“And you are to come with me,” the woman ordered Tejus.
“Absolutely not! On what grounds?” Tejus spat out.
“You are to come and speak with the minis—” replied the woman, before she was cut off by Tejus.
“I wasn’t speaking to you,” he replied rudely. “I was speaking to him.” He glared at the male servant. “Where is she to go?”
“She has been requested to join new, shared quarters in another part of the castle,” replied the servant, not sounding remotely servile.
“Absolutely not. She is not safe without me, she cannot go,” Tejus replied adamantly. “I will not allow it.”
“I’m afraid you have no say in the matter,” replied the servant.
“On whose orders?” Tejus demanded.
I was startled by his anger and the aggressive tone he was taking with both of them. I could also sense fear in him—it wasn’t obvious, and I couldn’t see any trace of it on his face, but now we had mind-melded I seemed to be getting much better at reading his moods. But I just couldn’t understand why it was there. It was highly unlikely that Jenus was waiting for me. He wouldn’t be so stupid to take me right under Tejus’s nose.
“I am not at liberty to say,” smirked the servant, “but it is a command, and I must take her.”
Three armed guards now appeared in the hallway behind the servants. It looked like Tejus no longer held the same degree of control he’d had in the past. The thought slightly unnerved me.
“You are to come with me,” repeated the female servant, “willingly or by force.”
“Ludicrous! This is my own damn home!”
“I’m afraid it is an order,” she replied, po-faced.
Tejus sighed heavily and leaned against the doorway.
“Tejus, it’s all right. I’m okay to go.” I tried to re-start our mental connection, to let him know that I was really okay—I assumed that I would be seeing Ruby, Benedict and Julian and that no harm would come to me.
The connection failed. There was something blocking me—and I suspected it might have been Tejus himself.
I walked toward the servant who was to take me, and I felt Tejus eyeing me warily with every step I took. I turned and gave him a tight smile. He merely nodded in return, totally stone-faced.
What has gotten into him? I wondered.
Everyone was silent as I followed the guard down the hallway. I looked back once, briefly. Tejus was being escorted from his room by the guards and the female servant. Though he was dressed in finery and had the countenance of a royal, the image depicted was of a common prisoner being seized for jail.
I turned my attention back to the servant walking next to me. To my great surprise, since none of the servants had previously so much as glanced at me, this servant gave me a broad smile and a pat on the shoulder. I blinked up at him, stunned.
Things were starting to get weird.
Ruby
After the mayhem of the trial had died down, Ash and I were escorted back to the castle by armed guards. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was for our own protection, or because the powers that be in Nevertide still wanted us kept under a close watch. I presumed that it was probably a bit of both.
Ash and I were silent during the walk back. Many sentries, mostly staff from the castle, waved and cheered us when we passed through the forest, or stopped to congratulate us both, shaking our hands and giving us heartfelt claps on the back (which each time almost sent me flying).
When we eventually reached the castle, Ash moved away from the guards. Out of habit he was trying to enter through the side door, the servants’ entrance.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the guard asked, though not unpleasantly.
Ash looked baffled for a moment before recovering himself and turning back to follow our escorts through the main gates.
“This is weird,” he murmured, so that only I could hear.
“I know,” I replied. “It’s strange for me—I can’t imagine how it must be for you.”
“I just never thought…” His voice trailed off and he shrugged.
I knew what he meant. He’d never thought a kitchen worker would rise to the position of Hellswan champion—it was the stuff that fairytales were made of, and I could only marvel at his outwardly calm acceptance of his newfound title.
Ash might not have been the one who’d stopped the disk’s damage, but during the trial, as I had looked around at how the other sentries were behaving—aggressively siphoning off small children, and unable to endure the pain, while Ash stood firm and only took from me what I was willing to give—well, I thought that made him a true champion, and the only one in the arena, including Tejus, who was worthy of the title.
“You’ve been given new quarters while the trial continues.” One of the guards spoke as we entered the great hallway at the entrance of the castle.
The place was deserted. The torches that lit the hall were blazing, but no other soul could be seen—it was a stark contrast to what we’d seen at the arena and the noises of music and celebration we’d heard from the township that lay behind the castle. Clearly the Hellswan family were in mourning for their misfortune in the trials.
“Down here.” The other guard gestured.
We turned off from the main hallway to another corridor—not as grand, but well-lit and a far cry from the miniscule pathways that created the maze of the servants’ quarters.
