through the cordon of men and stopped several feet outside of sword range. He was easily six and a half feet tall with a barrel chest and broad shoulders. He crossed his arms as he appraised her. A series of scars ran across the back of his right arm that looked too even to be anything but self-inflicted.
“Might be the men could have some fun with you,” he said, smiling lewdly, broken and stained teeth showing behind his lips.
“I doubt they would enjoy that as much as you might think,” Isabel said, ignoring the dozen soldiers ogling her. “Are you the commander of this garrison?”
“No,” he said, “I’m the sergeant. The lieutenant is inside the walls, preening himself or something about as useful.”
His men laughed. Isabel ignored them, focusing on the sergeant.
“Take me to him.”
“I don’t think I like your tone,” he said. “You’re an outsider here. You’ll answer my questions and then I’ll decide what to do with you.”
Isabel could see some of the villagers peeking through gaps in the wall.
“This will all sort itself out much faster if you’ll just take me to your commander,” she said.
“I think maybe you need a lesson in manners first,” he said, motioning to his men with his head.
Two men tried to grab her from behind but her shield stopped them a foot short. She muttered the words of her force-push spell, blowing the sergeant eight feet backward onto the ground, then drew her sword.
“This is unnecessary,” she said into the stunned silence.
All of the men surrounding her stopped for a moment, unsure of what to do until the sergeant growled, “Kill the witch.”
They rushed in unison but their weapons were easily deflected by her shield. She bowled another man over with her force-push. Thwarted by her magical defenses, two soldiers tried to knock her down by holding either end of a spear and rushing her. It smashed into her shield, knocking her back a few feet until she stabbed one of the men in the leg and he dropped his end of the spear.
“Stop this or I will start killing you!” Isabel shouted.
The sergeant had regained his feet. “Too late for that, Witch,” he said as he approached, preparing a mighty downward attack with his two-handed sword.
Isabel started casting her spell. Moments later, just as the sergeant brought his sword overhead, she unleashed her light-lance, burning a hole through his chest and dropping him at her feet, dead.
The rest of the men became far less certain, backing off and raising their shields.
“You’ll pay for that, Witch,” one of them said.
“Can I assume that you’re in command now?” Isabel asked.
He looked to the others for support. They were only too happy to have him do the talking, given the fate of their previous sergeant.
“I am,” he said, puffing up a bit past the fear in his eyes.
“Good, send a man to fetch your commander … or join your sergeant,” Isabel said, raising her hand toward him. “Your choice.”
He flinched, then shouted impatiently at one of the soldiers, “What are you waiting for? Go get the lieutenant!”
The man hesitated for a moment, looking first to Isabel and then back to the new sergeant before hurrying away toward the walled village.
Isabel waited silently with a dozen men standing nervously in a loose cordon around her. She didn’t have to wait long before a Regency officer came from the village, with the soldier sent to fetch him trailing close behind.
He appraised the situation as he approached and wary anger started to build on his face. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded as he stopped in front of Isabel, his fists planted on his hips. “My man told me you’re a witch, but I’ve met one of the witches, and you’re not even close to pretty enough to be one of them.”
Isabel filed that little piece of information away for future scrutiny and fixed the lieutenant with her flashing green eyes. “My name is Isabel Reishi. You will assemble an honor guard and escort me to Prince Phane at once,” she demanded.
A little of the color drained from the lieutenant’s face. When he noticed the cauterized hole burned through the chest of his dead sergeant, his face went whiter still.
“Lady Reishi, you have my most sincere apologies for any mistreatment you’ve suffered at the hands of my men. Prince Phane has issued strict orders to all Regency forces on Karth that you are to be treated with the respect accorded a queen and brought