Beckoning Light (24 page)

Theodore ran past me into the room and started to hand out weapons to the freed prisoners, encouraging them to run upstairs quickly. I held back, pushing myself against the wall, and waited for Ruth. Finally, she found me.

“You have done so well, Charlotte. You are learning quickly.” She grabbed my arm firmly, letting me know to stay back.

“Thank you, but I heard my brother. Will my family be all right?” I tried to stay calm, but the thought of anything happening to my family made me feel ill.

“I cannot promise you their safety, but we are bringing them a chance.” Ruth gestured to the crowd heading out in front of us. “I know it is hard, but you have to push those thoughts out of your head and focus on your role. We stand no chance of getting out of Bellgard without you.”

“Do you really think I can do it?” I asked.

“Yes, if you can focus.”

We walked up the stairs slowly. Ruth tried to hold me back from the other prisoners, emphasizing that I was useless if I were hurt, and I needed to be careful. When we reached the main floor, I heard screams and grunts and knew that the battle had begun. Ruth took my hand and led me down an older, pitch-black corridor. I really hoped Ruth knew where she was going. Even in the blackness, I could tell that the passage wound back to the mountain side of the castle. We kept moving as quickly as possible through the dark until Ruth stopped and placed my hand on a stone wall. 

“Charlotte, you must find a way to break through this wall. It is not reinforced with metal; it is all stone.”

I looked up at the thick stone and closed my eyes, allowing myself to envision it crumbling. I tried to let everything else fade away. As soon as I started to see the stone move, I felt someone grab me. I opened my eyes, but it was still completely black. I felt something cold around me. All at once, every inch of me hurt, and I fell to the ground. Someone picked me up and carried me at a fast pace. I knew that it couldn’t be Ruth, and I started to panic. The pain was getting worse. Suddenly, I was thrown onto the ground.

“Not so strong now, are you?” I looked up toward the voice. Everything was blurry, but I knew it was Blake.

“What are you doing to me? Where is Ruth?” I cried out in pain.

“You think that you are so smart, Charlotte. You really believe that you know better than anyone, but you are mistaken. You know so little. You cannot even persuade your own Gerard to follow you. What does that say about you?” Blake asked, sneering at me.

“Let me go, Blake, let me go. Why are you doing this to me?” I screamed.

“So much like your mother,” Blake said icily. “It would have been so easy if she had just consented to be with me. Instead, she fought, and she ran, but she could not stay away forever. I created this cloak to subdue her, never imagining I would need to use it again. It is made of steel and reinforced with dark magic. There is no getting out of it, so you might as well stop flailing.” So that was what it was, some kind of cloak. But why couldn’t I move my arms?

Blake seemed to read my mind. “Think of it as a straitjacket. You are not moving anywhere,” he said, clearly enjoying seeing me weakened at his feet.

“What good am I to you dead? You think a new Essence will be any better?” I asked with as much energy as I could muster.

“I do not want you dead.” Blake gave me a wicked smile. “This will not kill you. It will weaken you, but I am not taking your life. I have no need for a new Essence; I have your Gerard in the palm of my hand. As long as you stay at Bellgard, he will do anything I ask, just relieved that he is near you and feels that he can protect you.”

“But Calvin won’t let you hurt me; he’ll make you stop this,” I said, hoping my words were true.

“Calvin does not want you hurt, but he also wants you to stay with him more than anything else. And just so you are aware, that little stunt you pulled with Henry upset him; I do not think he will be giving you too much space now.” Blake almost laughed. 

“Oh no, Henry,” I tried to say, but the pain was getting to be too much. The more I tried to fight it or talk, the worse the pain became. The only thing that eased it was lying still and silent.

“Do not try to talk, Charlotte, no need to strain yourself. Henry is very much alive; Calvin will let him prove himself again, and this time he will not make the mistake of listening to you.” Blake bent down to look at me directly.

