“I’m ordering you to remove yourself Bludvok, or you will be seriously injured!” An angry voice sounded.
Jack froze, his eyes wide with fear.
“They’re here.” He breathed. My heart seemed to stop. Everything went in slow motion.
Jack jumped from the bed and hurried across the pitch black room. The fire had gone out completely and we had no source of light.
Before I knew it Jack was hurling my possessions at me.
“Get your shoes on!” He hissed, “Put on the coat.” He threw them both at me and I fumbled in my rush to get ready. Fear and adrenalin pulsated through me, and I seemed to have lost my sense of sound for there was a great buzzing in my ears that drowned out everything else. Jack was talking to me, but I didn’t have a clue what he was saying. Jack hurriedly wrenched clothes upon his half naked body, stumbling several times in haste.
“They must be downstairs. More than a few, I’d assume. I’ll go down and see what’s going on, and possibly stall them. You wait here, I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t leave me!” I said panicked.
“Ava, I’ll be right back.” Jack reassured, “I just want to catch a glimpse from the landing.”
I sat on the bed, waiting with bated breath as Jack slipped through the door quietly and closed it behind him. I clutched at the bed sheets until my knuckles were white. The thought that Jack might abandon me crossed my mind, but I rendered it absurd. He would never do that. The sound of smashing glass made me jump violently and gasp.
“What do you think you are doing?” Bludvok roared angrily.
“Step aside or we will use force.” A voice full of authority sounded.
“You think you can get past me?” Bludvok laughed heartily, “Do you know what I can do?”
“I am well aware of your Power sir. Any display will be treated as a threat, and dealt with as such.”
“Get out of my pub, before I throw you out! You have no business here.”
“You are concealing wanted persons within your establishment, and you will let us through to find them.” The stranger’s voice demanded.
My body was shaking, and my mouth had gone very dry. They had come for me. They knew I was here. Jack had been right, of course … I couldn’t trust anyone. Not even a friendly face like Toby Stone.
“Where did you get that idea from? There is no one here but me.”
“We received intelligence from a very reliable source that a certain woman-”
“A reliable source?” Bludvok boomed, “You received information from a drunk. Stone is no more of a reliable source than a Human, you mongrels. He did not know what he was talking about. Probably saw the lass on the street somewhere!”
“Sir, we are going to check your premises whether you like it or not. Lads, Remove Bludvok, he is getting on my nerves.”
“Now you wait just one second! You will get your hands off me if you know what is good for you.” Bludvok growled.
I didn’t want to listen any more. What were they doing to Samuel? What kind of terrible Power’s did those men have? Come to think of it, what Power did Bludvok have?
“Stand aside!” The stranger roared. I wished Jack would come back.
The sounds that followed were extremely worrying and confusing. I found myself quite concerned about the Inn’s well-being. A great bellowing roar like an explosion shook all the walls and rattled the windows. My heart pounded wildly in my chest and I clutched at the blankets even harder. What had that noise been? Where was Jack? There was much scuffling to be heard downstairs, and several groans.
As though he had heard my thoughts Jack slipped in through the doorway. He looked panicked and I felt fear wash over me.
“What happened?” I said immediately, “Is Bludvok okay? Oh, if he is hurt because of me, I’ll … I’ll … I don’t know!”
“Calm down.” Jack whispered, “Bludvok is fine. He can look after himself.”
“What did he do?” I said with wide eyes, “That noise … my ears are ringing.”
“Let’s just say Samuel Bludvok has a very big mouth indeed. He knocked the guards onto their backsides with one yell.” While Jack spoke he rummaged around the room and began tying the bed sheets together, “His voice, it produces a kind of force, a wave of some kind which blows everything in its path out of the way. The louder the yell, the more force behind the wave.”
“How many men are down there?” I asked.
“About twenty.” Jack gritted his teeth together.
“Twenty?” I blanched.
“Bludvok won’t hold them off for very long.” Jack growled at me. He hurried to the little window and popped it open. The freezing air blew in and I shied away from it. Jack tied one end of the custom made rope to the foot of the bed and threw the other side out of the window.
“Jack, I can’t do it. I’ll fall.” I fretted.
“Don’t worry.” Jack soothed me, “I’ll be right behind you, I promise, but you need to hurry.”
Jack was right, the sound of scuffling was heard downstairs and another enormous yell which shook the building so violently that I had to grab Jack to balance.