The girl gave Irene a longing look before throwing a red, shiny apple in Irene’s direction and scampering off to follow who Irene could only guess was her brother.
She watched them depart before devouring the apple. With the pains in her stomach finally subsiding, it was time to uncover the truth behind these mysterious men. If what the boy said was true, then her exciting adventure was only becoming more exciting and Irene wearily wondered how much more excitement she could handle.
Shifting through discarded trash was not what Irene had planned on doing when finally returning to Longfellow's Port. She pulled a moth eaten blanket from the rubbish, nearly gagging at the putrid smell of rotten potatoes and sour vinegar. She needed a disguise, and unfortunately she needed one quickly. She heard heavy footsteps and hastily wrapped the bright blue cloth over her head, tugging it down to hide her face. It was time to find Alec and warn him of these men. Irene just hoped she wasn’t too late.
She was weaving through a cluster of dilapidated shacks when she caught sight of a band of bandits harassing some unlucky villager and Irene quickened her pace. They indeed were a sight to behold, and not a good one.
“Are you sure you haven’t seen them, old man?” The shirtless man covered in dark tattoos angrily demanded as he grabbed his victim by the throat.
“I’m telling you the girl was stolen by the Red Ravens!” he bellowed. “The young lad went after her and no one has seen them since.”
A wave of happiness enveloped her at the realization that Alec had left in search of her and Irene couldn’t control the blush that rose to her cheeks. She now wanted to find him more than ever. Fueled not only by the desire to warn him, but some unfamiliar emotion she could not quite place. She tried to pass by unnoticed, but fate it seemed, was not on her side. The short, stocky man standing guard at his band leader’s side began in Irene’s direction.
“Hey, wench, come here!” The deep, gravelly voice commanded. Irene did not answer, pretending to not have heard the man’s outburst. “I said come here!”
A hand shot out to grab her, but once making contact with Irene’s shoulder, jerked away. “That’s one hell of an odor,” one man said.
“She smells of horse dung,” a gravelly voice coughed. They surrounded her, leaving Irene no room to flee.
“Take that blanket off.” The tattoo man ordered. “Are you deaf? I said take it off.”
Every nerve in her body was on high alert as Irene’s mind scrambled to somehow formulate an escape plan.
“Sister!”
The world halted as small fingers wrapped themselves around Irene’s hand and began to pull her away.
“Abby?” Irene softly whispered.
“This woman isn’t going anywhere.” With Irene’s head still bent to hide her face, she saw a pair of black boots block their path. “We have some things to discuss with her.”
“Well, you won’t get much out of her,” Abby replied. “She doesn’t talk.”
“Oh, dumb is she?” The tattooed man laughed.
“The small puppet is already quite a looker, isn’t she? I wonder what her sister looks like,” a third man said as he stepped closer.
“I wouldn’t if I were you, that stench is her skin.”
“Her skin?” The men cried in unison as they leapt back.
“But if you want to see her...” Abby stood on her tip toes, pretending to remove the blue cloth.
“Get out of here,” the tattooed man waved his hand to dismiss them, “and take that thing with you.” He pointed to Irene and the band of bandits vanished, no doubt to find their next victim.
Not a word passed between the two as Abby lead Irene through the crowded market square. They entered a narrow alley full of trash and forgotten debris. Checking to see if the coast was clear, Abby stoop down and lifted a small latch.
“Hurry and get in,” Abby ordered. “Go in feet first. The floor is several feet down.”
Irene could barely fit through the open window, but somehow managed to squeeze through and a few seconds later, Abby dropped down beside her.
“Wait, here. I’ll get the fire going.”
“Thank you, Abby. You really saved me back there.”
Abby struck a match, an orange flame flickering in her hand. Before long, a fire was roaring in the dusty hearth across the room and Irene could more clearly see her surroundings.
It was some kind of cellar. A small table occupied the center of the room where the fruits and berries from earlier that day had been placed. Two beds lay across the floor to her left, covered in an array of blankets and pillows. Abby pulled a pan from a shelf and placed it on the fire.
“Tucker will be home soon. Are you hungry?” she smiled.
CHAPTER TEN
Irene wiggled her toes against the thick, wool blanket tickling her feet. Somewhere in the back of her drowsy mind she could register faint whispers, faint angry whispers.
“What have you done? You should have never brought her here!”
Irene’s mind back tracked to the day’s earlier events as she tried to collect her thoughts. After bringing Irene to her home, Abby had cooked a modest meal consisting of bread, cheese, and ham. To some it may not have been much, but to Irene it was the nectar from heaven. She ate greedily and before long her eyelids screamed out in protest, begging for rest. Abby helped her bathe, insisting that Irene even allow her to even wash her clothes. It was while waiting for her wet wardrobe to dry by the fire did Irene fall into a much needed slumber.
She snuggled deeper into her blanket and the faint whispers abruptly halted. Irene finally fluttered her eyes open when she felt a hot cloud of breathe caress her cheek.
“Irene, are you awake?” Abby’s childish question snapped Irene from her haziness.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Not too long,” Abby answered. “My brother is back and he’s not too happy.”
