48. Gabriel
Chapter 48
Gabriel
C rimson blood dripped from Gabriel’s claws as he pulled them from the chest of yet another person. Piercing the heart, he’d found, was the quickest way to kill humans and witches alike. If he could get close enough to a witch, of course.
Which was his next challenge. Queen Mildred approached, bare hands splayed. Her cloak swayed around her feet as she walked. Combined with the rain and the flickering gas lamps, it gave her an ethereal glow. The moon fully disappeared behind the full clouds, and he was grateful the fight had moved into the village for the light and so that they could switch forms as needed. Without the moonlight, they wouldn’t be able to beyond wall. At the same time, however, he dreaded the destruction to his home, his people.
One of the queen’s guards ran at him, sword raised, and Gabriel parried it with his own. His arm vibrated from the impact. With his other hand, he swiped across the man’s throat. As he gurgled and fell to the ground, the third man tried to attack. Gabriel twisted out of the way before driving his blade through the soldier’s back. Long before he was born, his people had learned to forge lightweight swords that could be used easier with one hand. That way they could fight with their claws as well.
Breathing heavily, Gabriel faced the queen again. Was she toying with him? She could have easily taken him down with her mage while he was fighting her men. Instead, she looked almost amused.
“I have to say, I’m impressed.” She clasped her hands in front of her in a single clap. “I think you might even be a better fighter than your father. Though, I suppose he wasn’t actually your father after all, was he?”
“He was in all the ways that mattered.” Gabriel used the back of his hand to wipe rain and blood from his brow. He fought a wince when he hit a small cut there.
Queen Mildred went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “How does it feel knowing he loved your sister more? You know that was part of the curse, right? I said it would affect the one he loved most in the world, and that wasn’t you.”
Gabriel swallowed, refusing to give her the reaction she clearly sought. “Everyone loves her more than anyone. That’s nothing I don’t know. It’s impossible not to adore her.”
“Ah, but do you love her more than anyone? More than my granddaughter?”
He clenched his jaw. He thought about the night he’d sat on the floor of his study, holding Brinley and begging her not to make him choose. Gabriel cleared his throat. “See, that’s the biggest difference between you and your heir.” They began circling one another. “Brinley would never make me choose. She loves so fully, so deeply, that she wouldn’t be so cruel as to make someone choose.”
The queen raised a hand, blocking someone from joining their area. He didn’t dare look to see if it was one of hers or his. Gabriel twirled his sword, needing to keep his muscles in motion and ready to fight. Even if he knew it wouldn’t come to it. She would never let him close enough to use it on her.
“You think Brinley loves you?” The queen let out a malicious laugh.
Gabriel raised his chin, feeling that bond stronger than he had in days. As if just thinking of her strengthened it. “I know she does.”
“Then, why isn’t the curse on your pack broken?” She didn’t let him answer. “The girl was tricked, deceived into thinking she cared for you. It was nothing but hero worship because you saved her from the rogues’ attack. As soon as she was free of you, she came to her senses.”
“Ah yes, the rogues. We got your little present, by the way,” he said, not addressing the other accusations. “Did Brinley tell you how she nearly sucked the life out of one to save me? She nearly killed him just for touching me. Because I’m her mate.”
“Lies!” She raised her hand and shot a burst of air at his head, but he ducked out of the way. It hit the corner of the nearest building, sending stone crumbling to the ground. While bent over, he gripped the handle of the dagger in his boot. As he straightened, he sent it flying toward her chest.
The blade stopped midair, flipped over, and speared toward him instead.
“Shit.” He dove to the ground. Without waiting, he jumped up and ran down the nearest alley, a vague plan forming in his head.
Another blast hit the wall on his left, and a piece of jagged rock sliced across his cheek. He didn’t dare stop. Leading her away from the rest of the battle was for the best. Leading her to the top of the village wall was the only chance he could think of. If he could get her up there?—
A ball of flames soared over his head. He glanced back for a fraction of a second to see her preparing to throw more fire at him. Growling, he shifted enough to give him extra strength and agility. He jumped and gripped the edge of the roof beside him. After hauling himself up, he took off again, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way toward the wall.
