Shining Armor

by Halle Dean

  "Everything will be all right," he said. "It's dangerous, but we'll move quickly and we'll definitely win." She just nodded into his shoulder. "You can go with Melody and the children if you're afraid," he suggested.

  He expected her to pull away and scoff, but, instead, she hugged him tightly. "I'm not afraid for myself," she said. She didn't elaborate, but her voice was shaking and James got the idea. "Promise me again," she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

  "Promise what?" he asked.

  "You know what," she insisted.

  James smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I promise I won't die."

  She leaned away and looked up at him. There were no actual tears in her eyes, but she seemed distressed. "How can you be sure?" she asked.

  "Because, if I die, then I won't be able to see you again," he said. "And I can't let that happen."

  "Good," she said, finally giving a small smile. She kissed him on the cheek and stood up to stretch. "I suppose we should wake the others and get moving."

  "Do we have to wake them up yet?" he asked mischievously.

  "Don't get any ideas," Warner's voice said. James looked over to see him leaning against a tree with Sophie and Ella resting in his lap. His eyes were closed, but, evidently, he was awake. "There are children here."

  "The children aren't the only ones that don't want to hear that," Melody mumbled. She was curled up at the foot of another tree, also feigning sleep.

  "Why didn't you two say you were awake?" Layla exclaimed.

  Melody sat up and yawned. "How else was I supposed to listen in on your conversation?"

  Layla looked embarrassed but James grinned. She turned away and walked off through the trees.

  "Where are you going?" Warner asked, opening his eyes and looking worried.

  "To find some water to wash up in," Layla said.

  "Don't leave the rest of the group," he said. "We don't know what else could be waiting for us out there."

  "But it's filthy out here," Layla protested. "And I can hear a river nearby."

  Warner hesitated. "All right," he said. "But you had better hurry."

  "I'll accompany her," Melody said. "Sophie and Ella should come too."

  Sophie mumbled in disagreement. James wondered if anyone there was actually asleep.

  "Come on, sleepy," Melody ordered, dragging Sophie to her feet.

  The women all went to wash up, leaving James and Warner to begin planning their strategy with the knights.

  "So," Alex began. "What is the likelihood of surviving this day?"

  "We only have one objective," James said. "How hard can it be?"

  "There are still a few members of the Magics Society that might be around to protect Barry," Warner said. "This may not be as simple as finding and killing one man."

  "But, still, we shouldn't have much of a problem," James said.

  "We still must be careful," Warner said. "We shouldn't have had a problem on the last mission."

  James could tell Warner still blamed himself for what happened to Mason.

  "Listen," James said. "If everyone follows the plan and is in the right place at the right time, everyone will be all right."

  "What is the plan, then?" Robert asked, looking to Warner.

  Warner seemed a bit hesitant. James wondered if he was afraid someone would die again, or if he felt uneasy having the knights look to him again. Either way, it took him a moment to collect himself. Once he began to explain the plan, he quickly got into his stride.

  "He might have people all over the castle in anticipation of our attack," Warner said. "And they will all, undoubtedly, be highly skilled in magic. If you find yourself against them, it's your life or theirs."

  "To be extra clear," James cut in. "He means that you should kill them."

  "Thank you, James," Warner said, rolling his eyes. "He is correct, though. They will kill you. Or they will turn you over to Barry, who will likely torture you before he kills you. And Barry is not someone you can fight. I do not wish for any more of my friends to die. So, please, do as the plan says, and, if something goes wrong, kill anyone that tries to stop you from doing as the plan says."

  "Yes, sir," Alex, Robert, and Joseph chorused.

  "Don't do that," Warner said, looking uncomfortable. "I'm not Knight Captain anymore."

  "Then, who is?" Blue asked, crossing his arms. "The captains keep disappearing."

  "The knights are technically disbanded," Joseph said.

  "Sophie will remedy that later," Warner said. "Then we'll figure out who the new captain will be."

  "There aren't very many knights left," James said. "It may take some time to get the kingdom back in order."

