Page 40 of Beguiled
“Citizens of Fife.” Mikkel’s voice rang out, the authority of his tone garnering even more attention so that no one paid Irontooth and Toad any heed. “What kind of city and nation have you become to sentence three women to death without the benefit of a fair trial?”
Murmurings arose from the crowd, and the Inquisitor’s eyes widened as he took in Mikkel.
“If you judge by appearances alone and refuse to see deeper into the heart, you will only condemn yourselves to more judgment. Eventually, you will soon find yourselves standing in this very place, waiting to be burned at the stake. For who amongst us is without a flaw?”
The women had stopped the moment they heard Mikkel’s voice, but thankfully Felicity was smart enough not to show her surprise. Instead, she kept her expression neutral and casually glanced over the crowd. I could tell the moment she glimpsed Irontooth by the way her back straightened.
I prayed strength would return to their limbs, allowing them to make their getaway quickly. Their lives would depend upon it.
“Who are we to say what is unnatural?” Mikkel continued, drawing the Inquisitor’s scowl. “If you can revile one woman for a mark upon her face, then how could you not denounce another for a mark, only smaller? And if you condemn someone for pale skin and hair, then what’s to stop you from casting judgment on a person with dark skin and hair?”
The Inquisitor motioned toward his guards, indicating they should silence Mikkel. But they were distracted by his speech. And they were also too distracted to see Irontooth and Toad drawing ever nearer to the women.
“How can we discount the value of this older woman who cannot speak, and yet nurture a wee babe who is guilty of the same?” Mikkel’s impassioned pleas stirred the crowd, drawing choruses of agreement. “If we judge a person based solely on the way they stand apart from others, then why not judge the Inquisitor? He is taller and thinner than most.”
At Mikkel’s declaration, the Inquisitor’s visage darkened, and he barked out more urgent orders to his guards, finally drawing their attention.
“Will you arrest me then also?” Mikkel was regal and every inch a prince. “Perhaps because I have blue eyes instead of brown?”
The agitation amongst the gathering was growing, just the way Mikkel had predicted it would. They began to jostle and push forward, which aided the momentum of Irontooth and Toad as they attempted to get next to the women.
“Rather than condemning some to be outcasts,” Mikkel continued above the commotion, “let us recognize we are all unique and imperfect in some way. Let us find no shame in that and instead value each other for our differences.”
With the Inquisitor’s displeasure ringing in the air, the guards hastened toward Mikkel, though their steps were impeded by the surging crowd.
“Let the women go free!” Mikkel’s cry rose strong and clear. “Do not make them suffer any longer for the superstitions of the Inquisitor.”
I drew the bowstring taut. Mikkel had warned Humphrey and me not to shoot unless absolutely necessary. He hadn’t wanted to draw attention to my position on the roof, which would make my getaway all the more difficult.
Even so, my muscles contracted with the need to protect Mikkel. If any of the soldiers threatened him, I doubted I’d be able to hold back, especially if he was in any danger of being captured.
Mikkel scanned the crowd. Seeing the guards fighting their way through the crowd in his direction, he hopped down from his perch, accepting the backslaps and arm squeezes of the people around him.
Already, Irontooth had reached Felicity and scooped Joan up into his arms. Toad had a hold of Rose, and the group was making their escape.
Mikkel had instructed me to leave once we had possession of the women. Humphrey and I were to take back alleys and meet everyone at the boat. But I couldn’t take my attention from Mikkel. Not yet. Not until I knew he was safe.
As the soldiers veered nearer to him, my pulse raced harder. I closed one of my eyes and sighted down the length of my arm and the arrow.
Just then, Mikkel spun and headed toward the Inquisitor.
“No,” I whispered, silently urging him to flee the opposite way. But Mikkel managed to slip expertly through the crowd until he stood in front of the Inquisitor. He spoke something that caused the Inquisitor’s face to deepen in color before he bellowed at his guards.
Mikkel picked up his pace, heading in the opposite direction from the rescue party. And suddenly I understood what he was doing. He was drawing the attention of the guards and the Inquisitor away from the others and placing it squarely upon himself.
As he disappeared between two buildings, my heart plummeted.
“Veil.” A loud whisper came from the alley below me. “Come on. We have to go.”
Humphrey was following Mikkel’s instruction to get out of the area of the town square just as soon as we could before the Inquisitor realized the women were gone and called for reinforcements.
I strained to see Mikkel, but he’d disappeared, and now the soldiers were chasing after him. My heart thudded with fresh dread.
Even though I was tempted to rush to his aid, I resisted the impulse and did as Mikkel had wanted. I forced myself to climb down and slink away through the darkening shadows with Humphrey. Surely Mikkel would find a way to hide and outsmart the guards. If only I could convince my heart to believe my head.
By the time Humphrey and I reached the boat, the last rays of sunlight had faded, leaving darkness in its wake. I prayed the night would give the others an advantage, especially Mikkel as he ran for his life.
“We need to get out of sight.” Humphrey settled low in the hull and motioned at me to do the same.
