Page 39 of The Frog Prince (The GriMM Tales #6)

Eighteen

Alwin

C heckmate.

Hands clamped around them, their struggling no use against six able-bodied men and whatever drug Henne had concocted.

Alwin tried to think clearly enough to call on his magic, but every thought went off track, and he couldn’t finish a sentence.

He felt weak and sick to his stomach, something like acid running through his veins.

The residue stuck to him, his breathable skin soaking it in and doubling whatever effect the inhalation was having.

Their limp bodies were dragged away from the cloud and back to the outskirts of the village where the air was clear. The men holding them were unaffected, wearing fabric masks over their lower faces. Alwin couldn’t recognize any of them, but he wondered if Otto could.

They were dumped in the dirt at someone’s feet, forced onto their knees five feet apart, with two men on either side of each of them.

Henne pulled his own mask down to reveal a smug grin as two others flanked him.

“I knew you’d come back eventually.” Henne sneered at Otto. “Such a bleeding heart. So predictable.”

“Why are you doing this?” Otto said weakly, trying to shake off the effects of the cloud.

“Doing what? Catching a monster and his accomplice?”

“Stop pretending.” Otto glared, even though he couldn’t lift his head properly. “You made the village sick!”

If it was intended as an appeal to the men holding them, they didn’t bat an eye at the information.

Henne only laughed. “The frog has driven him mad.”

“You’re a coward,” Otto spat. “Weak and unaccomplished, so you resort to villainy to make up for all the areas where you lack.”

Henne smacked him across the mouth, and Alwin croaked in protest but was too weakened to do anything but struggle limply.

Henne wiped off his hand. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Otto spat out a mouthful of blood, chin jutting stubbornly though there were tears in his eyes. “Hitting me won’t change the fact that I’ll always be a better healer than you.”

Henne smacked him again, and Alwin tugged ineffectively against the arms restraining him.

“Well I can certainly try,” Henne growled. “Don’t forget, I taught you everything you know. You’d be nothing without me.”

Otto laughed without mirth. “I learned everything in spite of you. All the late nights studying every book I could find so I could go behind you and clean up your messes, so that people didn’t have to suffer from your incompetence.

Don’t think I didn’t notice every time you’d steal my ideas.

Don’t think I didn’t allow it willingly just because I’d rather help people than hoard it for my own recognition. ”

Otto glared up at his former mentor. “That is the difference between you and me, Henne. A heart.”

“Hearts are weak,” Henne said. “Susceptible to the diseases of nature and the mind. If you wanted to be strong, you’d cut it out yourself.”

“I’d rather die than be like you!” Otto declared.

“Oh, do not fear.” Henne cut a look at Alwin. “If the monster does not agree, you will.”

The faces of all those Alwin had lost flashed before his eyes, Otto’s now among them. Still. Silent. Light extinguished.

Alwin froze in fear and Henne smiled slowly; a hunter spotting their prey’s weak spot.

“OTTO!” Gisela shouted, racing toward them with her skirts in her hands and her hair trailing behind her.

She was caught by one of the men around the waist and she screamed at him, clenching her small fist and smashing him in the nose.

He cried out, blood flowing as she gained her freedom again, only for a second man to grab her.

She kicked and struggled, but she was no match when the first man joined in again, subduing her.

“Heathens!” she cursed them. “Let me go! You have no right! Henne, you black-hearted piece of shit!”

“Shut that little banshee up. She’s obviously conspiring with the monster too.”

A dirty, gloved hand covered her mouth.

“Let her go,” Otto said, trying to jerk forward. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“She got herself involved with it,” Henne growled.

“I was nice enough not to put a knife to her throat to lure you out here, but she insists on playing the hero. Don’t worry though, once I’m done with you two I’ll make sure she goes to a nice master.

She’s very pretty, almost as pretty as an elf, so she’ll fetch a good price. ”

“I’ll kill you!” Otto growled.

Henne laughed, long and loud. “You?”

Otto flushed red with anger, and Alwin opened his mouth to try and calm him. A wave of pain and sickness moved through him, and he croaked a groan as bile traveled up his throat and spilled onto the dirt, impossible to hold back.

Otto’s eyes met his as he shook with worry.

“What did you do to him?” Otto demanded, trying to shuffle closer on his knees.

He seemed to be shaking off the effects much faster than him, while Alwin just felt worse and worse, his muscles spasming and heart pounding.

