Page 32 of Six Burning Candles

I sank all my weight to the cobblestone, sending the sellsword holding me forward. He stumbled face first into the garden box. The other rushed after his friend to help. I was on myhooves in a beat, deflecting hands reaching for me with rapid cat smacks of my hand.Look, I’m a lover not a fighter.When he punched me in the chest, I kicked as hard as I could into his shin and heard the sick crack as I snappedsomethingimportant. Someone stepped on my cloak, so I unclipped it and dove away from the clump of fumbling men. I spun to face Janus again, fury and betrayal pumping through my veins.

Janus was gone.I stared at the empty spot where he once laid unconscious.That bastard!One of the men brandished his sword again, reminding me of my priorities. Blessed by Lucien’s wisdom, I knew better than to stick around for a fight I couldn’t win.

My hooves clacked against the stone, echoing with the rapid beat of my heart. I raced in the opposite direction of them in the garden.My Lady, please, one more blessing would be amazing. Could you bless me with wings?I pumped my arms at my sides. My lungs burned with effort as I rounded a corner into the opening for the castle.Or maybe a blessing of night? Could it get really dark, so dark they can’t see me?

I came to a skittering halt as another man in rough looking armor, matching those from the garden, stepped out from the shadows of a hallway.Fuck, can’t go that way.

I backtracked, stumbling over my own hooves, into the garden. I headed for the side gate out of the gardens and found another jutting out into my path.Breathe. Think. Assess.I stopped a few feet from one of my pursuers. Glancing around I searched for another weapon against the man twirling his shortsword.

“Lady Melrose!”

Thwack!

The one blocking my retreat into the garden slumped to the ground. Cleric Ramone held up his staff toward the otherruffian behind me as a threat. I twisted slowly, gawking at the disheveled man. He put his hands up. Cleric Delainey slunk out of the shadows of the castle halls, wrapping her clawed, webbed hands around the man’s neck. Inky magic crawled up his face into his eyes quickly like a disease spreading through his veins. With a single gasp, he was out and Delainey dropped him into a heap on the floor. Slack jawed and with ichor seeping out of him, the man wouldn’t be down for long.But long enough to escape if we scoot!

Ramone took my one arm, guiding me away from the unconscious ruffians. I panted, “Have I told you two lately how much I appreciate you?”

“Right back at you, my lady. These pants are superb!” Ramone beamed at me.

“I’ll pay you both back for saving my skin in any fashion you like. I’ll make you ballgowns!” I laughed as Delainey booked it ahead of us.

“Hold onto that thought till we get you away from the Cardinal, my lady,” Delainey bellowed over her shoulder.

I sputtered as we raced back toward the Cathedral, “I think I would have rather faced a Yeti.”

“See! I told you!” Ramone roared from my side.

“Yetis! Do! Not! Exist!” Delainey barked back as she held open a side gate open for the three of us. “And if it had, we’re ill equipped to fight one. Now, let’s get a move on before the Lunar Cleric has our hides for not rescuing her sooner.”

Chapter Eighteen:

~Keida~

“PeonyBernstein,”Ibellowedat the festival grounds. They were just starting to set up the banners. Snow collected around the edges, but the massive fires built every few feet, for warmth and trash reduction, kept the area fairly free of frost. My robes billowed behind me as I stared down the massive knight and her collection of bumbling fools. “We need to speak.”

“Your Lunarence.” She whistled lightly, mostly in a mockery, as she turned from the roasted turkey leg she ripped apart with her teeth. Dabbing her fingers on some spare cloth at her hip, she sauntered right up to me. “How can I help you?”

“You came here by request of Cardinal Janus?” I squinted.

Her face paled.I knew it.My lip curled up in a snarl. She rushed to put up hands like white flags, “Look, it’s not what you think.”

“How?” I demanded, making sure not to strike her despite the intense urge to do so.

“How what? How did I get here? All the knight captains get invited back to the castle for Wintersdark festival.” She laughed, throwing her arms out to the side. I glanced around at the world of tinsel andglittering snow, and bustling people. Unimpressed, I returned my gaze back to the knight.

I had little patience for her jovial tone or playful posture. “What does Cardinal Janus have over you? Why risk your life and position as a captain for this?”

Peony stared at me for a long time before blurting out, “You are joking, are you not?”

“Not in the slightest,” I grumbled, crossing my arms under my chest. “I do not joke.”

“I can tell.” She inhaled deeply through her nose before rolling her eyes. “Look, Melrose is a sweet girl. I felt bad for taking the job last time, but it was good coin. This time around, I couldn’t say no, Janus gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“Which is?” I was at my wit’s end. She glanced left and right before nodding to the side of a tent, away from prying ears or wandering eyes. I gave her crew of cackling buffoons one last glance before following her off to the shadow of the festival grounds. She put her back to one of the large oak trees that filled the kingdom, holding up many dangling lanterns that were cold and dark for the morning.

Peony leveled her gaze on me, leaning in close to speak. “Coming back to the castle as Knight Commander, obviously. With him as Hierophant Rex, I could take that seat no problem. Look, Janus said if this goes right, that you’ll still be Lunar Cleric, so I don’t know why you’re putting up a huge stink.”

I stared at the knight in bewilderment.There’s no way.It became so painfully obvious, very rapidly, that Janus’ whole game plan had beento use me. He used Peony to get Melrose out of the picture or worse, and when Leonardo had a reasonable reaction to his daughter’s disappearance, Janus would step in. Either by force or by manipulation. One of thefew things the Order allowed, would be replacement in a time of great need…and Leonardo already lost his wife.