The door scraped the rest of the way open, and one of Ghoulston’s most trusted guards stepped into the room.

“Too bad it’s not the red-haired giant,” muttered Gareth as he drew his sword.

Jok took one quick glance around the room and drew his own sword with a grin. “Eh, lookin’ for a bit of sport, guvner? Most happy to oblige.”

Millicent shifted to panther, putting her body between the men and Nell. She hoped Bran and his gang would get here fast, for it appeared they were escaping. Now.

Jok did not have a chance of beating Gareth in a sword fight, and knew it within the first few seconds. His cocky grin faded and he reached for his pistol. Gareth sliced his hand. When Jok bent over to cradle the wound, Gareth shoved him with a well-placed boot to the back. At least Jok was smart enough to stay down.

Gareth spun his sword in a dizzying display of naked steel and faced the other guards crowding the doorway. “Next?”

His voice sounded arrogant, but Millicent knew him well enough now to hear the weary sadness that lay underneath. She did not wait for the other guards to take up the challenge, or draw their pistols. They possessed none of the honor her knight did, and would not hesitate to shoot him. They did not fight fair in the Underground.

Millicent let loose her fiercest panther scream and leaped past Gareth into the mob of guards. She caught a glimpse of frightened eyes before she bowled over two of the men. Muffled grunts and confused shouts followed as they tumbled across the corridor. Millicent bit and clawed, felt the cold slice of a blade on her right shoulder. The steel must have been coated in silver, because it actually cut her. She screamed again, turned on the man who held the dagger, and clamped her jaws around his throat until he quit struggling. He stank of ale and sweat and fear.

Millicent snorted. Both of the men she had attacked no longer moved. She spun to face the rest of the guards.

Gareth stood like some warrior god, a bloody blade in his hand, fallen bodies surrounding him. His eyes blazed a fierce blue, and his handsome face held little emotion. Until he looked at her. “Are you all right?”

Millicent nodded. Swished her tail for emphasis.

“’Twas a foolish thing to do, my lady. You could have gotten hurt.”

Millicent limped over an unconscious guard and nuzzled Gareth’s hand. His lips tightened but he gently caressed her head.

“We have only just begun to fight, my love. Allow me to protect you a little.” Then he released a sigh. “Let Nell bind your wound.”

As soon as the old woman had tied a bandage around Millicent’s shoulder, they joined Gareth and Selena in the corridor. The were-bat’s nostrils flared from the apparently tantalizing smell of blood surrounding the fallen guards, but she kept her lust-glazed eyes fixed on Gareth’s face.

“Can you lead us out of this labyrinth of passages again, Selena?” he asked her.

The were-bat fluttered her lashes at him. “Of course. But His Grace made sure to post extra guards along the exit we took before. It seems he did not trust me where you are concerned.”

“Surely there are other exits we can take.”

“Yes, but His Grace—”

“Posted extra guards there too,” finished Gareth. “Perhaps we should just leave the same way we entered.”

“By the front door? Hmm, yes, I don’t think His Grace thought to post extra guards there. But the palace is surrounded by his minions. I do not think we will get far.”

Gareth still held his sword in his hand, although he had cleaned off the blood. “We need only hold them off until the tavern keeper arrives.”

“Are you sure you don’t just want to stay here with me? Millicent could give me the relic…”

Millicent growled.

Gareth shook his head. “I am afraid that is not possible, Selena. And when the effects of your… last meal wear off, you will be grateful I am gone.”

“Oh, but I could never be—”

Millicent growled. She would not watch Selena fawn all over Gareth another instant. Bad enough when the woman just lusted after him, but love made her a blithering idiot. Millicent stalked forward, nose high and tail rigid, Nell clutching her ruffled fur. Millicent could not hope to remember the path they had taken to the duke’s main living quarters, but she could follow the scent of the kitchens, which lay just off the main hallway. Fowl roasted in the oven and something boiled on the stove. Potatoes, perhaps.

That faint smell grew stronger as they climbed down each circular stairway. Eventually Selena pushed past her and opened a door that led into the great hall of the castle. Only a few fairylights lit the space, casting dark shadows along the stone floor. Millicent could not see any guards, which raised her hackles even more.

“Trap?” whispered Gareth.

Selena frowned. “No, I swear. I would not put you in harm’s way, my love. His Grace would just not expect you to use the front door.” She gathered her black skirts and sailed down the vast hall.

Gareth still looked unsure, yet they had little choice but to follow. Their footsteps echoed hollowly through the high-ceilinged hall, even the faint swishing of her paws sounding as if a thousand cats stalked the passageway. Millicent could hear nothing but their own movements, and actually felt relieved when they were finally challenged near the doorway.

The red-haired giant of a guard stepped from behind a lewd painting of gargoyles sporting with a maiden, and raised his brows at Selena. “Look at ye! Ye couldna’ resist feeding off the magic man again, eh? I told His Grace ye’d do it.”

“Oh, shut up,” she snapped, and shifted to were-bat, black wings stirring up the air, flapping enchanted tapestries against the walls, interrupting the moving scenes embroidered on them. She launched herself at him before the guard managed to draw his pistol from his holster.

She would have knocked down a smaller man, but the giant just let out a grunt and grabbed her wings and twisted.

Selena screamed.

The front door burst open, and several more guards ran inside, only to meet Gareth’s drawn blade. Millicent positioned herself in front of Nell, growling and showing her teeth, claws extended at the ready.

But the men did not get past Selena and Gareth. Within moments, the guards lay bleeding on the floor.

