I saw an opening and dove in between two men as another explosion rocked the castle walls. “Fuck, fuck, fuck...” I tried to keep from falling down as the man behind me almost overtook me. Passing a window, I heard the drones again: “Release the king! Release the king!” I pressed against the wall so a man could barrel past me to join the fighting.
At the bottom step Quentin joined me and we raced to the nursery. “We got to get you out of here.” Zach and Emma were waiting just within the doors, holding Ben and Archie who were crying desperately. Zach and Emma were on the verge of panic, you could see it in their eyes.
Emma asked, “Is Magnus going to be okay?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know at all.” I added, “Hold Ben’s hair up. Like this.” She pulled up Ben’s hair. I peeled away a strand of the gold thread and pressed it across the base of his head like Lady Mairead’s had been.
“What is it?”
“Lady Mairead said it would help on the jump. I don’t know. I’m trusting her on it.”
Zach held up Archie’s hair. “It’s okay little man, it’s okay, this isn’t going to hurt.” Archie was sobbing, arching back, in full freak out for being manhandled.
I struggled to get it onto the back of his head, pressed down in the right place. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” Finished, I pulled Isla from my wrap and passed her to Beaty, pulled her little sweaty head forward to aim the last thread on the back of her head.
Archie reached for me in a total massive meltdown. I grabbed him, let him spider monkey my front and held the back of his head. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve got you, it’s okay.”
Quentin said, “Follow me!”
He raced from the nursery with us trailing behind, James bringing up the rear.
We made it to the gates as they were opening. Quentin stood to the side, “Hustle! Hustle! Hustle!” Past the guards, soldiers drew in behind us, and Quentin raced us out of the castle, down the slope, behind the stables, to the edge of the forest. Quentin said, “James and I are going first, we’ll be waiting for you.”
“Florida?”
“Lady Mairead told me Florida, that’s what we need to do.”
He twisted the ends of the vessel. To James he said, “Hold onto my arm.”
“I don’t like leaving a firefight.”
“Yeah, right. But as soon as we know it’s okay in Florida we can come back and get all Call of Duty on their asses.” The storm rose above them.
I held Archie tight and turned away so we wouldn’t get pummeled by the winds.
Once the storm dissipated, Zach and Emma met me and Beaty. I passed Archie to Zach. “Hold onto him sweetie, I’m twisting the—”
Hayley raced into the space. “She took him! They grabbed him and beat him and—”
“Who did — what?”
“Lady Mairead took Fraoch, they beat him and they’re dragging him away! Oh God, they’re going to kill him!”
“Shit, shit shit shit — Okay,” I kissed the back of Archie’s head. “Love you, love you baby. I’ll be right back.” I kissed Isla in Beaty’s arms and passed Beaty the diaper bag. “Hold her, keep her safe,” I said to Beaty. “I’ll be right there. Give me a minute to figure this out. I’ve got another vessel, I’ll be right there.”
I thrust the vessel into Zach’s hand. He twisted the ends and the storm built around them, crashing and rolling and lightning-flashing. Hayley and I rushed away.
Racing through the woods, I was on full adrenaline. “What is happening Hayley — what about Fraoch?”
She pulled to a stop, tears were rolling down her face, something I was not used to seeing.
“That bitch asked him his name. She had her guards seize him, they beat him and dragged him from the castle. She was taking him somewhere!”
“What in the world — Fraoch?”
Twenty-five - Magnus
“They are commandin’ ye tae release me.”
“I hear them,” Roderick growled.
“They sound irritated, ye might want tae consider...”
“Shut up.”
“I mean ye must hae kent they wouldna let ye take the king without tryin’ tae stop ye in your tracks and ye hae been losin’ tae the king over and over, what made ye think ye would win this time?”
“This time I hae Bella workin’ with me.”
“Och, Bella is a waste of yer time, and just so I am clear, she was workin’ with ye last time ye lost tae me. She is near the top of my list of yer weaknesses, under the headin’ of idiocies.”
He kicked me hard. I deserved it. But I overpowered the pain and dinna think on it much, twas naething but a wave, I just had tae endure it.
He told his commander, “Fire a volley at the walls.”
I shook m’head. “Tis yer grave.”
A voice repeating through the woods: “Release the king, release the king.” A soldier approached Roderick. “Sir, there’s a...” He glanced down at me and then whispered.
Roderick said, “Ah. Yes, I will meet her.” He straightened his uniform.
I said, “Did ye hire a designer tae make ye a uniform so ye would look less like a criminal?”
He stepped over me and purposely kicked me. “Your mother would like a word with me.”
“I imagine she would. I am nae sure I would want tae take yer place. She has a fury that could fell trees and that’s if ye cross her about somethin’ simple. I am certain she is verra upset ye hae captured her king.”
“Eh,” he said, “You’re just a man, layin’ in the dirt.”
I sighed over-dramatically. “Tis true, ye should give me the dignity of lettin’ me up tae m’feet afore I am killed.”
“Get him up.”
Two soldiers yanked me tae standing.
“Am I tae follow ye?”
“Nae, stay here.” He stalked from the tent with guards flankin’ him, leavin’ me, thankfully, nae guarded well enough.
I kent how tae remove m’wristbands. They had belonged tae my government, and I had seen them in use. There was a twist and release movement that would do it, but from inside the bindings it might take a few attempts. If my hands had been behind me, twould hae been easier tae hide m’gestures. I dinna want tae get caught, because this was the one chance I had of escape.
My eyes darted around the area. If I jumped the soldier tae m’right I might hae his gun in enough time tae shoot the soldier on the left, but I would hae tae go fast as the shots would call more soldiers in.
Lord Philip stood tae m’far right. I faced down at m’hands but looked furtively around. If I got him tae draw closer and if I was fast enough tae get his sword afore he could raise it. If I could swing it on the soldiers afore they were the wiser — if I could swing, for I had gotten a good beatin’ a’ready.
I asked the soldier closest tae me, “Are ye from the kingdom? I daena recognize ye, but ye must ken, I am yer king if ye are.”
“No, I am not.”
“Where are ye from then, what time?” While I spoke tae him I kept my eyes on Lord Philip.