Death of a King

Chapter 11

"You're going to punish your best friend?" I asked, looking back and forth between the Vice and the man he threatened.

    Lumiere laughed beside me, "Don't say it like that, love. You make it sound naughty."

    I ignored him, turning accusatory eyes towards Dustin, "So what – three lashings and a day in the stocks? This isn't medieval times, you can't just snap your fingers and sentence someone to torture." Especially someone who was innocent.

    Well, not entirely innocent, I can only imagine the kind of nightmares Lumiere as conjured in his time. But Dustin wants to punish him because he thinks Lumiere was the one who let me out. Though it wasn't true, I also couldn't let Corinth or Eli suffer.

    Dustin rolled his head on his shoulders as if conversing with me were a struggle unto itself, "You're new around here, kid, so let me tell you how it works. I give an order and that order is followed. When someone disobeys me, they get punished. That's how my world goes round."

    "It isn't your world." I countered, which may have angered him more than anything else, "And if you're going to punish someone then it should be me."

    Lumiere drew in a hissed breath between his teeth, "Ooo, this just got interesting."

    "You told me to stay indoors and I didn't, it was my own decision to leave." I continued on.

    Dustin held up a single finger, "Ahh yes, but you wouldn't have left if the opportunity hadn't been offered thus returning blame to my amiable friend."

    Lumiere dabbed a finger to his eyes, collecting fake tears as he feigned happiness, "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Fancy a hug?"

    "Oh get off it, your jokes won't get you out of this one." Dustin replied harshly though I saw the way his eyes were alight with playful joy.

    "Can I make a prediction?" Lumiere started, his smile growing by the second. When neither Dustin or I replied, he whispered, "I think I'm about to get out of this one."

    Dustin nearly doubled over, "And what makes you say that?"

    Lumiere shrugged, "Just a hunch."

    "What's going on over here? Are we taking the day off?" A gruff voice suddenly demanded from behind us all. We turned to see Donovan approaching, his countenance creased in a look half made from anger and the other half made from more anger.

    Dustin fixed a sharp glare on Lumiere who returned a cheeky grin and sat a little straighter in his chair, giving the leader a simple salute with three fingers, "Hello there, captain. A lovely day, ain't it?"

    "No." Donovan replied curtly. His one beady eye fell on me and that scowl deepened, "What is the prisoner doing outside? Have you both forgotten that she almost got the entire gang arrested this morning?"

    Dustin rolled his eyes, "No sir. She won't be a bother, Lumiere is babysitting."

    I scoffed, "I don't need a babysitter-"

    "Shut up." Donovan ordered with a stern wave of his hand. This silenced me and his scorn turned to Dustin once more, "Reaper activity is growing and you want to waste your time with the endeavors of a child? Have you no concern for your own life, or mine for that matter?"

    Lumiere sat up completely, those sunglasses now discarded on the pavement below our feet. His face had gone hard, that unprecedented charm now lost to a frown of disturbance, "What do you mean Reaper activity is growing? They haven't crossed our borders since-"