Clash of Wills (11 page)

“Indeed I am, Your Highness.”

“Call me Wills.”

“So they finally caught you, then? I’m surprised your skin is intact.”

“Caught me?”

“Maggot and his band of highwaymen. I understand they were paid a rather large sum to bring you to the queen.”

“Kidnapping? I thought Maggot was just trying to kill me.”

“That comes later, after they’ve cut off a few body parts and sent them to your father. I don’t envy you.”

“Maggot doesn’t know I’m here, and my identity remains a secret—for now,” Wills said. “I was providing an escort.”

A flash of recognition. “Not for the princess?” At Wills’ nod, Nick closed his eyes and groaned. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t agreed to deliver that wretched compass to her, Samantha never would have come.”

“That was
you
?”

“I can’t forgive my own stupidity.” A muscle worked in Nick’s jaw. “Now Samantha will be killed.”

Panic crept into Will’s voice. “What do you mean?”

“It’s all part of Aurora’s scheme. Samantha’s death will be blamed on Insolitia, while your death will be laid at Paloran’s door. When the two kingdoms go to war with one another, Aurora will unloose her army on the populace. After it’s all over, she’ll reign supreme and life as we know it will be over.” Nick’s flippancy was in marked contrast to his grim expression.

Aghast, Wills stared. “Is Julian a part of this?”

Nick averted his eyes. “Julian’s dead.”

“Julian, go fetch paper and ink,” Aurora said. “Samantha must write to Tomas.”

After a quick nod, he hastened from the throne room. As her brother left, Samantha drew her sleeve across her face to dry her eyes. “Why must I write to Father?”

“You’re to say you’re being held prisoner by the Insolitians and they’ve threatened to kill you unless he pays a ransom. Make up a ridiculously large sum…the amount doesn’t matter.”

“I won’t write such a letter, and nothing could induce me to do so,” Samantha exclaimed.

“You’ll do anything I ask.”

“I won’t!”

A sudden invisible downward pressure made Samantha’s knees buckle. As she sank to the floor, a feeling of futility swept over her.
Aurora is so wise and powerful…and I’m always making mistakes. What a fool I am to defy her!
Samantha lifted her eyes to her grandmother, who gave her a beneficent smile.
No, not beneficence. Evil.
From somewhere deep within, Samantha found the strength to push back. As she struggled to stand, Aurora’s perfect features showed displeasure—and a touch of uncertainty.

“Defiance will not be tolerated,” she snapped.

“I. Will.
Not.
Comply.” With her fists clenched at her side, Samantha forced out each word with an effort.

“No matter. There’s more than one way to flay a demon.” Aurora beckoned to her guardsmen, who closed in on Samantha from all directions. “Take her to the dungeon.”

Nick’s breath blew out in a white gust. “I hate to admit it, but it’s growing more frigid in here. Aurora must be trying to kill us faster.”

“Not good.” Wills jumped up and down to improve the circulation in his numb feet. “I nearly froze to death on the Stairs of Tears, and I didn’t enjoy it at all.”

A glance of admiration. “You and Samantha climbed the Stairs? Your legs are stronger than mine.”

“Did you take the long way ’round?”

“No, I transformed myself into a rather large horse. When it comes to stairs, four legs are better than two.”

“You’re a wizard. Can’t you use some sort of magic to get us out of here?”

“Sadly, I’m impotent to do anything magical while I’m within the walls of Queen Aurora’s castle.”

The sheet of ice penning them in shifted to one side and Samantha was shoved inside the cell. Wills caught her before she could fall to the floor. As the ice wall slid back into place, he caught a glimpse of the eerily white guardsmen in the corridor.

“Are you all right?” Wills asked.

“Much better now that I know you’re alive.”

Nick peered at her. “Samantha, is that you?”

Samantha peered at him. “Nicholas?”

“Ha! Dressed like that I thought you were a lad! What an admirable disguise. I must say, those trousers are quite flattering.” Nick bowed gallantly and kissed her hand.

What a preening popinjay!
Wills expected to find a look of disgust on Samantha’s face, but her lips were curved in a smile instead.

“Wills…er, I mean Joe, this is my cousin, Lord Nicholas,” she said.

