Emery skidded into the room from the veranda in time to see Arturus catch the governor by his shoulder. Naturally, the security team assigned to the man drew their weapons immediately. “Hold your fire,” Emery shouted, counting on the fact that they were trained to listen to the sound of an authoritative voice. “He’s a valuable witness in a murder investigation,” he continued into the silence that followed the attack.

“Arturus,” Miles said. He ran forward but stopped short of the pair. There was a strange, almost feral look in the cat-boy’s eyes. “Arturus, please, relax and let him go,” he murmured, not making eye contact.

“Arturus,” Emery said, stepping up to Miles’s side. “I know you want to stop him but if you do anything rash, he’ll be the victim. Relax. Think this through. Let him go.”

“He needs to pay for what he did to Mother,” the older boy growled.

“He will,” Emery promised. “He will, but not this way. Let us take him into custody and gather evidence of the crime. Let him go. We won’t let him get away. He’s done with the free ride.”

“Emery?” Morrissey said softly as he entered the room.

“It’s alright,” Miles said softly. He stepped forward and set a hand on Arturus’s shoulder. “Relax, Arturus. Relax and let him go. That’s right, just let him go.”

Slowly, as if unsure what he was doing, Arturus released the man who’d killed his mother. “I want him arrested,” the governor said to Morrissey as soon as he was free.

“You first,” Morrissey said calmly. “You are under arrest for illegal enslavement and suspicion of murder.”

“Conspiracy too,” Emery added. “He worked with several others to hide the body.”

“Too true. Come with me, sir,” Morrissey said softly as he escorted the governor out of the ballroom. Emery sighed in relief as he saw several wardens joining the investigator in the corridor.

“Enslavement? Of who?” Emery asked.

“Me,” Marius said. “Yes, I intend to testify, before you ask. I told Morrissey on the way here. It’s high time I stopped hiding.”

“You aren’t the only one who can finally come out in the open,” Miles replied. He glanced over at Arturus, who was being greeted warmly by the uncle he’d never known.