I turned back to Tristan, my head shaking, all of me shaking. “You didn’t wager your life. Tell me you didn’t wager your life.”
His voice, his manner was bitterly calm. “It was the only way I could get the Black Knight to agree to his own banishment if he lost.”
Above the rumblings of the crowd, I heard the king, his tone heavy with regret. “Guards, bring Sir Tristan to me.”
I couldn’t breathe. Everything looked dark and shadowy by the torchlight. The cold air grabbed at my throat.
The crowd at once erupted with protests. “It wasn’t a fair fight!” someone yelled.
“It should be her head, not his that hangs on the castle wall!”
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“We don’t answer to the Black Knight!” someone else shouted.
Instead of moving out of the way, the people stood their ground, blocking the way of the guards as they tried to come for Tristan.
I put my hand on Tristan’s arm. “You have to run.” I looked around the courtyard. “My carriage—I have twelve fast horses, at least they’ll be fast until midnight—”
He didn’t move. “And what will I do when the Black Knight seeks revenge on all of these people? Where will I run to then?”
“They’ll be able to handle the Black Knight. He’s not invincible anymore.”
Tristan still made no move to leave. His jaw was set.
He looked at the progress of the guards through the crowd.
I tugged at Tristan’s arm to get his attention again and kept my voice low so only he could hear me. “That’s how I stole his invincibility enchantment. I drank switching potion and now I’ll switch enchantments with anyone who kisses me this week.” I knew he didn’t understand but I went on trying to explain, trying to redeem myself.
“I kissed him, but I did it for you.” Tristan nodded but still didn’t look at me. I wasn’t sure if he believed me or not. “I remember that day. You 384/431
were worried you’d end up being the Black Knight’s downfall. Ironic, isn’t it?”
The guards were making headway through the crowd.
They yelled and pushed people out of the way, their swords gripped in tight fists. No one was putting up much resistance anymore. The guards would be here soon.
I reached over to Tristan’s waist and pulled his sword from its sheath. I held it in front of me, my senses already growing sharp. “I won’t let them take you.” He let out a sigh. “You don’t know how to use that.
Put it down before someone decides to chop it out of your hands.”
I didn’t.
Tristan reached out and took the sword from me. I could have stopped him. The world slowed as his hand came toward mine, every moment crawled by. I saw not only his hand reaching for the sword, but the guards and the crowd before us. One of the guards had his sword pointed at Hunter, was yelling at Hunter to drop his weapon. Another had just grabbed Jane by her arm.
I realized I could save Tristan, but I couldn’t save them all. If I stood here and fought for Tristan’s life, Hunter and Jane would lose theirs.
So I let Tristan take the sword.
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The world still moved in slow motion. I put my hand on Tristan’s shoulder and leaned in close to him. I pushed myself up on my tiptoes and kissed his lips.
At once the world sped up, crashed around me, with noise and motion.
But Tristan looked with wonder out at the crowd and I could tell his new senses had already kicked in. “What’s happened?”
“You’re invincible now. They can’t hurt you.” The guard who had grabbed Jane held his sword at the base of her throat. Her eyes stared at us, wide and frightened. “Drop your sword!” the guard yelled to Tristan.
Tristan held his sword upright. “Let her go first. Let all of my friends go.”
The guards were circling us now; several came around behind us. King Roderick walked toward us but stopped behind the protection of the guards. “You’re not in a position to make demands.”
The sword swayed in Tristan’s hands. He looked from Jane to Hunter and then at King Roderick. “You don’t have to fear the Black Knight anymore. He’s no longer invincible. I can defeat him for you. Isn’t that what you really want?”
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The king rubbed his forehead wearily. “We’ve already seen how you defeated the Black Knight. Don’t make us take the lives of your friends as well as your own.” To me, Tristan whispered, “How fast am I?”
“Not fast enough to save them both,” I said.
Tristan lowered his sword slightly. “Give me your word that you’ll let them go, and I’ll throw down my sword.”
King Roderick conferred with two of the guards near him. I wondered why he needed to talk to them about it.
“Don’t trust him,” I said. “After we’re gone, escape.
We’ll meet in the forest at the cyclops’s caves.” Tristan shook his head. “I just need to explain my power to them. If I save them from the Black Knight, they’ll make me a prince.”
“You don’t have to be a prince anymore,” I said. “I do.
I kissed you, so we switched enchantments.” It hurt to say the next words and they cracked in my throat.
“Chrissy will probably show up in a day or two to take you back home. Make sure you take Hunter and Jane with you.”
Tears flooded my eyes and I hated myself for crying instead of taking my consequences as stoically as Tristan had earlier. It only made it worse to see the alarm in his blue eyes.
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He bent over and brushed his lips against mine.
“There— now you have your power back. I won’t let you be left here forever.”
The tears came harder this time because he’d tried to sacrifice himself for me. I should never have been worried before that he would kiss me if he knew how easy it was for him to get rid of his enchantment. “It only works one way. We can’t switch back the same enchantments.” The king called over, “Lay down your sword and we will release your friends. You have my word.” Tristan didn’t look away from me. “I won’t let Chrissy leave you here,” he said and dropped his sword.
Immediately the guards flanked him, pointing half a dozen swords at his chest and head. One of them yanked me away from Tristan. He dragged me roughly farther away from the castle gates. “Get her coach ready!” he yelled to someone, though I couldn’t see who he was talking to. “Her ladyship is leaving.” He bent his head toward me and sneered at me with rows of crooked teeth. “Her ladyship, the viper. You cost a good man his life this night. I hope you’re satisfied with who you’ve been kissing.” I didn’t answer. It was hard enough to see where I was going in the dark and little rocks and pebbles bit into the soles of my feet. I grabbed my skirt with my free hand and tried to hold it up so I wouldn’t trip.
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The guard went on berating me so loudly that I didn’t realize Jane and Hunter were behind me until we were quite a ways from the castle gates and two guards pushed them in front of me.
Jane’s hair was mussed and her shoulders heaved up and down from crying. Blood dripped from the corner of Hunter’s mouth and he held one hand over his stomach as though in pain. I looked from them to the guards.
“What did you do to them?” I demanded.
My guard pulled me a step farther, his foul-smelling breath close to my face. “Nothing that I won’t do to you if you try and fight me.” He didn’t let me go the way Jane and Hunter’s guards had. His grip bit into my arm.
My coach pulled up in front of us. The horses pawed and panted as if they knew something was wrong. Instead of Scuppers, one of the guards sat on the box seat.
“What did you do with my coachman?” I asked.