Excalibur's Seven - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

KIT WAS AN IDIOT. It came as a surprise to no one, but this time, he truly fucked up. He'd been obsessive about not letting the boy out of his sight the whole time, but the moment the Queen took all his attention, he forgot about his one job. Keep Lionel safe.
"How did they even get through?" he asked, joining the others outside of the palace, watching anxiously as horses were brought to them.
Selene shook her head beside him. "I have no idea. There's probably a traitor here. They must've offered someone something good."
As soon as he could, Kit climbed up onto a horse. Morgana had to join him again, because no matter how many horses the palace could provide, he had no idea how to ride one.
The seven made their way off then, speeding towards the nearest entrance. Their own horses were still where they'd left them, and the night had hardly come and gone when they returned. It was disorienting, but Kit didn't dwell on the thought.
It was lucky, they were only a few hours from the castle, and they weren't far from the men who had Lionel. He couldn't waste a single second, because the longer the boy was there, the more danger he was in.
A week ago, he would've denied the chance that anyone at the castle would hurt a child. But now, he didn't know what to believe.
The only time they stopped was when Morgana moved to sit in front of him so he could sleep without falling off, and Selene was desperate to relieve herself. After that, they didn't waste a second.
The sun was up when the castle came into view. They couldn't just walk through the door this time, and he was sure the tunnel was shut off by now. They were stuck now, frantically trying to think of a plan.
Finally, in a grave tone, Morgana spoke up. "I'll turn myself in, then I'll find a way to let you all in."
"No," Kit insisted. "I'll do it. They'll kill you right away, they don't care about you. But they'll want me alive."
Morgana stiffened his jaw. "You're worth more than me. If you're wrong, we're screwed."
He was about to say something else when Selene cut in. "I'll go," she said. "They won't kill me right away either, but I'm not the most important here. I know the castle, too, I'll figure something out."
Giselle's eyes were glistening. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked. "You've got your shard, don't you?"
"I'll be okay, Princess. And if I'm not--"
The princess didn't let her finish what she was saying, colliding their lips together and kissing her with a passion so deep, Kit almost had to look away.
When they parted, Selene pulled something from around her wrist and set it in Giselle's palm. It was the woven bracelet from her late sister, something she never took off for anything. "I love you, Giselle," she said.
Her face hardened again when she turned to Kit. "Go to your window. Your room is the least guarded, I'll figure out how to get you in, or get us out. Right now, try to disable the outside defenses. I'll do my best to occupy as many guards as I can."
As much as it stung to be reminded of the lack of safety he was given at the castle, he didn't dwell on it. "Yes, sir," he told her. "Be safe, please."
Her eyes, though stern, held a kind of warmth she rarely showed him. "I will, Kristofer. I promise."
With that, the Lady Knight was gone, throwing herself right into the face of danger. Kit could think of no one better for the job.
Giselle's eyes were spilling over now as she watched Selene disappear. Kit placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her attention to him.
From his pocket, he pulled out the shard given to him by the Seelie Queen. "You deserve this," he told her, placing it in her hand.
She threw her arms around his shoulders, tucking her face into his neck. "You're a true Prince, Kit."
He pulled away with foggy eyes, then turned to Eurion, pulling out the other shard he'd kept since the ship. "You need one, too."
"But then you won't have one."
"I don't care. Take it."
She was about to thank him, but Morgana cleared his throat, pulling them back to the moment. "Touching," he said. "But we have other things to worry about. Anyone know where we can find a bow?"
"Lady Selene."
Prince Connor's voice was just like his father's. Large, imposing, and snobby.
"Your Highness," she ground out from her place in the center of the throne room.
He looked as though he was preparing to be the King soon. And perhaps if Wylan wasn't so greedy, he would already have the crown. He certainly acted like it, at least.
The sound of his boots against the marble rang through the room as he descended the few steps, putting himself back on her level. Well, sort of. He was embarrassingly short, a trait he most certainly inherited from Wylan.
"You're a traitor to the crown. Not once, but twice, you've taken advantage of the trust our most loyal men have put in you, and broke it for your own gain." He walked in a circle around her. "First, you stole the faerie. Then, you stole three horses after you openly disregarded me as your Prince."
"I have never once viewed you as being above me, Connor."
"'Your Highness,'" he corrected sharply. "I could have you executed for that."
"But you won't," she said confidently. "At least, not until you've tortured all the information you'll need out of me."
He didn't deny it, but he gripped her face. "And we will. Don't think you can hide anything from us."
"Who said I would try?" she told him, stopping him in his tracks. "That's right, Connor. I've been lying to Kit the whole time. I'm still on your side, you know. Who do you think has been the one delivering your anonymous tips?"
He froze. It was a wild guess, but somehow it worked.
"Prove it. I'm not gullible like the others you've gotten through."
That would be a challenge. She had to think fast. Finally, her hand clutched around the necklace Giselle had insisted she wear to the ball, setting it in his hand.
"They were looking for that," she said. "A shard of Excalibur is in that necklace."
"Am I supposed to believe you?"
"Feel it." She nodded to the necklace. "Really feel it."
"It's... tingly."
"Exactly," she said. "That's because it's made of magic. Kit nearly died for that, I wouldn't just hand it over if I wanted him to win."
Connor squinted. "Why would I want this?"
"Because Excalibur is the only thing that can help him steal your throne." It was King Wylan, entering the throne room behind her.
"He... what?"
"Isn't it obvious, Highness?" she crowed. "He wants your throne, and he's teamed up with the Unseelie assassin to bring back Arthur's sword and take it from you. He almost succeeded, too."
