章 78: Chapter 78: To the Royal Palace

Garnet POV

Shifters healed quickly. Garnet knew this.

Even so, the right side of her body would probably be sore for a while. Her body complained at the tiniest movement. But she thanked the Moon Goddess that she and the others were alive. They stood in the midst of fallen trees. It looked like a giant had reached out and knocked down an entire grove. And the tree trunks looked blackened, as if a fire had just ripped through the grove. The surrounding trees were also scorched.

Garnet shivered, sensing the wicked touch of the Dark Goddess' curse and seeing the effects of the catastrophic struggle between Hades and the demon. "Is everyone alright?"

Anneliese groaned. "Everyone except Marieke."

Garnet's eyes shifted to the human lying unconscious in Daxius' arms. In that moment, she shivered at Daxius' stormy turquoise eyes, like a hurricane-tossed sea. Her Jiro often looked the same way when something happened to her. Daxius truly loved this woman. Garnet could smell the protectiveness in him.

"This blasted curse," he growled.

Morgana's voice trembled. "I can–"

"YOU married him and created this nightmare!" Daxius turned away, cradling Marieke, in a world of his own.

Her heart squeezing, Garnet understood Daxius' misplaced anger. He was a good man. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that Ravyn had chosen her husband well, just as she'd made an excellent choice with Jude. But he was a passionate, strong, protective man who didn't take kindly to his family being endangered, and from the way he gazed at Marieke, he, too, had found a new love.

Morgana's shoulders slumped, and Patch, sometimes not known for his delicacy, put an arm around her. "He just escaped a falling deathtrap," he said quietly. "And realized he was cursed by a demon his whole life. That he was lured away from his family. Then, this happened to his lady. He's earned a little grumpiness."

Taking a deep breath, Morgana composed herself and glared at Melisande's sleeping form. "Then I'll just blame Hades, as always."

Ravyn's voice was sharp. She clearly didn't agree with Patch. "DAXIUS. This is not the time to put a magical lock on the bedroom door and have me try to break it down with a fire spell. We need to restore our energy and then teleport back to Lugdunum."

Garnet glanced at Lilia, her eyes full of questions.

Lilia shrugged and said in a low voice, "My parents had their fiery disagreements when I was younger. I actually remember that one. She really did burn the bedroom door to ashes."

Shaking her head, Garnet said, "I can only imagine what could happen in a house of magicians. Shifters are equally unpredictable."

Daxius breathed out, and addressed Morgana. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled-for."

Morgana dabbed at her eyes. "Thank you. Ravyn is right–we need to leave. Swiftly now."

Indeed, Garnet felt the island around them turn hostile. The beasts screeched and growled, angry and full of rage at the change in their home. The birds, forming a furious cloud, dive-bombed them. The ground underneath their feet smelled different. Darker. It smelled as if someone poisoned the earth. Garnet conjured up a cleansing violet flame that spread across the ground, and Daxius and the other magicians joined her.

Bram wrinkled his nose. "The ground doesn't smell as much like a graveyard."

"That's an improvement," Lilia noted dryly. "But the Dark Goddess' curse isn't going to be scrubbed away from this island so easily."

King Odo lifted his chin. "Then, as the ruler of Lugdunum, I declare Abandonnado Island off-limits to travel until the curse can be banished, or until it fades away on its own. Royal Mage Pascalline, put out magical beacons to warn sailors to avoid this island."

Breathing like she'd just run a race across the desert sands, Royal Mage Pascalline pulled out some crystal orbs and poured warning red energy into them, then hurled them into the air and watched them fall out of sight like red hailstones. "Done."

Garnet felt her energy ebbing and fading away, and was thankful for Jiro's strong, comforting arms. They still felt lean, but powerful. She wondered if his new wolf body was just temporary. The change certainly didn't show in his human form.

Jiro said in a solemn tone, "Any curse-breaking will have to wait for a fresh crop of mages, because our magicians probably have just about enough energy to teleport us back to the royal palace in Lugdunum."

