Promising Hope (50 page)

Downstairs… to a cell… they threw her in and closed
the door on her. There was no light in here, so she sunk to her
knees in the darkness, crying and praying for Sashe’s baby to
survive.

* * *

Sharp pains shot through Sashe’s stomach. It felt
like her skin was stretching and her insides were twisting around.
Sashe cried out, and her body jerked beyond her control. Finally,
the pain ebbed away like waves at the beach until eventually, it
didn’t come back.

She curled up on her side, touching her bloody dress,
feeling no pain. “Oh, no,” she sobbed. “Oh, no, he’s gone, isn’t
he?”

Someone grabbed her wrists.

She fought against them, thrashing and flailing. “No!
Let me go!”

“Sashe, it’s okay. The baby’s okay. I saved him.”

She opened her eyes at Ronu’s voice. He was crouched
over her, his dark form blocking out the stars above her. The cool
breeze made her shiver.

“What?” she asked, her mouth dry.

“I saved it. Your baby is okay. He’s okay. The dagger
didn’t get him. It was close, but you were the one who was hurt.
He’s…” He let go of one of her wrists and touched her stomach
again. He hummed low, and she closed her eyes. “He’s going to be
okay.” Ronu touched her forehead.

“Are you sure? Are you sure he’s okay?”

“I’m sure.”

“Do you promise?” Her voice broke, and she opened her
eyes again. She grabbed his wrist. “You’re not lying to me?”

“No, I’d never lie to you,” Ronu said. His voice was
so low and soothing, and she believed him.

“You’re a Thieran?”

“I only have a little bit of Thieran blood,” he said
quietly. “From my mother.”

“But what about the king—”

“I tried, I did. But my magic… since I have so little
Thieran blood, I usually can only use it in times of… emotion.”

She put her hands to her belly, stroking it up and
down, wishing she could feel the baby kick or respond to her touch.
“I don’t know what that means.”

“It just means I cared more about you than I did the
king,” he said, his voice hardening. “I tried, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.” She sat up. Her stomach wasn’t
even sore. She glanced around the gardens. Dark, quiet. “Where’s
Grace?”

Ronu sat back, his knees raised and his elbows
resting on them. “They arrested her.”

Sashe stood up. She swayed a bit, and Ronu leapt up
to catch her from falling. “Careful,” he said. “You lost a lot of
blood.”

“Where’s Kilar?”

Ronu let her go and stepped back. “He escaped, but
I’m sure he’ll be back. We need to go.”

“I can’t leave without Grace.”

He huffed. “She nearly got you killed, Sashe.”

“But Evan…” Sashe trailed off. Had she imagined that?
No, Lin had definitely contacted her, and she told them she needed
their help. “Evan is coming. Lin contacted me sometime… I don’t
know when, but I told them where we were and—”

She cut off when Lin’s silvery form hovered in front
of her once again. “We’re outside the garden doors, but we don’t
have a Cosa. Are you okay?”

“I’m coming to you,” Sashe said.

She stumbled towards the garden doors.

“Where are you going?” Ronu asked.

As she approached the garden doors, she quickened her
pace. This is where Adrian’s men had released her, where she’d run
back into the gardens after Gregorio’s murder. If she’d known what
would have happened, she would have stayed with Adrian and Evan.
She never would have come back to this place that offered false
security.

She flung the doors open and ran to the iron gates. A
group of horses grazed just beyond the gates, near the oak tree
whose leaves were half-gone, having fallen to the grass the horses
shuffled through. She opened the gates and looked out. The guard
tower was just above her, so the Avialies…

“Sashe!”

She saw Lin by the oak tree, beckoning to her, a
lantern in his hand. She ran forward, even as Ronu cursed and
followed her.

On the other side of the massive tree, one of the
horses changed into Evan. He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Are you
all right? What happened?”

Another horse changed into Dar. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Sashe said. “Kilar threatened me,
but—”

“Whose blood is that?” Lin asked, holding up his
lantern. She looked down. Her blood stained her dark pink dress,
the color a dark, ghastly brown. There was a clean cut where the
dagger had gone in.

“I… Kilar stabbed me—”

“He did
what
?” Evan yelled. “It hasn’t been
two weeks, that slimy—”

“I’m fine now.” Sashe glanced at Ronu. “I’m
fine.”

