Lucius's breakdown went as quickly as it had arrived. The familiar cheeky spark reappeared in his gaze as we talked. Something within my chest loosened. My Lucius was still in there. I had him back. The only question was - for how long? It seemed the fates were against us. We had finally reached a good place for us both; we had been open about our feelings, agreed to this relationship, and then things had started going wrong.

It was as if the threads that bound us to one another were pulled taught and starting to fray. Maybe the fates were trying to tell us something?

I wouldn't let it happen. I couldn't. If I did, everything we had been through to get to this moment would have been for nothing.

Reaching up, I stroked my hand down his cheek. He leaned his face into my touch and shuddered, as if he had been out in the cold and had suddenly been dunked into a hot bath. A frown formed on my brow. There was something deeply wrong but I couldn't even begin to tell what it was.

Thud. THUD.

Turning my head towards the door, I sighed. Glancing back at Lucius, I caressed his cheek one last time, using my thumb to brush away any signs of his tears, before pulling away. He smiled sadly, lifting his hand to hold mine. Then, ever so gently he pressed a kiss to my palm.

Leaving him to compose himself, I walked to the door and yanked it open. Sonakshi stood on the other side, her hand raised in preparation to complete another round of knocks. Her eyes widened and she halted before her hand could strike me instead. Abruptly she let her hand fall to her side.

Dipping her head in a bow, she greeted, "Good morning, milady."

"Good morning, Sonakshi, " I replied with a smile. And yet, as I watched the usually stoic warrior shuffle from foot to foot,  the smile swiftly left my face. "Is everything okay?"

"Castiel sent me. There's been an incident and we need you both to come." She stated, her eyes searching over my shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I think it's best if you see if for yourself, milady." Sonakshi replied, her voice low and grave. Her expression said a lot more than her words did. Her mouth was turned down and her eyes held a sadness I had come to know far too well.

"Someone's dead. " I stated as Lucius stepped up behind me. Even the warmth of his body behind mine could do nothing to soothe the fear which had surged within me as the young warrior nodded stiffly. "Who is it?"

"I think you need to see for yourself." Sonakshi stated, her lips pressing together as she glanced behind her.

Just fifteen metres away a young male demon pushed a trolley full of cleaning supplies and, just a bit further along, there was another demon sweeping the floors. I nodded my head. Some information was not meant for everyone to hear.

Glancing over my shoulder at Lucius, I felt the knot in my chest pull tight once more. His expression had become distant again; his eyes cold and his lips thinned. The stranger was back.

Unable to look at him any longer, I turned swiftly on my heel and stepped out into the hallway. "Let's go."

Lucius followed close at my heels, the door clicking shut behind him to conceal the mess within. Neither of us had made any attempt to clean up the aftermath of Percy. The floor was still littered with discarded food, abandoned trays, and shattered china plates. It felt inconsequential when there was yet another death.

"Where are we headed?" Lucius asked, taking his place at my side and threading his fingers through mine.

"To your quarters," Sonakshi replied calmly as she set off at brisk walk.

"Our quarters?" I mouthed soundlessly, my heart lurching uncomfortably as I stumbled along behind her. Lucius squeezed my hand so I lifted my gaze up to meet his. "Please, let them be alright." I pleaded.

Wordlessly, he lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. His lips were warm and it steadied my frantic heart. There were no false promises it was all going to be okay. He only offered me the reassurance of his presence. After all, it wasn't okay. It was far from okay. No matter who was dead, it was still a life that had been snuffed out. It would still matter to me as much as if they were a stranger to us. Yet I had a feeling it was someone we knew.

"They're going to be okay." I whispered to myself over and over again. Lucius pressed a kiss to the side of my head but it didn't do much to dispel the terror welling up within me. "They're both going to be okay. I can't cope with anything else. I need them to be okay."

"Shh. Stop panicking yourself." Lucius murmured in response. "I'm sure they are both fine. You're just going to worry yourself into an early grave if you carry on like this."

"That is not even remotely funny, Lucius." I scolded, ripping my hand out of his. "Someone is dead. I don't know why you think its even remotely appropriate to joke at a time like this."

Speeding up my pace, I created some distance between us. I could feel his eyes burning into the back of me but he made zero effort to resume physical contact. I was both relieved and disappointed.

