“Don’t take too long, Angelique!” Lucien shouted. “Safe journey, Emperor Yevgeniy!”
“Give my greetings to your father!” Emperor Yevgeniy waved as his horse snorted at Angelique and her strange mount. Despite the horses’ fear, the party moved out, clattering across the courtyard.
When they reached the long lane that led to the forest road, Ariane—her arms aching—turned to go inside. “Do we return to the Summit?”
“Yes, for now. Mage Firra, Mage Donaigh, are you coming?” Lucien called to the pair.
Mage Donaigh winked. “We’ll wait until the lady enchantress makes it to the road.”
“Very well,” Lucien said before Ariane whisked him inside.
“I’m surprised you were willing to remain a frog.” Ariane strode across the large entryway, breathing heavier when she hustled up the handful of stairs that raised the Chateau above the dining hall and kitchens. “Angelique will likely be gone for a few weeks.”
Surprised didn’t really begin to describe Ariane’s shock. She had been positive he would abandon his frog body as swiftly as possible. That he delayed it confused her greatly.
“Ahh. Yes. Well, Severin—”
“Can only be part of your reason,” Ariane said with confidence.
A croak sneaked out of Lucien’s control as they hurried down the hallway that led to the ballroom. “You think so little of me?”
“You aren’t afraid of the mages—not enough to stay a frog.”
“I see. Well, there are a few advantages to remaining an amphibian.” He leaned back on his cushion, stretching out in the sunlight that hit him when they passed open windows.
“Such as?” Ariane kept her voice light, and though she felt hope nudge her heart, she ignored it.
“As long as I am a frog, Father won’t ask me to take part in governmental meetings and such!”
Ariane rolled her eyes. “I should have known.”
“Yes,” Lucien said smugly.
Ariane was tempted—in love with him or not—to flick the smug expression off his frog face when a shadow fell across them. She glanced at the window. “What—”
A shadow as thick as tar darted through the window and wrapped around Lucien. Ariane dropped the cushion and tried to grab Lucien—grappling against the shadow. But it whisked him right out of her hands and through the window.
Chapter 9
Shadows and Spiders
“How do they keep getting through the chateau’s defenses?” Ariane whipped her magic-enhanced whistle out of a pocket and fitted it to her lips. She started blowing on it with enough force to rouse half the chateau, then planted her hands on the windowsill and popped over it.
She landed in the gardens—still blowing her whistle—and spotted the male mage with the white mask struggling to subdue Lucien—who had a shadow wrapped around his head.
Ariane grimly grabbed a decorative rock the size of her fist and ran towards the fighting frog prince and the mage. She paused and whirled around when she heard a buzzing noise behind her.
The female mage had a cloud of wasps hanging at her back. When she pointed, they flew towards Ariane, their angry buzzing nearly covering the droning sound the mage made.
Ariane reflexively held her arms across her face and felt the hush of air move across her body as the wasps hovered directly over her. The handkerchief—tucked beneath her underskirt—felt like ice on her skin…and nothing happened. Ariane found it hard to breathe from the adrenaline that pumped through her system, but she forced herself to lower her arms and peek at the mage.
A wasp tried to sting her on her bare forearm, but when it almost brushed her skin, it disintegrated into dust.
It’s the spelled handkerchief—they can’t touch me! Ariane grinned triumphantly, then spun around and threw her rock, nailing the male mage on his lower back.
“Ow!” The mage snarled and stumbled, dropping Lucien on the ground. Lucien scuffled with the shadow before it popped off his head and he could gasp for air. The mage was on him in an instant, holding him by his feet.
“Ariane, leave me and run!” Lucien shouted.
“I’ve used my whistle—help is coming,” Ariane promised as she dodged the bug mage, who tried to grab her by the wrist.
“I don’t care about help! Get out of here before they hurt you!” Lucien dangled from the mage’s grasp for a moment, trying to feebly push the mage and his shadows away with his front legs.
Still unfettered by the wasps, Ariane jumped on the male mage’s back, sending him sprawling. The fall loosened his grip on Lucien, who hopped free. “Stop saving me and run!” he repeated in an angry hiss.
Ariane tried to roll off the mage, but one of his shadows grabbed her by the ankles and flung her away. She landed on a dirt walking path, rattling her teeth with the force of her fall.
“Ariane!” Lucien shouted.
“Stop hopping around!” the male mage growled.
“Do you really think I’m going to listen to you?” Lucien sniffed—managing to sound haughty even while he fled a murderous mage.
Lucien! Ariane ignored the buzzing wasps—which were still trying to edge in on her without success—and sat up. Immediately, the male mage’s shadows hit her in the stomach, sending her sprawling and knocking the air out of her.
“What are you doing?” the mage snarled at his companion. “You were supposed to occupy his keeper!”
The bug mage bit off her buzzing noise with a click of her teeth. “I’m trying! She has some sort of charm on her.”
“Then use something different,” the male mage growled. “Or use something stronger! My shadows are affecting her!”
“Ariane! Stop fighting, and just run!” Lucien shouted.
Ariane groaned and shook her head. She grabbed her whistle from where it had fallen in the dirt next to her, and fitted it to her lips to blow again.
“Silence her!” the mage said.
“I’m working on it!” The bug mage opened her mouth again, and this time a sort of tapping noise filled the air.
Ariane stood—more guardedly—and then ran at the shadow mage as he successfully wrapped another blob of shadows around Lucien’s head.
Her heart burst into panicked beats. “Lucien, no!” Ariane grabbed another large rock and threw it at the mage, but he dodged it. What I wouldn’t give for a broom right now! Lacking any weapons, Ariane tried to throw herself at the mage again.
He stopped her from drawing closer with a shadow, but Ariane wriggled until she leaned near his head, then blew her whistle directly into his ear.
“Stop it!” He dropped Lucien to clasp his hands over his ears.
Ariane ruthlessly kicked Lucien as if he were a ball. His outraged shouts were muffled as he went sprawling head over feet, rolling much farther down the walking trail. He’s indestructible, she tried to reason with herself. It’s better to get him away from them!
The shadow mage seemed shocked. “You just kicked him!” He declared, his voice muffled by his mask.
Ariane tried to blow her whistle again, but the mage ripped it from her mouth and held a hand over her lips. So, she bit him.
“You—you savage!” he snarled, leaping away from her.