Zade! I jump up, knocking my chair to the
floor.
There are several loud crashes followed by
the Grand Chancellor, his voice almost gleeful. “Ah-ah Envadi.
You've been so kind as to try and free our women, it's only fair
you let us now show you our hospitality.” There's another loud
crash. “You too, Daniel. We can't be soft on our own countryman,
now can we?”
Icy torrents blare through me. Zade's
already captured. Daniel's already captured. What do I do? Nothing
prepared me for this. No amount of preparing to get caught working
a spell, nothing. I flex my hand, dashing for the door.
My efforts will not be in vain. I
can't save Zade and Daniel on my own, but there may be a chance to
save others. And come back for them once I have a specific
pl
an.
I
sprint from
my room, thinking about Serena. She has to be told immediately.
Please don't let the Grand Chancellor be prepared to take her out
before I have time to warn her. They have to have enough time. Her
guards had better be there and remember what to do in a time such
as this. I draft the message and spell it to go to her house as
quickly as I can while on the run. It darts down the hall and out
of sight. I plead silently with it that it doesn't get interrupted.
It's more imperative now than ever before.
It's hard not knowing for sure what the
Grand Chancellor would do. Would he count on being able to stop
Zade from spreading the word? Or would he be more prepared than
that?
My legs ache as I burst up the stairs.
Stupid time to have them so sore from yesterday, being curled up
cleaning. If it saves Annabelle and Tawny, though, it will be worth
even more pain than this burn. Just beyond horrid. If only I can
get to them in tim
e.
Is there going to be an “in time?” Or would
the Grand Chancellor already have had plans in place to take her
out from the change he just made? The thought urges me on faster,
but as quietly as I can go.
I slow as I come to the last hall. I peek
around the corner and dart back. There are two warlocks standing
outside Annabelle's room.
Double foiled.
Can I take these two down myself? And what
if there are more inside? They could hear if I'm not careful. It's
what I get for spending too much time spelling my nails. Do I try
it or not? Maybe it's too late. If I get captured with them, who
will know to bring help? There's nothing I can do for them now. Not
without endangering myself. I take a step toward the stairs, but
immediately pull back and blast a sleep spell, channeling all of my
energy and focusing on it just the way Cynthia would.
They fall to the ground, out cold. Today is
not the day to be a wuss. At least, so far. There could be more
problems along the way. Besides, I can't bring help. I am the
help.
I tiptoe down the hall as quickly as I can.
The guards are perfectly still on the ground other than their
breathing. Good. I'm not Cynthia though, so who knows how long
they'll be out.
It's time to face whatever's in there. After
several deep breaths, I open the door and stride in, closing it
behind me like I'm supposed to be there. Not that guards would
believe a woman was sent to do anything important, but if I at
least pretend, maybe I could be another prisoner?
As I take in the room, there's good news and
bad. No guard inside. Unfortunately, Jack is. He's sitting next to
Annabelle and Tawny as they all hold teacups, giving me a funny
look.
Is he there for the Grand Chancellor, or
does he have some other purpose? There's no time to find out. I
raise my hands toward him.
“
Waverly!” Annabelle shouts. “What are
you doing?”
Too late. Jack is on his guard now, his tea
splashed all over the floor. His hands are up, ready to cast a
spell against me.
“
Annabelle,” I say, trying to keep my
voice calm. “We need to go. Now.”
“
What is going on here?” she asks.
“Both of you stop threatening the other this instant.”
I don't take my eyes from Jack, and there's
not time to answer Annabelle. “Are you here because of the Grand
Chancellor?”
“
What are you going on about?” The
confusion on his face looks real, but he could be a very good
actor.
“
The Grand Chancellor?” Annabelle
asks.
“
We don't have time for this,” I say.
“Zade and Daniel have been arrested and sentenced to death. The
council has been disbanded. There were guards outside your door,
and I don't know how long we have until more come.”
“
Jack, check the hall.” Annabelle's
command surprises me.
I keep my hands raised at him as he
moves toward me, but let him pass, taking the opportunity to get
closer to Annabelle and Tawny, who is remaining sensibly quiet.
Though insensibly hasn't tried to help me threaten Jack
y
et.
Jack turns his back to me, and
I
almost
hex him, but
Annabelle knocks my hands to the side. I glare at her. “I'm trying
to keep you safe.”
“
So is he.”
“
Two, of them,” Jack says. “I gave
them an extra sleep spell, but there's no telling how long it will
last.”
Annabelle moves without hesitation, but
instead of toward the hall like I expect, to a wardrobe.
“
We don't have time to grab anything.”
Even the bags I so carefully packed for Tawny and me are still on
the floor of our room. Drat my not grabbing them.
She pulls open the wardrobe and slips the
back panel off to reveal a hidden path. “There's already some packs
ready.”
They already have a plan in place for
something such as this? I should have known. “What about him?” I
motion to Jack.
“
I'm coming with you.”
“
I think not.”
“
He's coming,” Annabelle says. “Don't
you dare hex him.”
Why is this woman so attached to him? He's
rude. “He'll turn us in.”
There's a shuffling out in the hall. Not
close, but not far enough away either.
“
There's no time to argue. Everyone
get in, and I'll close it behind us.” Annabelle scampers inside,
waiting just inside the passage.
She can't really be letting him come with
us.
Jack closes the door to her room and stacks
some chairs against it while Tawny darts into the passage to where
I can no longer see her. He moves toward the passage as well, and I
let him. I guess Jack is coming with us. Doesn't mean I'm not ready
to drop him a hex at a moment's notice, though.
I hurry in after them, and Annabelle puts
the panel back on the wardrobe.
“
Do you want any sort of spell on it?”
I ask.
