Page 70 of Only a Breath Away

He asked, “Where is yer blade?”

“I don’t even want to tell you that I somehow dropped a gun and the only thing I had to dig through the door was one of Archie’s Matchbox cars. Don’t ask, mistakes were made.”

He cut the fabric free from my skirt. He said, “Now ye can move.”

I said, “Hold this here, as firm as you can.”

He held the cloth to his shoulder while I found a cord holding back the drapes on the bed. I cut it, hoping it would be long enough. “Sit up.”

He sat up and groaned as he swung his legs off the bed.

“Feel woozy?”

“Aye, ye are a bit blurry.”

“Smile.”

He grimaced.

“Your gums are still pink, pale, but you haven’t lost too much blood. Please be okay, because I do not want any more twists. I truly hope this is all real and happening, truly I do. That was weird how you were here but not here. I did not like that.” I wrapped the cord around his shoulder, across his chest, and tightened it under his other arm. “We need a vacation. We need to go on a cruise or something as soon as we’re out of here.” I tied it as tight as I could.

I asked, “You can’t move that arm, right? Don’t do it, this is… shit this is a lot of blood, it looks like a pig was murdered in here.”

“Nae one will be murdered as long as I am on my…” I helped him stand and held him up. He swayed for a moment. “As long as I’m on my—

The door flung open. By flung I meant,scraped,but still, it opened and there stood a young maid, carrying a pitcher. She took a look and then screamed.

I said, as she backed away from the door, “Here we are, my love,” I did my best to hold his weight up. “It’s go time.”

* * *

We rushed to the wall. Magnus grabbed a sword with one hand, making it look effortless. I lugged one down with both hands making it look like ‘maybe I should not be carrying a sword.’

He said, “I want ye tae stay on my left side, just behind, as we go. Ye be aware of m’left flank and my rear. Ye remember our lessons?”

I said, “Yes, I totally remember.”

We left the room, his feet slow but steady. I stayed right beside him, a step behind. His path weaved a little but aimed down the middle of the hall, keeping his right hand clear for fighting. I kept close tight against him, between his left flank and the wall.

He gasped out, “Up ahead.” It scared me that he was so winded.

We came to a circular stair. His downward descent was practically a fall as he raced down, his feet correcting him upright and his injured shoulder banging against the wall for balance keeping his fighting arm free. His face wore a grimace as he dropped three stairs, his knees buckling, his wounded shoulder struck against the spiral as he stumbled. I muttered prayers,please let him be okay.

I was in my head, freaking out —this was too much, too much for him to do.But then we made it tae the bottom step, and he led us down a tunnel headed toward the kitchens. We passed a few of the kitchen girls, but not a single guard. Not one young man with a knife. It was a miracle.

Or maybe they were so shocked by the couple who were both covered in blood and were racing past that they couldn’t imagine how to mount a defense or a proper chase.

In the kitchen he said, “Daena pay us any mind, we are going tae go past ye tae the door.”

“We are friendly, see us? See how nice we are?” I held my sword up like a baseball bat. “We are really truly the nicest people, we are just fleeing. We’ll be out of here in no time.” Side-stepping, with caution, we moved through the kitchen, making sure Magnus faced the kitchen workers, while I watched the door behind us.

We made it to the outer door, then the kitchen garden, three steps later we were running down the slope. We paused so I could dig in his bag for the vessel. I pulled it out, and we ran while I twisted it

“Where to?”

He said, “I need a hospital,” as he stumbled and fell forward, crashing intae the grass. “Our family is at the lake house.”

I set us headed to Maine.

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