Page 54 of Dark Captivation

I glowered at him wordlessly and he frowned.

“Sir, we found Princess Ferina, but the king isn’t with her.” A masculine voice called out from the hallway.

Varcus grabbed my arm with the strength of a forklift and steered me out the door. The child ran behind me, as fast as his little legs could take him.

We returned to the homework room to see Ferina, Margy and all the children sitting in the corner. Two swordsmen stood guard over them.

“Take the child and go sit with the princess.” Varcus instructed, sounding both impatient and worried.

I took the boy and sat with him next to Ferina.

“Did they hurt you?” Ferina asked, baring her fangs at Varcus and his men. “They won’t answer a single one of my questions. What the hell do they want anyway?” Ferina asked, reminding me that her memory of Varcus and the resistance had been wiped in the church. As much as I wanted to ease her fears, I couldn’t tell her all that I knew then. She would never trust me again if she knew I’d kept what happened in the church a secret from her.

Ferina was the only friend I had in this strange city. I wouldn’t piss her off by letting her know I had any contact with the people trying to dethrone her brother.

“I don’t know but we have to come up with a plan. They obviously want Malek. They’re probably planning on holding us hostage to lure him out,” I whispered to Ferina.

“Oh, this would do more than lure Mally out. He’d come guns blazing ready to snap all their spines,” Ferina chuckled as though it were funny.

“Toshi, sit back down!” Margy rasped.

Toshi lunged for one of the swordsmen, teeth first. The kid chomped into the gigantic man’s ankle like it were a hot fudge sundae. These little demons were going to be the death of me.

The man yelled in pain, swinging his leg back and forth like a pendulum. Toshi dug in like a tick, being tossed about on the leg like a fish on a line.

I ran for him just in time for Toshi to unclench his teeth and fly into my arms.

Toshi laughed merrily and sang a song as he clapped his hands to the tune.

Irate, the large swordsman inspected the bloody teeth marks on his ankle. His chest puffed out and his eyes twitched in rage. He took a giant leap in our direction and murderous intent salted the air.

“He’s just a child. He doesn’t know any better.” I insisted.

“Is this what you do? Attack defenseless children?” Ferina swooped in, putting herself between the man and where I stood with Toshi.

“I’m the only one who’s been attacked here,” he grounded out.

“Nobody’s going to hurt the kids. We’re not here for them.” Varcus said to Ferina before dropping a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Go tend to your ankle and calm down, Peter. I’ve got it from here.”

Peter muttered something to himself before storming out the door.

“Where’s Malek?” Varcus asked me and the look in his eyes told me he was more than a little tired of asking me the same question.

“I don’t know.” I folded one arm at my side.

Varcus paused considering my words.

“Go make sure Randy, David and Sirius have everything under control in the other rooms. I don’t want any kids getting hurt.” Varcus instructed the remaining men in the room and most of them went to the other homework rooms.

Relieved to see that the children weren’t in any immediate danger, I put Toshi to sit beside Margy.

“You two are treading dangerous waters here.” he breathed, running his finger through his hair.

“None of my men want to hurt the kids. But the bride and sister of the Demon King? You two are a different story. To my men you two are basically Malek’s shadow and no less guilty than he is.”

“Guilty of what?” Ferina asked incredulously. “Guilty for giving you life and protecting your home with everything he has?”

“Oh, I know that even you couldn’t be that naïve, Princess. Your brother has never cared about us.” Varcus stabbed an accusing finger between her eyes. “The only one he has ever given a crap about is his bride, and to a lesser extent, you.”

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