Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: In the aftermath of rescuing Queen Lucy from an evil sorcerer, Katerina Alambiel struggles to find her place while some of the Narnians closest to the Pevensies still question her motives. And, finding herself in the middle of an assassination plot against the High King himself doesn't exactly help her to fit in.

Warning: There will be mentions of torture, murder, and some scary moments. So, this is a mid to high T.

Chapter Seventeen: Revelations

Peter forced his attention back to Jambres just as the sorcerer finally regained control and straightened though he still leaned on his staff. "You truly don't know? Alambiel, shame on you, I thought you had told the royals all about your past and...your bloodline. However, it seems I shall have the pleasure of revealing something that will probably be most shocking to you, boy. I care about Alambiel's past because I had a hand in several important parts of it. And, if you think that Alambiel lived her entire life in the other world, that world of the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, you're wrong."

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

Oreius backed up towards the stairs in a bid to gain a little more room to maneuver while keeping a cautious eye on the Muhuru. The assassin was playing with him and they both knew it. He had to find a way to gain an advantage and quickly. The Muhuru's fangs flashed as he hissed at the Centaur then launched another attack. He leaped up and struck out with his scythe-like dagger towards the Centaur's torso. Oreius blocked the blow easily but then the Muhuru kicked him where a Werewolf had clawed his arm, causing him to loosen his grip on his claymore.

The Muhuru slammed his fist against Oreius' unprotected head, then swung his dagger down only to be blocked by the claymore still held tightly in the Centaur's right hand. Oreius took the opportunity to slam his own fist into the Muhuru's side and toss him a good four feet down the hall. Blood was running down his left arm from where the Muhuru had re-opened his wound, and he knew it wouldn't take long before he lost most of the strength in that arm and hand. The Muhuru ran at him as he swapped his claymore for his one-handed sword, but this time he leaped up along the walls and landed on Oreius' back.

Oreius reared up and hastily blocked two rapid strikes from the assassin's dagger. He reached up and around and managed to immobilize the Muhuru's arm. Before he could do more than tighten his grip, however, Oreius had to jerk his head to the side as the Muhuru's jaws snapped close where his neck had been not even a moment ago. Oreius reared again in an effort to dislodge the Muhuru assassin from his back. The Muhuru yanked his arm out of Oreius' grip with effort then he angled his dagger down and stabbed while at the same time he slashed at Oreius' face with the claws of his free hand.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

Peter stared in shock at Jambres before he found his voice, "What are you talking about? Where else would Katerina have lived?"

Jambres laughed again and he walked closer to where Peter lay on the floor, "Where else, indeed? She has attracted the attention of Jannes and myself because she is one of ours, a Narnian who happened to escape our grasp for a time while she dwelt in the other world. Why do you think Jannes was instructed to bring her back? Because she has information that I need and she is far more important than you yet realize, foolish boy."

Peter shook his head before he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He glared up at the sorcerer. "I don't believe you. You are nothing but a liar trying to get me to doubt my friend as part of your twisted game."

Jambres looked insulted and Peter took the opportunity to jerk his knees up and kick out at the sorcerer's staff. Another wave of agony radiated from his chest and shoulder, but it was worth it as Peter observed the staff fall from Jambres' grasp and roll to a stop only a hand's breadth away from Katerina. Katerina pulled her knives free and plunged them into the core of the staff. Peter could only watch as Jambres swept forward with a yell and tried to stop Katerina, but it was too late. The staff appeared to be enveloped in black flames, and then it exploded, flinging both Jambres and Katerina across the room.

Peter shook his head in an effort to clear his vision. When the room came back into focus, he was astonished to see the sorcerer's staff now lay in dozens of pieces. His hand brushed against something hot and he jerked away with a soft hiss. Looking down the length of his arm, Peter was greeted by the sight of what remained of one of Katerina's knives, the handle was blackened and the blade had broken off two fingers' length from the base of the hilt and what remained was melted. His breathing hitched from more than the pain of his wounds as Peter scanned the room for Katerina. Oh, Kat, what did you do? And, what kind of plan was that anyway?

If they survived this, he and Oreius would have to take turns yelling at Katerina for using such a terrible, stupid, half-baked plan. He finally made out Katerina's still form as she lay near one of the wood pillars lining the opposite wall. He could just barely tell that she was breathing, Peter sighed in relief and opened his mouth to call to her when a loud shout cut him off. He winced both in pain and at the realization that Jambres had also survived.

Jambres staggered forward as he yelled at Katerina who had regained consciousness and was struggling to pull herself upright. "No! You stupid girl! All you had to do was tell me where the escape tunnel and portal were located and where your father hid the documents and I would have let your friend die easily. But, now I shall truly torture him while you are forced to watch and then I will keep your mind intact enough that you will always remember how the Ides of Lenisgale ended with the blood of the High King, the protector of the four thrones, on your hands. You shall do my biding, Alambiel, after all your mother may have been one of the most powerful Nymphs in Narnia but your father's Human blood makes you malleable to my purposes. It matters not that you are not the right age. I can still make use of you."

