Once we were outside Dashrael told me he'd spoken to the brownies of the village. "His journey is close to the end, they tell me."

The lump formed in my throat. I'd been through this before many times. As a nurse I'd been there when we had to tell families that these were the final moments. I thought I was prepared but I wasn't.

I almost stopped. I almost collapsed. But there was Severin. He was still alive. I was going to lose my father. That was inevitable. But I wouldn't lose Severin as well.

Outside the village we found two horses and another suit of armor, this one for a male. Dashrael and I slipped into the armor and mounted the horses.

"When you get to the palace gates swing around. The barracks are on the other side," he told me and we galloped off. The road took us straight to Nightfall Palace.

I followed Dashrael and we turned at the gates Severin and I had entered. It felt like a lifetime ago. Dashrael led me down the side of the wall. We came to a large square fort attached to the palace at the bottom of the hill. It lay directly opposite the town.

"The barracks," Dashrael said as we slowed to a trot. The large gates were manned by multiple guards. Dashrael road up to the gates and announced us.

"Lotho and Aris," he said.

The guard checked a parchment covered tablet nearby. "You'd better hurry up. You're almost late. See the sergeant at the palace gate and hurry up about it. "

Dashrael muttered some apologies and we rode through.

Unlike the palace the barracks were plain and rough. The buildings were squat and made of rough stone. Men and women in armor marched about. We stabled our horses and made our way up the hill towards the palace. Again like with the town a ditch separated the barracks from the palace but this time the bridge was guarded by a stone barbican at either end. Dashrael introduced us to the sergeant again as Lotho and Aris.

"About time," the sergeant snorted. "There's plenty that would gladly volunteer to take your places. You're lucky you are. Head over the town square and be quick. Ceremony is about to start."

We apologized gruffly and headed up the hill. My curiosity was killing me. The previous night, Dashrael explained he could get us into the town square but he had been vague on the details.

Once we were alone I asked Dashrael, "So who do they think we are?"

"Lotho and Aris," Dashrael explained. "They are the guards picked to aid in the execution."

"What if the real Lotho and Aris show up?" I wondered.

"Lotho is my cousin and Aris is what you would call his lover," Dashrael said. "I arranged for them to receive this honor. Then I told them both to make themselves scarce. Right now are far away on a secluded beach. Most likely they're playing Pry Open My Clam. That's a popular one with us Merfolk."

"I get the picture," I said.

It was a very long walk from the barracks up the hill to the palace and then back down the hill to the town. I was breathing hard and sweating beneath my armor when we met yet another sergeant who berated us for being late and escorted us to the town square. My heart thudded with every step.

The square was full again with spectators. Severin knelt inside his cage. Next to the cage was J'Tara in full armor but without her helmet. Next to her was a huge man in black robes and a hood who held an axe. The axe blade was glimmering silver. I shuddered as I saw the light reflect off it.

"You're sure you can do this?" Dashrael asked.

"Yes," I said. Inside a warm glow grew. I breathed deeply to calm myself. I had to wait for the proper time.

In the gallery was the a.s.sembled court. There was Lord and Lady Wolfstriker. Dani was in the gallery too. Nearby were R'Agan and N'Tasha who whispered in each other's ears. Simeon was near the king and queen. He was talking to some ladies of the court.

Dashrael and I arrived next to the cage and took our places. Severin suddenly raised his head and looked in my direction.

Don't do anything, Severin. Please, I pleaded silently. Stop being such a chivalrous b.a.s.t.a.r.d and let the fair maiden save you this one time.

The crowd applauded as Lord Wolfstriker rose to his feet. "Today we are here to see justice performed!" my grandfather announced in a booming voice.

The audience went wild.

J'Tara kept her eyes on the crowd. Maybe she was expecting somebody to try something. Someone like me.

"Let justice be carried out," proclaimed Lord Wolfstriker. He moved back to his place in the gallery. That was good. From that distance I hoped he or Simeon wouldn't be able to interfere.

J'Tara was still eying the crowd. She waved to me and Dashrael. "Get the cage open and let's get this mutt decapitated quickly."

Dashrael opened the cage door. He reached in and grabbed Severin's chain. The Executioner took a step forward. He raised his axe. Now.

Chapter 20.

The fire built up inside me. I stared at the back of J'Tara's head. I could've said something dramatic and poetic but instead I growled, "You're a f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h."

J'Tara stood stark still. Her head rotated towards me. The moment I saw the s.p.a.ce between her eyes I struck.

I'd done this once before and that had been spontaneous and unplanned. This time I concentrated and tried to put as much of my power into a single s.p.a.ce. I didn't have a fae weapon to concentrate my magic but as it leapt from my hand I realized it was more than enough. J'Tara's head jerked back suddenly and she went down hard.

Beside me Dashrael backhanded the Executioner and sent him sprawling to the ground.

There came screams from the crowd. The ma.s.s of people parted for four charging horses. My mother was on one and held the reigns of the other three.

"Get up!" I yelled.

Severin didn't need my encouragement. He was on one of the horses in an instant. Dashrael vaulted onto another. I climbed onto mine.

"Let's go!" yelled my mother. She still held the reigns to my horse and it took off alongside her own. I was still only half in the saddle and my leg flopped around in the air. With a grunt I pulled myself full up and took the rein from my mother. Severin and Dashrael were right behind us as we tore out of the square.

We rode hard down the cobblestone streets. People in front of us scattered and fled back into their homes. The ma.s.sive iron gates loomed large ahead of us though. They were both shut. We came to a halt just outside the Red Hawk Inn.

"Now what?" Severin asked.

"Inside!" I yelled.

