Taking advantage of the assistance, I wrapped my arm around Solaris’s throat and hauled him up onto his feet. He hollered and tried to pry my arm off. I could feel his wings fluttering against my chest like he might be attempting to fly away.
I held the sword in front of him, pointy end aiming for his chest. He stilled immediately.
“So,” I said in his ear, “you’re the prince who needs to learn a lesson or two, huh?”
“No, I?—”
I tightened my arm around his neck just enough to shut him up without making him faint. “Come now, Prince Sunshine. You’re the one who told me about how to break the curse.”
“Do your duty,” someone hollered nearby.
“See?” I said. “Your people would like it if you worked on yourself and got the curse broken instead of playing around with your boys.”
“We’re not playing,” he whispered.
Though Red was disarmed and Blue was busy cupping himself, Pink and Purple were finally cluing into what was happening. I made like I was going to stab Solaris, and both of them threw their hands up.
“No!”
“Don’t!”
While I wanted to cut off a button on Solaris’s shirt or something to show how sharp the sword actually was, I didn’t want to risk accidentally stabbing him, so I just kept pointing it at him instead.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’m taking Sol to the castle so he and anyone else who’s got the right mojo can work on breaking the curse properly. Anyone who tries to stop me will get themselves or ol’ Sol here killed. Got it?”
I was not a violent guy. I really wasn’t. Sure, I’d defended myself and others from time to time, but with my words or my fists and only until it was clear I’d been heard and understood. Stabbing? Killing? So not me.
But not a single one of these folks knew me.
Pinky was the first to move, stepping sideways to make room for me to get to the front door. Then a lot of other people stood and moved to clear a path for me. I started walking, keeping Solaris squashed against me and the sword point threatening his guts.
“You’ll never get away with this,” he practically snarled as he shuffled along with me.
“Get away with what exactly? Escorting you home? Putting you back on your throne? Oh, yes, I’m sure I’ll get life in prison for that.”
Right? Technically, that was all I was doing. The teeny tiny bit of threatening his life to make it happen was only a minor offense, really.
Solaris didn’t have anything to say to that as we made it to the door.
And right in front of us was a big wooden carriage with a pair of golden yellow horses ready to pull it. Lars stood there beaming while holding a length of chain with manacles on either end. I couldn’t help laughing. The man’s mind might not be all there, but what was available was as devious as mine.
I heard a tussle behind me, and turned enough to see a couple of people putting Red and Purple on the floor, while Pink and Blue had their hands up as they backed away. Folks were definitely taking sides in there.
Lars took advantage of my distraction to snap one of the cuffs on my ankle. A second later and Solaris bit my arm, the fucker, and instinct had me letting him go. I also swung the sword away so as not to cut him up when he flew into the air. With my right leg.
“Goddamnit,” I cursed as I grabbed the carriage and forced my leg back down until I had both feet on the ground. “Get down here!”
Solaris was up about six feet over my head and trying to pry the other cuff off his left ankle while wailing like an angry cat. As entertaining as that was, I had to put my full weight on my leg to keep myself from leaving the ground again.
Grabbing the chain, I started pulling him down hand over hand until I could grab his trouser leg. Even with the newly healed one, those wings of his were strong!
He growled and looked like he was about to kick me with his other leg.
I grabbed him by the knee with both hands. “You kick me, you’re hitting the ground a second later.” Or the building or the carriage, whichever way I could swing him.
That must’ve made an impression because he screamed his frustration but then came down to hover right in my face.
“Release me.”
