“Do not let them out of your sight.”
As the heavy doors shut behind the prince, the drunkard looked around with a frown. “Well why is everyone so serious?” he asked.
“Drinks on me!” he shouted and smashed his bottle into the face of the guard who stood next to him.
Immediately, an arrow whizzed past Ruby's ear and into Serin’s palm, pinning the vial’s necklace to him. He roared in anguish, even as another lodged itself into his cloak holding him against the wall behind him. Ruby twirled around in time to see the bowman launch a few more arrows at Serin, immobilizing him as much as was possible without harming him. In the same breath something burst through the palace window, spilling shards of glass everywhere. Ruby dropped to the floor and looked around her. By then the throne room had erupted into chaos. The drunkard was facing off against two guards, the one whose head had caught his bottle was lunging for him furiously, blood streaming from his forehead, while another drew his sword. The man only grinned as if he was being thoroughly entertained as he evaded their every move with an adeptness that belied his previously drunken state. Through the broken window, a tall dark woman with an intense fire in her eyes, climbed through. She was followed by a few others, who all jumped into the fray.
Ruby’s eyes widened at the familiar faces among the strange ones, all intensely focused on the task of rescuing them. The woman warrior proceeded toward Serin and yanked the cord pinned to his palm. He growled at her, even as his eyes were dark with wicked intentions. The woman smirked at him and punched him in the chin, before turned towards Deswald. It all happened so quickly Ruby felt breathless just watching it. The newcomers seemed to be winning, or at least that is what Ruby thought until she saw the prince’s three little minions appear before his throne. They started chanting diabolically, their huge eyes bulging. Ruby felt her skin crawl as a small dark whirlwind started to form around them. No one else seemed aware of what they were doing, and Ruby felt dread weigh heavy in her stomach.
“That cannot be good,” she muttered. Just as the sound of a heavy staff hitting the floor echoed throughout the room, causing it to shake momentarily. This got everyone’s attention, as a man dressed in a light grey hood with priestly tassels stepped toward the devilish creatures with a lifted hand and a determined set of his jaw. He tapped the staff again and a strong wind erupted from it, pushing towards the dark creatures and their forming whirlwind. The wave of air scattered them, and their whirlwind dissipated immediately.
“Be gone foul devils,” the man shouted authoritatively. The creatures screamed, their shrill voices piercing everyone’s ears as they fell to their knees.
Ruby kept her eyes trained on the newcomer, until he removed his hood and looked directly at her.
“Geoff,” she cried, tears springing to her eyes, “you came.”
He nodded but his gaze was focused on the three creatures, they were looking at him with a hatred so real, Ruby thought they would shoot fire from their soulless eyes.
“El is with us,” Geoff assured her as he walked towards the creatures, his presence seemed to immobilize them somehow. When Ruby looked closer she saw that his staff had tiny stones embedded within it. Some things were starting to come together in Ruby’s mind, but even as they did, more questions arose. She returned her attention to Deswald and saw that the lady warrior was at Deswald's side, calling his name.
"Dezzy," she cried, "come on Dez," she was propping his head up against her as she opened the vial.
Ruby rushed to Deswald’s side, reaching up to press her palms against his cold face. The sounds of swords clashing, grunts and groans of exertion and defeat filling the room around them was slowly diminishing as the archer and his companions continued to subdue their enemies. The woman poured what was left of the vial into Deswald's mouth and waited, desperation thick in the air around them.
"He is not breathing!" Evra cried, "we are too late!"
No one else spoke, but by the looks on all their faces they were thinking the same thing. Ruby leaned forward and held his face in both her hands. The archer came and stood over them, his concern etched into his perspiring face.
“Is it working?” he asked.
"Deswald can you hear me? I need you to fight, I need you to wake up," Ruby cried, "I need you to live please!"
Her tears fell freely now, despite her attempts to be strong, all she could think of was the fact that he believed in her when she did not think anyone else did. How he showed up like a ray of hope when she thought she was all alone, how he had always been there whether she wanted him to be or not. She could not live with herself if she knew he died saving her, she could not walk the halls of the palace knowing he never would again.
"Please," she cried as she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his undone tunic. Then she heard it, or felt it rather, a deep intake of breath and a low grumble in his chest as his voice broke through the timbres of his throat.
"This is something... you.. do not see... everyday," he said breathlessly. "You cry for me princess?" He asked, a rare smirk on his still pale face, his sunken eyes shining in their blue brilliance once more.
Ruby beamed down at him through her tears. Evra reached up and pulled apart his garment to reveal his chest, the black veins were slowly fading, retreating from his heart.
"I do not know what I would do if I lost you," she said breathlessly.
Deswald smiled weakly, “get another guard?” he teased.
Returning his smile, she said, “we both know that you are irreplaceable.”
CHAPTER 30
With the princess so close Deswald felt an unfamiliar sense of belonging, as she hugged him, her brilliant red hair falling all over his exposed torso. He knew that every moment they wasted was a risk, but he would not have minded just a few more minutes of having her so close. But of course, Ben would not have that. He stooped low and slid his arm around Deswald's shoulder.