We leapt from our horses and burst into the inn. The patrons inside dropped their beer and crowded into the side of the room.

"What's this?" shouted the innkeeper from the stairs. "Be gone from here you rogues!" Then he motioned for us to follow him up the stairs.

"Unhand me! Leave me alone!" the brownie innkeeper yelled for good show as he led us to the room of "Lady Bellflower."

"Safe pa.s.sage," he whispered as we pa.s.sed through. Dashrael shut the door. My mother checked the window.

Severin seized me with both hands. "Why did you do this?" he asked. "You could have been killed."

"Give her some credit," said Dashrael. "She may still get herself killed."

"I'm not worth it," Severin protested.

"You are to me," I told him gently.

"N'Lina!" my mother shouted.

She had the window open. I looked across the top of the wall to woods beyond. There in the trees I saw several brownies waving back at us.

"Here," said my mother. From beneath her cloak she produced my longbow and its quiver of arrows. It felt good to wrap my hands around its yew stave once more. My mother handed me a spool of silvery cord. It looked like thread.

"Will this hold?" I asked dubiously.

"It's fae crafted," she answered. "It will do the job."

There was a crash from down below and loud shouts.

"They're here," said Dashrael. Severin and he moved the bed against the door while I tied one end of the silver cord around one of my arrows. Then I sited the tree where the brownies were gathered. After nocking an arrow, I drew back the bow string. The fire rose within me but I kept it at bay. I didn't need my magic. I just needed to hit the target.

The shouts grew louder. They were right behind the door now. I heard the smash of an axe against wood.

I exhaled and let the arrow fly. It sailed through the air and embedded itself right in the center of the tree trunk. The brownies climbed up and untied the silver cord. They then looped it around the trunk several times. My mother and I looped the other end around a beam in the ceiling. The hacking sounds continued. I saw wood splinter out of the corner of my eye.

"Done!" I yelled.

The cord now stretched from the window to the tree below. It made a perfect zip line.

"You first!" shouted Severin.

I was about to open my mouth when my mother said, "No arguments."

She handed me a piece of her torn hem. I slipped it over the cord and stood on the window sill. My bow was across my back and the quiver was at my side. A small crowd gathered below. I still wore my armor but it was light as plastic. Still I wondered if this fae cord would snap. It didn't look like it could support a large puppy let alone a full grown woman. There were shouts behind me and I knew the guards would break through any moment. I stepped off the window sill.

And I glided across. I fly just over the iron and silver spikes of the wall. I reached the branches and a pair of brownie hands caught me and slowed me down.

"That was cool." After I climbed down the tree, I stared back at the inn. No one else had followed me. "Come on."

I saw my mother zip across, her bright dress fluttering. Then came Dashrael in his armor.

Where's Severin? My heart sank.

"Stubborn boy," Dashrael said as he climbed down. "Some of them broke through. We fought them off but he insisted I go next."

You d.a.m.n fool, Severin.

Then I saw him climb the sill. He was in tattered rags. He kicked at someone behind him. I saw him slide across. A guard appeared at the window with a crossbow. I nocked an arrow as fast as I could. I let it fly with all the power I could muster. It flew into the open window and there was an explosion of blue light.

I looked up and saw Severin. Half a crossbow bolt protruded from his back.

"No!" I screamed.

Chapter 21.

Severin held onto the line. He just made it past the spikes of the wall, then halfway between the wall and the tree he let go and came crashing to the ground. I raced towards him. My mother and Dashrael were right behind me.

"Don't move," I told him. My nurse instincts kicked in. I checked for injuries. One end of the crossbow bolt was sticking out of his back. It had missed the kidney somehow and it didn't look like an artery or vein had been clipped. The fall didn't seem to have done more damage.

"Why don't you listen? I told you to leave me," said Severin. His speech was slurred.

"The bolt had a silver tip," explained Dashrael. "It has to be removed or he could die of silver poisoning."

I heard a loud creak. I looked up and saw the iron gates of the town opening up. Behind them were dozens of armored guards.

"Get him up!" I shouted.

I fired another arrow at the gates. A blue explosion forced the guards to duck for cover. Dashrael and my mother picked up Severin and together we dashed back to the forest. The brownies had a wagon waiting for us and we piled inside. My mother took the reins. She had to yell and snap the reins to get them to move. These were obviously free animals and not the strange things that obeyed every thought. They also weren't nearly as fast.

As the cart bonded over the road I nocked another arrow. Soon black horses appeared behind us with armored riders. I fired my arrow. It burst above them and knocked them down stunned. But there was another group of riders charging after us. I realized the wagon was moving too slow. I wasn't sure I had enough arrows to keep the guards off us until we escaped.

To my shock, Dashrael jumped off the cart and ran back towards the now rider-less and motionless horses. "I'll meet you in the mortal realm."

I saw him pick up a sword off the ground and mount one of the horses. Just before we lost sight of him he wheeled around and charged a new group of riders. His sudden a.s.sault scattered the pursuers. I didn't see what happened to him after that. I hoped he would be okay.

The cart headed into the forest. I looked back and I saw the large trees slide over the path we had just traveled. The forest was blocking our pursuit, protecting us. Thank you.

I checked on Severin. He didn't seem any worse despite the constant bucking and jarring. After what felt like an eternity my mother slowed the cart.

"Easy dears," she cooed to the horses.

I looked up. Ahead was a forest pool surrounded by moss covered stones. At the edge was my father. He waved to us.

"Nina! A'Lona!" he cried. "Come look. You can see our house!" He pointed at the pool.

"Is that the portal?" I asked my mother as we helped Severin down.

"Yes," she said. "We've made it."

"What about Dashrael?"

"He'll be all right. He's slipperier than an eel."