The journey back to our rooms was short, our feet flying across the floor in our haste and yet it had never felt longer. And then my feet started to drag along. Moments before, I had wanted to know the identity of the latest victim. Yet, as we turned the final corner, I wasn't so sure.

Armed fallen angels stood outside the door to our rooms, their swords from the sheaths on their backs. Tension radiated through the air as they huddled around, their urgent whispers too low for me to hear.

A lone demon stood off to the side, his face with a sickly while his arms wrapped around his middle. His youthful appearance and obvious distress pulled at my maternal side. And yet, a larger part of me needed to know that the rest of my family were okay.

Glancing over my shoulder, I stared up into Lucius' blue eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll get him taken care of."

We paused beside the gathered group. The fallen angels turned to greet us and their grim expressions were telling. More so than if they had said a thousand words. My palms grew clammy and fought to keep my breathing eve.

"Wait here for a second." Sonakshi stated. And then she stepped away from us and knocked on the door beside Lucius's. I pressed my lips to stop the bile fighting its way up my throat. It was Danny's room.

My legs felt weak and I was grateful for the strong hands which suddenly gripped my arms and held me upright.

There was a loud crash before a breathless Castiel yanked open the door. Before he could open his mouth, the Pegasus wriggled its black head beneath his arm and gave a chirpy whinny in greeting. Danny, not wanting to be left out, crawled from beneath the Pegasus and gave a toothy smile.

I gave a strangled laugh, the sound catching in my throat as I fought a sob.

"Thank god." I choked out, my eyes roving each of them to ensure there were no marks – no signs of harm. The vice around my heart loosened ever so slightly so that I could breathe properly for the first time in minutes. Other than Cass appearing a little harried, no doubt due to the Pegasus currently chewing on his trench coat, they all appeared to be in good health.

"Thank you for collecting them for me, Sonakshi." Castiel said quietly, pushing gently on the Pegasus's nose to get him back into the room. Danny quickly followed. "Can you stay with the young ones? Do not leave them for a moment. Oh and keep them in your line of sight. Trust me on that. Those two know how to get into trouble."

Sonakshi glanced over his should and her face paled. It was incredible to think the woman was a fearless warrior and yet, when it came to being alone with a child and a winged horse for just a few minutes, fear filled her heart. Still, despite her terror, duty prevailed. Clenching her hands at her sides in fists, she jutted out her chin and nodded stiffly.

"Thank you." Cass stated, stepping out into the corridor and allowing her to pass. Once the door shut behind her, a deep lines appeared on his forehead and the façade he had been wearing for my son was gone. "Come with me."

He was already opening Lucius's door before I could get me feet to move.

It was clear something bad had happened within. The bed was in tatters; the heavy wooden posts splinted and shattered while the coverings had been torn into ribbons. Something had struck it with great force. The shards of the frame which remained standing jutted out at an angle. And there, at the end of a vicious looking splinter of wood, black viscous liquid soaked the end.

Entranced, I watched as a thick globule dripped down on to the floor to join the small pool gathered below.

"Savannah?"

Shaking my head, I stepped into the room. Every part of my body was tense. There was something terrible here. I didn't have to see it to know it. My stomach twisted uncomfortably.

The wardrobe which had stood against one of the walls, now rested on its side. Its doors hung open and, like they were the entrails of the obliterated furniture, my beautiful dresses spilled out on the floor beside it. They were covered in the same black substance as the bed. Most chilling of all were the long claw marks which had been gouged into the wooden doors which were still clinging to their hinges.

Nothing has been left untouched.

Turning on my heel, I sucked in a sharp breath. A large black spike jutted out from one of the walls. It was several feet long and, where it had embedded itself into the stone, more of the black liquid oozed down in a long and winding trail and pooled on the floor beneath.

"What is that?" I asked, stepping closer but making absolutely no move to touch it. It just felt – wrong.

"I don't know." Cass shook his head, the lines on his face appearing more prominent and shadows forming in his eyes. "What I do know, is it resembles the spikes which were used to injure Lucius and the guards. Until we know the effects of the black liquid in its pure form, no one is to touch any of it. Is that understood?"

"Yes. I understand." I replied quietly before reaching out to squeeze Lucius's hand. My pulse sped up and I swallowed loudly. "But then, this means that the same person who attacked Lucius has been here. They've walked straight into the palace, straight past the guards, and straight into our private quarters."