"No time for small talk brother," he said with a smirk, knowing full well that he was interrupting something. He lifted Deswald to his feet with the help of Nyla.
"The prince!" someone exclaimed.
They all looked up. A young man stood at the door, his eyes wide.
“The prince is returning, he is onto us.”
"Does not matter," said the Ben as he left Deswald in Nyla’s capable hands.
"Prince Jasper and his men have infiltrated the palace,” Ben continued.
“The prince came?” Deswald asked as he struggled to not put too much of his weight on Nyla.
“He came to prepare us for what we were up against. Without him and his men, there is no way we would have gotten to you,” Nyla explained.
Ben turned and launched an arrow into the wall on the opposite side of the room. Another stranger dashed towards it and affixed a silver ring to it as Ben attached a rope to another sturdy looking arrow. Deswald was confused at who these men were. Ben stepped towards the broken window, kicked it out completely and shot the arrow out of it. Once the arrow had met its target they attached it’s rope to the arrow in the wall.
“Wait a minute,” Deswald protested, when it dawned on him what their escape route was.
Ben chuckled, “looks like we are going to do it all tonight Des.”
He turned to the rest of them, “If we are not at the meeting point with the princess by midnight, we lose our window to get out. And if we miss that, we would not be able to hold back the wrath of the king on this kingdom. As much as the prince deserves it, there are still many here who still need a second chance. So how about we get out of this place."
Geoff was on his feet now, staggering with weariness, “he is right, we must go.”
Deswald looked at Ben from beneath his lashes, wondering when this mature and self-assured version of his old friend had emerged.
"You have changed dear Ben."
"For the better I hope," Ben replied.
“I will go down first, secure us on the other end. The princess will follow, an
d Ben will follow with Deswald. Then everyone else,” Nyla explained.
“The rest of us will cover you from here and rejoin the prince once everyone is down,” said Geoff, “he is going to need all the help he can get. Come on Ruby.”
Ruby quickly scooped up the empty vial and turned to join them, she was more than ready to leave this place behind her. But suddenly she felt strong arms grab onto her and she could feel a cold blade press against her neck. With wide eyes she looked at the others, wondering if the blade he now held to her skin was the very one that had taken Deswald to death's door.
“No one leaves,” the voice sounded like a tormented cruel version of the one she knew.
"Serin," she pleaded as the others turned to face them.
"Serin," he mocked, "now you remember my name, how easy the love faded from your eyes. How easy your tears fell for my dear old partner," he spat.
Ruby swallowed hard, "You have changed," she muttered.
"Me? Oh no my love. My eyes have merely been opened to the lies I have been made to swallow all my life. That Aldor is the greatest kingdom, good must always prevail, pledging my loyalty to a king who sees me as nothing but a tool in his quest for power."
"You know that is not true. The prince has filled your head with his lies."
"Oh but he was right about one thing. You never loved me and I will be damned if I should let Deswald here know the joy of having his affections returned."
"You are wrong Serin, like you are wrong about everything else.”
He chuckled maniacally, "He loves you, you are so blind. He has always loved you.”
Ruby could feel his hot breath against her neck, even as tears formed in her eyes. Her gaze found Deswald, who was looking on in terror.
“Serin,” he called, lifting a hand toward them weakly, “let her go.”
Serin shook his head, “No way, now you will taste of the sorrow I now know."
He pulled the blade away and lifted it above her. Ruby shut her eyes, awaiting the fall of his hand and her ultimate end. Instead she heard a low thud, and felt his grip loosen around her. Then the sound of his body hitting the floor and a ping as a blade slid across the marble floor. She turned around and there stood her brother. His intense gaze softening at the sight of her tear-filled eyes.
"Jas…Jasper, you are… here," she stuttered.
“Anything for my sister,” he said as she threw herself into his arms. He held her closely and kissed her hair.
“Alright beautiful,” he said against her hair, “time to go.”
He nodded towards the others who started to move again.
“Are you coming?” Ruby asked as he ushered her towards the window, “Please Jasper you cannot stay here. It is a dangerous place and the prince he is…”
“I have to take care of something first,” he interjected, “you will see me soon. Tell father I stayed back to ensure Aldor’s safety, however long that may take. He will understand. Now go!”
✽ ✽ ✽
Their precarious escape plan was successful. Once everyone had safely descended Ben cut the rope that had carried them out of the prince’s lair and landed them somewhere near the city square. Ben along with Nyla ushered the weary and wounded group through a dark alley to the next rendezvous. Only one of the strangers who had fought with them had joined them, the others had stayed with the prince. Deswald prayed for El’s protection upon them as the group of six found cover in the shadows of the buildings. The city of Dravia was still very much alive on this festive night. The sounds of drumming, singing and euphoric shouting filled the dark night air. Deswald was feeling his strength slowly return to him, despite the smarting of his wound. Ben had secured him to the rope and had ensured his safe descent, but the journey down was a rough one and had reawakened the pain of the wound in his side. Still he resolved not to be the one to slow them down. The air was chilly and by the way Ruby shivered, he knew that her dress was inadequate for the night air. He kept instinctively leaning towards her, hoping that the warmth from his body might somehow relieve some of her discomfort.
