Grimalkin knew she needed to get away before anyone found the dead prince.  She pulled James up on to his unsteady feet and helped him into the dark corridor where he wouldn't be easily spotted.  She thought quickly of the best way to escape.  There was no way they could hide in the forest especially at night.  Every second counted and she would need a fast mount.  

"James, stay here.  Don't try to move, you are too weak."  James' eyes fluttered open and closed again as if it was too much effort.  He was barely lucid and it hurt her to see him so weak and vulnerable. "I'm going to get my horse.  Please, baby, hang on.  I will fix this."  

She kissed the top of his head and went back into the room where her vampire lover had died.  She couldn't bear to look at him but she couldn't leave him there like that.  She kissed his still warm lips one last time. Then she pulled him into the next room and laid him on the bed. She covered his bloody clothes with the blanket. He looked as if he was peacefully sleeping. 

Looking at him now she realized that she would have found it impossible to kill him.   Even when he hurt James, she couldn't find it in herself to strick a killing blow.   If his brothers had heard anything, it wouldn't take them long to send some creature after her, so she grabbed her clothes and weapons but didn't waste time putting them on. 

She had come here to save Tom and was planning to kill the prince eventually also annihilating his kind, but somewhere along the way her plan had changed for she had fallen in love with him.  It was a painful realization that he was now gone.  She had already made up her mind to stay with him and convince him to go back north.  This outcome was a blow to her plans to save the county.  For now, all she could think of was to save James.  

She ran to the stables to get the black horse gifted her by the prince.  She climbed on and looked for the arched secret entrance to the prince's personal space.  The opening was large enough that she continued to ride inside the darkness to the protest of the horse.

The small lanterns that hung on the wall illuminated the entrance to the prince's quarters. She hurried down and found James' limp body, terrified that he might have passed while she was gone. She shook him.  To her relief, he protested when she tried to move him.  

"Help me, James.  I have to get you on the horse."  With his last ounce of strength, James helped her pull him onto the horse subsequently passed out. 

Grimalkin raced as fast as she could go in the eerie twilight, arriving at the cottage where Sally waited.

"Grimalkin," Sally spoke softly, a concerned look on her face.  Sally knew the situation was grim as she watched Grimalkin all but give up. 

Grimalkin did not take her gaze away from James the tears dripping down her cheeks.  The witch that never gave up was losing hope. "Hmm," she hummed just above a whisper.

"Did James pass ...?"

"No... No, but we are all going to die.  He is too weak to move." 

Summoning all her resolve, Sally spoke. "Yes, we're going to die, but not today. Get yourself together. You are Grimalkin!"

The witch stared at Sally lost in thought, unable to form words in the depths of her grief.

"We have to leave, Grimalkin. We can't just sit here waiting to be killed.  If we stay we will surely perish, at least let us try to get away." 

When Grimalkin didn't move, Sally yelled, "we need to go now! Let's go! I'll get the horses."

The witch assassin sprang to her feet with a burning need to save the one she loves. 

"I need a mirror.  I must warn Tom.  The battle is now imminent."