His face softened as he met her gaze in a reminiscing way. “I have no regrets for what I did.”
As the tension between the two became heavy, a wooden door at the far end of the dining hall opened. Several servants emerged carrying trays of food and jugs of liquid. They placed a dish in front of everyone at the table then filled their cups with orange juice. Next, they took their places standing close by to the person they served.
The enticing aroma from the enormous platter of eggs, ham, hash browns and freshly baked croissant flirted with Brianna’s nose.
Christos dug into the rich food with ravenous hunger. He shoved eggs into his gaping mouth without a second thought, while Lucia delicately cut into her ham. Ethan took a large gulp of juice before loading his mouth. Then with a little embarrassment, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand and said, “this is really good.”
He lifted his fork to inhale another bite but stopped short when Lucia said, “enjoy the taste of food while you can.”
Ethan lowered his utensil. “Why did you say that?”
Lucia used her fork to play around with her food. “Once your soul is ripped from your body and bonds to purgatory you won’t be able-”
Christos abruptly cleared his throat. “Lucia that’s quite enough.”
She huffed. “Unlike bossy Mr. High Priest I would kill to get a whiff of a flower’s scent or feel the wind’s kisses on my skin again.” Lucia stared at her breakfast, “So enjoy the taste while you can...because soon you’ll be like me.”
Ethan pushed his plate away, no longer hungry.
Brianna reached up and gently squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry the others will come for us,” she whispered.
Ethan nodded, though her words were encouraging, his appetite didn’t return.
KORI WAS SITTING CROSSED legged on the floor eating a bag of granola. Her eyes zipped from Dominic to Hayden as they stood a few feet away from her bickering. For her, it was almost like watching a teen reality drama on T.V.
Who should I side with? Team Hayden or Team Dominic?
“I’m more reliable than you and should be the one that goes with Atticus,” Hayden said forcefully.
Dominic laughed. “But I’m better than you in a tactical sense...Besides, you should stay behind with the princess, after all the two of you did share a bed.”
They both glared at Kori stuffing the last of the granola into her mouth. “We all should go,” she said before swallowing.
“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” Atticus said leaning against a wall near the exit. He massaged his temple as if the brother’s debate was giving him a substantial headache. “If the four of us tried to sneak into the manor all at once we would be caught for sure. I need one of the boys to tag along and watch my back.”
“And you don’t think I can hold my own?” Kori queried, her faced twisting in the shadows of the torchlight.
Atticus smiled nervously, “no offense, but the grumpy brothers are equipped for this sorta shindig. And that’s why...” his voice trailed off as he swayed his index finger from Dominic to Hayden. “Dominic is coming with me.”
Hayden was silent. He was upset with Atticus’s decision but before he could argue with the choice-
“Dominic is unpredictable and it wouldn’t be a good idea to leave him here with Kori if things go south for us in the manor. Plus, with you here, I know she’s well protected. Not to mention Dominic wants to rescue Brianna as much as you do. So, I doubt he’ll be as reckless.”
Kori made a face as if she didn’t understand what the deal was but felt compelled not to debate the subject. Instead, she crumbled the empty bag of granola and tossed it over her shoulders.
Dominic quickly said before anyone else could speak. “It’s already sundown, and we’re wasting time.”
Hayden remained silent, glaring at Dominic. Here was his brother, who used to be a mischievous class clown, and an all-around cheerful kid. But now he had come to be motivated by a force that he could not solely recognize.
“Don’t worry, I’ll bring back Brianna and even four eyes.”
At that moment Hayden caught a glimpse of the old Dominic, but right as he looked away, his nostalgia evaporated into the ability and reluctance to not let emotions show.
Kori piped in, “well be sure to give this to Brianna.”
She reached into her pocket and gave Dominic Brianna’s wand.
Atticus chuckled fondly. “Little witch is always losing that thing.”
“What do we do if you guys don’t make it back?” Kori asked.