“I thought you were a better healer than me, apprentice?” Henne jeered at him, poking him in the chest with his cane. “You can’t work it out?”

“I know you used Henbane, you asshole,” Otto snapped, the muscles and tendons in his arms and neck straining with effort. “I’m asking what you laced it with!”

Henne smirked, drawing his cane back to polish the curved handle. “Did you know that even the most common plants can be deadly to frogs? Rhododendron’s effect is particularly interesting to observe on the heart and nervous system.”

Otto drew in a sharp breath, wide eyes moving to Alwin in fright before moving back. “Give him the antidote. Why capture us just to kill him? Heal him now.”

“He’ll last long enough for my purposes,” Henne said, dismissing him and walking away.

“HENNE!” Otto screamed at his back, yanking his arms to try and get free, only to be wrestled into the dirt again. Tears finally escaped his eyes, wetting the ground under his dirty face.

Alwin blinked sluggishly as feet filled up his vision, blocking Otto from view.

“Hello again, Prince.”

“You’re…wasting…your…time,” Alwin managed to croak out.

“Not even a hello back. I suppose I can’t expect anything different from a dirty creature such as you.”

Alwin did not reply, knowing his lack of attention would needle Henne more than any words he could possibly say, goading him into concentrating on him and not Otto.

The smack from the cane around his face was exactly what he expected, and Otto cried out for him.

It loosened some of the fog, but not the hurt.

“Very well. Let’s cut to the chase then,” Henne snapped. “You know what I want.”

“You have…my answer.”

Henne’s cane poked under Alwin’s chin and lifted his head.

“Make the deal,” he hissed.

“Never,” Alwin said through the blood in his mouth.

Henne backhanded him this time, making his vision go fuzzy and his ears ring. Otto’s shouts sounded as if they came from underwater.

“DO AS I SAY, MONSTER!” Henne shouted, hitting him again.

“He’s not the monster!” Otto shouted through his tears. “You are!”

The village rumbled around them as people began to arrive, drawn by the commotion and shocked by the sight of Gisela and Otto being restrained. And then they saw Alwin and recoiled at first glance.

It still hurt that their first reaction was fear and disgust. Alwin had gotten so used to kindness. To acceptance. He’d forgotten for a moment what it felt like to be hated.

“Monster or not,” Alwin said, coughing. The blood was pouring from his mouth now, down to the floor to pool around his knees. He looked up at Henne, straight into his eyes. “I’ll go to my grave…happy to have denied someone so unworthy. My soul…will be at peace.”

Henne snarled at his defiance. “Beat him.”

“HENNE, NO!” Otto screamed as fists and feet descended on Alwin.

His delicate skin was no match for hard knuckles and leather boots. It split and bled almost immediately, making him cry out in agony. He tried to curl inward to protect himself, but it was no use. Bone snapped, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe, wheezing croaks emitting from his throat.

“You’re killing him! Stop! Please stop!” Otto begged, his voice going hoarse.

Above the pain, Alwin felt sorrier that he was causing Otto such despair. He wanted to reassure him that it was okay. That he’d tried his best. That he had shown him the meaning of compassion and goodness.

He hoped his little Farwin and grumpy Jurgen wouldn’t be too saddened by his passing. At least he could meet their namesakes again and properly apologize.

Lastly, he wished he could have seen his parents and Lorenz one more time, even like this. He thought maybe Lorenz wouldn’t have minded, even though he couldn’t tell them who he was.

“Wait.” Someone spoke up shakily from the crowd, clearly disturbed by the display.

Those around him seemed to share his sentiment but were wary of stepping forward, unsure what to do and cowed by the violence.

“It’s a monster! Can’t you see?” Henne told them. “I’m protecting you. This is the cause of all the illness and disease in the town.”

Murmurs began to stir as Henne whipped up the crowd. Fear was powerful, especially when people were desperate and scared.

“LIAR!” Otto shouted. “You’re responsible for all of this. All Alwin has done is help me find a cure for you all. Please, believe me. Henne is the evil here. He’s the illness in this village.”

“Don’t listen to him. He wants the Frog Prince’s powers all to himself. He cured his sister and left everyone else to rot. How do you think she recovered so miraculously? He’s been hiding him ever since, making sure no one else could ask a boon. Gunther died because of him,” Henne threw back.

“No, no!” Otto said. “I did seek out a deal for my sister, but I’ve always wanted to save everyone! I went to the forest to find a cure. I saved Brigit! Please, someone go check her house! Ask her daughter to come.”