I lay silent and still. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was metal. I felt hopeless. My family was in the other room fighting to save me, relying on my abilities to get us out, but I had failed.
So much for being the most powerful Essence in six hundred years
, I thought, as I felt the last remnants of my energy fade away.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kevin

I felt hopeless. I looked at Monty to try to figure out what he was thinking. I knew that he would be unwilling to leave without Charlotte. Liam looked just as resolved. I hadn’t dared look behind me yet to see what Samantha was doing. I knew that Percy was also in the hall with Naomi in her cat form. I really hoped that one of them would come up with a plan. 

Suddenly, I heard bellowing cries as a large mass of people entered the large hall. I saw both men and women, dirty, dressed in what appeared to be rags, and wielding weapons. I watched as they approached Calvin and his men, but just as quickly, reinforcements of Bravado men appeared. 

Calvin turned to face the ensuing crowd, and I took my chance to unsheathe my sword. The blade glowed brightly. I was instantly grateful that Calvin had been so confident that he didn’t think he needed to disarm us. I looked around. I was ready to go after Calvin, but my way was blocked by James, who had a frightening smile on his face. James held his sword, an exact replica of my own, and we began to fight. I held my ground as best I could, but I had to hand it to him, the kid could fight.

“This is not the basketball court, Kevin; you have no chance,” James mocked. I said nothing, locking my sword against his.

In the chaos, I spotted Calvin, who towered over everyone else in the room. Monty was trying to fight him but without directly engaging him. I was suddenly relieved to have found James first. If Monty couldn’t fight Calvin directly, I probably didn’t have too great of a chance. I was distracted and, before I knew it, I was on the ground, James’s sword to my chest.

“Are you having fun, Kevin?” James looked down at me.

“Just go on and kill me already.” If I was going to die, I wanted it over with.             

James gazed at me with a cruel smile. “I am not going to kill you. You are a Guardian; you have value. You just need to understand what side you should be on.”

I heard a loud cry and looked to my left. Liam was on the floor bleeding from his chest. I felt sick as I saw that the sword that had caused the injury had belonged to a Guardian. Percy had told us that even a shallow wound was potentially deadly. I tried to get up, but James still had me pinned down. What else was there to do? How could I let my best friend die on the floor of this castle alone? Luckily, James looked away momentarily, and I was able to use my foot to push his sword to the side and stand up. His surprise didn’t last long. He had his sword ready, and we were at it again. Suddenly, the room went quiet. I looked around trying to figure out what had changed. And then I saw why. A blond man who, based on his striking resemblance to James, I deduced was Blake, had Charlotte by the arm, dragging her into the room. She was wearing some sort of metal cloak, and her face was pale; she looked like she was in terrible agony. I looked over to Monty, who had stopped fighting. Calvin was staring at her, too, while moving toward the front of the room. I dared to look over to where Liam had been, but he was gone. I couldn’t worry about that now. 

“You are all putting on a good fight, I give you that, but you are not getting out of here. You need her to do that and, as you can see, she is not up to it.” Blake gestured to Charlotte, who I could tell could barely stand upright.

“Blake, what is the meaning of this? She looks to be in pain. Stop it!” Calvin screamed.

“Calm down, Calvin. This cloak will cause no serious injury. Besides, you told me to do anything necessary to keep her here, did you not? If it were not for me, she would be fleeing now with her family, forever lost to you.” Blake looked directly at Calvin. No one else moved or spoke.

“But she is in pain. Take that off, or I will do it myself,” Calvin bellowed, taking another step toward Charlotte. Charlotte looked at Calvin, her eyes pleading.

“You underestimate your Essence’s power, Calvin,” Blake said calmly.

“But look at her. She is so weak. What could she do?” Calvin asked.

“He is right, Father,” James said, as he walked to the front of the room. “She is too weak, is she not?” I watched with shock as James walked over to Blake and pulled Charlotte from his grasp. Blake looked surprised, but didn’t argue.

“Look at her. If I let go she would fall to the ground, completely powerless. I guess that is what you wanted, huh, Calvin?” James asked mockingly.

“No, of course not,” Calvin replied, clearly fighting internally over what action to take.  

Blake eyed his son warily. “James, I do not know what you are going on about. This is just as much for you.”

“For me?” James laughed. “For me?” he repeated. “My entire life I have done everything you have ever asked. I even found the Essence and brought her here, and for what? To be pushed aside when I was not the Gerard? To be replaced by this
farmer
?” James sneered at Calvin. 

