My vision tunneled, focusing on the fingers around the Prince’s neck, cataloging every indentation of skin, every shift of Feng’s thumb. My job, my one job above all others, was to keep the King and the Prince safe. It was the one lesson that had been stressed to me over and over again. The Castle Guard would lay down their lives for the Crown if the threat should call for it, but it was the Wizard’s job to lay waste to any threat to begin with.
I started forward, but Morgan put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing so tightly that it stung against the lightning-tree scar. I knew he didn’t mean to hurt me, but it parted the red sheen of rage that had fallen over my eyes.
Ryan stood next to me, bouncing on his feet slowly, hands up in front of him in fists, ready to move when signaled.
Letnia stood where she had before, jaw dropped, confusion on her face.
Mama looked more furious than I’d ever seen her.
And Randall?
Randall said, “You’re making a mistake.”
And he said it with such ease.
Feng laughed. “A miztake? I tink not. I tink you’ll find it iz you who iz miztaken, old wizzzard. Now, I know yer magic iz… large. But you zee dees tings on me? Dey are filled with a concoction of my own making. Quite… explosive. Dere would be nothing left of the Prince. Or any of you.”
“I’m totally going to save you,” I told Justin, hopefully to calm him down if he was freaking out. “You don’t even have to worry. I got you, dude.”
“Somehow, that’s not as comforting as you think it is,” Justin said through gritted teeth.
“You motherfucking cocksucker!” Mama bellowed at him, causing Feng to take a step back. “Are you fucking serious? I’m going to tear you apart piece by piece, and just when you’re gagging on your own blood, I’m going to rip your dick off and shove it down your throat!”
“Holy violence,” I whispered in awe. “That was graphic.”
“How did you think this was going to end?” Randall asked, as if he had all the time in the world. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here?”
Feng grinned. The gold teeth flashed. “Got you all in one room, didn’t I?”
“It’s a mothercracking trap,” Ryan growled, and I was so proud of him for controlling his language in this dire time. It was the mark of a true knight. I needed to fuck him nice and hard later if we made it out of this alive. Positive reinforcement and all that.
“Your key is gone?” Randall asked.
“Crumbled against da lock,” Feng agreed. “Not enough to open, but enough to crack. Myrin did da rest. Iz time for da Darks. Offers were made. Here iz how this will work. I leave with da Prince. Any move made and he will die before you blink.”
He began to edge his way toward the door.
“Feng,” Letnia said. “You are making a mistake. Do you not see the people in this room? In what world do you see yourself coming out alive at the end of this? And even if it was just Mama and myself, you had to have known we would destroy you.”
“Dere are tings far greater than I,” Feng said. “But he will reward me. And it will be glorious.”
“This is why the Darks gathered,” Morgan said. “Because you were supposed to bring the Prince? But you couldn’t have known we would bring him with us to Meridian City. How could you—”
“It was meant to be the boy wizard,” Feng said, shooting me a look. “Thought dere would be more time, but you asked about da keys already. This is improvising. A prince in da place of a wizard? Seems fair to me.”
“What did he want with Sam?” Ryan snapped at him as we turned with every step Feng took toward the door.
Feng shrugged. “Not my concern. Dis is as good as it gets. Prince, open da door.”
“Fuck your face,” Justin snarled.
“Maybe later,” Feng said. “If dere iz time.”
Justin struggled against him, but Feng squeezed his throat even harder, and I knew if we got out of all this, there’d be bruises in the shape of a handprint around his neck.
And that, well.
That pissed me off.
“Justin, do it,” I said, struggling to keep my voice even. “Open the door. It won’t matter, because he’s not going to get very far. You can trust me on that.”
“Dat so?” Feng eyed me up and down. “You tink you can stop me?”
I grinned at him, wicked sharp. “Oh, I know I can. You know what your problem is? And it’s funny, because it’s a common one, so don’t blame yourself too much for it. But you’ve underestimated me. That was a big mistake, and probably your last.”
And there was a flicker of something akin to fear in his eyes that warmed me greatly. It also helped that no one would be able to argue later how badass I sounded. If only my clothes were billowing, this moment would have been perfect.
“If you get me killed, Sam,” Justin said, “I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your miserably short life, I swear to the gods.”
“Good,” I said. “Because we’re best friends 5eva. I wouldn’t expect any less from you. I am so happy you realized that now, right at this moment. I’ll never let you forget it.”
“I hate you so much.”
“Nah. You’re just being held captive by a villain who was stupid enough to take you in front of three wizards, a knight commander, an angry drag queen, and a lady with a glittery eye patch. You’re going to be just fine.”
A pause. Then, “Yeah. Hearing that makes me realize I should have stayed at the castle.”
“Nah, it’s good for you to get out every now and then. Remember how it was before you were kidnapped? You were such an asshole. Now look at you. Having adventures and getting captured. It’s almost like we’re the same person!”
“Oh gods,” Justin moaned. “Maybe I should just go with Feng. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about being like Sam of Wilds for very much longer.”
“Your mouth is saying no,” I told him solemnly. “But your heart is saying yes.”
“Enough,” Feng growled. “Open. Da. Door.”
Justin glanced at me one last time.
I nodded at him.
He sighed… and reached for the doorknob.
I had to think of a plan. I couldn’t let him get out of the Tilted Cross with Justin still his prisoner. I didn’t know who was waiting for Feng outside the brothel, ready to spirit them away the moment they stepped out into the sunlight. Granted, he first needed to make it down the hall, then down the stairs, and to the front door before that happened.
This certainly sounded like a plan thought up by the Darks.
It was fucking ridiculous.
Also, Feng was essentially a gigantic bomb, so. Yeah.
Completely fucking ridiculous.
Justin turned the doorknob slowly.
It clicked in the silence.
And there Feng stood, Justin in one hand, a burning cigar in the other, grinning at us like he thought he’d already made it free, strapped to the hilt with whatever it was on his chest, and as the door began to open, I followed his gaze as his eyes darted around the room yet again.
And I could see then. What he saw.
Those little wooden spheres.
They were stuffed everywhere in the room.
Oh sure, they were hidden away, but now that I knew what I was looking for, now that I knew this motherfucking asshole had no intention of letting us go, I could see exactly what his plan was.
The Darks came.
They knew movement would show on the map.
Myrin told me about marching upon Meridian City.
He knew we would come here.
And he’d gotten us all in a single room.