I felt violated. It was one thing to be attacked when you are out in the open, or out on a battle field. But to know the enemy has invaded your home – your personal space. My stomach churned.

"That's the conclusion we have come to. However no one has seen or heard anything. Several guards are missing and right now we are presuming they are either injured, dead, or worse they are working for the enemy."

I gulped and nodded my head. Wasn't that a cheery thought? "And no one saw anyone leave either?" I asked.

"No. We know they are no longer in the building but we have not been able to trace their access or exit points. It will take time. The body was only discovered a few minutes ago." Castiel stated. He ran a hand tiredly over his face. "Once I saw the state of the room, I prevented the children from entering. Danny didn't see anything."

Nodding my head, I sent him a grateful smile. My son definitely did not need to be exposed to these kinds of horrors yet. He was far too young for it. He had been exposed to so much ugliness in his short life.

"Where is the body?" Lucius asked, his jaw ticking with barely restrained anger. When Cass didn't immediately answer, he ground his teeth together and shot his brethren a glare that promised pain. "Where is it?"

"The body is in the bathroom," Cass stated with hesitance, stepping back to allow the man to pass.

Lucius released my hand and strode towards the bathroom without further ado. After taking in a deep even breath, I followed.

The bathroom hadn't been spared any damage. As we stepped into the room, our steps splashed through the inch of water already coating the floor. During the altercation the pipes had been torn from the wall and now water was spraying outwards.

"Is there any way to turn it off?" I asked, raising a hand to shield my face from the spray.

In answer, Lucius crossed the room and tore open one of the cupboards. Throwing out all of the clean linens on to the floor, he thrust his hand into the cupboard. A few seconds later the spray slowed before coming to a stop except for a slow, off-tempo drip.

I knew where the body was. I could sense it without even looking down.

I really didn't want to look down. I didn't want to see another dead body. Yet some part of me already knew who it was. I just needed to take one peek for confirmation.

"Savannah?"

I swallowed to clear the dryness in my mouth and then I finally allowed my gaze to lower. Like the woman in the house just a few days ago, in death Greta was not at peace. Her face was contorted into an expression of horror, eyes wide and mouth open in a scream. They were frozen into that grim expression and seared itself into my brain.

I knew that for the rest of my life, despite the other memories I had of her, I would always remember this version.

"She's covered in ice." I remarked lamely, noting the frost which coated every part of her skin. Even her clothes had been affected. Stepping closer, so close that my feet were almost touching her body, I allowed my eyes to drift over her still form. "It's just like with Lucius. If we hadn't stopped it, this is what would have happened."

Crouching down, I stretched out a hand and gently brushed my fingers against her cheek. Even though I knew she was frozen, the chill against my skin was still a shock. I had seen her just a few hours before; she had been alive and vibrant. Greta had been excited. Her cheeks had been flushed and her eyes full of a hopeful sparkle as she rushed about her duties. She had decided she was going to enquire about adopting one of the Halfling orphans. She knew the likelihood of having her own was slim. She had wanted to be a mum more than anything.

I pressed a hand to my chest. Now two lives would be affected by her death. She was gone and some child would not get the love and affection Greta was capable of giving. Closing my eyes, I prayed. I prayed that whatever happened to her soul, it would find peace and everything else that she deserved.

"There's just too much death," I whispered, terrified to speak too loudly lest it break the strange atmosphere which was hanging over us.

Opening my eyes, I stared down into the blank unseeing gaze of Greta. In death, they had clouded over, turning white with just the barest hint of their original colour peeking around the edge. There was a giant spike protruding from her abdomen, the same back fluid oozing from the point of entry.

"What could have done this to her? What could be capable of this much destruction?" I asked, ignoring the chill as I used my fingertips to gently close her eyes.

I brushed the errant strands of hair off of her face and held back a sob. She hadn't been the intended target. I knew it in my heart. The woman had been collateral damage. Just like all of the damaged and broken things in the room was just collateral damage.

"We don't know Savannah, but we will find out." Castiel promised in a strong voice as he stood in the doorway.

I nodded my head as my eyes once more landed on the spear-like object protruding from her body. It was just wrong. 

Reaching down, I gripped the bottom of my dress in both hand and then with a sharp yank, I pulled the fabric apart. I repeated this over and over until I had two long strips of fabric. Keeping my eyes on the woman before me, just in case she dared to disappear, I carefully would a strip of material around each of my hands.