  "We will handle that when the time comes," Warner said. "For today, we need to be rid of Barry."

  * * *

  The plan was fairly simple, assuming there weren't any surprises. Barry tended to be dramatic, so they intended to set a trap for him.

  "Is everyone on the same page?" Warner asked as they neared the castle.

  Everyone nodded or made sounds of agreement. Warner took a deep breath and turned to Melody and the children. Li and Ella didn't seem to know what was happening. They held Melody's hands and occasionally asked where they were going or where Jace went. James felt bad for them and hoped they ended up happy later in life.

  "Ella," Warner said, crouching down to speak with his daughter. "You're going with Li and Aunt Melody today. Be good and do what she tells you, okay?"

  Ella nodded. "And then we'll go on an adventure?"

  "Tomorrow," he promised.

  Ella grinned and jumped up and down in excitement, making Warner smile. "Yay!" she exclaimed. Then she turned to Li. "Li! We're going on an adventure!" Li didn't seem to understand her, but she just looked back to Warner. "Li and Jace too?"

  Warner's face fell, but he just ruffled Ella's hair and stood up. "We'll talk about it tomorrow," he said, seemingly more to himself than to Ella. He turned to Melody. "Take care," he said. "And be wary when talking to Tatsuo Moto. We don't know if he had any part in what his brother did."

  Melody nodded. "Let me know if you need my help," she said. She paused for a moment, and then added, "And come back alive."

  With that, she and the children shimmered and vanished. Sophie sighed and took Warner's hand.

  "They'll be all right," Warner assured her. "And so will we."

  He turned back to the rest of the group. James noticed the nervous look in Warner's eyes. He reminded himself that their plan was good, but he couldn't help but think of all the things that might go wrong.

  "Well," Alex said, turning towards the castle. "Shall we get going?"

  * * *

  It was not surprising to find that a barrier spell had been placed around the castle. If the situation had not been so serious, James would have laughed when Sophie walked through and Warner smacked right into it. Warner furiously waved his arm at the barrier to dispel it. James was still cautious moving forward. He was amazed that such magic to get rid of a barrier spell existed. He resolved to ask Warner and Sophie to teach him what they had learned once everything was over.

  "Remember the plan," Warner murmured as they approached the gates.

  "Yes, we know," Layla said. "Let's hurry and get it over with."

  James didn't wish to leave Layla's side, but he knew she wouldn't be far away. Warner hesitated as everyone reached the threshold.

  "There's a great deal of magic energy," he said. "I think he definitely has other magic users helping him."

  "Who else would be here?" James asked, trying to recall all the names of the higher ranking Magics Society members. "Kellan and Misa? And Noah. Oh, and the other sorcerers of course."

  "I don't know about Katherine and Noah," Warner said. "But Aaron is on our side."

  "Aaron?" Sophie repeated. "The man from the speed port?"

  Warner nodded. "I've met his sorcerer magic side as well, and he seems fairly harmless."

  "And Katherine?" Ja
mes asked.

  "It's hard to tell," Warner said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not sure if I've met her sorcerer side or if her emotions sway easily. She has never showed interest in killing me though. I take that as a good sign."

  "Does the plan stay the same?" Alex asked.

  Warner nodded. "Yes," he said. "Just be careful. As I said before, these people are highly skilled in magic. They won't need to get close to kill you. Avoid them at all costs."

  Warner, Sophie, Layla, and Alex all started off down the hall. James and the rest of the knights went down another. The two halls eventually led several stories up and connected again. That was their destination. They walked for what seemed like forever, but it was only a few minutes.

  "And now it's gone," a voice said from up ahead.

  James recognized Kellan Miller's gravelly tone. Everyone ducked into a room and hid behind the door.

  "How could it be gone?" Misa Miller's voice asked.

  "Barry said Warner can dissolve them now," Kellan explained. The pair passed by and James held his breath. "I can't think of another way it could have vanished. He must be here."

  "Does that mean we have to kill him?" she asked. "What a shame."

