Shuriki kept smiling at the man who was touching her when all she wanted to do was snap his fingers off one by one and shove them down his throat. The man, Grisha Averchenko, didn't notice as his hands continued to roam her body. She had to focus all her self control to keep from tearing out his throat in-between kisses. Did the fool truly believe she'd forgiven him after what he'd done to her decades earlier?
"More wine?" she asked, slipping free of his grasp to grab a half empty bottle of wine resting on the handrail of her balcony.
Grisha nodded and allowed her to refill his glass then took a drink before kissing her again.
Shuriki leaned into the kiss fighting the urge to cringe when he put his hands on her rear end. Every instinct she had told her to gouge out his eyes and drain him dry of his blood and other bodily fluids, but Shuriki pushed her dark, predatory nature aside. Avalor needed his death to at least look like an accident in order to avoid war with The Northern Islands.
"You're wasted on that Avaloran," he remarked.
"Esteban is my husband," she replied. "He's a good man and treats me well."
"Not well enough," Grisha countered, "The heathen's too stupid to give you what you desire."
Shuriki frowned. "He's wary of me and I understand his cautiousness. I've wronged him on more than one occasion. Esteban will come to me in time, but it will be on his own terms, not mine. I'm fine with that. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to my royal consort as a heathen. Esteban's intelligent, refined, handsome, exhibits excellent etiquette, and is a stickler for decorum. He makes certain that I'm well cared for and that I want for nothing."
Grisha snorted. "If that was true, he'd be the one sharing your bed, yet here we are..."
Shuriki narrowed her eyes at him as he stood there, his arms outstretched. "Your arrogance is astounding."
Averchenko must've misunderstood. The fool thanked her for insulting him.
Shuriki rolled her eyes. She'd grown tired of this. "That wasn't meant as a compliment."
He's even more of an embacile than Victor Delgado, she mused.
Grisha didn't have the chance to react to Shuriki's change in demeanor. He'd barely managed to register the danger he was in when she dropped the whole seductress act and made her move.
The sheer force of her shove sent him flying back over the handrail and off the balcony. Realization struck. Grisha tried to scream. His arms and legs flailed in a desperate effort to find and latch onto something-anything-to save himself, but it was too late.
Shuriki watched his body crash into one of the garden paths below. Blood spilled out onto the bright, warm marigold and cinnamon red stone pavers coating them in a glossy sheen of crimson.
Shuriki took the wine bottle and dropped it. The guards wouldn't find Grisha until they made their evening rounds. When they came across the body, they'd think he'd fallen off his own balcony due to his drunkenness. She had made certain multiple servants and guards were around to see him down half a bottle at supper and that none of them had seen him enter her rooms through the disused and never guarded servants' entry door. No one would have reason to question her.
She used her wand to do away with any remaining evidence of his presence and went back inside to draw herself a bath.
Shuriki took off her gown and slid down into the hot, bubbly, rose scented water. She did her best to relax, but try as she might, her instincts told her something wasn't right.
Shuriki knew she'd been meticulous at covering her tracks where Averchenko was concerned. So something else was amiss, but what?
Isabel was in a deep sleep when Esteban came in and pulled back the blanket to shake her shoulder. His attempt to wake her proved futile as she continued to lay there snoring softly. Had Shuriki put his cousin into another sleep induced coma with her magic?
The witch had used the same tactic once before on the night she'd first returned to reclaim Avalor's throne.
Esteban shivered at the horrid memory. Though he was still fearful of the witch, the fury and sorrow he felt coupled with his concern for Isa's safety gave him the strength to push his cowardice aside. Isa was the only family he had. He wouldn't give her up. Not for anyone or anything in the entire world. Not even to save his own life.
He carefully lifted the child cradling her to his chest as he turned to make his way out of her room and into the solar.
Gabe and Rico were on duty outside the door when Esteban stepped out into the hall. He didn't need to explain anything. They knew what he was doing and they wanted to help him. They knew the risks and were still ready and willing to fight. For Isabel and all of Avalor. Succeed, or fail, they'd face the evil witch's wrath together.
Isa felt odd and off balance. As if she'd laid down in a boat and it was floating, leisurely taking her away from the ones she loved, and from where she wanted - no, needed - to be.
She began drifting in and out of sleep. Voices echoed back and forth down the hallways and off the walls each sounding foreign and familiar all at the same time.
Isa's eyes flew open and flitted upward. It took the crowned princess a moment to realize she wasn't in her bed anymore. Esteban held her in his arms. But...why? Where was Shuriki?
Panic set in. Isa's heart rate picked up. Sweat beaded her forehead and she had a sudden bout of shivers as her hands and feet went numb.
Isabel didn't know why, but the mere thought of leaving Shuriki or of being apart from her for any length of time made her stomach turn and her head spin. She began to writhe and scream.