Calvin looked concerned, and James used the opportunity to pull Charlotte to his chest and put his sword to her neck. I felt helpless; I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t think of one logical move. I looked over at Monty, who looked equally as distraught.

“James, hand her over,” Blake boomed.

“No,” James said levelly. I breathed in, trying to comprehend what was happening.

“You have no right to touch her, James. Release her to me immediately,” Calvin thundered.

James laughed and moved his sword swiftly; it was back at her neck in moments, but the metal cloak had fallen. Immediately, Charlotte had some color back, and her eyes shone bright blue. 

“Let us go, or I kill your Essence.” James looked only at Calvin.

“Let you go, James?” Blake looked confused.

“Yes. I want out. If I cannot be the Gerard, I will not follow another’s command. As little as I care for this girl, why should I leave her here to be tortured? Such wasted potential.” James still had the sword to her neck.

“He is bluffing, Calvin. He would not hurt her,” Blake said.

“I am not. I would rather see another era of darkness than watch what you have planned.” It shocked me how calm James could be, considering the circumstances.

“Tortured? I would never torture her,” Calvin said, as though it hurt to even say the words.

“What do you call this?” James kicked the metal cloak with his boot. “You were willing to allow my father to put her through agony just to keep her here.”

“That will never be used again,” Calvin said seriously. “Let her go, James. It does not have to be like this. I know you expected to be the Gerard, but Charlotte did not choose you. You need to accept it.”

“I am warning you,” James said, as he pulled Charlotte even closer to his chest. She gave a gasp like she could hardly breathe. Why was he doing this to her? James must have heard the gasp because he loosened his hold.

Charlotte spoke, and everyone froze. “Calvin, why don’t you understand that there is no reason to listen to Blake? You are right; I did choose you as my Gerard, and that had to be for a reason. You are the one in charge. You can change things.”

“Charlotte, consent to stay with me, and I will hear you out. I give you my word.” Calvin softened his voice as he spoke to her.

“I will only stay if you send Blake away.” Charlotte sounded resolute.

Calvin started to look desperate. “We can talk about this, Charlotte.”

“No, you cannot. We are done talking. Either you let all of us go, or I kill the girl,” James said angrily. 

Blake laughed. “Calvin, he would not kill her; he could not.” But Blake didn’t take a step toward James, either.

“How do I know you will not hurt her after you leave? How do I know she will be safe?” Calvin asked, his resolve breaking.

“Because she’ll be with me,” I finally spoke up, understanding that as little as I trusted James, he might be our only ticket out. “I would never let her get hurt.”

“Neither would I,” Monty said, walking up to stand next to me.

“I will protect her, too!” Liam yelled. I turned to look at Liam and was shocked to see him standing. He was still bleeding a little, but he looked like he was going to make it. I didn’t understand it. 

“As will I,” said the boy who had been in chains when we arrived. “I will do everything to protect my Essence.” I guessed somewhere along the line, someone had freed him.

“Charlotte, do you really mean to leave me?” Calvin looked at her sadly.

“Calvin, I can’t stay with you if you are following Blake. You must see his evil ways.  Everything he says is a lie,” Charlotte said desperately. I could see the pain in her eyes.

“But we belong together. You need to stay with me so I can protect you.” Calvin started to take a step forward but stopped himself at the last moment.

“The only ones I need protection from are you and Blake.” A murmur went through the crowd.

“You think you need protection from me?” Calvin nearly yelled, clearly hurt. “How could you fear me?”

“How could I not? You have been treating me as a prisoner, and you didn’t try to release me from that thing, that thing that hurt worse than being burned.” I couldn’t believe that Charlotte was talking to Calvin this way; she sounded so confident and strong.

Calvin gasped. “Oh, Charlotte, I did not realize the pain. I am sorry. Oh, Charlotte.” Calvin looked like someone had stabbed him.

“I’m not falling for it, Calvin. You need to let us go. James will kill me if he has to, and I think he’s right to do it. I would rather be dead than to help with the campaign of destruction Energo is on.”