Ravyn smiled. "That sounds about right. And very welcome."

Odo declared gallantly, "For your valor and strength in capturing the foe and eliminating a threat to Lugdunum, you shall all–"

Garnet covered her ears as she heard a horrible, unthinkable sound.

The death screams of the rogues, the remaining ones, split the air. Probably from the tower collapse. But this sounded unnatural somehow. As if someone was executing the rogues.

Jiro's head was erect, and his eyes were full of anger. Dane and Bram growled. Jude stood stoically, but Garnet smelled his disgust at the rogues' terrible end.

Patch, predictably, spoke up. "Fenrir's guts. I hate rogues, but NO ONE deserves that."

Garnet shivered. "Let's just leave."

* * * * *

Jude POV

The death screams of the rogues sickened him. Patch had it right. Not even rogues who served one of the most notorious shifter criminals in history deserved to be executed in cold blood like this. They'd been fanatically loyal.

Moon Goddess, what a waste.

Ravyn, breathing hard, started the spiral, which grew and grew. Daxius added to the length, and so did Garnet. Anneliese's energy made the coils longer and more elegant. Patch, Jiro, Dane, and Jude contributed shimmering golden and red energy from their wolves. Morgana completed the spiral and Head Mage Pascalline set it spinning so fast Jude barely had a chance to catch a breath before the island vanished.

He shut his eyes, letting the motion take over. He surrendered to the spiral dance, trusting in these magicians that he'd come to depend on … including one he'd fallen in love with.

His wolf appeared to enjoy the sensation of traveling, crooning softly as the spell transported everyone safely away from that island of death.

Jude's feet hit something solid, and his body stopped whirling around. His nose detected the scents of oil lamps, crackling hearth fires, ancient stone, and, of course, humans.

He opened his eyes and found himself in a throne room grander than the Great Hall of Faolan Castle. Grander than the Great Halls in Cresta House and Sinsworth House. White stone surrounded them, and solid golden thrones sat at one end of that vast room. A handful of guards stood at attention, looking alert as their king stepped out from the group of people that had just appeared in the throne room.

Dane and Jiro glanced around in awe. "Impressive," Dane said with admiration.

One of the soldiers said briskly, "Aye, that it is. And we'll defend it, and the palace."

"At ease, men," King Odo ordered. "Our mission to Abandonnado Island to protect the kingdom from dark magic was successful. But let no one visit that island for the time being. It's been cursed by a demon."

The king's soldiers stood a bit straighter, and Jude could smell the sweat rolling off them even if they did their best to look like the strong, tough warriors they were. "Yes, Your Majesty," they chorused. "We'll inform the court."

"Excellent." King Odo nodded to one of the soldiers. "Run ahead and tell the healers we have a patient. Several patients." He nodded at Melisande. "But this one is to be kept under guard. Inside her lurks the spirit of an ancient and dangerous wizard."

Jude bared his teeth. "Just point us to your Healing Wing. Ravyn and I will take her there."

Ravyn groaned in protest, her eyelids growing heavy. "Well, if we must."

Head Mage Pascalline and two of the soldiers relieved Ravyn and Jude of their charge, and also took Marieke in hand. "You two look dead on your feet," Head Mage Pascalline said in a bossy voice.

Odo agreed. "Indeed, all of you have earned a rest. Stay as long as you like."

Ravyn exchanged a grin with Jude. "After what we've achieved, I'd say we have, indeed, earned that," Ravyn said in a soft voice.

Jude wrapped his arms around her. "I couldn't be prouder." Heedless of everyone's eyes on them, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Odo beamed at all of them. "And don't worry. Certain … details … about you and this mission will stay between us. Only my most trusted people and my queen will have that information."

With a sigh of relief, Dane said, "Odo, you're a true friend."

Jude's eyes grew hazy and the exhaustion took over. Still clutching Ravyn tightly, he drifted into sweet oblivion.