Esteban did his best to calm and comfort Isabel, but the child wasn't having it. He tried to silence her, but she threw back her head and let out a scream so shrill, it sounded inhuman.
Gabe and Rico had to cover their ears. Esteban gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Isa only to release her when they heard a lower, deeper shriek erupt from Shuriki's solar shaking the palace's entire foundation.
Esteban grabbed Isa and broke out into a full run towards the main staircase. He'd barely gotten to the end of the corridor when the doors to Shuriki's solar burst open and the witch appeared. However, what they saw step into the hall wasn't the woman Esteban was accustomed to.
Her emerald eyes glowed pale acid green. Fangs, like pearlescent icicles, peeked out at him from beneath her upper lip. Esteban watched Shuriki's naturally almond shaped nails shift and lengthen into piercing stilettos.
Her hiss when Gabe and Rico drew their swords and blocked her path reminded Esteban of a snake. She narrowed her eyes at the guards and lunged. Gabe was thrown back before he could so much as swing his blade. He fell hard skidding across the floor and down the first flight of stairs. Esteban winced at the loud thud when Gabe's back hit the landing. He had to wonder if the boy would ever stand up or walk again after such a blow.
Rico didn't fair any better. He swung at Shuriki missing her several times before managing a shallow cut to the sorceress' cheek which healed instantly. She didn't even break a sweat as she dodged every attempt he made to strike at her before catching his blade between her hands and snapping it like a twig. The groan of metal first bending then breaking made Esteban's ears ring and his head ache.
One punch was all it took to send Rico flying back into the nearest wall which cracked a bit upon impact. The guard groaned in pain as he slid to the floor.
With Gabe and Rico down for the count, Shuriki turned her full attention back to Esteban and Isa, the latter of whom was still struggling to free herself from her cousin's grasp.
Esteban stepped back every time Shuriki stepped forward. Isabel stopped fighting, likely because it was obvious the fight had ended, and Shuriki was more or less the winner, though Esteban failed to see what Shuriki had to gain from keeping either of them around. Isa had given up her claim to Avalor's throne. She still held the title of Avalor's princess, but only because the witch herself had insisted on it.
Esteban wanted to retreat further, but he'd gone as far as he could. His heels were teetering on the edge of the top stair. The only way out was down. He considered it for a moment-throwing himself and Isabel down the stairs in hopes that the fall might kill them. It just wouldn't have been right, or fair, robbing his cousin of whatever life she might still have.
Not that Esteban had much choice. His footing failed him when his left heel slipped on the polished stone and he stumbled back off the top landing.
Instinct kicked in. Esteban wrapped himself around Isa shielding her from the impact, only it never came.
Shuriki intercepted them mid-fall. Gabe saw her catch them from where he was pushing himself up off the floor. It was only when Shuriki landed feet first on the second landing that Gabe realized something else had changed about the witch.
Instead of normal humam legs, hers had shifted into a pair of digitigrade legs from the knee down with scalpel sharp claws where toenails should've been.
What the hell is she? Gabe asked himself.
Rico had regained consciousness and was asking himself the same questions as he tried to stand. Neither guard knew what to say or how to react. They could only watch.
Shuriki knelt down and set Esteban on the floor. He stared up at her wide eyed and terrified, Isabel cradled to his chest. His head ached and his body swayed as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing. Esteban didn't know what to think of the witch's altered appearance. It unnerved him to say the least.
The witch tilted her head to one side. He wasn't sure if it was due to curiosity or if she was attempting to examine him and Isa for injuries from a distance. Isa didn't seem worried about Shuriki's intentions or bothered by her appearance.
She wiggled free of Esteban's grasp and threw herself at the witch who, much to everyone's surprise, welcomed her with open arms. Shuriki crooned softly and gently rocked back and forth trying to comfort the child.
Esteban wasn't sure what would happen next. He waited and watched as Shuriki looked Isa over just to make certain she hadn't been injured. He wasn't expecting the pang of jealousy, but when he felt the sudden emotion, he immediately shoved it aside and tried to convince himself he didn't want Shuriki to show concern for his safety or health.
He feared becoming the target of her ire. However, Villalobos and Nuñez were the ones about to be on the receiving end of her wrath.
The men retrieved their weapons and began to maneuver toward her. Shuriki must've heard their footsteps or sensed their approach. She bristled and turned to snarl at them. It was only then that they all noticed the tail poking out from beneath her robe.
It was long, skinny, and hairless with a tuft of fur at the tip similar to a lion or vole's tail. Esteban cringed upon seeing it, though he did his best not to. He tried to keep his feelings and his expression in check, but doing so was impossible, especially when all he could do was sit and stare up at the living nightmare in front of him.
Esteban knew then. They were all going to die. Himself, Rico, Gabe. Even Isa. And there was nothing - absolutely nothing - he could do about it.
