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Chapter6
Mirielle
Ididn’t understand the words or the billows of black smoke, but the fits of coughing and burning of my eyes were very, very real. King Zen’s body was pressed to mine, shielding me from the sudden influx of bodies dressed in cloaks of pure ebony swarming amongst the handsomely dressed partygoers.
The sight of them sent chills down my spine, even though I only caught a glimpse of the chaos before I was shoved to the ground behind a table.
“Stay here!” the king commanded me, whirling around to confront the army of intruders as I struggled to comprehend this unexpected attack.
I watched in awe as King Zen’s tuxedo fell away, revealing silvery-gray fur akin to his eye color on a sleek, muscled wolf form. The shirt ripped against the massive torso of his animal body, but I barely had the headspace to take it all in before he launched himself forward on his athletic back legs.
A flurry of action unfolded around me, flashes of magic colliding as Endora appeared, her lips moving vigorously as she conjured spell after spell to counter the streaks of black lightning striking from the horde of uninvited guests. The only light I could distinctly make out for a full minute was the snow white of her hair as clouds of magic in varying dark colors erupted all around.
From the recesses of my mind, I struggled to conjure a spell of my own, to help ward off this fearsome assault, but my brain went fully blank. I could barely breathe, my head whipping one way and then the other, unsure if I was in direct danger or if this was a planned attack.
The well-dressed invitees shrieked and cowered, some running for the door, only to be struck down, answering my question. I didn’t dare move from my hiding place, conspicuous as it seemed to me. The Royal Guards flooded the grand ballroom until the area was so dense with fighting, I didn’t know which way to look. I closed my eyes and rocked my knees to my chest, willing myself to keep my cool.
This will all be over soon. This can’t last forever.
The question was, who would win this terrible battle? If the Royal Guards failed, what would happen to me and the rest of the partygoers… to King Zen?
Whimpering caught my attention, and I looked to my right, where a raven-haired fae wept, rocking back and forth with her knees to her chest like mine, her loose waves shimmering as she mumbled to herself from the other side of the table, hidden beneath the tablecloth.
My heart lurched as I realized she looked familiar to me. This was the first time anyone had triggered any kind of memory inside of me, but what a time for it to happen.
Did I know her?
“I warned him! I told him!” she moaned. “Why didn’t he listen to me?!”
I slid closer to her, extending my hands comfortingly, but she withdrew like I was the enemy.
“Hey,” I whispered, afraid to catch the attention of the black-robed army. “It’s going to be okay. King Zen won’t let anything happen to us.”
Her head jerked up, and contempt downturned her lips. “You don’t know shit,” she spat at me, her vibrant green eyes ablaze. “He can’t protect us. No one can!”
I didn’t know what to say to this stranger who seemed to know more about the king than me, but I was spared a response as the table was suddenly overturned, and the trembling fae at my side released a howl of terror.
The shockingly beautiful fae in black robes stared at her, mouth curling into a sneer of pleasure. “Princess Cyndella,” she purred, raising her hands. “Perfect!”
King Zen’s sister. That’s why she looks familiar,I realized, but the understanding was of little consequence now.
“Your death will serve the Order of Souls very well, Princess,” the dark fae cackled, electricity sprouting from her fingertips.
My shock did not prevent me from jumping into immediate action. Without stopping to think, my body reacted at the idea of someone losing their life as I watched—especially if that someone was the king’s elusive sister.
“STOP!” I screamed, rushing forward, using my body as a shield.
The attacker appeared to see me for the first time, and her smirk faded, eyes proliferating when her head turned. Her hands fell, the current dying from her fingertips. As her jaw slacked, confusion colored her pale cheeks.
“You…” she breathed excitedly, the wicked grin returning as the battle ensued around us. “And where have you been hiding, Mousie?”
King Zen appeared behind her, his majestic wolf’s head cocked as he caught her question.
Panic mounted inside of me.
The blood drained out of my face as she seemed to forget about the princess entirely, her attention fixed on me now, but before she could take a single step, a gasp of shock spilled from her gaping mouth. Time slowed considerably, a single line of blood pooling at the corner of her lips as glassiness shielded her eyes.
I cocked my head as the haze settled around me.
