CHAPTER NINETEEN:

DUNGEON MASTERS

She floated on a sea of stars.

She could feel the water pressing into her back. It tickled her fingers and soaked through her shoes, cooling her feet.

When she looked up, the stars were whizzing around like fireflies against the backdrop of night. They seemed to whisper to her; sing to her. A lullaby. A love song. Her love song – hers and Adrien's.

She saw her red, gloved hand reaching out towards those stars. Do you trust me?

But the silhouette that reached out to her was not Adrien. It was someone smaller, with pointy ears.

You can't trust me. I don't blame you.

The stars vanished, and a blanket of midnight enveloped her.

When she woke for real, Marinette gasped from the access water in her lungs.

She rolled onto her side and coughed it all out. Her hands grazed against soft, wet sand, and some of it clung to her arms and middle. She must have washed up onto shore not too long ago. The river still had a hold of her legs, so Marinette crawled her way further onto dry land.

Her leg barked with resistance, and she hissed. How did that happen?

Oh, right – she had fallen into the river, right after...

Marinette gasped and sat up, snapping her head around. "King Gabriel!" she called. "Alya!"

But there was no one else on the shore with her. Only walls of rock and dead, leafless trees greeted her. The waterfall she had fallen from was nowhere in sight.

They're gone, Marinette realized with a pang of regret. D'Argencourt took them.

Her brow furrowed, knowing full well that two traitors who had been involved. "Trixx..." she growled.

The fox kwami had been working with the swordsman this whole time. They both probably staged the incident in the marketplace just so Trixx could get close to Alya... and to Marinette. And when the moment was right, D'Argencourt struck when the girls least expected it.

Now Adrien's father was gone, as was Alya.

But... they had to be alive, right? D'Argencourt may be a traitor, but he knows the King of Agreste would be worth a mighty ransom. The swordsman would not only be set for life, but the gold would allow him to purchase a new army.

As for Alya, she was only a street rat, and one that D'Argencourt hated with every fibre of his being. So why didn't he send her down the waterfall with Marinette? Why go through all the trouble of capturing her instead? Marinette didn't have the answers, but she knew she was going to get them one way or another.

Because nobody messed with Ladybug's friends and lived to brag about it.

First thing was first – Marinette had to get back to the palace and tell Adrien. Together, they would get Alya and the king back.

Marinette tried to stand, but her leg was throbbing again. She messaged it with her fingers to access the damage. There was a thick, hard welt on her thigh – no doubt there was a nasty bruise there. Marinette made a mental note to go to the palace infirmary after she found Adrien.

Gritting her teeth, the blunette heaved herself to her feet.

Looking ahead, she saw open desert beyond the surrounding rocks. On the horizon, glowing like a candle in the night, was the city of Agreste.

Marinette couldn't be more than grateful that she had washed up at this very spot. She still didn't know how she survived the waterfall, though. Maybe Astruc himself had willed it, so that D'Argencourt and Trixx's treachery would not go unpunished.

Whatever the reason, whatever miracle had saved her, Marinette would wonder about it later. Right now, the entire kingdom was at stake.

She began walking. Every step she took sent a small jab of pain up her injured leg. Marinette shifted her weight onto her good leg to make it easier, but mostly she ignored the pain.

Nothing was going to stop her from getting back home, and getting her friends back.

So she walked with her head held high.

They put Alya in a separate cell, a cylindrical one at the top of one of the dungeon towers.

Moonlight streamed in from the barred window above, bathing Alya in its silvery-blue rays.

They felt cold, but Alya took the moon as a good sign. A sign that Marinette was still out there somewhere; that she was safe and on her way home this very moment.

Alya had to believe in something. It eased the lump in her chest that Trixx had left inside her.

POOF!

The redhead snapped her head up... and a dark frown shadowed her face. Speak of the devil... "Come here to gloat?" she asked coldly.

Trixx frowned back at her. "Actually, I was coming to see if you needed room service," she replied sarcastically. "Though I'm positive you don't need any ice. You already have enough of it in your tone."

If Alya's hands hadn't been chained to the wall above her head, she would have throttled the kwami then and there. Maybe if she glared hard enough, Trixx would drop like a bean bag.

"Can you blame me?" Alya spat. "After what you did, you actually expected me to forgive you?"

Trixx's tail twitched. "Of course not," she murmured.