“Have faith,” Atticus said with a wink. He reached over and equipped himself with his sword. “I’m Leaving the rucksack...so don’t go crazy with the rations.” Atticus ushered Dominic out the door. “Be back before you know it.”
Then they were gone.
Hayden let out a frustrated exhale. Kori surveyed him for an instant then arose to her feet. “What?” Hayden asked annoyed.
“I was wondering what it would be like to go on a date with you,” she laughed. “Would you be so brooding then too?” she stared off into space with folded arms mimicking Hayden’s smoldering expression.
“I don’t act like that. And what do you mean a date?”
“A Da-te, I’m guessing you haven’t been on many...or any.”
Hayden shook his head. “You’re so random.”
Kori stared at the dusty floor, “when we first met, I thought you were a bit of an arrogant dick.”
Hayden arched his eyebrows.
“And I still do...” she trailed off her demeanor becoming serious. “I think you should open up more.”
Hayden stared at Kori as if she was speaking gibberish to him.
“I don’t need you playing therapist,” he said coldly.
“Do you have fun acting so unsympathetic...You’re fourteen, like me right?”
Hayden nodded. “What’s your point?”
“Then why don’t you act more like a teenager instead of a cranky old man,” Kori said with a shrug.
Hayden pinned the bridge of his nose. “I’m fine the way I am now. I have all the necessary skills I need to survive. I don’t need you telling me how to live. Even if it means I’ll end up alone,” he snapped. His words were like a flowing river, cold and unending.
“I’d rather not exist if it meant being as isolated as you.”
Seeing the hurt in her eyes Hayden inhaled and dialed back his anger. “Reality isn’t compassionate...in fact it’s filled with dream shattering facts. But as long as you don’t put your faith in others it makes disappointment less painful.” Hayden said staring at the floor. “My dad would tell me that whenever I got upset.”
Kori sat silently staring at Hayden. Though he said he was fine the way he was, Kori refused to believe that. She saw a boy who was emotionally detached, and introverted.
“Stop with the creepy staring,” Hayden’s voice broke through her thoughts.
She embraced him. The hug felt more than a simple gesture of affection. Perhaps it was the fragile beginnings of a crush. Her arms that held him were soft, yet strong. Her closeness soothed him more than he had expected.
“What are you doing?” Hayden asked his voice a mixture of sentiments.
“Just shut up and let me have this moment,” she answered.
THE MANOR WALLS SPRANG from the well-manicured lawn full of strength, they loomed proudly behind a prodigious gate flanked by a massive brick wall that was topped with iron spikes. The windows were oversized mullioned and cathedral-like. Ivy ferns grew through the crevice of the old winding stone path which led directly to the colossal structure. Multiple groves crowned in bright green leaves swayed gently in the chilly night wind. Stood at the manor threshold was a dedicated marble fountain, the soft gurgling of clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding silence. Pastured gardens, soldiers sleeping quarters and other dwellings for storage or leisure activities occupied the massive land, giving off the appearance of a walled village.<
br />
The patrolling troops weren’t like the soldiers they had encountered in the forest. Instead of dogmatic and rigorous patterns, they were arbitrary and unevenly spaced.
Dominic thought they were sloppy, but Atticus assured him that that was only the impression it was supposed to give. The soldiers who guarded the estate were a tight, rigid and disciplined unit. And Atticus had a strange capability to guess when the next patrol would turn up. He had to trust Atticus’s decision of when to make their way from their hiding spots.
“Go,” Atticus whispered.
They vaulted from the trees landing on soundless hands and feet. Dominic felt thankful for the groves, for they provided them with enough cover to stay moderately invisible. Dominic kept his focus on Atticus as he followed close behind, before he ducked down, whispered something and disappeared. Dominic hesitated to go any further as a muffled mechanical sound of stone sliding across the dirt ringed from where Atticus disappeared. It looked as if he had been swallowed by a sinkhole. Then he was back, although Dominic could only see Atticus’s top half, he gestured for Dominic to follow him. After closer inspection he was surprised to learn what he thought had been a sinkhole, was actually an opening to an underground chamber. In the twilight, it would have been easy to miss, if it weren’t for Atticus standing halfway in and out of it.