Selena hovered over the giant’s limp body, blood dripping from the corners of her hairy mouth. Then launched out the door.

Millicent had seen a ring of guards around Ghoulston’s palace from her upstairs window, but the courtyard lay empty, and they passed through unchallenged. She could not see past the outer wall, but the portcullis had been raised.

“This is too bloomin’ easy,” muttered Nell.

Then the ground began to sink.

Millicent’s paws sunk several inches before she realized the cobblestones had melted into some sort of sludge. She pulled out one paw, which made a sucking sound, and resulted only in forcing her back legs deeper into the ground. A low whine slipped from her throat.

Selena bobbed above them, the motion of her flight lacking any grace whatsoever. But at least she wasn’t trapped. Millicent turned to look at Nell. With her slight weight, she had sunk only up to her ankles. Millicent growled, shook her head toward the portcullis.

Nell glared. “I ain’t leavin’ ye.”

Something smacked Millicent’s head. She turned. Gareth had chopped apart the odd colorless trees that lay potted about the courtyard, and held out a slender branch to her. Millicent grabbed it with her teeth as he tugged.

Gareth sank deeper into the sludge.

Selena let out a shriek and clutched the knight’s shoulders with her small back legs, furiously beating her wings to keep him from sinking any farther. Gareth pulled both himself and Millicent toward the portcullis, Nell having a much easier time of it in following them.

It took forever to reach solid ground.

Gareth fell backward and yanked Millicent the last few inches out of the trap. Selena landed beside them, her wings quivering from exhaustion. Nell slowly made her way to join them. “If that’s the best spell Ghoulston’s got,” she said, “then he ain’t much of a wizard.”

Millicent snorted. Drowning in that slime would be her worst nightmare. As far as she was concerned, Ghoulston had done a jolly good job of malicious spell-casting.

Gareth stood. “We’re not out of here yet.”

Nell shrugged.

Selena flew under the portcullis into the open. Shots rang out, and she spun and landed back next to them, shifting to human. “There’s too many of them.”

Millicent rose, looked past the thick stone wall, and blinked. Hundreds of men stood just beyond the castle, clustered on each side of the roadway that led out of the cavern. Although men might not be an accurate description for some of the beings. Ghoulston must have scoured the Underground for guards. Ogres and dwarves and golems usually kept to themselves, but they had joined the ranks. Other experiments of the sorcerers faced them as well, creatures made from spells which altered man into horrors that usually avoided any contact with others.

“Ghoulston must have paid them a lot,” said Nell.

“But their hearts won’t be in it,” replied Gareth. “They’ll run at the first sign of opposition. And I doubt if Ghoulston exhausted his magic or money by coating all their bullets and blades with silver.”

Nell’s mouth dropped open. “Ye can’t be serious. I’ve never seen so many ogres in one place in me life. They won’t run—ogres like a good fight.”

Gareth narrowed his eyes, studying the far entrance that lay across the vast cavern. “What we need is a distraction.”

“What we need is to turn around and go back,” said Selena.

Gareth shook his head. “I’ve faced heavier odds than this.”

Millicent did not doubt his words. But she could not lead Nell into such danger. She grabbed the old woman’s skirt with her teeth and tugged.

“Ogres or no, we ain’t goin’ back,” snapped Nell, yanking her skirt out of Millicent’s teeth. “Ye may not care about Country and queen, Millie, but I do. We must get word to that sweet gel about Ghoulston’s evil plan. Can ye imagine spending yer life in love with the likes of him?”

“The were-cat’s right for a change,” injected Selena, curling a hand around Gareth’s muscled arm. “Stay here with me, love. I’ll make sure you are happy.”

Millicent scratched her front claws along the ground, rucking up grooves in the hard-packed earth. Sometimes she liked being unable to speak in were-form. It saved her from joining in frustrating conversations.

The small army that faced them suddenly began to sway, a murmur of sound rising like a wave through the throng. They had been seen. Yet, the guards did not advance. Perhaps they had been ordered not to unless Millicent and her companions tried to escape.

Perhaps they had time to wait for Bran and his gang to show up.

Two ogres stepped forward onto the road and began to swing their battle-axes in showy maneuvers. The ogre with the green hair missed his last catch, and his ax dropped on the other ogre’s head. A growling argument ensued, followed by swinging fists and then serious injuries. Small fights began to break out in the group of watching creatures.

Or perhaps not.

“Ogres are so stupid,” grumbled Gareth.

“Ghoulston brought them here fer a fight and they been itchin’ fer one,” added Nell. “Dunno if Bran will manage to get here before they get too restless.”

He nodded. “You’re right, ladybird.” He turned his fierce blue-eyed gaze on Millicent. “I will provide the distraction. Take your Nell and escape. I will join you as soon as I can.” And he stepped beyond the protection of the portcullis.

“No,” said Selena, grabbing his sleeve and trying to stop him. But Gareth shrugged her off as easily as he would a gnat and strode boldly out onto the road. Selena turned and glared at Millicent. “This is all your fault. If he wasn’t so worried about protecting you, he wouldn’t be taking such risks.”

Millicent growled softly. Risks? The man was committing suicide. He knew he would die, but he counted on his reemergence within the relic. But she had seen the pain he went through when he had died before. Nothing could be worse than experiencing one’s own death. And yet he offered himself for her yet again. She wished he would stop. She felt unworthy of his sacrifices.

She suspected he tried to change her by example. Tried to make her a better person… to make her a hero like him… to care for others. And she feared he might be accomplishing it. How could she cope with the responsibility of caring for so many?