  "If we don't, we'll have to face Barry," Kellan said as they began to round a corner and disappear from view.

  James was concerned, but he didn't have time to follow the Millers and see where they were going. They had wasted enough time waiting for the couple to pass. The others were likely already in place. As they came upon the spot they had discussed earlier, James peered around the corner and down the stairs. Warner, Sophie, Layla, and Alex stood in a small circle at the bottom, speaking loudly to each other. James saw no sign of Barry coming to make a grand entrance.

  "And we'll surround the room," Warner said, reciting the false plan they had come up with. "Place someone at every window and door. If we attack from all sides, we're sure to at least hit him."

  "How ambitious," a voice said from behind James. He spun around to see Kellan kicking aside Robert's limp body. James tried to attack, but found himself in a trap spell. "You thought we didn't notice you hiding when we passed by?" Kellan asked.

  "Back away," Joseph said, aiming his sword at Kellan's throat.

  Before anyone could do anything else, Joseph crumpled to the ground. His sword nicked the side of Kellan's neck, but did no more damage as it clattered to the floor. James looked over to see Misa smiling and lowering her arm. Kellan turned to her with a grin, wiping the blood from his neck.

  "Thank you, Mis," he said. "I could have been wounded by that sorry excuse for a knight."

  Blue stared at his fallen comrades in shock. Then his expression shifted from disbelief to fury. With a quickness James hadn't expected, he thrust his sword into Kellan's stomach. He lost his hold on the hilt as the man collapsed. Misa ran forward and caught her husband, but there was no way to help him. The spell trapping James dissolved and he could move again.

  "You will pay!" Misa screamed.

  Blue took a few steps back and James couldn't blame him. The look of pure rage in the woman's eyes was more than a little intimidating. James could predict what was about to happen and found himself interceding, just in time. A reddish beam hit his shoulder, rather than Blue, as he stepped in the way.

  Misa shrieked and cast another one, hitting James square in the chest and knocking him off his feet. The beams hurt more than anything he had ever felt. He was fortunate, though, that she had wanted to punish Blue, not kill him immediately. She stood to cast another spell, but James blasted her backward with his own magic. She smashed through a window and plummeted out of sight.

  "Why did you do that?" Blue asked as James fell to his knees.

  "Warner told us to kill them," James said. "So, I killed her."

  "Why did you protect me?"

  "Oh, that." James examined his wounds as he spoke. He was bleeding and in quite a lot of pain, but it wouldn't kill him. "I'm sick of people dying in front of me. I left the royal knights because I couldn't handle watching them die all the time."

  "I thought they expulsed you because you learned magic," Blue said.

  "Why does everyone think that?" James wondered. "The King and Queen had no problem with magic."

  Blue helped him to his feet and retrieved the sword from Kellan's body. James and Blue checked Robert and Joseph for signs of life, but the magic used on them had been of the fatal variety. The next moment, the others turned the corner, evidently having heard the altercation. Warner put his face in his hands, Sophie double checked the dead knights for life signs, and Layla ran to James.

  "How bad is it?" she asked. "Who did this?"

  "I'm all right, Layla," he said. He knew his voice sounded strained. She looked very worried. "I am," he insisted. "It was only agony magic."

  "That sounds awful!" she exclaimed.

  "It is," he agreed. "But it's not meant to do much damage. It just hurts like nothing else."

  "I can fix that," Sophie said. "There will be lingering pain, but it won't be as bad and the bleeding will stop."

  "I wouldn't worry about that," a voice said. Everyone turned to see Barry walking towards them. They had lost their chance to ambush him. "You'll all be dead soon anyway."

  Warner's eyes burned with hatred. "You have caused enough suffering."

  "You've caused your share of suffering," Barry pointed out callously. "But where might your sister be? Is this not all her doing?"

  He waved his hand and vanished. Everyone looked around in a panic, but he didn't reappear right away. After a moment, Melody appeared in the middle of the hall. She looked around anxiously until she saw Warner.

