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The balloon simply dropped like a stone. The fire went out, and the silk immediately came down on Magnus and the queen. Magnus was almost out of strength, but he managed to find enough to rend the silk in two so it didnt trap them. He swam on his own power, pulling her under his arm to the bank. They were, as hed hoped, quite close to the Tuileries and its dock. He got her over to the steps and threw her down.
"Stay here," he said, dripping wet and panting.
But the queen was unconscious again. Magnus envied her.
He trudged up the steps and back up onto the streets of Paris. Axel would probably have been circling the area. They had agreed that if anything went wrong, Magnus was to send a blue flash into the sky, like a firework. He did it. Then he sank to the ground and waited.
About fifteen minutes later a carriage pulled up-not the simple, plain one from before but a massive one, in black and green and yellow. One that could easily carry half a dozen or more people for several days, in the grandest of possible styles. Axel hopped down from the drivers seat and rushed to Magnus.
"Where is she? Why are you wet? What has happened?"
"Shes fine," Magnus said, putting up a hand. "This is the carriage? A berline de voyage?"
"Yes," von Fersen said. "Their Majesties insist. And it would be unseemly for them to arrive in something less grand. "
"And impossible not to be noticed!"
For the first time von Fersen looked uncomfortable. He had clearly hated this idea and had fought it.
"Yes, well . . . this is the carriage. But . . . "
"Shes on the steps. We had to land in the river. "
"Land?"
"Its a long story," Magnus said. "Lets just say things got complicated. But she is alive. "
Axel got to his knees in front of Magnus.
"You will never be forgotten for this," Axel said in a low voice. "France will remember. Sweden will remember. "
"I dont care if France or Sweden remembers. I care if you remember. "
Magnus was genuinely shocked when it was Axel who instigated the kiss-how sudden it was, how passionate, how all of Paris, and all the vampires, and the Seine and the balloon and everything fell away and it was just the two of them for one moment. One perfect moment.
And it was Magnus who broke it.
"Go," he whispered. "I need you to be safe. Go. "
Axel nodded, looking a bit shocked at his own action, and ran to the dock steps. Magnus got up, and with one last look started to walk.
Going home was not an option. Saint Clouds vampires were probably at his apartments right now. He had to get inside until dawn. He spent the night at the petite maison of Madame de --, one of his more recent lovers. At dawn he returned to his apartments. The front door was ajar. He made his way inside cautiously.
"Claude!" he called, carefully staying in the pool of sunlight by the door. "Marie! Ragnor!"
"They are not here, monsieur," said a voice.
Henri. Of course. He was sitting on the staircase.
"Did you hurt them?"
"We took the ones called Claude and Marie. I dont know who Ragnor is. "
"Did you hurt them?" Magnus said again.
"They are beyond hurt now. My master asked me to send his compliments. He said they made for excellent feasting. "
Magnus felt sick. Marie and Claude had been good to him, and now . . .
"Master would like very much to see you," Henri said. "Why dont we go there together, now, and you can speak when he wakes this evening. "
"I think Ill decline the invitation," Magnus said.
"If you do, I think you will find Paris a most inhospitable place to live. And who is that new gentleman of yours? Well find his name eventually. Do you understand?"
Henri stood, and tried to look menacing, but he was a mundane, a darkling of seventeen.
