Excalibur's Seven | ✓ [LGBT]

~ 16 ~

GISELLE HAD NO IDEA where the child went. She had no idea where Morgana was either, and it made her chest tighten to think of the danger he could be in. She could still feel Selene and Eurion, though, she still had their names. So far, they were both still alive. She could only hope it would stay that way.

She didn't expect a brothel to have such strong security, but it was taking everything Giselle and Chalice had to hold them back and keep them from finding the others. Chalice kept some on the ground while Giselle did her best to hypnotize others, but there was only so much two people could do.

"Giselle!" someone called from behind her. She turned to see Selene holding Morgana in her arms, and her heart stuttered. Lionel was right behind them, but she was focused on her friend right now.

"Mog, are you okay?" she asked.

Selene set Morgana down and let him fall into Giselle's arms, pulling out her sword and swinging at something behind the princess's back.

Right. They were still under attack.

Giselle let Selene take care of it, though, focusing instead on Morgana. There was a ring of red around his throat, and his face was even paler than usual. "What happened to you?"

His voice came out rough, like his throat was lined with sand. "Just choked a little, I'm fine."

She examined him further before helping him get comfortable on a rock and turning to assist Selene in fighting off the guards. She didn't need to, though, as they were now all a pile on the ground.

"Excellent work, dear," she hummed. "Where's Kit and Eurion?"

She swiped her damp forehead and pointed to something over Giselle's shoulder. She turned to see the prince and the thief dragging the barely conscious harlot closer to them. Blood was running down her arm and it took  Giselle a moment to realize that she was missing a hand.

"What do we do with her?" Eurion asked, looking to Selene.

Selene bent over, leveling her gaze with the woman. She thought for a moment, considering her next words.

"She's powerful, a bit too powerful, and I can only see her using it for evil. She tried to kill a child, nearly killed a sick man, and she's spent her whole miserable life hypnotizing people out of their money."

She clutched her sword.

Kit widened his eyes. "You're not going to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Selene plunged the sword into the woman's chest, letting her fall to the ground.

"What the hell?" Kit said. "Selene, you can't just--"

"Don't you see, Kristofer? This is a war now. We cannot give mercy to those who will threaten the wellbeing of Avalon." She sheathed her sword and picked up a lantern one of the men had been carrying. "It's her or it's Avalon, these are the choices we have to make when things like this happen."

Giselle watched with wide eyes as Selene pulled the candle from the lantern, catching fire to a bush which rested against the brothel walls. The fire spread to the wooden frames, spreading upwards and out, lighting up the night.

As soon as everyone had gotten it together, they returned to their horses and left the village as quick as they were able. Selene managed to squeeze herself onto the horse with Giselle and Lionel, it helped that they were both small, though she wasn't able to go as fast as she'd liked. Giselle reveled the feeling of Selene's sturdy arms holding her steady.

They returned to the shelter of the woods and searched for a place to stop, settling in a small clearing next to a river. They ate the food Eurion brought from Redbágh, and no one wasted any time in getting to sleep. No one except for Selene.