“Where is he now?” Evan demanded.

“He escaped,” Ronu grumbled.

Evan looked at Ronu. “And who are you?”

Dar groaned, pushing Evan aside. “Where’s Grace?” he
asked Sashe.

Sashe swallowed hard and glanced back at the castle.
There was a guard by the gates, looking out at them. “Lady Sashe?”
he called. The men moved behind the tree, out of sight.

Sashe stepped out. “I’m fine, sir. I’m with my
bodyguard.”

Ronu waved.

“Um, m’lady,” the guard called, “we’ve been asked to
bring you in for questioning. About Lady Grace’s attack on the
prince.”

From a few feet over, Dar swore.

“Hop on that mare, Sashe, it’s Galvin,” Evan
whispered.

“We can’t leave Grace,” Dar said.

“Lady Sashe?” the guard asked, taking a few steps
towards her.

“You’re not going back in there,” Ronu told Sashe,
his voice low.

She couldn’t leave Grace, either. She opened her
mouth to argue with him when Dar grabbed Sashe’s arm and pulled her
behind the tree. Ronu charged him, letting out a yell, but in an
instant, Dar changed into Sashe, right down to the blood stain on
her dress. Ronu stopped, stumbling back in shock.

Dar strode out from the tree, then seemed to catch
himself and walked more elegantly. Sashe shook her head; it was so
odd seeing someone else that looked just like her.

“Dammit!” Evan said. He changed into Ronu and took
Sashe’s arm. “Just get out of here. Get Matilda and Angela if you
can, they might not be far.”

“Evan, you can’t—”

He stepped out and followed Dar to the guard, who
looked at them, then beyond them to the tree, in confusion. Sashe
shrank back so he wouldn’t see her.

“They’re leaving,” Lin said quietly after a
moment.

“The Cosa barriers are going to reveal them the
minute they get inside the gates,” Sashe said, shaking her
head.

“They’ll be fine for a little while.” Adrian’s voice
behind her made her jump.

“Where did you come from?” Sashe asked, putting her
hand on her heart.

“I was over there.” Adrian motioned to the horses.
“He’s right, we need Matilda and Angela. And anyone else we can
get. Come on.”

Sashe hesitated before mounting the mare and
following Adrian and Lin back into Renaul. She watched the castle
fade into the darkness. A wave of guilt washed over her for leaving
Grace behind, but she knew Dar and Evan could help her more than
she could.

* * *

“I’m sure you understand, m’lady,” the guard rambled
on as they walked through the gardens. “It’s just precaution. Some
guards and servants saw you running with her and they thought that
maybe you were helping her escape. I told them that’s not possible
because, well, because of who you are, but I have to follow orders,
so I hope you understand.” The guard gave Dar’s form of Sashe
another embarrassed smile.

The Cosa magic was pushing on Dar, but it wasn’t
strong enough to force him to change. Yet. Dar was sure that as
soon as they reached the castle doors, his body would shift of its
own accord, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

Evan—or at least, Dar assumed it was Evan since
Sashe’s bodyguard now smelled like an Avialie instead of a man with
some small trace of Thieran blood—cleared his throat. “Sir, have
you seen Kilar?”

“Kilar?” the guard repeated. “Oh, no, I haven’t… I
assume he’s with the prince.”

“Is he hurt? The prince?” Dar asked.

“Oh, yes, m’lady,” the guard said. “I heard Lady
Grace almost killed him! Stabbed him four times before she ran off.
I hope you’re not involved with her, m’lady, she seems
dangerous.”

Dar had to hold back a smile. “Where’s she being
held?”

“Downstairs, of course,” the guard said, “with the
rest of the prisoners.”

They were just a few steps from the castle doors when
Dar’s body changed. The guard opened his mouth to yell when Evan
attacked him from behind. The guard struggled for a moment, but Dar
joined the fight, and then Evan hit him in the side of the head.
The guard fell, unconscious.

Dar and Evan glanced at each other, both of them back
in their original forms. Without speaking, they ran into the castle
with their swords drawn. Dar led Evan to the stairs that took them
downstairs. No guards burst out at them, no one tried to stop them,
but Dar was sure the Cosa was telling someone about their
invasion.

They ran down the stairs which led to the cells and
prisoner’s quarters where Dar had slept for weeks. They passed two
guards, who called after them. “Hey, you there!” one of them
yelled. “What are you doing?”

