“That’s not true,” Snow White objected. “I’ve sat in on dozens of meetings with the Cabinet. She has sent troops to investigate the reports!”
“Weeks—sometimes months—after the monsters have already been taken care of,” Marzell said.
“If it was a serious problem, I would think there would be no suppressing the news.” Angelique casually stood behind Snow White’s bench, trying to show her support—or at least encouragement. “I’ve been traveling the continent, and no one has heard of any trouble stirring in Mullberg.”
“It’s been subtle.” Marzell folded his arms across his chest. “At first the creatures were only on the very fringe of the country—and even now, they do not venture very far in. They only harry those on the outskirts of civilization. But given the sad state of the rest of the continent, it’s rather obvious that there is a trap waiting to snap on Mullberg. The Queen has done nothing to stop, much less prepare for it.”
“If she hasn’t moved, it’s because she didn’t know,” Snow White said. “Her ministers—our ministers—told her countless times she should round you and your companions up, but she said no.”
“I’m not saying Queen Faina’s heart isn’t good, but merely that if she really is mad, it’s been brewing for a while,” Marzell said gently.
Angelique glanced at Snow White and almost did a double take.
The princess lips trembled…but the look in her eyes wasn’t sorrowful but angry.
She loves her stepmother, and she’s going to free her or die trying.
Marzell seemed to be totally unaware of Snow White’s building anger because he spoke in a coaxing voice. “Can you think of no situation where the Queen neglected to act, and there was a dangerous outcome?”
Snow White froze, and Angelique frowned.
What is she thinking of?
Marzell leaned back in his chair. “You see?”
Iron resolve filled Snow White’s gaze. “I cannot believe it. I will not! Faina needs to be saved.”
“Regardless, I’m afraid we can’t help you, Your Highness.” Marzell’s voice was not unkind, and sympathy made his mouth twitch, but he seemed resolved.
Angelique narrowed her eyes. “Your decision seems awfully final, even though you’ve been in the woods and have not seen Queen Faina yourself.”
Marzell gestured around the cottage. “I don’t have to. We saw the queen start to slide years ago, and you stated yourself that Faina would have to have extraordinary self-control to resist for even a year, did you not?”
Angelique shrugged. “Even so. It seems dangerous to decide without investigating the matter first. Not to mention it is your princess asking for aid.”
Snow White was too distracted to acknowledge the barb—she was staring at her skirts, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Marzell, however, understood it. He raised both of his eyebrows at Angelique, who flatly stared him down.
Go ahead and challenge me, forest-boy. I’ve been saving villages since before you were born!
Marzell must have sensed her mutinous mood because he looked away first. “You can spend the night here. It’s too late for you to leave now anyhow. In the morning, one of us will escort you to a city of your choice.”
Snow White nodded, but she did not lift her gaze.
Marzell awkwardly stood up with the sheepishness of someone who knew they had just greatly disappointed a friend. “If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.” He retreated before Angelique could finish trying to decide what insult suited him best—hard-headed or of dubious intelligence.
Fritz, the silent forester, interestingly, did not leave.
He didn’t even fidget when Angelique studied his relaxed stance.
I don’t think he’s staying here because he believes we’re going to stir up trouble…
Angelique shrugged it off, then copied the soothing gestures Elle, Quinn, and Gabrielle had used on her and laid a hand on Snow White’s shoulder. “We’ll figure out something, Your Highness.”
Snow White again miserably nodded her head. When she finally lifted her eyes, it was only to look at the fire.
Angelique pressed her lips together and forced herself to keep her mouth shut, even though she wanted to reassure the princess further.
I’ll contact Severin. He’ll know what to do.
Angelique intended to slip out of the cottage that night to speak to Severin. Unfortunately, Fritz the Forester had the senses of a wolf, and if she shifted a foot, he woke up.
She was trying to decide what to do about it when, surprisingly, Fritz came downstairs and engaged Snow White in a cozy heart-to-heart by the fireplace late in the night.
He’s Snow White’s best chance at changing the minds of the Seven Warriors. But if I move an eyeball, he’s going to clam up. I guess that means I’m stuck here? Ahhh, well. I’ll just get up early and go outside to talk to Severin then. I’ll tell everyone I need to…commune with herb plants or something.
Her mind made up, Angelique let herself relax into the warm embrace of her bedroll. She fell in and out of sleep as the pair talked, her hands occasionally tightening on the dagger she’d started sleeping with whenever she was apart from Pegasus.
Sleeping with the constellation was the only time Angelique ever really felt safe, and the knife was a poor substitute for his warmth and the way the heavenly equine curled around her like a large dog.
Shattering glass broke Angelique from her pleasant recollection.
“A breach!” Fritz shouted.
Chapter 20
More glass shattered as Angelique’s eyes shot open.
“Magic breach!” Fritz boomed.
That got Angelique up. “What now?” She owlishly peered into the dark, stiffening when she saw the shadowy hands pushing through the broken windows and clawing at the plaster on the walls.
Ah. Yes. That’s certainly magic.
Angelique ripped her satchel open and started digging through it as Gregori—the warrior built like an ox—seamlessly switched from sleeping to alert as he slid off his uncomfortable bed of the table bench and made it to the weapons rack in one smooth movement.
Angelique almost grabbed one of the swords she had stashed in her satchel before she remembered herself with her hand half shoved in her bag.
No, I’m not revealing my magic to this lot. They think I’m the apprentice to an herb wizard. Herb wizards aren’t known for carrying around swords!
Angelique flicked the satchel shut again and glanced at her nighttime comfort dagger. This will have to do for now—until I figure out just how bad the situation is.
Snow White yelped and—showing she had more spine than it might appear—snatched up a fire poker. “One got in!”
Angelique followed her gaze and swung around just in time to see one of the attacking creatures drag itself through a shattered window and into the cottage.
It was sort of humanoid in the way that Rothbart’s wyverns were sort of like dragons.
With a sickly skinny torso and long, rigid limbs that looked like they’d been made with jagged bones, the creatures were almost a mockery of humankind. The creature’s egg-shaped head—hairless at the top with a smile made of serrated teeth and eyes that were perfect circles of white light—made Angelique shiver with disgust and a shade of fear.