“Cat, you idiot," Wren flicked a finger at his forehead not covered by his mask, "it's a mob, and mobs can't be controlled. Worse yet, your stepmother is still legally the Regent, and anyone trying to lynch her will be considered a traitor. The guards, both the Regent's and the city's are obliged to defend her. Your subjects are in danger because of Fuzzy's spell."

“Not my subjects,” Cat made a sour face. “They are subjects of the king.”

I looked around and saw the spell-based illusion of Queen Eleanor following the disheveled Griselda around the square. I was astounded because that spell should only have worked on the first floor of the palace. Something was wrong here. Griselda's guardsmen kept trying to get between her and the ghost, but they ran away in fright every time she got too close.

I saw other things of note in glancing around the square. Duchess Dora and Father Garshom set up a spot where they examined injured people before sending them on their way or directing guardsmen to place victims carefully in the back of a large wagon. The people doing the loading for the two mages were none other than Owl, Blue Fox, Prince Willam, and Storm Eagle. All the elves were in the black cat masks.

Duke Valgard gathering up detached guards or guards at a loss for what to do. He then dispatched them in squads of ten to search the wreckage of the palace and temple. I couldn't spot Duke Sven, Count Henri, and Viscountess Alianora. I guessed they had gone into the city to find the Countess de Teep and to reconnoiter the northwest quarter.

As much as I enjoyed my illusion spell of Queen Eleanor, the obvious thing to do was to end the spell. The Queen needed to be taken into custody and tried in court, not lynched by a mob of enraged subjects. Despite my fatigue, I stood up and trotted across the square to place myself between the Regent and the ghost. I spooked some of the guardsmen by my approach, and one tried to spear me in his panic.

“Hold, soldier,” Father Garshom appeared out of nowhere to grab the spear shaft and trip the guardsman. “That is a spirit beast. It would be wise to stay out of her way. I believe she will attempt to exorcise the ghost.” He held a hand out to help the guardsman to his feet and then handed back the spear.

“Smart fellow,” Garshom patted him on the back.

With the guardsman neutralized by the old priest, I turned back to my spell.

* γενεγ! *

Instead of vanishing, the illusion of Queen Eleanor’s ghost stopped and studied me. She smiled and her face was full of affection. “I only regret that I could not see my children grow up.” Her eyes lifted to gaze at Andray as he walked slowly with Wren toward us. "He will be a great king someday." Then the ghost of Queen Eleanor faded into a swirl of golden light that rose into the air and vanished.

I was so confounded that all I could do was stare at the space where she had disappeared. Something was going on here that was more profound than my illusion spell.

The strange disappearance of Queen Eleanor’s ghost left the Regent's guards as frozen as I was. Then they formed a perimeter around Griselda to protect her from whatever might happen next.

Magus Keleher limped into the square with the help of a Regent’s guard whose sallet had been dented. The dent ended at the broken visor spring, which left the visor hanging down over his eyes at a lopsided angle. The guard looked like he had been caught in part of the collapse from the rips in his tabard and the blood on his sleeve and beard.

The Magus was also a mess. His head was gashed and his dark green gown and mantle as a court magician were ripped and singed. His skin was so pale and the dark circles under his eyes were so large that he looked like a dead man walking in the dark. I did not miss that he had a satchel hanging from his shoulder by a strap.

“My queen, I am relieved to see that you escaped the fire, “Keleher bowed to her. He looked around and saw Father Garshom standing to one side.

“You!” the Magus pointed at the old priest. “Kill that man! He’s a known criminal and traitor.” He spotted Cat Rider, "and you, the imposter prince. We won't fall for those tricks here, fake Andray with two eyes! We'll...we'll..." He stopped his shouting as he gaped at Cat’s face. Where there should have been an eye behind his mask, there was a deep blackness with pinpricks of starlight shining in the dark.

“Cat,” Wren said in a low voice, “the mob is here.”

My boy held up his right hand theatrically and said "barrier," in his clear baritone. Someone, probably Cloud Eye, had cast the projection spell because his voice traveled everywhere. Then he snapped his fingers and a barrier sprang up, tinted with a slight gold glow. I sensed Beaver Tooth’s aura on it, which made sense since Cat had depleted his magic reserves.

“Stepmother, your time as regent is now done," Cat said to Griselda in a voice that traveled throughout the city on Cloud Eye's spell. "You will step down. You would be wise to go into voluntary exile in Osterius because I have enough evidence to try you for capital crimes against my family and even your own son. And you, Magus, will be tried and executed for the traitorous correspondence and the king's own stolen property in your satchel."

"You will not fool us, elf," Keleher shouted, "by your attempt to imitate the dead Prince Andray. You will die first." He handed the satchel to the guard helping him. Then he raised his hands and began to chant the spell of Helle's claws, a black magic spell forbidden in every decent kingdom.

Cat hacked a short cough and then gagged as the spell took effect. Before the spell crushed his throat, Cat's throwing spike was on its way to lodge in Keleher's own throat. An instant later, four more thrown weapons landed on the Magus: a throwing star cutting the carotid artery on the side of the throat, a dagger in his sternum, another throwing spike through his forehead, and a throwing axe in his stomach. I almost felt sorry for him.

Cat started coughing in earnest as he regained his breath.

“Get him!” Griselda shouted to her guards, pointing at Andray. I leaped and landed in front of my boy and Wren. Anyone who wanted a piece of him would need to go through me first.