Page 58 of Sword of Rage
“Get dressed. If you have pants, put them on. I’ll be waiting right outside the door.”
“I’d prefer if you stayed in here with me.”
With the dream of Harley fresh in his mind, he had to take a slow breath, grounding himself in reality. Her request meant she was afraid to be alone—nothing more.
In the shadows, he could just make out her body sliding out of bed. Curling his fingers, making two fists, he turned his back. With his dream still fresh in his mind, the feel of her bare skin against his hands was almost tangible. He needed to clear his head. If he wanted to make it out of this alive, he had to be sharp.
While she changed, he considered where he’d set the traps: near the front and back entrances, near two of the larger windows, and a handful around the perimeter of the house. Since none had gone off, he didn’t think anyone was inside yet. However, he couldn’t be certain.
“Okay,” Harley whispered, coming to stand alongside him. “What do you want to do?” She slid her bag over her shoulders.
The fact that she’d been packed and had clothes readily accessible spoke volumes.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered.
Instead of answering, he leaned in close to her right ear. “I don’t know for certain if anything is amiss.” Her hair smelled of lavender.
“I agree with you, something feels wrong.”
He hesitated a moment before righting himself. Their eyes locked. Originally, he’d intended to interrogate whoever was out there. However, with Harley standing before him, her eyes scared and trusting, he knew his focus had to change. Getting her safely off the property was now his primary objective. Then, once she was in a secure location, he could come back.
Since Harley had pants on, traveling would be much easier. He withdrew one of his daggers. Reaching out, he found her hand and placed the dagger on her palm, closing her trembling fingers around the hilt.
“We’re going to try and sneak out of here without anyone seeing us.”
Her hand gently rested on his chest, freezing him in place. “There’s a servants’ passageway that no one knows about. We could use that. It’ll take us out to Lyle’s workshop.”
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Ackley could almost feel a presence around him. “Does the passageway go between the walls?”
Harley nodded.
There were people in the servants’ passageway right this very minute—he was certain of it. Without uttering a single word, he curled his fingers around Harley’s wrist, leading her from the guest room. They had to get out of there. Quickly. Most likely they were outnumbered, and there were probably more men outside waiting for them. How could he have let this happen?
They needed a distraction. “You’re not particularly attached to this house, are you?” he asked, releasing her wrist.
“I hate it.”
That was all the answer he needed. He’d ponder her response later, when he had more time, because he was fairly certain Harley’s relationship with Lyle had been one of abuse instead of love or respect.
Ackley ran back to the master bedchamber, Harley right behind him. When he got there, he grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around his hand and arm. Then he reached into the dying fire, gingerly picking up a log. He pulled it out and tossed it on the bed. The flames fluttered, almost dying out. He was about to get another log when a small flame licked out, sliding over the blankets. The fabric erupted in bright flames. Rushing over to the vanity, Ackley snatched the chair and smashed it against the armoire. Picking up a handful of the pieces, he went back to the bed, sticking the ends of the splintered wood into the flames. He waited for them to catch. Once they did, he hurried from the room, Harley following at a safe distance. Thick, black smoke filled the air. As he sprinted down the hallway, he tossed the lit pieces into the rooms, aiming for curtains and beds. When he reached the top of the staircase, he waved Harley past him, then flung the last piece down the hallway.
The sounds of men yelling and pounding came from within the walls. Without looking back, Ackley took the stairs two at a time.
Since the roads were probably being watched, their options were limited. “Do your neighbors have horses?”
“The neighbors to the east have several roaming in their pen.”
“Get us to the eastern most window.”
Instead of questioning him, she took off running. Ackley followed close behind. Footsteps pounded on the floor above them. They didn’t have much time.
“In here.” Harley shoved a door open, and they entered the dining room.
Ackley rushed over to the window, looking outside. Not seeing anyone on the property, he grabbed one of the dining table chairs and smashed it against the window, shattering the glass. Then he yanked the curtain down, putting it along the opening so Harley wouldn’t cut herself.
Going feet first, Harley climbed out of the window. She remained next to the house while Ackley jumped out. He scanned the area again, still not seeing anyone.
“Let’s go.” They sprinted across the field, heading straight for the neighbor’s property about a quarter of a mile away.
