“Oh yes, I can,” her piping voice replied.
Trembles shook me. We had made it. They were still alive. But as I turned back to Percy, my eyes met Damon’s through the crowd.
He was only a short distance away from us, separated by a few remaining clumps of people. His eyes flicked to Percy, whose sword was now drawn, then to the children, half-hidden by the throne, and then back to me. In that moment enough passed between us that he knew. And I knew. We both knew that the other knew.
There was no more pretense between us, and death filled his eyes. If I knew, then I had to die alongside the children, and Percy with me. He surged forward, pushing people out of his way.
“Percy!” I screamed, pointing at Damon. “Hold him off!”
I leaped around the thrones, grasping Henry and Rose by an arm each.
“Hurry,” I cried. “You’re in danger. Come with me.”
“Elle?” Henry pulled back against me, fear in his eyes. “What’s going on?”
I didn’t bother taking the time to explain, instead dragging them forcibly toward the wall. Damon had said there was a private room here…There! I saw the door. Dropping Rose’s arm, I whipped it open and grabbed her again just as she threw herself at her brother in terror.
Sticking my head inside, I scanned the room. Damon had been the one to mention it, so I had to be sure he didn’t have any guards stashed here. But it was empty. The room had been part of his original plan, the one where the king and queen and I all stayed ignorant of the truth.
I thrust both children inside and slammed the door behind us. The prince stepped forward, trembling but standing tall, sweeping his younger sister behind him.
“What is this? What are you doing to us? I demand you let us go.”
“I’m just trying to protect you.” My eyes skimmed over the room, looking for something I could use to barricade the door. There was nothing but two sofas, both too heavy for me to move on my own.
I knelt down and looked Henry in the eyes.
“I know Damon is your cousin, but he is a bad man. He wants to hurt you. Both of you.” Henry drew back, and Rose started to wail. “Prince Percy and I will protect you. We will try to keep him back. But you have to stay in this room.”
Henry swallowed and nodded. “Mama and Papa?” he asked, quick in spite of his fear. “Are they in danger too?”
“I sent friends to help them,” I said, unable to give any more certain promise. “But I need you to be strong for your sister now. Hide, if you can. Under one of the sofas maybe? Don’t open that door!”
I wished I could stay to comfort and reassure them, but I had left Percy to face Damon alone. I had to help him.
Slipping out the door, I closed it, placing my back against it while I surveyed the scene. Screams had broken out, and people scattered in all directions, pressing back from the violently dueling men. This could still go in Damon’s favor. If he managed to kill Percy, he could blame the children’s deaths on him. Whether I would feature as innocent victim or villainous accomplice I wasn’t sure. But that I had to die was certain.
I followed the flash of the blades, my bottom lip between my teeth. Damon was skilled, but Percy was holding his own. I couldn’t see any way to help the Talinosian prince without putting him at risk.
Several guards pushed through the crowd, and I turned to them in relief. But their uniforms made me pause. Half of them were Damon’s men.
Damon risked a single glance sideways, catching sight of his men. He gave a jerk of his head toward the door behind the dais, and two of them started toward me.
I ripped the dagger from my boot.
“Treachery!” I screamed. “Guards, to me!”
The Arcadian guards turned toward me, confusion across their faces. Several of them also started in my direction.
“She’s escaped!” one of Damon’s guards cried, pointing at me.
The Arcadian guards slowed. How many of them had witnessed my arrest? How many of them recognized me?
The first attacker reached me, driving his sword toward my heart. I dropped to the ground, stabbing my knife through his foot. He screamed and staggered, dropping his own weapon.
I snatched it up, scrambling back to my feet and re-taking my place in front of the door. I had a longer weapon now, but the new attacker rushing for me had two more men closing fast behind him. I cast a desperate glance at the Arcadian guards, but they still hung back, their eyes jumping between me and the duel. They were clearly far too confused to know what to do.
I barely turned aside the first thrust, falling back so I stood flush against the wood of the door. I had nowhere left to retreat.
Over my attackers’ shoulders, I saw the flash of the duel. In the middle of battle, flushed with exertion, Percy’s and my eyes met. Sudden recognition, like lightning, flashed through his gaze.
“Giselle?” he cried.
He faltered, Damon gaining the advantage just as my own attackers closed the last of the distance between us. With a surge of despair, I knew we were both about to fall. Damon would win.
A wild, inhuman scream rang through the crowded ballroom. Even Damon and his men faltered, everyone swinging toward the door. The crowd surged and parted with further, more human, screams to reveal Arvin, rearing. Philip sat astride his back, somehow keeping his seat, although his hair was more disheveled than ever.
Arvin crashed back to the ground, galloping forward through the cleared pathway. Damon swung around, desperation on his face as he lunged at Percy, but Percy had used the distraction to leap up the steps onto the dais, gaining the upper ground.
Two of my attackers turned to flee, but the third pressed forward, thrusting his sword toward me. I deflected it again and again as he tried to drive me sideways away from the door. I knew what he wanted. If he could get inside that room, he could claim he found the children in there, killed by my hand. I would not allow that to happen.
As I deflected again, his blade flashed back and around in a feint. I desperately tried to push my sword to block him, but I couldn’t move fast enough. Pain ripped up my arm.
“Lark!” Philip appeared behind us, having somehow acquired a sword.
My attacker pivoted to meet him. I swayed, dizzy with pain and scared. Servants didn’t know how to wield swords, and the weapons were dangerous in the hands of a novice. What was Philip doing? He was going to get himself killed.
But before I could call a warning, he made a perfect lunge, his sword moving faster than I could follow, twisting up and around and sending the sword of the guard flying. The man went white and held up both hands in surrender, but Philip’s sword was already driving toward his throat.
Somehow, impossibly, Philip pulled out of the lunge, his sword halting, the tip quivering a mere inch from the man’s throat. He held the position, his voice ringing with authority.
“Arrest this man.”
This time the Arcadian guards didn’t hesitate to obey.
“Alyssa?” I asked Philip. “And Max?”
He pointed silently toward the dais.
Percy no longer stood alone. Max stood beside him, sword drawn and blazing anger in his eyes. Damon fell back before them, his confidence finally faltering.
Alyssa stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband, despite not having a weapon in her hands. But as soon as Damon retreated, she turned, her questioning eyes finding me, still against the wall. Moving so quickly she almost tripped over the dais steps, she flew to me.