Indeed, the young boy was very angry as he stomped around the table and sent murderous glares in Irene’s direction.
“He has something to tell you.” Abby’s tone left no room for argument from her older brother. When Tucker still didn’t respond, Abby’s temper flared.
“If you won’t tell her I will!” she shouted.
“We are not getting involved and that’s final!
“But they need our help,” Abby’s little voice protested. “How can you be so mean?”
“No one ever helps us. Why should we stick our necks out for these people?”
Irene, feeling completely useless and embarrassed at the awkward situation, mumbled a sincere apology and stood to leave. She hadn’t meant to cause disharmony between the two siblings. Abby, coming to the decision to aid her new friend, grabbed Irene’s hand.
“We saw some strange men in the woods earlier today while gathering food. One was big with dark skin while the other was dressed in some fancy clothes. What’s even odder was an orange cat was following them. Do they sound familiar?”
Irene almost couldn’t contain her tears of happiness. “Yes! I need to go find them!” Irene leapt across the room with the blanket still wrapped around her undressed form. She had almost forgotten her clothes were still drying.
“You can’t leave, those bandits are still out there,” Abby grabbed her. “Tucker will go and bring them back. He’ll know where to find them.”
At the sound of his name, Tucker spun around. “I said I’m not getting involved.”
“It’s too late for that now. If you won’t go then I will!” Abby cried.
Tucker threw the spoon he held in his hand into a drawer and slammed it shut. “We’ll be coming in through the door, so unlock it,” Tucker screamed as he climbed the ladder that led to the hidden window that Irene had squeezed through earlier. “With luck, we’ll be back before dinner.”
As hard as she tried, she just couldn’t control them. Her hands, seeming to have developed a will of their own, would not allow Irene a moment’s rest. They trembled and shook, as they
tirelessly wrung themselves over and over.
“Why is it taking so long?” Irene mumbled for the fifth time since Tucker had departed. Wanting to distract herself from her over active imagination, she turned her attention to Abby. Watching the girl scuttle about the cellar, Irene began to feel a deep fondness begin to swelter inside her.
“Do you and your brother live here alone?” Irene asked.
“When our parents disappeared we were forced to leave our home and come to a neighboring town. The villagers ran us out.”
“Your parents just disappeared?” shock clearly laced her words.
“My father was once a high guard for the king and not just any guard, but the king’s most trusted protector.” Abby puffed her chest in pride at the mention of her father’s highly regarded reputation. “One day he and Mother left on a routine task and never came back. Tucker believes Mother and Father found out about something they shouldn’t have.”
Irene leaned closer, “About what?”
“Father never trusted him.”
“Who?”
“The man Father called a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
The child’s cryptic ramblings were interrupted by a thump on the other side of the wall or, at least, Irene believed it was a wall. Abby rushed across the room and threw aside several boxes of books and blankets. Irene could barely see it, the faint outline of a door as it began to appear.
“Abby, hurry up.” The voice from the other side was Tucker’s. Abby unlatched the lock and, using all her strength, pulled it open. It was obvious the hidden passageway was not used often from the way it scraped against floor. A flash of fur lunged itself at Irene and she held him close as loud purrs exploded.
“Conner!”
Alec was the next to come storming inside, his eyes locked onto Irene with such intensity that she had to look away. He seem to cross the room in one stride, pulling Irene close as he inspected her face.
“What happened?” His words were deep with emotion, almost cracking from joy. Irene could only tighten her hold on the blanket around her chest. The touching moment was short lived when Irene remembered her undergarments hanging by the fire.
“Don’t look!” she screamed, rushing to hide her unmentionables from the approaching males.
“No one’s worried about your undergarments, Irene. I want to know what happened after Trenton’s lackey threw you overboard.” Alec demanded as Trenton gave Irene an apologetic look. With Abby’s help Irene dressed as the boys intensely inspected a small crack in the far corner.
“We were all so worried about you,” Conner said as he rubbed against Irene’s leg. “You should have seen Alec. He nearly killed the man that threw you over. If it wasn’t for Trenton, he would have done it.” Conner nodded his head in agreement at his own statement as Irene stole a glance at Alec before tying her sash and sitting down.
“You can turn around now,” Irene announced and her traveling companions came to join her at the table as she began her tale of escaping the Red Ravens.
“A mad man hiding out in the mountains, you say.” Trenton squinted his eyes in concentration and took a long swig of the honey tea Abby had been so kind to provide.
“About four years ago, this town had a very popular potions brewer. He was a wealthy, well-respected man who had the town eating out of the palm of his hand. Whenever someone had an ailment, fever, or even just bad luck, they went to him and he would brew a cure. I’m guessing that’s him hiding away in the mountains.”
“What happened? Why isn’t he the town’s potion brewer anymore?” Irene asked.
“From what I had learned from rumors, the town’s most famous blacksmith went to him for a cure to his wife’s constant sickness, but the cure ended up backfiring and instead killed the woman. The villagers were in an uproar and went after the man to kill him, but he escaped declaring he would have his revenge for their betrayal. I’m guessing he accomplished his goal. The tale of the Red Ravens has greatly hurt the town’s economy. No one wants to do business with a village whose ports are haunted.”