  "You're alive," she said, holding a hand to her chest in relief.

  "Why are you here?" he asked. "You should be safe, with the children."

  "You didn't send her to a very safe place." Barry's had appeared again, just behind them. "I found her quite easily."

  "Why do you want her here?" Sophie asked. "Where is Ella?"

  "Your group has dwindled considerably," he remarked, ignoring Sophie. "Wherever is Mason?"

  "Shut your damn mouth," Melody said.

  She shot a red burst of magic toward Barry, but he waved his arm and dispelled it. James wondered if there was any way to land an attack on him.

  "That's not very ladylike," Barry said. "Do remember that you're in a royal castle. Have some manners in the presence of the king."

  "You are no king," Sophie said, glaring.

  "None of the royal family is left to say otherwise," he drawled. "At least, not after today." Warner, to no one's surprise, pushed Sophie behind himself. Barry just laughed. "Warner Munday," he said. "How you've survived this long is a mystery for the ages. No matter. You won't survive much longer."

  "You won't be killing anyone else," said Layla, of all people. James tensed, wishing she wouldn't draw attention to herself.

  Barry narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you still here?" he asked. "There is no need for you."

  He raised his arm and James only had a split second to act—no time to think. He pulled Layla to himself and turned so his back faced the oncoming spell. She looked up at him in surprise. He was glad that she would be the last thing he saw. It made it easier.

  "I'm sorry," he told her, "for breaking my promise."

  Everything went white. Then, everything went dark.

  Forty Five

  Evenly Matched

  Layla felt numb. Warner and Barry were down the hall, locked in furious battle. Melody, Alex, and Blue were desperately trying to figure out how to help. Sophie knelt beside Layla, who wasn't sure whether or not to believe what was happening. She looked down at James, whose head was in her lap.

  His eyes were closed, so he could have been sleeping except for the lack of a heartbeat. For the first time since she was a young girl, she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. She screwed her eyes shut, hoping it was all just a dream, but everything was the same when she opened them again. Every
thing was the same, horrible reality.

  "Layla." Sophie's voice sounded far away. "We need to move. It's not safe with them fighting this way."

  As if to prove her point, a spell shot just over Layla's shoulder, making a deep crater in the wall. Layla paid no mind. She didn't even flinch as her hair blew all around from the force of the blast. Pulling James closer to her, she shook her head.

  "It doesn't matter," she said.

  Her tears were gone. She didn't feel sad—she didn't feel anything. It was better to shut emotions away.

  "Don't be foolish," Sophie said, pulling on her arm.

  Reluctantly, Layla allowed herself to be dragged from the hall, never taking her eyes off of James. Perhaps he'll wake up, she thought. Perhaps he'll get up and help Warner kill Barry.

  The thought of Barry sparked a feeling of anger in the midst of the numbness. She wrenched her arm out of Sophie's grasp and ran back into the hall.

  "Layla, stop!"

  Layla snatched up a sword from one of the fallen knights. She didn't know which one it was. All her thoughts were consumed with revenge. It took her a moment to realize that Alex and Blue were holding her back.

  "Let me go," she snarled.

  "You'll die," Blue said.

  "I don't care."

  "That's the grief talking," Alex said. "You are not in any state to be—"

  "I do not care!" she shouted, swinging the sword around. The knights were forced to release her in order to avoid the blade. She started towards Barry again, but found her way blocked by Melody. "Get out of the way."

  Melody shook her head. Layla slashed at her, but the sword flew out of her hands and away.

  "You are being reckless and foolish." Melody's voice was deadly calm. "I know what you're feeling and I know it seems easier to get angry, but it's not. It will pass." Layla tried to ignore her and step around, but found herself in a trap spell. "However," Melody continued, "if you don't allow it to pass, you'll end up dead without ever feeling any better."

  "Oh, and you're all better now?" Layla asked acidly. "You're all right with Mason being dead?" A terrifying expression took over Melody's face, instantly calming Layla's anger. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down in shame.