“Let’s go, kid,” Atticus said tersely. “This will lead us into the manor.” Atticus ducked back inside; Dominic followed, descending down the short flight of stairs.
Limited light brightened the open space. Everything was made of concrete with no personality and the musty aroma made the atmosphere feel damp. There were ancient brackets for candles every few feet. Atticus lifted his head and spoke a phrase in a tongue Dominic didn’t recognize. Almost instantly a stone hatch from above closed, sealing them inside.
They walked onwards following a corridor for a way before it ended in a set of steps leading up to a trap door. Atticus pushed it softly. It opened, but only by a few inches or so before a chain stopped its advance. He pushed his head up alongside the breach, flattening his black hair and looked out.
They were surrounded by sleek granite counters, stainless steel appliances and hanging utensils.
The smell of decomposing food and garbage drifted through the crack. Atticus craned his neck trying to look around, but his limited field of vision revealed nothing more. He verified the shackle by pushing against the hatch and heard a slither of weighted iron directly above him. Reaching around Atticus felt the chunky form of a metal padlock.
“Is there a problem?” Dominic hissed from below.
“No,” Atticus retorted in the same tone. “But once inside I don’t know what we will find so be ready for anything.”
He continued to push his arm through the gap right up to his shoulder and twisted his wrist around as far as he could. For a few moments, he fumbled around trying to get a firm grip on the lock. With it firmly in his grasp, Atticus mumbled a phrase in Latin. The padlock fell away and the chain rattled free. Long seconds passed while Dominic heard his breath, but it seemed that nobody heard. Atticus pushed it opened and this time there was no resistance.
They were in.
They were in a scullery, which appeared to be an uninhibited corner for waste. Mounds of old food and sacks of garbage occupied the area. But the corner appeared to be abandoned for some time. The waste had rotted or was infested with mold and maggots.
Dominic covered his nose, the smell was strong enough to make him want to puke.
Unaffected by the aroma, Atticus squatted and secured the padlock again.
“Don’t want to arouse the suspicion of anyone who might come investigating,” he said standing upright. “Alright follow me.”
Dominic nodded, more than happy to leave the smelly area.
They made their way along the aisle between the counters forging through the faint light of the kitchen’s wall-mounted torches. The scullery wasn’t too large, but Dominic had to admit he was glad the place was deserted or otherwise it would have been close-quarter combat. Without incident, they reached a corridor. Stained floor to ceiling windows lined the walls on both sides and marble flooring made up the foundation. Silver moonlight shone through the windows giving off the effect of light shining through a prism. The corridor wasn’t long and soon ended with a wooden door. There wasn’t a doorknob and Atticus simply pushed the door open. He and Dominic filed into an elaborate dining room.
Atticus let out a soft sigh, as his eyes glazed about the wide and well-decorated space. “Though I never enjoyed the food, I loved sitting here with my friends, and spending time with them.”
Dominic glanced around the semi-dark room. “The dining room at my house is bigger.”
Atticus nodded as if he had expected that sort of response. They treaded to the exit on the opposite end of the way they entered. With Atticus poking his head out into the next hall, he saw that it was clear on both ends and dark, except for a feeble amount of moonlight shining through thick curtains.
“Where do you think Christos is keeping them?” Dominic whispered.
Atticus ducked his head back into the dining-room. “They are most likely locked in rooms on the second floor and surrounded by guards.”
Dominic eyed Atticus humorously. “How do you know this?”
“I know my brother,” Atticus retorted.
Dominic didn’t reply, giving Atticus the opportunity to continue with, “he won’t be expecting us so soon, so the first floor shouldn’t be as secured.”