Dar picked up his speed. “Come on, I think the cells
are this way.”

When staying at the castle, newcomers would
occasionally be sent to the cells before joining the prisoners for
work. Dar struggled at a fork—right or left? He went right, but it
took them to the laundry room.

“Dammit, Dar!” Evan yelled.

They spun back around and ran into the two
guards.

“Who are you and why are you running around armed?”
the burly guard demanded.

“We’re Kilar’s new guards and I don’t think he’d be
happy to hear that you’re holding us up,” Dar said. He tried to
brush past them, but the burly guard shoved him back.

“I didn’t hear nothing about Kilar’s guard,” he said,
baring his teeth at Dar.

Evan and Dar exchanged glances before attacking. Dar
took the burly guard, being slightly bigger than Evan. The guy was
an idiot in dueling—he spent most of his time charging and yelling,
and before long, Dar plunged him into the hot water. The laundry
maids scattered, squealing.

“Don’t worry,” he told them. “We’re working for
Kilar. Can you tell us where Lady Grace is being held?”

One of the servants gaped at him. “Dar?”

It took a moment to place her face, but then he
recognized her. “Jill!”

“Wait a minute,” another servant said, one Dar knew
from before. “Why would you be working for Kilar if you were—”

“Come on, I know where she is,” Jill said. She ran
past Evan, who’d just knocked the second guard out. Dar and Evan
chased after her, and she dashed down corridors, turning through
the stifling tunnels. She paused as they neared a corner. “It’s
just left, but there are at least half a dozen guards.”

Dar tried changing again, but the Cosa barriers
stopped him. “Evan, try telling them you’re with Kilar. Whistle if
it doesn’t work and I’ll jump in.”

Evan nodded and jogged off.

“What’s going on?” Dar asked. “Did she really attack
the prince?”

“That’s what I heard,” Jill said, glancing around,
“but Dar, I shouldn’t be here helping you.”

“Go,” Dar said. “Thank you.”

She disappeared down the corridors. Dar waited,
fidgeting with his sword, ready to charge in and help Evan as soon
as he heard the whistle.

* * *

Grace had finally given up on crying. She leaned back
against the wall, her shoulders uncomfortable and her wrists in
pain. She had no idea what fate awaited her, but she hoped Sashe’s
was better than hers.

The door suddenly opened, and Grace sat up straight.
Evan walked in with his sword drawn, another guard a few steps
behind him.

“Yeah, she’s the one,” Evan said gruffly, walking in
and grabbing her arm. He pulled her up to her feet, breathing into
her ear, “Don’t say a word.”

When they turned toward the door, the guard stood in
their way with crossed arms. “Are you sure Kilar won’t mind you
taking her?” he asked.

“Of course not,” Evan snapped. “He sent me here to
get her. They’re ready to question her upstairs, and you’re making
them wait. Step aside.”

The guard hesitated, then stepped back into the
corridor. “It’s just that usually he tells me when a new guy comes
in so that I know all the guards working.”

“He’s been very busy,” Evan said, pulling Grace down
the corridor. “You know my face now.”

“Yeah, but maybe…”

They were already halfway down the hallway when the
guard jogged to keep up with them. “I’ll walk you two.”

Evan suddenly whistled a quick tune and pushed Grace
away. “Run!”

Grace almost lost her footing, but regained it
quickly and took off. Swords clanged behind her, and a voice called
out. Another man came around the corner, and Grace nearly ran right
into him. He caught her arms, and she found herself looking up at
Dar. She gasped.

He spun her around and pushed her away. “Keep
going!”

He turned to stop two guards who were running after
her. She struggled against her manacles for what had to be the
fortieth time. She was useless standing here like this, so she
looked around for keys or another guard or—

“Hey, what’s going on?”

She turned around and ran into another guard. One who
had escorted her to her cell from the gardens. He stared at her,
then at the battle going on behind her. She saw the ring of keys on
his belt, and she kicked him in between the legs. He let out a cry
of surprise, bending over, and she kicked him again. He fell over,
but she also lost her balance and went tumbling to the ground. She
planted a foot in his face when he started to go for her, then she
scrambled around his belt for his keys. He yelled in frustration
and pinned her down on her stomach.