27. Kit Preparing for a Siege
Kit: Preparing for a Siege
By the time Kit had checked over Gretyl, finding no injuries thankfully, both children were yawning hugely, and Gretyl had somehow burrowed deeper into Nelle’s lap, from which she’d refused to move.
“It looks like you’re okay,” Nelle said, combing her fingers through the little girl’s short hair. “Maybe we should head up to bed.”
“But we’re not sleepy!” Gretyl yawned.
“Are you sure about that?” Nelle asked. “Even if I said I had snickerdoodles for our bedtime snack?”
Both children’s’ drooping eyelids popped open. “Snickerdoodles?” Hansel asked, hopping down from the counter. “Where?”
“I have them in a safe place, but neither of you will get any until you’re changed into your pajamas and tucked into the beds upstairs,” Nelle told him. “Now, do you two remember the way to your room?”
“Yep!” Gretyl chirped, sliding off of her lap. “I memember.” She fumbled around until she found Nelle’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Nelle, come on!”
“Wait for your brother,” Nelle admonished, reaching for Hansel’s hand. “We can’t go without him.”
“And Kit,” Hansel said, reaching for the dragon man’s enormous paw. “We need Kit to help put us to bed, too.”
“Thank you for that,” Kit said, ruffling the little boy’s hair. “Alright, are we all ready to head upstairs?”
“Where’s Kemma?” Gretyl wondered.
“I’m right behind you,” the tressym assured her, yawning. “I’m ready for bed, too.”
“Will you sleep with me tonight?” Gretyl asked.
“Of course,” Kemma said, rubbing her head against the little girl’s. “That’s the very best part about you two coming to stay here again: sleepovers!”
The little train of people clumped upstairs and into the nursery. Nelle conjured a pair of children’s pajamas and helped them change. In no time, they were ready for bed, happily munching on the cookies that Nelle had slipped from the basket in front of the fire.
“Do you think Papa’s okay?” Hansel asked as he polished off his second cookie.
Nelle and Kit exchanged looks over the children’s heads.
In truth, Kit seriously doubted that the man had gotten away unharmed.
There was a significant chance the Snow Queen had dealt with him the same way she’d dealt with Robin and anyone else who got in her way.
But he was unwilling to voice that opinion in front of the little ears.
“I’m sure he’s as good as we can expect him to be, separated from you,” Nelle said at last. “Remember how he’d always say that he couldn’t sleep if you two weren’t in the house?”
Gretyl nodded. “He told Hansel that he hadn’t slept a wink when we were here last time. He was out looking for us all night long. Saphira complained about it.”
“There, you see?” Nelle said, frowning a little at the mention of Saphira. “He’s probably counting the seconds until he can get back to you.”
“Oh. Should we do that too?” Gretyl asked. “Except I can’t count very high.”
“That’s okay,” Kit assured her. “That’s just an expression.”
“Oh. Like when Saphira says that she could kill Papa for bringing us to camp?” Gretyl asked, cocking her head.
Kit and Nelle exchanged another glance, before Kit nodded. “Yes. Exactly like that.”
“Okay,” Gretyl said, snuggling beside Kemma with her hand on the tressym’s back. “I’m glad that Saphira is only using a spresion.”
“Me, too,” Nelle said, smoothing an invisible wrinkle in the blanket. “Sleep well, love.”
“Good night,” Gretyl yawned.
Kit was about to follow Nelle out of the room when a whispered, “Psst,” caught his attention.
He turned and crouched next to Hansel, who looked up at him with wary eyes.
“I don’t think Saphira was using an expression when she said that to Papa.
She said that she hated it at the camp, and if he made them stay one more day, she was going to kill him.
” His brow furrowed. “She was really mad when she said that, too. She broke a cup, the one that Papa carved for Mama.”
Kit’s expression turned somber. “Well, that wasn’t very nice of her.”
“She and Papa get into fights all the time. I hide with Gretyl sometimes, when it gets really bad. Sometimes, we have to leave the house. It scares me,” the little boy confessed.
Kit nodded. “That would scare me, too.”
“Maybe when Papa gets back, Saphira won’t be there,” Hansel said before giving an enormous yawn.
“Maybe so,” Kit agreed. “But for now, why don’t you get some sleep? We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“Mkay,” Hansel said, curling up beneath the covers. “Night, Kit.”
“Good night, Hansel,” Kit said, smoothing the little boy’s curls and slipping out of the room.
Kit had barely closed the door gently behind him before Nelle appeared, running her hand through her frizzy hair. “What did Hansel want?” she asked softly.
Whispering, Kit gave her the gist of the conversation. When he finished, a frown marred her face. “That’s awful. I didn’t know the fights were so bad.”
“You knew they were fighting?” Kit asked.
“Oh, yes.” Nelle grimaced. “Despite the fact that she’s one of the lieutenants, Saphira has never hidden her hatred for the camp.”
“So why come then?” Kit wondered. “Surely she and the children could have stayed in town while Kai spied for the queen.”
“I don’t know,” Nelle admitted.
Kit shrugged. “Ah well. One more thing to think about tomorrow. Do you want to go to bed now, or would you like to do a little more work? We don’t have to, of course. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day, since you and the children will have to start preparing the castle for battle.”
“I wanted to ask you about that,” Nelle murmured, turning to him. “Do you really have a plan?”
Kit arched an eyebrow. “Are you doubting me, snowdrop?”