“Are you alright?” he whispered.
Ruby nodded, “Just about ready to get out of here.”
“Me too,” he agreed.
He kept wondering about what Serin had told her back at the palace. Now that the excitement was winding down he was embarrassed about what Serin said about him loving her. Clearly, she did not feel that way toward him and now she must think that he had ulterior motives for rescuing her. He hoped they could all forget what Serin had said.
Ben was ahead of them as they sidled along the side of a stone building, he lifted his fist as he peered around the corner. Nyla was their rear guard. As much as Deswald hated to leave Ruby’s side, he needed to know their plan of action.
“I will be right back,” he said.
Deswald slipped by the others and wedged himself between Ben and Evra.
“So, what are we doing?” Ben glanced over at him, then returned his attention to the street.
“We are waiting for our ride.”
“Stiller?”
Ben shook his head, “some noble woman with mad combat skills,” he replied, “she was to meet us at this spot and take us to the edge of town.”
“What if she does not show?” Deswald asked.
Ben turned and smiled at him, “have some hope brother,” he said but his eyes told Deswald that he had voiced Ben’s very fear.
“El is with us,” Deswald said.
“That he is.”
“Shhh, I hear something!” Evra hissed.
The clip-clopping of horse hooves could be heard approaching their direction. Before long a fancy looking carriage pulled up in front of the alley way. An old man sat at the helm, he looked everywhere else before he turned in their direction. Ben eased forward so that the moonlight fell on his frame enough for the man to notice him. Deswald felt the tension in the rest of the group and was sure Nyla was inches away from drawing a weapon. The man was older, grey and haggard looking like he had endured much pain in his life. His wrinkled face was unreadable as he acknowledged Ben’s presence with a slight nod.
“Lady Shadaya sends her regards,” he said finally, “you must move quickly the prince’s men are combing the streets as we speak.”
“Where is she? Lady Shadaya?”
“Busy,” the man said, “there is no time, you must come now.”
The man’s demeanor betrayed the urgency in his voice and Deswald knew that whether he was for them or not, there was no way they could get out of the city on foot.
He reached out and touched Ben’s shoulders, “We do not have another choice Ben.”
Ben nodded curtly, “alright, come on everyone.”
They climbed into the carriage, almost falling over each other. Once they were all in, the carriage lurched forward.
“At least it’s warmer in here,” Ruby joked nervously.
“Aye Princess, you’re right” Ben replied.
“Oh and before I forget, when we get home be sure to give me the name of your hair stylist,” Ben joked, “I love your hair style.”
They chuckled softly. For the first time since their arrival to Dravia Deswald felt hopeful about returning to Aldor.
✽ ✽ ✽
The prince stood amid the destruction in his throne room, red in the face with anger.
“How did this happen?” he bellowed.
“I am sorry,” Serin said from behind him, “there was too much of them.”
The prince clenched his fists at his side, “at least tell me that you have some proof that it was Aldorians, so we can void their ridiculous treaty!”
“Sorry your majesty, we were not able to…” The prince whirled around grabbed hold of Serin’s tunic and lifted him above the ground, his eyes blood shot with rage.
“You fool!”
“Please, let me go after them. There is no way they can get out of the city without help.”
The prince tossed him to the ground,
“you fool! Of course, they have help. Is this not proof enough?”
He glared down at a terrified Serin, “you know what? I liked you better when you were desperate.”
He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a small satchel, “I mixed this one with you in mind. To be honest I was fascinated with how well it worked the last time, so I made some more… permanent adjustments to my blend.”
“No please,” Serin pleaded. But the prince remained unmoved as he opened his satchel and sprinkled its contents over Serin’s face with maniacal flair. Serin coughed and gagged as the powder fell, tears of hopelessness filling his eyes. The prince gestured to two men to hold him down and took Serin’s own dagger from his belt. He waved his hand over the blade so that it glowed with heat then leaned over Serin.
“Hold his head steady. I would not want any subtle movements to mess up my design.”
When Serin’s anguished screams subsided, the prince straightened up and turned to the rest of his men.
“Anyone else?”
“Your majesty?”
“Yes?”
“I know for sure it was the Aldorians.”
“Tell me something I do not know, or your fate would be worse than him.”
The man swallowed hard, “the prince of Aldor your highness, he was among them. I saw him with my own two eyes. He knocked out Serin and helped the others escape.”
“Oh?”
“There is more. He did not escape with them.”
“Which means that he may very well still be on castle grounds.”
The man nodded.
“Excellent contribution,” the prince said. He turned to the rest of the group, “the man who brings the prince to me gets to keep his life as he knows it.”
He stepped over Serin and walked towards his throne, “Get out of my sight and take him with you.”
The prince took his seat on his throne and looked over his messy throne room and his hate for Aldor burned ever stronger. As if sensing his murderous thoughts, the three minions appeared before him. He covered his nose and turned his head.
Kingdom of Refuge (Gemstone Royals Book 1) Page 26