AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Walt moaned and I promised Darling we’d discuss the battle name in just a few minutes and to put the man downnow.
“You’ve already declared me the victor, so it’s not necessary.” Exactly why I’d wanted Blackbird to make sure that happened, so I wouldn’t have to kill poor stupid Walter. More for me than for him. My feline animus craved his blood, and that was a daunting enough feeling.
That part of me, along with Darling, wanted to taste his death and hesitated. The fae audience, much more excited now, began chanting for Walt’s imminent demise. The staff in my hand took up the miasma of emotions and pumped it together into a powerful charge. Darling, sensing my change in intent, put Walt down and pinned him with a huge paw, giving me suggestions for various satisfying deaths.
Walter squirmed and wailed. I cast a wary eye to the sky for sign of dragons.
They did not arrive to save him.
“Kill him and you can have this castle,” the fae noble said. “I have a proposition for you, Lady Sorceress. Something…tasty.”
Tasty, yes. Like this death would be. Walter was a wart on the world. He deserved to die. I formed a wish.
“Don’t do it.”
Starling’s hand closed over mine on the staff and I started, surprised to see her there.
“Here, let me hold this for you, Gwynn. It’s okay. I take care of things for you, remember?”
What did she mean? Of course I knew that! The savage desire for Walt’s death fell away and I put an unsteady hand to my temple. “Whoa—that was intense.”
Starling just nodded at me, somber.
“See? You ended up having a job after all. And tell you what, hang on to that thing for me, will you?”
She laid it over her shoulder, carrying it like a stick with a basket of apples on the end, and nodded her head toward Darling. “You might want to take care of that.”
Darling, bored, was swatting Walt from paw to paw, a human cat toy. I gathered my skirts, jumped down from the pedestal and ran toward him. “Darling—no! Bad kitty. Stop that this instant or you don’t get a new name.”
Chagrined that I hadn’t done it sooner, I poofed the spell, returning Darling to his normal size. Walt lay in a sobbing heap and Darling gave him one last swat, prancing up to me. “Gigantor,”he suggested.
“I am so not calling you Gigantor.”
Starling stifled a giggle and Athena glared at her. “I think he should have whatever name he wants.”
“I’m sure you think that,Athena,” Starling snapped back.
“Athena,” I hastily interrupted their sniping, “hold the staff, please. Starling, check on Walt. See if he’s suffered any…permanent damage.”
Darling swirled himself around my ankles. “Titanous.”
I rolled my eyes. “No.”
“He seems to be okay,” Starling reported. Walt had buried his face in her lap, sobbing into her skirts while she patted his head awkwardly.
“An odd choice, Lady Sorceress Gwynn.” The fae noble peered at Walt. Blackbird, standing just behind him, had a funny look on her face. As if she felt ill.
“But my choice to make.”
“He could be dangerous to you.”
“I don’t think so. Athena, I’m going to touch the staff for a moment, if you’ll hold it out for me.”
“I don’t think—” Starling started.
“If I act weird, just move it out of my reach.”
Athena balanced the staff, over twice her height, so I could just touch it and she could easily pivot it out from under my hand. I touched the globe with tentative fingers and looked at Walt. Away from the blazing light of the multiply magicked Darling, his native magic shone with dim light. He had some, but not a lot. The globe felt good under my hand. Too good. I recalled the way Walt had stroked it, an almost obscene lust.
