Page 13 of Light Up the Night

“That’s Heritage Hills. King Ryver’s manor. He was the second-born Delucre son. His brother inherited the castle.” Pariah carried on with history lessons and tales of great war elephants until we were so close that only the crickets dared chirp.

It was bizarre. There were no gates. No bridge. Only a yard full of forest and an oversized cottage with a billowing chimney.

Where were the guards?

Messiah, Ender, and two burly looking blond warriors snuck into the back door. It wasn’t hard, the thing wasn’t even locked.

Now that, was comfort. Or ignorance…

“The maids are sleeping,” Pariah whispered, waving me on to join them. “If we can take him without anyone knowing, even better.”

I nodded and followed him down a long corridor. A door was cracked just a bit, enough for me to see Messiah sitting on top of the man. He clamped a hand over the flailing king while Keif poured the chloroform onto a strip of cloth.

He placed it over the man’s mouth until he went limp. It was only then that I could truly appreciate his strong jaw and the shiny nature of his long blond hair.

“No wonder she’s partial to him. He’s a pretty bastard,” I mused, basking in the glare it earned me from Keif.

“Are you sure it’s him?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s him alright.” Pariah snorted.

“He looks like my mother,” Keif quipped, before throwing King Ryver over his shoulder.

Keif

He weighed next to nothing, or maybe it just felt that way because of all my adrenaline. I’d never dreamed of taking someone hostage, let alone in a land I didn’t know. And he was a king to boot?

We were dead if we got caught.

“Where are you going?” Chalice hissed when I hooked a right out the front door. I tipped my head toward the stable and kept moving. “Buys us more time if they think he went off on a ride or hunt.”

“Indeed,” Messiah said, snapping his fingers and pointing toward me. He gave a signal with his hand, and the soldiers began their march.

I’d never been inside a castle. The closest thing to royalty that I’d ever known was the Excellence. A monarch, but nothing like this.

Exotic horses with colorful manes whinnied quietly and shifted about as I moved between the stalls.

I noticed her the moment she stepped into the moonlight. An impressive white steed with handprints and painted symbols.

“Fit for a king.” I nodded before tossing him over it and saddling behind him.

I led him back to the others where Messiah promptly began to tie and gag him. We kept to the shadows and cut through the fields and forests. It really was a beautiful land. The fruit trees and distant vineyards spoke to my soul. As far as I was concerned, they were more impressive than the castle walls behind them.

I traded Chalice, hoisting her up to the saddle so that she could ride and rest. I kept her close, sometimes doubling my pace so I could be at the ready beside her. If trouble sparked, I had every intention of slapping that horse’s ass and sending her off for the Fates to guide.

I didn’t like it. I didn’t like any of it, and I really didn’t think that Lazarus of the fucking Iron Inlet was worth it. I vowed then and there to give the fucker a jaw shot if and when we recovered him.

“How many days?” Chalice asked, giving a glance over her shoulder.

“Until we reach the mountains… or?” Messiah raised his brow but answered before she could clarify. “We will reach the boy and the Dells before the noon hour. We’ll be in Northern Tauran by morning if we keep a good steady pace.”

“If they find us… you ride hard and fast, as far North as you can, and follow the cold. It will carry you up the mountain to your frozen wasteland on the other side,” Pariah advised.

The dawn broke, and I swore I could smell the sunshine. Everything seemed brighter and happier. I knew if we ever survived this, I’d not be sated until I came back and truly appreciated it.

Images of Chalice and the boy drifted in my mind. Holidays with long serene carriage rides and afternoons in the orchard. Messiah might even find some enjoyment in the wines…

“Be at the ready,” Messiah mumbled, giving my arm a nudge. “You look like an apprentice daydreaming on his first assignment.”

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