"Then why are you here?" Alya asked. "No, wait – let me ask another question first. Why this?" She indicated with a dip of her chin to the enchanted pendant that still hung around her neck. "Was all that stuff you said about me being an enchantress just a load of mumbo-jumbo, all so you good bring me into your good graces?"

Trixx's violet eyes widened at those words, as though she was insulted and hurt. "No!" she stated, flying right up to Alya. "I didn't lie about that! Like I said, enchanted jewels chose their masters. And this thing..." She tapped the pendant with a paw. "... chose you. I thought it was a load of mumbo-jumbo too – just a trick of the eye, you know? – but now that I've seen what you can do..."

Alya looked away bitterly. She didn't want to hear it, whether it was the truth or not.

The kwami paused and let out a heavy sigh. Then she turned away. "Volpina threatened to do you in if I didn't cooperate," she muttered with a hint of self-loathing. "That's what I came here to say. I don't care if you don't believe me."

Something escaped from Alya. It was almost a laugh, but not very joyous. It was almost a cry, but not quite sorrowful.

"No, I do believe you, Trixx," the redhead said, making the kwami turn around. "I believe you... because it is so like you to risk someone's life to get what you want." She glanced up at Trixx with pity this time. "Even if what you wanted was a friend." Alya fought back the rising tears. "But ask yourself this, Trixx: what makes you think Volpina will keep her word after she gets what she wants?"

Trixx said nothing, but her face fell with sadness, concern, and grief. Her tiny chest shook as though she was having trouble breathing.

"She doesn't," came a dark voice from the shadows.

Trixx stiffened and raced over to the wall.

Alya turned all her attention to the figure stepping into the moonlight.

"But she'll obey me regardless, if she knows what's good for her," Volpina stated with a sidelong glance at Trixx. Then she approached Alya, her teeth gleaming as she grinned. "Did you really think you could turn Trixx against me?" she asked with a giggle. "You thought friendship and love would be enough to save her wretched little soul?" She lifted the redhead's chin with a sharp fingernail.

Alya breathed heavily through her nose, like an angry bull. In the corner of her eye, she saw Trixx gritting her teeth.

"A fox cannot change its stripes, Alya," Volpina continued, "and a rat cannot change its true nature." Her dark-green eyes lowered to Alya's neck, and she frowned. "Like sneaking into other people's rooms and taking their belongings."

With that, Volpina snatched up the pendant and yanked it away, hard.

Alya gasped as the chain snapped, the pieces scattering across the cell. The moment the pendant left her skin, she felt as though a comfortable, protective cloak was being dragged off her. She had grown so accustomed to the magic, it had become as natural as her own skin. Now, Alya felt cold and naked; exposed for the ordinary human she was underneath.

Volpina smirked and fiddled with the pendant. "You won't need this anymore."

Alya watched helplessly as a plume of orange smoke engulfed her pendant, and it vanished from the sorceress's hand.

Volpina giggled and added on, "I don't know what's more hilarious: you thinking you could use one of my pendants... or believing that you could actually master its power."

Alya spat in her face.

Volpina wiped the spittle off her cheek with a bored sigh. "Typical street rat," she said. "Perhaps I should send you back to the city gutters where you belong."

"Where is the king?" Alya demanded, shaking the metal cuffs holding her in place. "Where are my friends?"

The sorceress grinned again. "His Majesty is quite comfortable, I assure you, as is your bumbling boyfriend." She leaned closer to Alya. "If you behave, I might trouble you to visit them."

She didn't mention Adrien, Alya thought. Did he get away, or is Volpina saving him for last? The redhead prayed it was the former.

"What about Marinette?" the redhead snapped, her eyes narrowing. "You think I don't know the real reason you saved her?" She couldn't help but smirk. "You couldn't kill her even if you wanted to. So much for phenomenal cosmic powers."

Volpina jabbed a hard finger into Alya's chest, her eyes turning yellow. "I don't need magic to get rid of that baker's brat," she hissed. "You'll learn that soon enough." The sorceress turned on her heel like a proud queen. "Come, Trixx," she commanded sharply.

The kwami cast one last look at Alya. For a brief second, the redhead swore she saw the fear in her violet eyes harden into something else.

But before Alya could fully grasp it, Trixx flittered after her old master without a word.

