Just as I began to enter the lady turned to me and shook her head ever so slightly. "I would like to be alone with my child. That is all." Her keen blue eyes watched me, and for a moment I thought I saw a flicker of suspicion. Then she shut the door, leaving me and the other guard outside her chamber.
"You'd best hide in the servants' quarters, miss," the big man addressed me. His eyes held the same doubt as his lady and my insides squirmed uncomfortably. "There is nothing more you can do here."
I hastened a glance to my left and right – a quick study to make sure no one else was watching. The man drew his blade and I threw my power at him, letting the man hit the wall with a loud thud and then crumble to the floor. I'd had a feeling the casting I had used on the maid wouldn't have stopped a choking man from attempting to cut me in half.
I quickly knelt and grabbed the large ring of keys hanging from the guard's pocket. I thrust the key I had seen him use just moments before into the door lock, clutching the guard's sword in my other hand as I prepared for the lady's defense. There was no way she could have missed the commotion.
I needn't have bothered. The others were already there – weapons in hand - as the lady cowered and begged them not to harm her child.
"I'll come with you willingly," she was saying, "just don't hurt Tamora."
Mira was standing in front of the lady while Cethan bound the baroness and placed a gag in her protesting mouth. The lady was still fighting her restraints. I realized why when I saw Andy was holding Tamora by the wrist uncomfortably.
"What do we do with the girl?" the mage asked our leader. "Flint never told us there would be a child."
Mira shifted her cold yellow gaze to me. "Silence the child, Ryiah. We'll take her with us. Andy, I need you to help me cover the front until we meet Darren and Flint outside."
I hesitated as Andy dragged the child over.
"Are you sure we need to bring the girl?" I swallowed over Tamora's cries. I couldn't imagine hurting such a small, innocent child. "Surely we don't-"
"Are you questioning me, apprentice?"
I clutched the small girl by her shoulders – they were frail and tiny, like a bird's. Her body trembled violently against my hands. I couldn't bring myself to move.
A sharp, whistling noise – like a whip lashing out into the air before us - and the child fell to the ground. I gasped and looked to Mira in horror. The leader had just cast the child unconscious. Tamora now had a small trickle of blood flowing from the left side of her head.
I immediately picked the girl up in my arms, silently loathing the woman who could be so heartless. "You didn't need to do that." I couldn't stop myself.
"You did well getting us in, apprentice," Mira replied sharply, "but if you ever jeopardize a mission again I will personally ensure you are thrown out of your apprenticeship for insubordination."
And I thought Byron was as bad as it got.
****
Darren and Flint were waiting for us at the end of the tunnel. They were keeping an eye out to make sure our route was safe. The second the prince saw the limp child I was carrying Darren's mouth formed a small, hard line. Flint looked surprised but unperturbed.
Mira gave orders for Darren to take over at the front. Cethan and I would stay at the middle of the pack with our hostages. Flint, Mira, and Andy would guard the back.
We took off at a run.
And we ran. Every second, every breath seemed to go on for hours as we made our retreat through an endless sea of green and brown and white. Every once in awhile Flint would shout out a landmark or a direction we missed, but for the most part the only sound was the heavy panting of breath and the crunch of pine needles beneath our boots.
Minutes into our escape Tamora awoke – but before she could cry Andy slipped something into my hand. "We were supposed to give it to the mother if she was difficult," she whisper-panted, "but I have a mind she'll play nice so long as you don't let Mira touch that child again."
I shot the mage a small smile and then held the vial to the child's lips. "Please?"
Tamora met my eyes, not quite understanding but seeming to trust the pleading tone of my voice. The girl swallowed the potion and then fell to sleep in my arms immediately.
Thank the gods for Alchemy.
Returning focus to the rocky trail in front of me, I sped up to catch up with Cethan. The man was lumbering through the forest like it was nothing, even though the lady he was carrying was easily five times the weight of her child.
"You can't be mortal," I wheezed.
The corner of the mage's lip twitched – but that was it. Cethan was too in control of his emotions to chuckle or laugh. I took it in stride anyway. He didn't smile for anything.