The King with Six Friends

Death of the King

Kiera stared at the broken shards of the charm in her palm. The pieces caught the torchlight and shined like rubies. She hid them in her dress pocket when Zar came back into the library. He sat down next to her on the floor.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Zar tenderly put his arm around her. For a split second, she tensed at his touch. He eased off. "How bad was it?"

Kiera's eyes wavered. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Zar sighed, glancing at Erik's pistol on the floor. "Okay." He gently helped her up to her feet. "Let's go home."

"I thought you were dead," Kiera muttered hollowly as they walked out of the library. "I thought he killed you like. . ." she trailed off.

'If you really want to know, your brother-' Erik's words echoed in her mind.

Kiera was told her brother Levis had died from a fever after riding through a rainstorm. He had died so suddenly and she wasn't allowed to see him for fear of spreading the disease.

But what if Levis wasn't dead, but instead hidden in plain sight like Zar was? It was the second bizarre connection she'd made that day, but what if. . .

"Yes?" Zar asked expectantly.

"Nevermind." She glanced up at his shaggy copper hair. "How did your hair grow so long so fast? You were only gone for a few days."

Zar only just noticed it himself. It had been cut short the last time he'd remembered. Now, it had grown past his ears

"I have no idea." He ran his fingers through it. "I suppose magic is funny like that."

Out in the corridor, Edge tended to Ingrid, who was still unconscious. The side of her head was bruised from Björn's strike. Edge carefully picked Ingrid up and carried her to the library's sitting area. Ingrid stirred quietly as he carried her. Despite being a lethal assassin, who'd nearly killed Zar twice, she looked peacefully harmless. Edge laid her in an armchair and searched for some ice for her head.

Eryx helped a dazed Kindle to his feet.

"If you didn't have arms when you were a snake, how is your arm hurt now?" Kindle asked him.

Eryx glanced at his injured arm and shrugged. "I don't know, it just happens."

At that, a platoon of soldiers rounded the hallway armed with swords and halberds. They broke off into a line and aimed their weapons at the group.

"Surrender, or die!" a lead soldier ordered.

Zar ran up and put himself between the soldiers and the other four. "Viscount Erik has fled Castle Brackhill. There's no reason for us to fight."

The soldiers slowly advanced on him, keeping their blades positioned to attack. "We never fought for the Viscount," said the soldier. "Surrender!"

Zar hesitated. They couldn't fight this many soldiers; everyone was injured or out of commission. His hand went to his hilt, but his sword wasn't there.

"Stand down, Captain," growled a voice from the shadows. All heads turned in the direction the voice came from.

Björn, as a human, emerged with a burned and disfigured face. The left side had completely burned away, revealing raw bone and charred tissue. Kindle blanched and put some distance between them.

"I suggest all of you leave before you disgrace this castle any further," Björn gruffly ordered Zar.

Zar glanced back at the other four. "We were just on our way out."