“Should we tell someone?”
“Right now our biggest concern is the band of thugs that’s on your tail. I’ll go into town and do some snooping around and find out why they’ve taken such an interest in you two.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Alec finally joined the conversation. “They’ve discovered my true identity.”
The possibility that the thugs had learned that detail had never occurred to Irene.
“And just who are you?” Trenton asked.
“I am the son of King Lander.”
“You’re the prince?” Tucker choked.
“Apparently, they’ve discovered this and want to use me as some kind of ransom. Of course, their plan won’t work out. I can more than handle myself against those fools.”
Trenton seemed less surprised at this discovery. In fact, he seemed quite unmoved that the future king was sitting directly in front of him. Irene made a mental note to ask Trenton about his reaction, or lack of one, later.
“Whatever the reason is, we need to get the two of you out of this town. We’ll wait until sundown to sneak you out,” Trenton advised and Alec did not argue.
“Are you really the prince?” Abby asked as she latched onto Alec’s arm. “Could you help us find our parents? Surely, you must have known my father.”
Alec, obviously uncomfortable with the girl’s unwavering attention, cleared his throat. “And who is your father?”
“Sir Claude Lexington.”
Alec rubbed the back of his neck. “I knew of Lexington. My father spoke very highly of him. It’s a shame he went missing.”
“He’s not missing!” Tucker screamed. “What have you done with my father and mother!”
“I haven’t done anything with your parents.” Alec countered, equally enraged.
“Liar!” Tucker balled his fist and hit Alec in the face.
Irene jumped to her feet, as did Trenton, both their chairs crashing to the ground. Alec remained motionless as Trenton scooped the wailing child up by his arms and carried him away. Abby, by this point, was crying, her little face distorted in pain as she released high pitch squeals. Irene held her until her sobs quieted into soft hiccups.
“Bring him back in here.” Alec softly demanded to Trenton.
Irene shivered, not able to read the emotion in Alec’s eyes as Trenton appeared in the doorway with Tucker’s much smaller form trailing behind. Alec gestured for boy to sit and he obeyed.
“There has been troubling news concerning some unrest on our northern borders. A neighboring kingdom has apparently heard of my father’s sickness and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to gain control of our lands. Of course we sent one of our most trusted guards on a mission to uncover the truth behind these rumors and the guard chosen was your father. He left and never returned. We just assumed he was met with his untimely demise from our invaders.” Tucker and Abby silently listened, their little eyes glued to Alec’s. “You have my word that is all I know about your father. As for your mother, I know nothing.”
“Everyone just needs to calm down and get some rest. We have a big journey ahead of all of us.” Trenton said while throwing another log on the fire. “But first of all we need to get Alec some new clothes. He stands out like a fox in a hen house.”
And like a bubble floating on the breeze, the tension suddenly popped as not only laughter, but hope filled their weary hearts.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was a black night, not even a star shimmered in the sky as they emerged from the hidden cellar. Abby and Tucker remained behind, Irene promising to one day return. She felt her heart clench wondering if she would be able to keep that promise.
“You have got to tell Alec about your spell,” Conner pleaded.
“There’s no point. He can’t do anything about it anyway,” she whispered.
A few stragglers roamed the deserted streets, drunk and wailing tearful love songs, the funny
scene temporarily distracting Irene from her depressing mood, especially when one of the men grabbed Irene by the arm and spun her around.
“Come and dance with me, little lady.” The smell of whiskey hung heavy around him and he swayed back and forth.
He took Irene’s rejection in good humor. “Now I have to nurse my wounded ego!” he dramatically exclaimed when Irene awkwardly pried her arm away. She watched him stalk off into the night no doubt to find another young lass.
It was eerily quiet as they continued across the empty market square. Irene could already see the main entrance’s towering gates.
“Wait,” Trenton urgently whispered. A bright light was shifting among the trees of the forest like a ghostly entity. Suddenly, four ghastly figures broke through the dense tree line, their faces illuminated by the torch in the ring leader’s hands.
“It’s the bandits,” Irene whispered.
She could hear their deep voices travel along the warm night air, but could not make out what they we’re saying. Something else also reached Irene’s ears as she strained harder to see.
“Get a hold of it!” an agitated voice yelled as the men huddled closer together. “Pull the net tighter, it’s trying to get away.” The tattooed man said as he violently slapped the man at his side across the face. They obeyed and resumed their pace, dragging their new found prize behind them.
Irene released a sigh a relief as the bandits passed by completely unaware of their presence, but her relief abruptly turned to horror when she caught a glimpse of what they were carrying. It was a Red Raven and not just any Red Raven, but the fiery beast that she had ridden the day before. Irene glanced back to the open gates, but she could not bring herself to move. A loud bell began ringing. The bandits had apparently settled in the center of the market square where the town’s bell was located.
“We can’t just leave him,” Irene protested as Alec began to pull her toward the gate.
“Leave who?” he asked.
At first she did not answer as she tried to understand her own conflicting emotions. She was running out of time, this fact constantly gnawing away at her self-conscious, but she could not leave the poor creature to a horrible demise.
Spellbound: Book One (The Spell Series) Page 6