“
Distant
cousins, actually,” Nick said. “Our nearest relation is our great-grandfather, so we’re hardly related at all.”

“There’s no need to dissemble, Samantha,” Wills said. “Your
distant
cousin and I are on a first name basis.”

“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “Why are you locked up, Nicholas? I thought you and Julian were on friendly terms.”

“Nobody is on friendly terms with Queen Aurora, I’m afraid, and Julian is possessed,” Nick replied.

Samantha shuddered. “She has a knack for imposing her will on people.”

“I apologize for my part in this nasty scheme to bring you here. I can assure you it was unwitting…albeit naive.”

“That’s unimportant right now.” She stared at him, clearly taken aback. “Ice crystals have formed in your hair and eyebrows. We must escape before we freeze to death.”

Nick and Wills exchanged a helpless glance.

“If you have any ideas that don’t involve brute force, I’d be glad to hear them,” Wills said.

“My magic won’t work here, either.” Nick spread his arms wide in a shrug. “Once outside the castle, however, I’m at your service.”

Paper and pen in hand, Julian joined Aurora in the throne room. He glanced around, but Samantha was gone. “Did I miss something?”

“Your sister is defiant. As punishment, my guardsmen have taken her to the dungeon. We’ll see how long she can withstand the chill of my wrath.”

“I detected a bit of sentiment between her and her manservant.”

Aurora laughed. “Excellent. Perhaps Samantha will cooperate to save the man’s skin. It won’t be too long now before he begins to turn blue.”

The steward appeared. “Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but visitors have come. It’s Maggot and his men.”

Aurora’s even white teeth gleamed. “Excellent! They are bringing me the prince and everything is falling into place.”

Guardsmen escorted four ragged men into the throne room. Aurora’s blue eyes narrowed. “Where is Prince Wills?”

Maggot immediately sank to his knees. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we don’t rightly know. We tracked him as far as Elturon, but he had a demon traveling with ’em.”

“A demon?” Julian scoffed. “Demons don’t travel with humans.”

“As you say, sir. But if we hadn’t run, the demon would’ve burnt the four of us to a crisp.” He held up his bare hands to show his red, oozing palms.

“A
fire
demon?” Aurora raised a skeptical eyebrow. “That’s absurd.”

The snaggle-toothed bandit cleared his throat. “Maybe so, but he looked like an innocent lad.”

The third bandit nodded. “Aye. He was old enough to be shaving, but his face was smooth like a girl.”

Aurora’s eyes narrowed. “What else can you tell us about this demon?”

“He was dressed as a huntsman and had an enchanted sling.” Maggot pointed at Julian. “His hair was reddish brown…like His Highness.”

“
No
,” Julian muttered.

“And he was willing to have his throat cut to protect the prince,” the snaggletoothed man said. “Odd thing was, the demon came with him all the way from Paloran.”

“It seems we already have Prince Wills in our dungeon.” Aurora laughed. “As easy as that.”

“How is it possible for my sister to possess the powers of a fire demon? I don’t understand.”

“All the elemental demons stem from a common source. She’s a throwback—a abominable freak of nature. If I could bend her will to mine, she would be a formidable weapon. As it is, Samantha poses a danger.”

With a rapid movement of her hands, Aurora shaped a long icy stiletto from thin air and proffered it to Julian. He gave it a wary glance. “What’s that for?”

“Kill Nicholas, Samantha, and Wills.”

Julian blanched.

“We’ll send their bodies back to their kingdoms with an appropriate story to match. The war we need will soon follow.”

Julian stared at the glistening stiletto and slowly shook his head. “But it’s
Sam
…”

Aurora fixed him with a stare. “You
will
obey me.”

Confused, his eyes glazed over. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Samantha cast a critical eye around the dungeon cell. Melting the cell door was easiest, but would likely result in alerting the guardsmen—and Aurora—to their escape. She focused on the narrow block of ice near the ceiling, which was crystal clear like a window.

“That block of ice is at ground level. If I can burn through it, we can get out.”

“You can’t burn through it,” Nick said. “I’m telling you, magic won’t work here. And since when are you a wizard?”