Page 51 of Sword of Desire
Ackley sat there, pretending to stare at the fire, while watching the castle and tracking various shift changes. Once he knew where servants entered and exited and how often soldiers went on and off duty, he excused himself and headed over to Galvin’s tent. He climbed inside and stretched out on the bedroll, falling fast asleep for the night.
When he woke up, the sun had not yet risen. He exited the tent and froze. Most soldiers were up. Instead of meandering about as they’d been doing while off duty, they walked fast and with purpose. He watched them, trying to see what they were up to. After a few minutes, it became clear. To the north, weapons were being gathered. To the south, food was being collected. Ackley knew enough about armies to understand that these men were preparing to go somewhere. If they were going to attack Owen, Ackley needed to stop them. On the flip side, with the army gone, it would be the perfect time for Owen to take back the castle.
* * *
Ackley spent the day confirming what he’d learned the previous evening. Satisfied he knew when the shifts changed, he waited for darkness to blanket the land before making his way around to the east side of the castle, being sure to remain in the shadows so the sentries on duty wouldn’t see him. The guards only looked to the east every three minutes which was more than enough time for Ackley to move from one hiding place to the next. When he finally reached the castle, he snuck up to one of the windows and peered inside. Not seeing anyone in the dark room, he withdrew his dagger, shoving it between the lock and glass. The lock released, and he gently pushed the window open.
He climbed inside, closed the window, and surveyed the room. An empty table with several chairs situated around it took up most of the space. This had to be a room for meetings. Not seeing papers or anything worth investigating, he made his way over to the door, listening. No sounds could be heard, so he opened it a crack, peering into the empty hallway.
He needed to head toward the center of the castle, which should be to the left. After exiting the room, he slowly moved in that direction, peering into the rooms as he passed. When he came across an office that looked promising, he entered, snooping around for anything useful. So far, he hadn’t found much.
At an intersection, he saw a light coming from one of the rooms to the left, so he headed that way. Getting closer, he heard mumbled voices, one of them female. If it was Harley, he’d have to find a way to sneak her out of the castle. Unless he discovered she was working with Lyle. Ackley slid against the wall next to the doorway, listening. Shock rolled through him—one of the voices seemed familiar, but it wasn’t Harley’s. It dawned on him that it belonged to Lady Mayle—Harley’s mother. He had absolutely no idea why she’d be at the castle. Unless Harley wanted her here. Shaking his head, he strained to listen to the conversation.
“I told you I had it under control,” a male voice whispered. “You didn’t need to get involved.”
“Not get involved?” Lady Mayle responded, harsh and unbelieving. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think? Have you ever stopped to consider that if you had shared this information with me sooner, we could have averted this mess?”
“It was unavoidable.”
There was the soft swish of fabric rustling. “Regardless, here we are. What are we going to do?” she asked.
“I’m not sure there’s anything we can do.” The man sighed. “Despite what you want, you do not, nor have you ever had, the upper hand.”
“Everything I’ve done has been for my daughter,” Lady Mayle snapped. “Don’t ever doubt that.”
Another shuffling noise sounded, closer to the door this time. “I’m not doubting that,” the man said. “I am simply pointing out that you are playing the losing hand in a game you think you have a chance of winning. It’s time you realize that.”
Afraid the man would find him standing there, Ackley hurried to the adjacent room and slid inside, hiding behind the door. Out in the hallway, footsteps passed by. Ackley considered confronting Lady Mayle about why she was at the royal castle and what she knew about Lyle’s plans. However, he decided to keep his presence a secret for now.
Instead, Ackley exited the room and followed the man, curious to learn who he was and where he was going. The man had dark gray hair and walked slightly hunched forward. He made his way along hallway after hallway, moving at a snail’s pace. Based upon the way he walked, Ackley guessed he was in his late sixties. Since he remained a safe distance away, Ackley couldn’t see the man’s face and didn’t know if there were any distinguishing characteristics about it. He wore dark pants and a tunic, finer than a commoner but not so fine as to be a member of the royal family.
The man stopped before an oversized door, pulled out a key and unlocked it.
When he opened the door, someone said, “Back already?”
“I told you I wouldn’t be long.”
“Most people aren’t as eager as you are to be in the dungeon.”
The door started to close. “I’m not most people.” Athunkresounded as the door slammed shut, and the lock slid into place.
Ackley moved away from the dungeon door, glad he knew where it was located, but not thrilled he couldn’t identify the man—especially since he seemed to know Harley and her mother.
* * *
Moving the curtain aside, Ackley found a door without a handle. He’d seen doors like this before and knew he had to find a release button. In the dim lighting, it was hard to see any wear marks. However, after a moment, he noticed a stone that seemed a little off. He pushed it, and the door opened.
Ackley stepped into a hidden passageway that appeared to be between the walls of the castle. When the door closed, darkness engulfed him. He’d caught a glimpse of a torch hanging on the wall, so he reached that way, his fingers fumbling over the stones until they found it. Grabbing the torch, he felt around until he located the lighter. Once it was lit, he glanced in both directions. There was a narrow set of stairs to the right, so he headed that way, counting his steps as he went.
On the second level of the castle, Ackley passed a handful of doors. Wanting to exit near the west end of the castle, he snuffed out the torch and used the last door. He found himself standing in a long hallway with over a dozen doors on both sides.
Peeking into the rooms, he discovered most were empty guest suites. He chose one that would likely have a good view of the soldiers outside and entered, sliding under the bed where no one would be able to see him. Lying there, he closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.
When morning came, he crawled out from under the bed and peered out the window, observing the soldiers below. As he’d noticed the day before, weapons had been gathered in one area, food in another. He expected to see the tents being taken down and was surprised to find them all intact. Scanning the land, he took note of the terrain and planned various escape routes. When he finished, he exited the room.
The best place to hear gossip was usually in the kitchen. Not knowing the inner workings of the castle would make what he was about to do more difficult. However, he always appreciated a challenge. Ackley made his way back to the secret passageways. Not bothering with the torch, he counted his steps, easily retracing his way to the first level. After adjusting the uniform he wore, he stepped out of the passageways and walked with purpose, pretending he was supposed to be there.
Ackley located the kitchen and entered, finding over two dozen people rushing around. Some chopped vegetables, others kneaded bread, and a few tended to the ovens. After grabbing a loaf of bread and a handful of carrots, he headed for the door.