Once both of my hands were suitably wrapped, I gripped the spear with both hands. 

"Savannah, what are you doing?" Lucius shouted, coming up beside me and attempting to pull my hands away. I held on tight. I refused to let go of the spear.

"I need to get this out of her. It's not right." I stated calmly, lifting my eyes to his. "Now, either you hold her down so I can pull this out, or you can get out of my way. You're not going to stop me from doing this. I need to do this."

I wasn't even aware I was crying until Lucius lifted his hand and brushed the tear from my cheek. He stared down at his damp fingers for several long seconds before he backed away from me and placed one hand on Greta's shoulder and the other on her hip, pinning her body down on the ground. I nodded to him in gratitude.

"On three," I grunted, bending my knees as I prepared myself. "One. Two. Three!"

I heaved, using my knees to help pull the spear upwards. A loud crack echoed through the air as the skin around the spear shattered like glass and then the spike came free. I staggered backwards under the sudden weight, the spear held firmly between both hands as I backed away from Greta's body. Turning, I threw the spike into the shower, quickly shedding the scraps of fabric. The spike hit the wall with a loud smack before clattering down into the shower tray.

I crossed the room and routed through the linen closet in the corner. There were no sheets but I found a large fluffy white bath towel. Numbly, I shook it out before returning to Greta's prone form. Lucius had backed away from the body and stood beside Castiel with his head bowed in respect. Taking one last look at the woman I had hoped to call a friend, I gently draped the towel over her head and the evidence of her suffering.

I remained there for several long seconds, staring down at the fluffy white towel. She hadn't deserved this. No one deserved this.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat as a glanced up a Lucius. It could have been him. By some miracle he had survived but this could have been his fate. And it still could be. The attacker could come back and finish the job he or she started. What if it next time it was Danny that got hurt? Or Castiel?

"We need to find out who did this. We need answers."

"But we are still no closer to finding any," Castiel reminded me gently. "No one has seen anything or at least no one remembers seeing anything."

"Then maybe we need to go back to the place where the attacks began. We need to retrace our enemy's steps so we can know more about them. We need to know so we can understand what we are facing and we can prepare our counter attack." I stated calmly. Pushing to my feet, I took one last glance at my fallen friend before walking back to the men. "So far we have been wholly unprepared for these attacks – all of us. We cannot allow that to happen again. There are too many lives at stake right now and I cannot handle another death on my conscience."

"You're right."

"I know I am. So we'll head out in hour."

"Savannah," Lucius warned.

I held up my hand and scowled. "No, Lucius. You will not dissuade me on this. I am going. You can stay behind. You are the ruler and you need to be here to rule. And you need to keep Danny safe."

"You are not mollycoddling me."

"As much fun as that would be, I'm not. Your people look to you for guidance. They need you to be here and provide them with reassurance. You need to remain here. Too much has happened; you cannot leave the palace unprotected." I stated calmly.

Lucius frowned and folded his arms across his chest, his eyes darting over my shoulder to peer at the shrouded body behind me. "I don't like this."

Taking his hand, I lead him back out into the hall, unable to be near Greta's still form a moment longer.

I smiled sadly, "I never expected you to. But it is the way it has to be. You are a king and you need to remember that."

Before I could say anything further, Lucius's arm snapped out and wrapped around the back of my neck. He pulled me close, so my body was pressing against his, and he hugged me close. His lips pressed against the top of my head and a tremble coursed through his body. I could feel it all. His love, his fear, and his bitterness at being left behind.

When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against mine. "You come back to me. You are not allowed to die. You're going to come back, we are going to get rid of this threat, and when that is all done, you are going to marry me. Do you understand me?"

I nodded and placed a peck his lips, enjoying the brief flash of warmth which flooded through me at the simple touch.

"The same goes for you. No dying on me. You need to be here when I come back. As far as I can remember, you still owe me a damn ring." I said with a forced smile, waggling my bare hand teasingly before his face.

Lucius caught my fingers between his and pressed a kiss to my bare ring finger. "You'll get your ring." He promised sombrely before striding away with purpose. 

As I watched his retreating back, I hoped he was right because, at the rate things were going, I worried the pair of us would not live long enough to make it to the wedding.