The High Sorceress followed not far behind, and he wondered if her power also gave her the ability to move faster than her age should allow. He couldn’t ponder it too much. The wall appeared before him, a set of stairs nearby. He leapt from the house he ran across then sprinted up the staircase.
This portion of the wall was otherwise empty. The surviving archers still rained arrows into the fray from the south wall, and he was glad to be far away from them. He didn’t want to bring the witch’s wrath down on them.
Waiting for the queen to reach him, he retracted his claws and looked around, searching for anything that might help him end her once and for all. There had to be something. He ran a hand over his head and gripped his hair as he turned on the spot. This eastern wall held nothing though. There weren’t any weapons stored here. There wasn’t anything to help him defeat her.
The queen’s shoes tapped on the stone stairs as she climbed higher and higher. Before even reaching the top, she said, “Why must you always try to run? You had to know you couldn’t escape me.”
“I wasn’t trying to escape you.” He lifted his chin, pretending like he had a plan, a reason for coming up here beyond just getting her away from his people.
She stepped onto the landing but didn’t immediately attack. Shaking her head, she tsked at him as if he were a naughty child disobeying. With a hand on her hip, she looked barely out of breath, but he could see the tiniest hint of weariness. “Well, go on. Tell me your big plan.”
Was she stalling to catch her breath? Or just enjoying dragging this out?
Counting on it being the latter, he said, “Make it a fair fight and then see who has more power.”
“Truly? Do you think I’m foolish enough to fall for that?” she scoffed. “I’m not an idiot, boy. I know which fights to pick, which I can win. How do you think I’ve kept my throne all these years?”
He didn’t respond.
“By staying one step ahead of everyone who crosses me.” She pulled his dagger up and pointed it at him. He hadn’t even realized she’d kept it. “You are, by far, physically stronger than I am. Without magic, you would win with certainty.”
Gabriel didn’t know what to do or say. He didn’t see a way out of this.
“I really didn’t want to kill you,” she said in a falsely kind tone.
“No, you just wanted me to suffer the rest of my life after killing everyone I’ve ever loved.”
She shook her head. “Not everyone. Your sister would live, but she’ll be trapped in the in between. Though, now, I’m thinking it might just be simpler to end you all.”
Anger coursed through him.
“And I wasn’t planning on killing Brinley. After all, she is my only heir.” She sneered. “Torturing her in front of you might be fun though. Then, I could change her memories, make her think it was you who caused her so much pain. That your father took her parents away, and then you kidnapped her to finish his goal in ending the royal line. She’ll hate you. Again.”
His fist clenched around his sword, and he charged with a growl.
The witch blocked him with an invisible force and sent him tumbling backward. His sword went flying off the edge of the battlement.
She tossed his dagger that she’d kept to his feet. “Here, try this one again.”
He grabbed it and stood, not caring that she was messing with him. There had to be a way. There had to be something?—
A tug in his gut nearly sent him to his knees. The blade slipped from his grasp as he whipped his attention to the village. Brinley was here, he could feel her. Her love for him. Her concern. Which meant she could see him.
A flash of red drew his eye to the main street. To his mate standing with two others. A man he knew was the friend she’d been greeted by at Nimiré and Joel.
She was here. She came back.
He’d known her grandmother was lying, but some part of him still feared the woman had warped her mind again already, that Brinley hated him once more. But he could feel her love even from this distance.
Suddenly, he realized they were running toward him, shouting. Joel shifted into his wolf form to increase his speed. But it wasn’t enough.
The sharp, cold blade pierced Gabriel’s side just as he remembered who he’d turned his back to.
And then, he was falling, wondering how he would defeat the most powerful witch of their time when he couldn’t stay on his feet. Or keep his eyes open.