Warrior Witch (The Malediction Trilogy #3)(12)

“They have to be solid,” Sabine whispered. “I can’t shoot them if they’re not solid.”

“If they aren’t solid, they can’t bite.” Spotting a coal shovel leaning against a wall, I snatched it up and took a step forward.

One of the creatures sprung, solidifying mid-air, but my shovel caught it in the shoulder. It yelped and staggered, but was back at me in an instant, teeth snapping just out of reach of my weapon. I attacked again, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others creeping around me. Trying to get at Sabine.

I stumbled back, pressing her against the protection of the fence, brandishing my shovel. “Help,” I shouted. “Someone help us.” But the streets were empty, everyone hiding from the danger in the skies.

Sabine gasped, and I whirled around. One of the creatures had caught hold of her dress through the bars of the fence, and it had her pinned against the metal. She fired her gun, and the wolf exploded into snow and ice, but before she could reload one of the other creatures swiped a paw at the weapon, knocking it from her hand. It hissed, paw smoking where it had impacted the steel, but now there was nothing to keep it from attacking her. I lunged toward my friend, but a massive weight hit me between the shoulders and I went face first into the snow.

“No!” I jammed the handle of the shovel into the slavering maw behind my shoulder, and was rewarded with a sizzle and a cry of pain. Scrambling on my hands and knees, I swung at the haunches of the creatures stalking toward Sabine, but claws sank into my skirts, dragging me away. I rolled onto my back, jabbing the shovel at the paws holding me down. But I was losing the battle. I couldn’t get free and Sabine wouldn’t be able to hold them off. They were going to kill her.

From this distance, Tristan could help Sabine. Could pluck her out of the danger I put her in. But with the snow blinding his view, he’d need my guidance. And to do that, I’d have to use his name.

“Don’t do it, Cécile,” Sabine shouted as though sensing my thoughts. “She’s watching!”

I shrieked every expletive I knew at the opening between worlds and the queen standing just beyond, her face twisted with pain and expectation. Teeth closed on the heel of my boot, dragging me her direction. I swiped at the tear, but the shovel passed through as though it were empty air. Letting Sabine die wasn’t an option – I wouldn’t let it happen. I started to pull Tristan’s name from the depths of my mind, when the sharp squeal and the stench of burning fur and flesh pulled me back into the moment.

One of the fairy wolves was pressed against the iron fence by some invisible force, while another two were dashed against the wall of a building. There was a flurry of motion, and three shapes descended on the scene, two tall and one cloaked in shadow. Steel blades sliced through the air, the wolves exploding into sprays of snow and ice. The shadowed figure strode toward me, and the pressure on my heel released. When I looked back over my shoulder, the creatures that had been restraining me were gone.

Warm tendrils of magic lifted me to my feet, but I brushed them away and flung myself at my friend. “Marc!” The fine wool of his cloak was blissfully warm against my frozen cheek, and I let the shovel fall from my numb fingers with a clatter. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving your scrawny behind,” Vincent answered for him, picking up my shovel and examining it. “Your choice of weapon is somewhat suspect, Cécile. It’s a good thing Marc has heard your shrieks for help before and recognized them.”

“Don’t I know it.” I squeezed Marc tighter. “Stones and sky, am I glad to see you three.”

“Perhaps we might delay this little reunion until we’re behind the castle walls.” We all turned to Sabine, who had retrieved her gun, the skirts of her gown shredded. Not waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and started walking.

The twins both cocked amused eyebrows, but Marc gave me a gentle push between the shoulders to set me walking. “She’s right.” Then, falling into stride next to me, he murmured, “Thibault sent us.”

“Why?”

“To deliver a message.”

“But…” I frowned, shaking my head. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why send you when he could send someone whose allegiance he is sure of?”

“That is a very good question.”

Show me our enemy. Our enemy. Enemy.

I gave my weary head a little shake. No, that the Queen had shown me Angoulême did not mean the King was on our side – it only meant that our enemies were many. She’d known Thibault was the troll I’d wanted to see – it was all just a trick for her to gain control over Tristan.

But…

We were in no position to fight a war on two fronts – three, if I counted the Winter Queen, which I did. And if we had to ally with someone… Thibault hated Angoulême as much as we did, and maybe there was something to be said for putting aside our animosities for a time for the sake of destroying the greater evil.

The problem was, even if that was the correct strategy, I wasn’t sure Tristan would be able to put aside his hatred of his father long enough to see it.





Chapter Nine





Tristan





I paced back and forth across the council room chambers, barely hearing the reports being given to me by the city’s administrators.