Strike at Midnight(85)

“Hello again, Rella,” a voice said from the cottage door. I turned around to see Mia walking in wearing an elegant gown, a posh cloak, and a very big smile on her face.

“You guys are too clever for your own good,” I said as it sank in that they had actually had the savvy to bring her along. I was so going to owe them all later.

“What is going on here?” Amana yelled as she came racing through the door with a speed that defied her looks. She quickly took stock of what was going on then showed us those nasty teeth as she hissed in our direction. Time moved fast as she lifted her hands above her head and clapped them together, and her eyes lit up in a red haze.

“Stay out of this, old hag,” Mia said, and she lifted her own hands in the air while chanting a few inaudible words.

“I’m not an old hag, you self-righteous little—” but they were the only words to escape her mouth. Mia stretched out both her hands to shoot white light towards the old witch and blasted her into oblivion.

Dust filled the air where Amana had just been standing.

“No,” Piper shouted, and I took advantage of the distraction that made his hand drop slightly from Rem’s throat.

Launching myself over the back of the soft chair in front of them, I tipped it over and used the momentum to knock them both down to the ground. An oof hit my ears, and I didn’t hesitate in pulling Rem out of the way.

Piper rolled onto his knees and tried to slash in Rem’s direction, but Marcel fired three arrows into his chest before he could hit his target.

“No,” Piper said as he dropped his dagger, and he tried to grab the pieces of wood that were now protruding out of his flesh. “No.” His voice had become barely audible as he fell back on the floor in disbelief and the blood poured out his body.

“No mercy?” I asked Marcel, and he nodded at me with such seriousness in his eyes that I knew then how worried he had actually been.

“No mercy,” he replied, dropping his arm to his side.

“Then it’s good that we’ve got a few knights here to witness the attack to save your ass from murder,” I said, helping Rem to his feet.

“Happy to be of service, my dear,” Sir Raymond said, and I had to chuckle when he bowed in my direction.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Rem said from beside me, and I turned to see tears running down his face.

“Sit down,” I said, needing to sort out the nick on his neck. It was still seeping blood, so I guided him back to the chair where I had been tied up. At least that way he wouldn’t have to stare at Piper’s body on the floor.

“I’ll help,” Mia said as soon as I sat him down. “I can heal the wound.”

“Thanks,” I said as she put a gentle hand against Rem’s throat and whispered a few words under her breath.

“I couldn’t let him hurt you,” Rem said, his tears coming faster. “Not after all you’ve done for me. I’m so sorry, Rella.”

“Hey,” I said, putting my hand on the kid’s shoulder. “I get it. Okay?” And I did get it. I might have been extremely pissed off at how close Piper had gotten to screwing things up for the kingdom because of Rem’s deceit, but Rem had done if for reasons I could understand.

His eyes never left mine while Mia finished up healing him, but he nodded in my direction as soon as she moved her hand away.

“There,” Mia said with a look of satisfaction on her face. “Wipe the blood off and you will be as good as new.”

“Remind me not to piss you off in the future,” I said, and I wasn’t exactly joking. After having watched her blast a dark witch into oblivion, then seal up a wound on Rem’s neck without even batting an eyelid, she had demonstrated that she was a witch who wasn’t to be meddled with. No wonder Briar had been so wary of sending her in our direction.

She wiggled her fingers at me and quirked up her lip. “Be afraid. Wa ha ha.”

“You’re hilarious,” I said, and I couldn’t help but be grateful for her agreeing to come along. “But you’ve also risked a lot by coming here. Thank you.”

“I’m sure we can keep this use of magic between us all?” she asked, and I looked around the room at the knights who were now standing by Sir Raymond.

“These are Sir Leopold and Sir Layton,” Sir Raymond said as he pointed towards the two men. They both bowed at the mention of their names. “I trust these men with my life. What magic has been done here will be protected by Royal Authority. I will make sure of it.”

Mia nodded in appreciation.

“Let’s get these two tied up, shall we?” Marcel asked, nudging his toe against the two unconscious bodies on the floor in front of us. “The other one is dead.”

His voice sounded void of any emotion as he referred to Piper, but I knew that he would be full of them right now. He wouldn’t have taken the kill lightly, and I could understand that part, at least.

“We’ll use this rope,” Sir Layton said, picking up the rope that Piper had used to bind me with, and he and Sir Leopold got to work.

“How did you know to come for me?” I asked Marcel, and he nodded towards Rem.

“He came and told me you might have been heading off to trouble, but then held back. It was only when I told him in which direction you were going from seeing your shitty map that the whole story came pouring out.” He gave Rem a look of disappointment that ended up turning into one of reassurance. “He managed to get through his admission of deceit to tell me what you were about to walk into. Mia sensed the magic as we came close and eliminated it so we could take on the element of surprise, and those two guarding outside didn’t see us coming.”