“Nox,” murmurs Gerry carefully. “Whatever you do, do not turn around.”

“What difference does it make if I turn or not, we’re fucked anyway,” Damien hisses back.

“Listen to me you-!”

Damien turns.

And immediately wishes he hadn’t.

The girl who stands behind them is dressed in the maid’s uniform; her blue grey attire immaculate, her hair perfectly neat, her expression appropriately detached. But it’s her eyes that send a chill running up Damien’s spine.

Grey fire. That’s the only way to describe them.

He almost flinches when those very eyes snap towards his.

“Sir Damien,” the girl says frostily, voice like shattered glass. “Please tell me why in blessed Hale are you and Gerard crouched in the bushes with my lady unconscious in your arms?”

And that’s when it hits him.

Oh Hale. This girl isn’t just any maid.

She’s Seraphina.

The stories Damien’s heard from Aster about her are enough to shoot any notion of them wheedling their way out of this mess right in the foot. And that’s without the added bonus of Gerry’s little ‘situation,’ with her.

No wonder the bastard’s so edgy.

“Sir Damien. I asked you a question.”

Damien snaps back to attention. “Right! Right. So, the reason why we’re like this is...” Shit. He didn’t have time for this. Not when Aster’s still unconscious in his arms.

Seraphina arches an eyebrow primly at him.

“… is, something I will reveal to you… only if you follow us to the magic tower!”

Seraphina’s brow furrows. “Excuse me? Are you truly making demands right now? In that position? And Gerard Bates, stop acting like a crook and face me when I am speaking.”

Gerry turns to face her stiffly as Damien shrugs, like he isn’t acutely aware of the way Gerry and him are crouched in the bushes like a pair of criminals. “Look, Miss Seraphina, I understand how this must seem-“

“I don’t think you do.”

“- I understand how this must seem,” Damien presses on. “But I promise you, we’ll explain everything to you once we get Lady Aster to the magic tower to treat her for her… condition. Right, Gerry?”

“Wait, what exactly are we explaining to her-“ Gerry hisses.

“Right, Gerry?” Damien gives him a look.

Gerry makes a sound akin to a strangled cat. “…Right,” he says eventually, like he has to drag the word from behind clenched teeth.

Seraphina looks at them the way one would regard a roach on the ground. “I think the two of you are misunderstanding something,” she says, voice crackling through the air like a whip. “Are you completely unaware that Her Majesty, Queen Annaliese is looking for Lady Aster right this instant?”

No surprise there; Damien expected as much.

“Why’s the queen looking for her?” Asks Gerry.

“My lady had a pre-scheduled meeting with Her Majesty today. However, she failed to show up during the appointed time, which is unusual for her. To say that Her Majesty is concerned would be an understatement.” The look Seraphina throws their way is sharp as flint. “So rather than worrying about explaining yourselves to me, I’ll have the two of you save your excuses for Her Majesty herself, while I bring my lady to the royal physician for treatment.”

Damien shoots Gerry a sideways look. “Sounds like it’s the slammer for you, Gerrykins.”

Gerry glares back at him witheringly. “If I’m going, you’re coming with me, asshole. Don’t act like you’re not implicit now too.”

He has a point there. It’s a little difficult for Damien to plead innocence when he’s the one carrying Aster’s unconscious body. But what was he supposed to do? Trust Gerry with Aster?

Fat chance.

Damien sighs. “You’re lucky I’m such a good friend.”

“You’re so full of shit.”

“Thanks, I learned from the best.”

“Are the two of you quite done whispering to each other?” Seraphina cuts in icily.

“Quite.” Damien grins. He thinks he sees a vein pop on Seraphina’s forehead. “So, about your suggestion for us to see the queen and have Aster brought to the royal physician… yeah, I don’t think that’s possible at the moment.”

For the longest time, Seraphina simply stares at him, expression unreadable. Then her face hardens. “This is ridiculous,” she mutters darkly. She turns away, as she throws her head back. “GUAR-!“

Her brow furrows as her voice cuts out. She clutches at her throat, opening her mouth once more.

But no sound comes.

Damien looks innocently back as she glowers at him. “Sorry Miss Seraphina,” he says. “Can’t have you calling the guards now. But like I said earlier; I swear on my reputation as Han’s apprentice, we’ll tell you everything that happened, as long as you follow us without making a fuss.”

If he were a lesser man, he would’ve dropped dead at the look Seraphina pins him with. She turns her back on him with a huff, setting off down the path at a frightening pace.

Uh oh. Can’t have her running off to get help either.

Her face fills with alarm as a breeze sweeps her off her feet, Damien’s magic lifting her up and into the air.

“Damn Nox, careful with her,” mutters Gerry. Damien thinks he almost seems concerned.

“I’m always careful.” Damien scoffs. “Besides, I wouldn’t have to resort to this if you hadn’t knocked out her lady.”

“For the last time-“

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not responsible.” Damien rolls his eyes. “Cram it, you self-preserving dick. I’ll have you cough out your alibi to Aster herself once she’s awake.”

For now, too many things weren’t adding up for him to subject Gerry to the slammer. For one, what was Aster doing in the gardens when she was supposed to be having tea with the queen? And secondly, how did Gerry end up knocking her out without noticing her presence before it was too late?

Damien gets to his feet. “We’ve wasted enough time here. Come on Gerry- we’re making a run for it.”