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Lord Herwerde among the Knights escorting the King to his throne. Her voice caught in her throat as their eyes met across the room. In that one look, they told each other the same thing.
I'm on your side.
"Father, do you believe her?" Connor asked, turning to King Wylan.
Her heart drummed against her ribcage, eyes unwavering against Wylan's. She was afraid he wouldn't answer, until his voice cut through the silence that had settled over the room.
"Not yet."
She exhaled, watching the King stand. He pulled something from his pocket that glinted in the light when it turned it in his hand. A dagger.
Selene gulped, eyes zeroing in on the blade that he brought ever closer to her.
"This blade is blessed. It will only kill who I want you to kill, no one else." He offered it to her, and she picked it up, blue eyes studying the handle.
"Who am I killing?" She was wary, but she would do whatever it took to save Avalon.
"The boy."
Her chest constricted. She knew he was too much of a coward to kill the boy himself, of course he'd make her so it. She almost refused, until she realized that she would be taken right to Lionel. It was too easy.
"What's the catch?"
He chuckled. "Smart as ever. The catch is that Connor is going with you."
She eyed the prince. It was still too easy, and it was clear in his eyes that Connor agreed. He was hilariously terrified of her.
"I'm bringing men," he said, looking to the Knights that escorted the King. Herwerde was among them, face still as stone.
"Fine," Wylan said, staring down at the Lady. "Go, then. I expect the boy to be dead next I see you."
Selene kept her chin high as Connor and his men led her down to the dungeons. She was glad for once that she didn't cry easy, because the thought that they'd lock a child in a miserable dungeon pricked at her heart.
They were now far from anyone else, met by two more guards watching the cell. Lionel sat inside, cross-legged and looking up at her with wide eyes, glad that she finally came for him. They grew scared the moment he saw who was with her, though.
"Open the cell," Connor ordered.
Selene's eyes fell out of focus as the cell door opened, and she took a breath for confidence.
"Do it, Selene," he pressed. "Kill him."
"Herwerde," was all she said before she turned, swinging the butt of the dagger at the prince's forehead. The men immediately drew their swords, but Herwerde had two out in a second.
Selene pulled the shard from her hair, letting it out of its updo, swinging it right into Connor's eye, kicking him into two men and pushing them back. She felt an all-too-familiar surge of strength, and her moves got swifter smarter, stronger.
Together, she and Herwerde knocked out every Knight and the two guards. Selene looked down at the bloodied shard with a smile, ignoring the cuts in her own hand and the slice on her cheek.
"Come on, Lionel," she said, pulling him to his feet. "Are you ready to sing?"
Another man fell from the high wall, landing at the base of the hill with a sickening thud. They were running out of men now, but they could only keep it up for so long. All they could do at this point was hope Selene had them occupied.
"Shit," Morgana hissed. "I'm out."
Kit yanked an arrow from his shoulder without a second thought, handing it up to him. "Make it count."
Morgana latched the arrow to the string, pulling back and finding where to aim. "That's the idea," he murmured, eyes scanning for a place to shoot.
He was about to let go when all the men started to fall, just as they did back at the square. His heart sped up.
"It's Lionel. He's taking them down," he said.
In his moment of surprise, he missed the last conscious man pointing an arrow right at Kit. Without a second thought, he released, knocking the arrow right out of the air and to the ground with his own.
From the window of Kit's room, Morgana saw something flying out. It was a rope. Then he saw Lionel climbing up onto the ledge, gripping the rope like his life depended it.
He didn't have to think twice, leaping from the tree he'd hidden himself in and racing towards the window. He stood beneath it, watching as Lionel slid down the rope and right into Morgana's hands.
He lowered him to the ground. "Go, over there," he whispered to the boy, pushing him towards the others.
When he looked up for Selene, she didn't come. And she still didn't, even after he called. She wasn't alone.
Morgana took hold of the rope, mustering every ounce of strength in his body to scale the wall, until he was climbing through the window and landing in Kit's room.
The grunting came from on top of the loft, and he raced for the spiral stairs.
"Morgana, get out of here! I've got this!" Selene grunted. There were two men still fighting her, one unconscious on the ground. Any other day, he would've given the fight to her, but the bloodstain at her side and the weight of her breath told him she wasn't going to make it out alone.
He picked up a decorative sword that hung on the wall, swinging for the man that ran towards him. He struggled to keep up with him, but he was more agile by far, climbing up on top of desks and chairs, even balancing on the railing at one point. By some miracle, he knocked the sword from his hand and kicked him over the balcony, sending him to the solid floor with a crack.
He moved to help Selene with the last man. It was a hard struggle, this man was almost as good as Selene at her best. She was far from her best, though, stumbling against a shelf with a whimper.
The man swung around when Morgana attempted to catch him from behind, but he ducked right before he could send his head flying.
In his distraction, Selene shoved over a nearby mirror and knocked it into his side. Morgana took the opportunity to finish him with a stab to the throat.
"Come on," he urged, helping her to the window. He could hear clamoring at the door, and he rushed her over. Her knuckles were white as she held on, descending slowly down the wall.
The door swung open. "Go, Selene!" he cried.
They got closer, reaching for the rope, which Selene was still attached to.
"Not today," he growled, swinging his sword and cutting the rope before they could get to the Lady. He could only hope she was close enough to the ground now.
Morgana fought them off for as long as he could, giving the others enough time to escape. But he knew he wouldn't be joining them.