The door closed, the force of it shaking the stones, and the only company Alya had now was the moon.

Volpina could almost taste the sweet vengeance on her tongue. All she needed now was the final piece of the puzzle.

She strode into the grand dungeon cell, smiling at the sight of King Gabriel hanging against the wall like a puppet with his arms raised high. Master Fu stood beside him, and he turned his head when the sorceress approached.

The king lifted his eyes, and they became daggers of ice. "Volpina, you fiend!" he bellowed across the cell, startling the three kwamis trapped within the magical orb. "I should have known that this was your treachery!"

Volpina placed a heart on her hand. "Aw, Gabriel, I'm flattered," she said, "but I couldn't have done it without Trixx." She looked over with a dark grin at her kwami companion.

The little vixen shrugged, like she couldn't care less. "I played a minor role, really," she grumbled.

Inside the orb, Plagg was blurting out something in an angry manner. Tikki and Wayzz were pounding on the glass again. Volpina snorted. As if that will save them now.

A muffled cry of "Volpina!" sounded from behind her, and the sorceress turned.

She almost laughed when she saw that Nino had Darkblade in full headlock. Though he was still in chains, the boy had managed to wrap one leg around the swordsman's neck and the other around his middle. Darkblade was thrashing about like a fish on dry land.

"This... boy won't... cooperate!" the evil knight shouted as he struggled to free himself.

Nino was gritting his teeth, probably from the pain of his wrists tugging against his shackles from the extra weight, but he held on tight.

Volpina sighed and pointed at the boy.

He cried out as her magic bolt zapped him in the leg, forcing him to drop Darkblade to the floor.

Then he glared up at Volpina, panting. "Where is Alya?! What did you do to her?!" he demanded.

Hmm... Those two have a lot in common after all. "She's fine, lover boy," the sorceress replied with an idle wave of her hand. "Cool your heels. If you don't believe me, ask Trixx."

Nino shot a dirty look at the fox kwami, who offered a cheesy grin.

Darkblade rose back up and drew his rapier at Nino. "You little –!"

"Patience, Darkblade," Volpina commanded sharply. "The boy's only lovesick. He'll get over it. Now, be a good little swordsman and secure the palace like I told you too."

Darkblade grumbled hotly at that, but he bowed and strode out of the dungeons nonetheless.

King Gabriel seemed to have read the hidden message in Volpina's order, because then his face went feral. "You lay one hand on my son, Volpina, and I'll...!"

Volpina yawned. "A king with an empty threat is like a sword with a dull blade. You can strike at me all you want, but all you'll do is tire yourself out."

"Not Marinette," Nino stated. "She's always been stronger than you. I bet she's on her way back right now."

Volpina smiled and glanced over her shoulder at the boy as she went up to Gabriel. "Oh, I'm counting on it," she said with a positive slur, "and I think we have ample time to prepare for her arrival."

She turned back to the king and placed her hands on her hips. "You're a hard man to read, Gabriel," she cooed, "but even an idiot would know that a king wouldn't go anywhere outside the palace without a little... extra protection."

As she said that, she reached her hand into a pocket of Gabriel's tunic. The king tried to squirm out of her reach, but she withdrew the hidden object easily and held it out for all to see.

In the firelight of the torches, it looked like a small, intricate, silver hilt encrusted with pearl grips on the sides and studs of amethyst in the middle. But when Volpina pushed the ornate jewel on one of the ends, a small but thick blade came out of the other end.

The sorceress hummed as she twirled the dagger in her hands. "Now that is quite ingenious," she mused with a purr. "The only one of its kind, am I right?"

Gabriel didn't answer her.

Trixx hovered over, looking more concerned than curious. "Hey, um, Vol? Not that I'm complaining, but was the real reason you captured Gabe because you wanted a funky new dagger?"

The sorceress smiled at her. "We need this for our plan," she replied.

"Why not just use another dagger for the plan?" Trixx asked. "I mean, I'm sure any of them could have been as equally useful."

"Oh, no, Trixx," Volpina said, gripping the blade's handle with wicked resolve. "This dagger is exactly what I need... to seal Marinette's doom."

Her dark chuckle rippled through the chamber, and all her prisoners suddenly had good reason to be afraid. Even Trixx looked paler than normal.

Volpina had the final piece of the puzzle. It was time to put it in place.