Chapter Forty-Two

  Rather than cede any ground on prote, there were now twelve guards c the rge suite where they were detaining Prince Adric. It was less friendly cooperation and more petitive over-proteg. Harmony sighed. As if there wasn’t a safer pce to be right now. Adric was alone in his room, depressingly alone. He looked almost lifeless when she caught sight of him, and she'd never seen him look that way. How could so much ge in two days?

  He immediately perked up when he saw her and bounded over. Rather than a spin it was a gentle hug, “Harm, I’ve missed you. How's Nae's Garden? You going in alone always has me worried.”

  “I’m not the one looking wrung out. What have they doo you since I’ve seen you st?”

  “They weren’t happy about that little escape act I pulled to see you at the ballroom. They've increased their diligen figuring out whatever I am. With the charter selor arriving soon, they didn’t want to look like they were sg their duties around making sure no royal undead existed. Outside of the nasty cos they’ve been having me drink, I think the only meal I’ve had is a pte of garlic. To think I figured that was an old wives tale about vampires.”

  The eals was w. But whatever mystery mixtures they're giving him must be causing Adriewly pallid look. What will they do , light him on fire to see if he doesn't burn?

  “Even if temporary, that treatment sounds abhorrent.” The gre she delivered to the pace guards, the only staff on hand, returned a few embarrassed looks. “if this doesn't this doesn't end soon. I may o take legal a.” No reason to point out that legal a would involve pet w. “Hopefully we'll get this resolved soon. Still, you need proper food.” Ambrosia produced a bag of nuts and seeds and slid it into Harmony’s hand. Birdfood? That will have to do. “Eat some of this.“

  Adric happily chewed on nuts while Harmony stroked his hair. Color was already starting to return to him. How bad would he look if he stayed two more days or even a week? Maybe this resolution could be today? The idea of fronting the quee a ripple of fear through her. Adric might not know why, but he looked down at her with questioning puppy-dog eyes. “Harm?”

  “Things are just a little pli…”

  Adric lifted her up with such urgent surprise that ostasis kicked in. Not a gentle lift as he sluo the side. Only the quickest bodyguards had hands on their hilts, their eyes on Adric. The prince wasn’t moving to hurt her though.

  Existence was being ripped. Like someone was cutting the threads that held reality together. A line of pure white sparks lined up in the air and pulled at dist the view around it. Direally through that gap, a hint of the queen’s offered reition leaked.

  Odd. One would think you would hear stories if the queen ever made arahis way. The leg that stepped through first was definitely not feminine. Red leather dragonhide pants over bck boots. The arm wearing a matg red jacket stuck through, followed by the head of a weirdly grinning man with short-cut gray hair and wild eyes. The stranger pulled the rest of himself through, revealing a fiailored bck dress shirt uhat red jacket. ostasis was still active, such was the speed of the marance.

  The bodyguards weren’t inactive. A full half of them now had their hands on their ons. It was good to see four of them were her loaners and not the pace guard. That was all she got before her awareness sped up and everything was a blur as Prince Adric hauled her away.

  “Now this is a reception!” The man barked as the hole he stepped through closed. Seven of the bodyguards u the man, ons drawn. Skills and magic flickered by those handling support as well.

  The stranger in red didn’t move, so much as twist their hips, and mao defled dodge every attack. They all verged and came away with nothing. “Ashes,” Harmony muttered.

  Worse, the attackers hit the floor with none of the grace you’d expect from them. Silence?

  Adriearly had her to the exit. He was faster than her. [Stride] could be a backup if this failed.

  “No.” Rather than hit the opening out of the room the Neancer a hit an invisible wall. “You don’t.” The man in red finished.

  [Stride Before the Fall] Harmony found herself split, but both stu the same room uo escape that way. “Delve me.” The pair echoed.

  That caused the man to blink even as he sidestepped more attacks that he appeared blind to, as his eyes never left the Harmonies. “Fasating.”

