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“Yes, you can. Just move your hands, one after another.”

“I’m too heavy,” she lamented. “I shouldn’t have had that second serving of dessert.”

Gustav stood below her. “Then let go. I’ll catch you.”

“I’ll squash you like a bug,” Josslyn huffed as, with great strain, she slid one hand down.

The house began to visibly waver.

“Gustav…” Avera murmured.

“I see it,” he whispered back. Then louder, “Lyn, we don’t have time. You need to keep moving.”

“I’m try— Aah!” Josslyn lost her grip and fell, but true to his word, Gustav broke her fall.

With his own body.

Josslyn rose, patting down her skirt. “You make a terrible pillow, brother.”

Gustav groaned as he rose. “Remind me to not do that again.”

“Did you just call me fat?” huffed Josslyn.

“Never. Quickly, away from the house. It’s about to collapse.” Gustav grabbed them each by a hand, dragging them away from the house that billowed smoke and glowed orange. When it fell, it did so with a whoosh that sprayed embers, leading Josslyn to slap her skirt.

“As if my clothes weren’t ruined enough,” she grumbled.

Avera couldn’t stop staring at the inferno. The lovely home gone. So quickly. Their hosts, that kind couple who’d taken them in, dead.

“To the stables,” Gustav barked, snapping Avera out of her shock. “We need to retrieve the horses before the fire spreads.”

As they ran for the barn, they could see light coming from within. Gustav motioned them to silence and crept up to the door for a peek.

Whatever he saw stiffened his body and he wrenched open the door to throw himself inside. Yelling followed, and as Josslyn hurried with Avera to see what occurred, Xaviersuddenly came flying, literally. His body soared through the air and hit the ground with a hard thud.

Gustav stalked out, blazing with fury. “You puling pile of shit. You murdered your parents.”

“And?” Xavier drawled as he staggered to his feet, wiping at the blood trickling from his lower lip. “They were old.”

“They were good people,” Gustav growled as he punched Xavier.

Xavier hit the ground again, spitting blood and teeth. He remained unrepentant and snarled, “They gave me no choice. They wouldn’t get out of my way.”

“With good reason given you’re an idiot,” Gustav exclaimed.

“And what of us?” Josslyn snapped. “You tried to burn us alive.”

“A pity that failed. I would have been rewarded had I managed to kill the bastard queen.” Xavier’s gaze slewed to Avera.

“You know who I am,” she murmured.

“The moment you showed up with Gustav, I knew.” Xavier stood but wavered on his feet.

“Who would have rewarded you?” Avera asked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, your bastardness?” The idiot sneered.

“Answer her,” Gustav yelled, lifting his fist again.