusk, I exhaled.