He crept out into the foyer, edging the corners of the walls; Dominic followed, sheltering himself in the darkness and mimicking Atticus’s movement.
Atticus was right about the first floor barely having any guards. They kept their wits about them while creeping from hall to hall. Occasionally the two would pause to be sure the coast was clear before going on. It was slow, but they were rarely in any danger. Eventually, they came to a flight of stairs. Slowly the duo slunk up the stairs flinching at the slightest sound of steps creaking. But faster than expected, they made it to the second floor. The amount of cover drastically decreased whereas the amount of danger amplified. They quickly found themselves ducking into an empty room after a few guardsmen seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Atticus slowly shut the door and while holding onto the knob he whispered, the sound of the door locking followed suit.
Dominic gave Atticus a confused glare. “You keep using that phrase to unlock or lock doors?”
Atticus chuckled, “all doors and padlocks on the estate are enchanted which allows them to become locked or unlocked with a single word.”
“No key or force can open the door unless you say the magic words dominus clavem,” Atticus said. “And your father and I were the only ones who knew this nifty trick,” he paused eying Dominic. “...Now you do too.”
He was silent for a moment as if Atticus had struck an emotional nerve. Then clearing his throat, “...what’s your plan?”
Atticus looked around the luxurious chamber as a sense of familiarity overtook him. He felt as if he was in a guest suite of an Italian palace. The bed was king-sized with pure white sheets, a sprawling leather sofa and on the other side of the flooring to ceiling windows was a private terrace.
Atticus paced about the room, stopping at an ornate desk that looked as if it was from the Victorian era. He ran his hands across the smoothed surface.
“T-this place used to be mine and Lulu’s room,” Atticus said with a half-smile. “I can still hear her singing in the shower,” he frowned. “Though her voice sounds masculine for some reason.”
Dominic also grimaced. “I think someone really is in the shower.”
They both turned toward the direction where they heard the loud raspy singing. They followed the voice to a door. Stealthily, Atticus pushed it open, he and Dominic then stepped into a bathroom that was big enough for a football team. Everything was in marble and handcrafted tiles. Lounging in a large Jacuzzi was a man.
With his hands resting behind his head and eyes covered by a cloth, he hummed loudly, unaware of his new company. Atticus crouched behind the man, cleared his throat, and the man in the Jacuzzi nearly jumped out of his skin.
“I thought I told you bastards to be on the lookout while I take a dip,” he tried to stand but Atticus placed a strong hand onto his shoulder, forcing him to stay put.
“You might want to step out for this,” Atticus said in an eerie tone.
Dominic folded his arms in defiance. “No way.”
Atticus shrugged, “alright, but this isn’t going to be pretty.”
“I demand you to tell me who you are right now,” the man shouted. “Or I will scream.”
Atticus chuckled. “It’s funny because no matter how loud you scream no one will hear you. These walls are soundproof.” He relocated his hands from the shoulder to the top of the man’s head. “You’re going to tell me everything I want to know or I’m going to drown you until you die. And once you resurrect, I’ll do it all over again.”
The man gasped. “That voice... is that you Atticus.”
“In the flesh,” he retorted.
“It’s me, sergeant -”
“Don’t care who you are,” Atticus said forcing the man’s head underneath the bubbling water.
He flopped around trying to surface for air. Dominic watched excitedly, he never figured Atticus the type for torturing others.
“Where is Christos keeping his guests,” he demanded as he allowed the soldier to emerge. Wide-eyed and wheezing, he spoke frantically, “Lucia is in the east wing...last door on the right and the two outsiders are in the north wing, second door on the left.” He tilted his head to look at Atticus, “please no more.”
Atticus smiled pleasantly at his former comrade, cocked back his fist and delivered a satisfying punch to the man’s face, dropping him like a rag doll. Atticus stood upright. “Alright looks like lady luck favors us so far...But I’m afraid this is the part of the jailbreak where we split up.”
LAMENT OF PURGATORY (ASHWOOD CHRONICLES #1) Page 24