  Four bodyguards were down. Not dead, but not moving. ’t leave. ’t hide. Only oion. Adric was already charging back at the intruder before Harmony finished itting. The boy was a bonded rider, without his mount, which had to cost him the utility of his skills. The dy’s pet prince couldn’t have ged his skills in any way that would be useful here? Harmonies growled after him, both kig off, trailing in the prince’s wake.

  She activated [Keen Iigative Awareness] to find a weakness. Eight bodyguards were down now, dispatched with such ease that she still hadn’t seen enough ter any hints on how to take this man down. Just a stupidly powerful man pying with those weaker than him in a manner unbeing of someone so much stronger. It’s not like she could do mu as it was.

  One Harmo a burst of [Mana Rotation] charged [Final Silehe man winced for half a sed. In that space, he looked, not normal, but not superpowered. No one was there in any coordinated effort to take advantage of that slip, but it wasn’t like she k would only st half a freaking sed.

  Strided, she did have the ability to do that again, but no ce to coordi with others. It also limited her options.

  Prince Adric arrived onless, but it wasn't a physical attack. “In my Lady’s and down!” Authority and skill reverberated in his voice. A and skill?

  Not enough time. Harmony’s kick was focused on an overpowered soul strike charged through her leg, making use of [High Kick] to her fullest. Doubtful even that would do anything sting damage but if she could disrupt one of his powerful skills then there was hope.

  Adric’s and lingered iranger in red’s eyes. Maybe that would be enough. The kick didn't nd. Harmony didn’t nd. She hung in mid-air a palms distance from ndirike. Not floating, but frozen in space. Peripheral vision caught that everything was also locked in p the room, for she couldn't even move her eyes, but did have ara set she could use.

  Hyath Stood in front of Ambrosia at the er. The bodyguards were a mess of sprawled-out aen Bodies all over the room. At least she could think. This newer had plete trol of the room. At least now There was a hint of sweat on his brow.

  “Cute, and you... “ He said, addressing Prince Adric, “are lucky this is in the best is of your dy. I haven't been anded like that since college.”

  The pressure of choosing for [Stride] was rising. Maybe if she ed him up in that fancy dragoher with [Manipute Dead]. The skill reached out through the modified space. The resistance was akin to when she first tried to use the skill at level one against the undead under Old Bones's influenbsp; No ripping or tearing even moving it a strong wind might be able to do better.

  “And you…” The man's attention turo the Harmonies, first, the one held bad then the one mid-kick. “Such a surprisingly dangerous child.”

  Child! [Awareness] flickered and Harmony shoved its distra away. What ways were there to rip that smug look off his face? A haircut probably wouldn't be able to touch a hair on his head with any skill. Synergy swirled as non-bat tactics were explored. So cocky and prideful. es to [Beauti] and [Manipute Dead] paired up betweewo of her. With that, she decided that if one of her was going to die, what did trol matter?

  The doomed Harmony’s tribution tapped into her instability. When skills broke down they were often more explosive. To reach this arrogant-ass-in-red she sacrificed.

  “Hey!” he barked as one Harmony died under his trol. His mask slipped in annoyance.

  The explosio off hit his red jacket and pants. A color explosion. Jagged streaks of silver, blue, green, and purple. Twisted and rippled through the outfit. You don't dress so pretentiously without g about your looks. It robably the only way she could hurt him. Futile, pointless, yet totally satisfying.

  Now he really lost his cool. Whatever force held Them in pce smmed everyoo the ground with a tower shaking thud.

  “Gnome ied dungheap! Do you know how expehat – of course, you don't? Fine, I should have introduced myself. I’m Maekus Von Trell, peak climber, domain holder, master of the five apes, charter selor, and more importantly the judge and jury of this little problem!”

  Irospect, the charter selor showing up in the middle of Prince Adric’s suite, powerful and arrogant, should have been an obvious guess after he didn't kill anyone when he had the power to. That had bee warning she ignored. So muaking good first impressions.