“
No. It would probably just draw their
attention here more.”
True. She's clearly thought about this
escape a lot more than I have.
We hurry down the tunnel, attempting to keep
our steps quiet, which isn't an easy feat at such a rapid pace in
the dark on a rock path.
There's a muffled bang behind us, followed
by several more. They must be breaking into Annabelle's room. My
heart clenches. Now's not the time for losing it. I have to keep
them safe. I have to. We can't go to all this trouble only to be
caught.
It's hard to focus on my steps, to think of
where we're going, when at any moment they could discover the
secret passage. The noise behind us, while still muffled, grows
louder. We move faster, using the noise to cover our own. My nerves
feel as if they're trying to jump out of me.
We come to a set of stairs that Annabelle
warns us of. It's hard to use them in the dark, but once we've gone
down a ways, Annabelle stops and lights a torch. The tunnel is made
of dirt, stone steps beneath our feet and wooden beams above our
heads. We continue to wind our way down them, the noise fading with
every step. I want to think we're out of danger, that we've made
it, but we're still in the same house as them. There's far to
go.
A few tunnels branch off the main corridor,
but Annabelle continues down the main path, twisting, turning, and
descending. Soon the walls have roots growing out of them. It grows
cool, the crisp air a welcome contrast to my hot skin.
Annabelle looks back every so often to make
certain we're all still following, but otherwise, we press on
through what must be an underground passage. The fact that there's
been passages off of the main tunnel makes me more confident we
won't be found. That we might just make it.
The passage comes to a room with several
packs in it, blankets, and a ladder leading up.
“
Everyone grab a pack. We should be
hidden by the forest out here, but we will check to make certain
it's clear before coming out.”
“
I'll peek,” I volunteer.
“
Let me,” Jack says, but I'm already
climbing the ladder.
I'm sure he would, and then declare our
presence to the enemy if the opportunity presents itself. He's a
Chardonian warlock. What else would he possibly want to do? So
while staying quiet and careful, I hurry to open the door on the
roof. I crack it open, just a pinch. There's nothing in sight but
trees and a squirrel.
“
I think we're clear. Let me check for
certain. If I don't return within ten minutes, stay here and be
prepared for anything.”
With the borrowed pack on my back, I check
one final time before escaping out into the world. I glance around
at the cleverly hidden trap door and make note of what it looks
like so I can find it again.
I creep as quietly as I can. Mom and Dad
didn't teach us stealth for nothing. The immediate area is clear of
anyone except me, but I don't trust it. There's nothing but trees
in sight. We must be in the forest near the house, though it isn't
in sight.
The woods are so quiet. I slink around it.
Maybe none of the warlocks from the house suspect us to be out here
yet. And they wouldn't realize we'd make a break for it, so they
didn't set up guards outside the perimeter. Or if they did, they'd
still be looking for us at the house.
I suppose it's possible, but it doesn't fit
with what I know of the Grand Chancellor. Especially with such
changes like those he just made. And with Zad— I can't allow my
thoughts any further down that path. Now is not the time to lose
it.
I'm just about to return to the others when
a flash of bright green catches my eye. I dart behind the nearest
tree, wait a moment, then peek around it. A warlock all right. A
guard from the way he's scanning the scene. Yet clearly not doing a
good enough job since he hasn't noticed me yet. Over-confidence in
others is a blessing in times like these.
I follow him silently for several minutes.
He tracks first north then south, passing by the original spot I
saw him. When he heads back, I figure this must be the area he's in
charge of and since I haven't seen anyone else, silencing him would
be best.
Instinct says to spell him, only with my
skill level, I can't guarantee it will work for long. Best knock
him out the old fashioned way, I guess.
After finding the biggest rock I can, I hide
behind a tree and wait for him to go past. Only he doesn't move
past. Where is he? There's a crunch of leaves. Here he comes. I
grip the rock tight in my hand and whirl around the tree, arm
raised high. I bring the rock down only to realize there is no
guard, only Jack.
Oh well. I continue to bring my arm down
anyway.
He sidesteps, grabs my arm, and shoves it
toward the ground, making me drop the rock. “You took too long
getting back. I already took out the guard.”
I huff at him. Almost had the guard and him
taken care of. Annabelle better know what she's doing trusting him.
Though I hate to do so, Mother did instill manners in me. I let out
a gruff, “Thank you.”
I twirl away from him and hurry back to
Annabelle and Tawny. My breathing is uneven as I return to the
hidden spot. I lift the hatch. They're patiently waiting in the
hidden room. “It's safe now. Are they going to be able to track you
through any of the things you left behind?”
Jack and Tawny should know what I'm talking
about, but I expect to need to explain it to Annabelle, but she
says, “Daniel spelled all of my things long ago not to be attached
to me. They won't be able to spell any of my items to find us.”
“
He's not at all like other Chardonian
warlocks.”
“
No, he isn't. One of the biggest
reasons he worked so hard to get on the council and to gain
supporters was to fight against the Grand Chancellor.” Her voice
cracks. “And now it's the reason he's gained a death
sentence.”
Tawny and I both give her a quick hug.
It's all there's time for. It sounds like Daniel prepared for
something like this to happen, but not being separated from
the
wife he so clearly cherishes.
“
I forgot our packs,
Tawny.”
“
All my important things were back
home.”
“
And I have nothing of importance, so
my things won't be a problem,” Jack adds.
If I wasn't so worried about him turning on
us, I'd feel sad for him. Everyone should have at least one thing
of importance. And why wouldn't a Chardonian warlock have something
like that?
“
I'm like Tawny and left my important
things back in Envado,” I say. “Thank you for having these packs
ready for us, Annabelle. They'll be vital. Let's go.”