“Never,” Nelle said emphatically. “I’m just wondering if that was something you were saying for the children’s benefit, or if you really have an idea of how we’re going to repel an attack with just two adults, two little kids, a tressym, and a phoenix.”
“What are you talking about?” Kit joked.
“That’s an entire army there.” Nelle just crossed her arms, and he resisted the urge to press a kiss to her head in an attempt to quell her anxieties.
“I don’t take your safety, nor that of the children, lightly.
I will do everything in my power to protect you. You must know that, snowdrop.”
Nelle eyed him warily. “You swear?”
Kit stepped closer, resting his forehead on hers. “On my life. You are too precious, Nelle, for me to put you at risk. All I ask is that you trust me.”
For one brief, tenuous moment, he feared she’d refuse. But at last, she nodded. “Very well. What does your plan involve?”
A sly grin spread across his lips. “Simple. We’re going to bring the castle to life.”
Nelle stared at him uncomprehendingly. “I…I beg your pardon?”
“It’s a step up from your current enchantments,” Kit said.
“Except, instead of the magic taking care of the housekeeping, lighting the lamps, dusting the bric-à-brac, we’re going to enchant the furniture and decor, turning them into our own little army.
” He pointed to a nearby stone gargoyle.
“So, for instance, that gargoyle would fly and defend the outer wall. And that knight, with the right spell, would parry any oncoming blades.”
“And that wingback chair, coupled with the table, would be a living barricade?” Nelle asked, arching her eyebrow.
“Exactly.” Kit nodded. “I’ve seen enchantments like that before and while they’re not effective in the long-term, they should be able to hold back whatever forces the Sherwood Company can come up with in the next couple of days.”
“And after that?” Nelle wondered.
Kit’s gaze darkened. “I hope it won’t be an issue. If we can find where the Snow Queen is holding her prisoners, we should have the reinforcements we need. And, even better, Robin can retake control of the Company, making their attack on our home a thing of the past.”
“And if that doesn’t work? If you can’t find them?” Nelle’s voice was barely above a whisper now.
Kit shrugged. “Then I’ll take my chances with my father’s guards and turn to him for help.”
“Youd said there was a high chance that his guards would kill you on sight!” Nelle protested. “That was the reason you sought refuge in the castle in the first place.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be necessary. But it would all be worth it as long as you and the little ones are safe,” Kit said.
“No!” Nelle cried, stamping her foot. “Not if it puts you in danger, too! I won’t?—”
“Nelle.” Kit raised his voice ever so slightly to make himself heard over her tirade. “Don’t lose your head. I’m not saying I’d do it without thinking it through. I’d only do that if I had no other choice.”
“Don’t tell me not to lose my head,” Nelle said, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “I’m not acting like a child, Kit. I’m worried about your safety.”
Kit sighed. “You’re worrying about something that may never happen. These are all purely theoretical situations, Nelle. I will not march over to my father’s palace tonight. And I’m certainly not going to do it without talking to you about it first.”
Nelle’s jaw tightened, then her shoulders slumped. “Fine. It’s just…I don’t want to lose you.”
Kit’s eyes softened, and he drew her into a hug. “Oh, snowdrop. You’re not going to lose me.”
“You don’t know that,” she mumbled into his chest.
Kit smiled into her hair. “I know that like I know my brother is still alive. I feel it in my heart. Can’t you hear the way it beats for you?”
Nelle remained in place for a moment, then nodded. “I hear it.”
“Good,” Kit said, smiling down at her. “Now, then, do you want to try one of those animation spells before we go to bed? We can do it as a test to see if it will be an effective deterrent for the Sherwood Company.”
Nelle hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. Maybe it’ll make more sense to me once I see it in action.”
Kit offered her a smile. “Thank you for trusting me. We’ll say it first without magic, and then test it on our friend here,” he said, motioning to the gargoyle.
“This incantation is one the Fey use fairly often, but I’ve changed it a bit, melding it with a bit of your magic, so you should be able to perform it as well.
Repeat after me.” Slowly, he said the spell, and Nelle repeated the words carefully, testing out the unfamiliar pronunciation.
“What does it mean?” she asked, looking up at him. “I don’t recognize the language.”
“It’s the language of the Fey,” Kit reminded her. “There isn’t an exact translation. Or, at least, if there is one, I don’t know it. But it’s essentially a call to come and protect.”
“I like that,” Nelle said. “Are we ready to try it on the gargoyle?”
“Almost,” Kit said, moving so that he was standing directly behind her. “First, we have to get the stance right. Fey magic is all about form and pronunciation. Stand with your feet hips-width apart and stretch out your hand.”
“Like this?” Nelle asked, following his instructions.
“Almost,” Kit said, gently pressing his hands against her shoulders. “Relax your stance. And angle your hips this way.”
Nelle’s breath caught in her throat as he brought his hands down to adjust her hips. He was suddenly very aware of how close they were. If she’d just turn her head, he could catch her lips in a kiss…
“Good,” he said, clearing his throat and stepping back.
He almost didn’t see the look of pain on her face at the newfound distance, shooting a dagger into his heart.
He gave himself a mental shake, and continued, “Now, say the words slowly and with confidence, exactly as we practiced, and picture the effect in your head.”
Nelle took a breath and did as he said, directing the magic toward the gargoyle. As she did, a burst of gold sparks shot from her hand and directly at the statue. Kit held his breath, waiting with bated breath to see if the spell had worked.