Peter could hardly believe his ears, either Jambres had completely snapped or he had been truthful concerning his knowledge of Katerina's past. He didn't get to ponder the point very long though, for Jambres loomed over him and slammed his fist directly onto Peter's wound. Peter couldn't stop himself from crying out as Jambres spoke with a quiet menace in his voice. "You may have destroyed my staff, Alambiel, but that will not save either one of you. I can still use my magic and you shall see how much harm I am still able to render even without using my staff as a focus."

He snapped a spell and Peter uttered a strangled yell as his shoulder and chest were hit with the sensation of being on fire and ripped apart all at the same time. He gasped and then his choked cries turned into full-blown screams of agony as Jambres struck him with spell after spell and each one was progressively worse than the last. His vision was growing dark when he heard Katerina shouting, "No! Leave him alone! Take me instead. I beg you, Jambres, leave him be and take my offer. Please."

Jambres stopped and Peter could barely see Katerina stagger to her feet behind the sorcerer. He was powerless to help her as Jambres whirled to face her. "You have some significant scars, Alambiel. Are you familiar with the occurrence of phantom pain? Yes, I can see it in your eyes that you are. Of course, I have found that phantom pains induced by one of my enchantments are even more painful than the original wound…or so I gathered from my experiments."

Peter tried to move but Jambres kicked him in the shoulder and he was immobilized from the pain. Katerina shouted in fury and she ran towards them. Jambres snapped a new phrase and Peter saw an expression of absolute agony cross Katerina's face. Oh, no. Jambres laughed and snapped the phrase again, which resulted in Katerina falling to the ground and writhing from the pain. Jambres paused in his torture leaving Katerina gasping for breath and Peter's heart tore at the sight of tears streaming down her face. The sorcerer studied her with a callous indifference. "You have a strong will, Alambiel. Your mother was already begging me for mercy when she had endured half as much as you already have. Such a pity that the daughter may prove even less useful to me than the mother. So, will you tell me what I want to know or shall we continue this little game?"

Peter watched in pained silence as Katerina raised her head and glared defiantly at Jambres, "I...will never give you...anything...you want. Never."

Jambres shrugged, "A pity, on the other hand, now we can see what it will take to make you scream. Scream for me, Alambiel. Beg me for mercy." Jambres snapped that one phrase again and Katerina gasped from the pain, but she still didn't scream. Peter shook with impotent rage as his wounded body refused to cooperate with his desire to defend his friend. Jambres snapped the phrase again and again until finally Katerina let out a broken sob from the pain, which was quickly followed by a piercing scream. Peter groaned as Jambres occasionally slammed him on his wound for good measure even as he continued to torture Katerina until her ragged screams of pain filled the room as she convulsed under the spell's effect. Aslan, please help us. Send Oreius and the others to us before it is too late. Aslan, help us. Please.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

Oreius twisted his upper body away from the dagger and slammed his right arm against the Muhuru's wrist, knocking the dagger away. The Muhuru managed to rake his claws down the left side of Oreius' jaw and his neck, though he was thrown off balance enough that he missed hitting the carotid artery. Oreius ignored the sting of his injuries and reached over his shoulder to clamp down on the Muhuru's arms. He heaved the assassin up and over his head and threw him hard to the floor.

Oreius shifted his hold on his sword and started towards the assassin who had just propped himself up when a new set of screams echoed down the stairs. He flicked his tail but he didn't dare take his eyes off the Muhuru even as the screams increased in pitch and it chilled his blood to hear them, especially once he managed to make out the individual words contained in the screams. "Cabhair! Please, help! Cabhair, please! Help!"

The Muhuru hissed a laugh, "Ssso, Centaur, the sssorcerer will do to you what he did to me. He took my Chusssi, and now he will take your king and your Alambiel. And, there isss nothing you can do to ssstop him."

The Muhuru Herensuge hurled himself at Oreius with his dagger angled to drive up through the Centaur's ribs. Oreius braced himself and slammed his shoulder into the Muhuru's middle. The Muhuru flew over the Centaur to land with a heavy thud against the stairwell. The assassin's orange gaze dropped in disbelief to where Oreius' sword was embedded in his chest, then he sighed and his head drooped to the side as the Muhuru's life fled him.

"Oreius!" The Centaur turned at the call and saw Ardon and Alaois approaching him. Alaois hurried to check on Chava, but he shook his head almost as soon as he reached the Serval. Oreius pulled his sword free of the Muhuru's body as Ardon walked up to him, "We were caught in one of those rooms by eight Werewolves, otherwise we would have been here sooner."

Oreius sighed, "Well, you're here now. Come, the sorcerer has the High King and Katerina Alambiel on the next level."

Ardon gave him a concerned look and Oreius realized how he must look to the two soldiers with blood covering his left arm and most of the left side of his face and neck. Alaois frowned as they started up the stairs, "How will we find them if there are even half as many rooms up there as on this level?" Another round of screams started and Oreius let them answer the question as he galloped up the stairs. He prayed they would get there before either or both Peter and Katerina Alambiel lost their lives.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, there about two chapters left in this story. Who will die and who will live? Review if you want to find out sooner instead of later! For those of you who have been following the clues about Katerina's past, tell me what you think about Jambres' claims. Are they the real deal or is he just playing mind games with her? Click the little review button below and let me know what y'all think.