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She saw Garovel and Mehlsanz exchange looks.

‘Very well,’ said Garovel. ‘What exactly do you want the Queen to do?’

Helen was about to protest when Mehlsanz’s voice silenced her.

‘Listen. Only you can hear me,’ she said. ‘We’re merely stalling, so don’t fight. That man will kill all of us.’

“Well, the expansionist movement is a good start,” said Desmond. “Greater militarization efforts would--”

‘Stop,’ said Ezmortig. ‘That was far too easy. I don’t know about this Garovel here, but Mehlsanz was Vanguard. She wouldn’t cooperate so easily.’

Desmond frowned. “What’re you saying?”

‘They’re up to something. Kill them now.’

Desmond smiled. “Can do.”

‘Wait a minute,’ said Mehlsanz. ‘We acknowledge that we’re no match for your servant. We’re simply--’

‘You’re lying,’ said Ezmortig.

Desmond approached, and Helen put herself in front of the reapers.

Mehlsanz touched Helen’s shoulder. ‘No helping it.’

Desmond held an index finger up to her face. “You don’t even have an ability yet, do you?”

Helen grabbed the finger, intending to break it, but it snapped right off. It darkened in her hand and started sizzling as Desmond backed away.

‘Get rid of it!’ Mehlsanz shouted.

She tossed it. The finger exploded in mid-air. Helen staggered back, half the flesh gone from her face.

‘He has a transfiguration ability!’ said Garovel.

“That’s right.” Desmond was there, and he grabbed the Queen by the neck, lifting her off the ground. “You’re not much of a fighter, are you, Your Majesty?”

Dizzy, Helen could only see through one eye, the other just a bloody gash, slowly growing back.

‘Behind you, Desmond.’

Lynnette’s sword hacked the man’s arm clean off, and Helen hit the ground. Desmond spun to swing at the swordswoman, and she hacked the other arm off as well.

He looked at his two stumps, then at her, and laughed. “Impressive. But you’re out of your depth, girl.”