Page 33 of Down from the Tower

I shrug. “Your curse cannot hurt the dead.”

Midas snarls, throwing his hands wide. “Seize the intruder, dead or alive!”

He’s beyond listening at the moment, too angry that someone slipped into his guarded kingdom. Rapunzel whimpers when everyone lunges forward, and from my peripheral I spot Arthur and his own guards jumping into the fray.

It’ll be a bloodbath, and we’re standing in the middle.

“Father, stop!” Rapunzel screams, holding up her hands. They still sparkle gold, and a few of the approaching guards hesitate. “Don’t hurt him!”

“The princess of Tressa killed my nephew Modred,” Arthur cries, his voice mixing with the rest of the noise behind us. “She needs to answer for her crimes!”

There’s too much yelling. I clamp both hands on my sickle, eyeing the princess. Her desperate eyes stare at her father, but there’s no reasoning with the man. His control over this dinner is all but gone, and he’s manic to remain in charge.

Rapunzel waves her hands around, and the guards continue to cower away. Arthur’s people will not be so easy to diffuse, and I forget all about Modred as I twirl the sickle around, prepared to deal with whoever reaches me first.

There’s too much going on and my magic reserves are running dry. I’ll have to fight hand to hand or this will end up messy.

A guard wearing Arthur’s crest lunges at me, and I grasp his arm before severing the hand at the wrist. The scythe is sharp, and I rarely use it to slash, so the unnatural stone slices clean through.

He screams, and I spin the weapon in my hand as another approaches. There’s two more parrying off to one side, looking too afraid to get too close. Magic isn’t unheard of in Mystica, but shadow magic is.

“Father, no!”

I manage to shove off another guard without completely maining him before pivoting in time to catch sight of the princess throwing herself in front of me. I’m not sure what her intent is, but I have a good feeling whatever is coming my way will have a harder time killing me than it will her.

I’ve already crossed over between life and death once. It doesn’t scare me to do it again.

Shoving her back, the slice of something piercing my chest sends pinpricks of pain rocking through me. The first wound is followed by several more, and I gasp at the pain.

Rapunzel screams, her voice echoing around the room once more. When I glance down, shiny gold gleams back at me, wide bases to something sticking out of my chest shining in the dimming lights.

There’s four - no, five of these things sticking out of me. They look golden, like Midas’ personal ammo.

“Zarev!” Rapunzel cries, gasping my arm. Her touch is surprisingly hot, and that golden tint to her hands intensifies again. “Zarev!”

I gasp, staggering back when the gold protrusions twist and dig in, like living gold is crawling beneath my skin. I choke on the feeling, pain I haven’t experienced in a long time rushing back to me. It brings me to my knees, making me think of the horrors Midas’ enemies suffer when they stand against him.

I am Death. Nothing should hurt me like this, yet I’m not even sure I can stand back up. Rapunzel remains stubbornly at my side, even if it makes her as much of a target to her father as I am.

“Father, stop! Stop, you’re hurting him!”

“Get the princess out of the way!” Midas screams.

Their voices all start to sound far away. I’m aware of Arthur’s attack from the other side, and when something sharp slices through my back I realize that his men can’t take a hint. Growling, I lift my hand and slam it into the floor, feeling the pulse of the magic thrum through me before the shadows shoot violently from the floor.

Pain dances up my arm from the effort. Whatever Midas threw at me is digging into my skin, making me gasp around the feel. He’s somehow inserting his magic into me, forcing his way into my own powers to try and control me.

And it hurts. This is a type of magic I’m not familiar with.

My heart beats in my ears as I take a breath. Staying here will cause more issues, and I’ve botched my mission now until I’m healed. It would take a great long time for Midas to kill me, but I don’t want to give him the time to try.

I doubt the King of Gold has had the chance to torture a Reaper before.

“Zarev,” Rapunzel cries, falling down beside me. Her golden hair is everywhere, but her grip is insistent as she pulls on my arm, fisting my cloak as well. “Get up! Get up now!”

“Rapunzel, get out of there!” Midas’ voice drones on someplace nearby, but splotches fill my vision and I can’t focus. There’s footsteps someplace to my right, and I grasp the scythe once more before swiping it to the side. Whoever is rushing at us falls to the ground, and it’s only a momentary distraction as they scream.

“You have to get up,” she pleads, tugging at my clothes. “Please! Make us invisible again and get us out of here!”

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