Page 44 of Of Brides Of Queens

So then, I couldn’t die.

If I couldn’t die, then I couldn’t carry on with this weapon in my chest either. I could only imagine the weariness of dressing around it each night.

I drew the dagger out—a butcher’s knife—and the echoingthudin my ears gradually receded until I was able to take stock of the situation.

Humans climbed over the walls. My guard rope whipped any he could, but the sheer number of them was too much for the young monster to handle. His movements grew weaker with every whipping.

Pawns battled against humans, physically throwing them over the walls.

“You are operating outside the scope of your contracts,” Sign roared, so hard that new rips appeared in the hollows of his cheeks.

The mention of contracts implied this was an attack from King Raise.

My, but his humans were quite insane with the need to attack me.

They dragged a large dummy over the wall, and at once, I saw that they had stitched and dyed the dummy in my likeness.

I blinked when a human set the dummy alight, and I did feel some hurt from the act. Raise must be behind the corn husk doll.

He’d decided against waiting for the verdict of kings on eternal servitude.

Humans clambered up the balustrades from the high walls that surrounded the hotel. The shards of glass jammed there wounded many, but a frenzied fever had claimed these humans. They were not themselves and attacked me by the design of the king they did not even know. There were so many of them, and my pawns and guard rope could not hold so many back at once.

Humans rushed the stairs, seeking me out.

Rushed was a relative term as the humans were remarkably slow. There was something endearing about a creature that tried so hard but was so very unskilled, like a baby bird learning to fly.

They reached my landing and raced toward me. I was impressed considering they couldn’t see me, but the power of Raise must have guided them—how else would a dagger have managed to lodge in my heart?

The humans’ rushing charge was abruptly ended when they piled up against the balloon of my power.

I had a balloon.

The closest humans were pressed tight against the invisible force of my power by those still charging behind them.

I wondered how they intended to capture or kill an invisible monster they couldn’t touch…

I called down to my battling pawns, who had nearly emptied the courtyard. “There are some humans up here, my pawns. Do you suppose Raise intends more to this assassination?”

“’Tis a mere capture, Lady Queen,” said Deliver. “We were meant to help with the capturing part, to answer your question. We knew that we would never be able to, and so we went along with our liege for a time.”

I nodded. “Yes, you must agree sometimes to avoid a king’s rage. I would appreciate some warning of capture attempts in the future.”

The stairway pawns dropped to their knees and hastily uttered their devotion.

“This capture attempt is pitiful without you,” I murmured. “Now what is to be done with an excess of humans? I can hardly move around with them.”

The three stairway pawns leaped to their feet.

“We’ll round them up, and with our humble apologies,” Seal replied. “But what would you like to do with the human who threw the blade into your heart?”

I would like to applaud the human’s aim, though guided by Raise. “I am open to suggestions.”

“Lady Queen, we are but mouthpieces,” Seal exclaimed.

The gate creaked opened, and the collapsed and weary rope was not responsible.

Toil, Sigil, and Hex folded one blob over another to execute hasty bows as Princess Bring slimed in.

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