I froze, almost dropping my wooden weapon. “What did you say?”
Hope surged through me. He was going to tell me that I could come home; that I could leave here and go back to my friends. And just as fast as hope surged through me, a hint of fear set in. I hadn’t heard from Papa in over four years. Maybe something was wrong.
Sam approached, placing both his hands on my forearms. “It’s okay, A. He is safe,” he reassured, as if he could read my mind.
“What did he say?” I breathed. My heart pounded; this message could be the key to my fate.
“’Happy birthday, my sweet Ava.’” The tension left my body, tears of blended emotions beginning to fall.
“Don’t cry,” Sam murmured, bringing me into his arms, gently rubbing my back. “You aren’t allowed to cry on your birthday. This won’t last forever.” He rested his chin on my head. “You have me and my shitty brothers.”
I buried my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around him. “I guess that’ll have to do.”
Sam’s chuckle hummed throughout his body. “We’ve become very accustomed to your outlandish requests. Teaching you how to wield a sword, learning how to chew tobacco.”
I peered up from his shoulder. “That was just the one time. I wanted to know what the fuss was all about.”
Sam raised a brow. ”You just about gave Micah a stroke.”
“Micah needs to be more open-minded,” I countered.
“Sam!” Charles shouted in the darkness. Sam and I jolted, turning toward the stairs that led up to the roof. Charles met us in three steps, the moonlight striking his pudgy face, sweat beading on his forehead. “Get her out of here.”
“What happened?” Sam questioned.
“Someone got into the kitchen and killed two of the servants. They got one of the men,” he said grimly. “The sons of bitches. We got one of them, but we don’t know if there are any more lurking around. She needs to go.” Charlie grabbed my arm, and Sam followed suit. “Take her to the safe house. Do you remember where it is?”
Sam nodded. “How do we get her out?”
“There’s a rope in the corner.” He pointed. “We’ve ropes and weapons around, in case we were invaded. We’ll lower her down the wall of the building.”
Sam shook his head furiously. “Absolutely not. She’ll break her bloody neck.”
Charles stopped in his tracks, halting me with him. “Do you have any better ideas?”
Sam hesitated before answering, “Tie it around her waist.” Charles went for the rope, leaving us both together for a moment. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I nodded, speechless. My stomach knotted, and my head spun as though I wasn’t fully in my body.
Sam shook me by the shoulder. “Ava, are you listening? It’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” I whispered. I trusted Sam and his brothers more than anything, but that didn’t stop the chaos running through my head.
Two servants were dead.
“Charles!” I said in a loud whisper. “Where is Mrs. Reynolds?”
“I’m sure she’s just fine,” Charles answered, tying a thick rope around my waist.
I tried to read his face for an answer. “But you saw her?”
Sam placed a hand on my shoulder again, like it was going to calm me down, but it didn’t. It only made me more anxious.
“She will be fine. Don’t worry,” Sam replied.
I ignored him, my focus still on Charlie. “You must find her. The children…” My mouth went dry, horrible thoughts roaring through my mind. “Where are they? I didn’t tuck them into bed. We must get them out!”
Charles looked up, fastening the last knot. “The men know what to do.”
Charlie and Sam brought me to the edge of the roof, the height making me feel nauseous while the ground looked to be moving.
“I’ll go down first,” Sam told me, “then you’ll follow. Charlie will lower you. Hold on to the rope with the bottom of your dress so you don’t get rope burn. You are going to walk down the wall; take it nice and easy.” I didn’t answer, but kept looking at the grassy field below us. It began to spin faster, so I closed my eyes. “Ava,” Sam said urgently, when I didn’t respond.
“I understand,” I squeaked. Charles placed a comforting hand on my back. I watched as Sam positioned himself to climb down the wall, when I heard Charles grumble, “Don’t break your blasted neck, or I’ll kill you.”
Sam tsked. “Idiot, I’d already be dead.” With that, he disappeared over the rooftop.
“Ready?” Charles asked.
No. “Charlie, who would want to hurt me?”
He evaded my eyes. “Not sure. They may just be thieves or bandits, trying to find a quick prize.”
“You’re lying to me.”
He looked at me then. “I promise that I’ll tell you everything you want to know later. But you must get out of here. I won’t be able to tell you anything if you’re dea—captured.”
I inhaled slowly. I hadn’t done anything to anyone. I’d been at the orphanage for years. It was as though I didn’t exist.
“C’mon, A. You have to go,” Charles urged me. “Now, just like Sam, you are going to have to lean back and walk down.”
My heart nearly pounded out of my chest as my feet stood frozen to the stone ground. I’ve climbed up and down trees, but never anything this high.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Charlie, I just can’t.”
“You have to,” Charlie snapped. “They will find the entrance to this rooftop any minute.” His voice softened. “I promise. I won’t let you go. Go ahead and sit down. I’ll rope you down and then you can find your footing against the wall.”
I sat down, dangling my feet over the side. I took a deep breath, and before I could tell Charlie I was ready, he shoved me over the edge. My body launched through the air before the rope caught me, the rope digging into my sides. I howled sharply before sucking in a breath, trying to find placement with my feet along the stone wall.
Charlie lowered me slowly, as I used my feet to climb down the wall. When I was more than halfway down, unfamiliar voices boomed above me.
“Stop!” someone roared. I looked up to see Charlie look over the wall.
“Sam!” he shouted. “Catch her!”
Before I had a chance to register the words, I plummeted toward the ground, the end of the rope following me. Hitting something hard, I opened my eyes, feeling a body underneath me.
Sam.
“Are you all right?” I exclaimed. He groaned and sat up with me in his lap.
“You’re heavier than you look,” he replied, wincing as he touched his back.
“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”
“There are two down there! Seize them!”
Sam shot up from the grass and pulled me with him.
“We have to go!” Gripping my hand, he yanked me toward the short distance to the stable. Sam’s brother, Ben, was already waiting there with four horses saddled.
“Let’s go!” he shouted when he caught sight of us. “Where’s Charlie?”
Sam’s brows creased, and he inhaled sharply before answering, “The rooftop. They found us.”
Ben’s eyes darted toward the orphanage before he pushed me up on one of the mounts by my behind. “Sorry to be so hands-on, darling.” He looked at Sam. “He’ll be fine. Let’s go.” He mounted his horse and nodded quickly for us to take off.
Through the stampede of hooves, I heard Sam repeat over and over that it was going to be okay, but it didn’t feel like it. The look I’d seen in Charlie’s eyes said that nothing was okay. It posed unanswered questions that I was desperate to know the answers for.
Holding onto my reins for dear life, my horse thundered across the clearing. Small puffs of white mist from my horse’s breathing appeared through the cool night air.
“Across the field!” pierced another voice; one that wasn’t Ben’s or Sam’s. Hearing it was eerie in the silent night in the middle of nowhere, and it sent goose bumps crawling across my skin.
“Push that horse, Ava!” Ben yelled. “Don’t worry about leaving us behind.” Something whizzed past his head, and I couldn’t make out what it was. “Fuck!”