At the far end there was a great wooden door, and on either side stood two more guards, their hair in danger of being caught in the flame of giant torches that cast flickering shadows over their faces and the wall behind them.
“These are now your quarters, along with the other two humans we found in your room.” The guard turned to Ash with a stern expression. “Not long ago that action would have cost you your life. You’re fortunate that the ministers are willing to turn a blind eye.”
Ash nodded, while I looked wide-eyed up at him.
That was a close call.
At least Benedict and Julian were safe—I had thought about them when we first entered the arena. With all those other children being used as human batteries, I had been so grateful to Ash that Benedict and Julian weren’t among them.
The guards swept open the doors for us, but didn’t cross the threshold.
“You won!” Benedict cried as soon as he saw us, and ran across the room, flinging himself into my arms. “I can’t believe you really won!”
“Thanks,” Ash replied, deadpan. “Glad you kept your lack of confidence in us quiet earlier.”
Benedict looked sheepish, but then beamed up at him. “You know, you’re all right for a sentry, Ash.”
Ash rolled his eyes and then went over to speak to a few of the other sentries, the ones we’d seen in the kitchen before we’d left, who were waiting for him in the corner of the living room.
I turned to Benedict, hugging him again before Julian emerged from one of the rooms, looking far healthier and happier than when I’d seen him last.
“You’ve got to see this place, it’s amazing. Almost like the Hellswan brothers’ rooms, and we’ve got so much space!” Julian said. “I’m so glad you guys did it. We were so worried. We heard about it all from the kitchen staff. Sounded terrifying.”
After all Ash and I had been through today, I was so utterly relieved to be back at the castle that I didn’t think I would have minded had we been taken back to Ash’s small room—though I couldn’t help but share Julian’s enthusiasm as I looked around.
The living room was vast, with one side of the wall taken up by large windows that looked out across the castle grounds, similar to the Hellswan living quarters, just not as high up. There were a number of sofas and chairs scattered around the main room, all upholstered in a blue velvet, and a large rattan rug which covered the gray stone floor. The walls were bare—no weapons or art hung in here, but it made a nice change not to have depictions of the Hellswan vultures peering at us from every available surface, or inde
ed their skulls.
“We have so many rooms.” Julian opened the door to the room he’d just come out of. “This one had two beds, so Benedict and I thought we’d take it.”
It was a simple room, with an easy chair and a chest of drawers as the only furniture. The boys had obviously already tested out the beds, judging by the unkempt look of them.
“They got us clothes as well.” Benedict opened up one of the drawers of the chest, and inside were an assortment of black silks and wools. “Just like the warriors!” Benedict cried out, unfolding one of the shirts to show me.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the boys dressed as sentry warriors. I didn’t say anything out loud—I didn’t want to dampen their moods when both were the happiest I’d seen them in a while—but something just didn’t strike me as quite right about it.
You’re overreacting, I scolded myself, and smiled brightly at Benedict instead.
“You’ve got a room as well—it’s got girls’ clothes in it,” Benedict continued. “It’s next to ours. Come on, I’ll show you.”
We went back in to the living room, and Ash caught my eye, grinning and raising his eyebrows. His look seemed to say, Can you believe this?
I nodded and smiled back. The truth was I couldn’t believe it. Our sudden rise in status within the castle had happened so fast that it felt shaky and unsustainable. I vowed to keep my thoughts to myself, and followed the boys into ‘my’ bedroom.
Where the boys’ room had been windowless, mine had a lovely view of the forest and extra coverlets and blankets piled onto the bed. I also had a reading lamp, a wardrobe and a small chaise lounge.
It was certainly impressive.
“Look!” Benedict flung open the wardrobe to reveal countless dresses and what looked like woolen wraps. “Like I said—girls’ clothes.”
I touched the fabric of a bright blue dress. It was the same silk that the warriors’ clothes were made out of, and I finally felt genuinely enthusiastic. To be warm, clean and have new clothes would be a small slice of heaven about now.
“Do we have a bathroom?” I asked the boys.
“We have three,” replied Julian solemnly, “all with baths.”
I could have wept with gratitude. While living in Ash’s servant quarters had been fine, if a little cramped, sneaking out to use the toilet and never being able to get properly clean because we could never spend too long in the very basic amenities had been a pain.
“Then that is exactly what I’m going to do right now.” I took some clean clothes from the wardrobe and asked the boys to show me the way.
When we entered the living room again, three guards were standing in the doorway.
“Ashbik Goode, you need to follow us,” declared one of the guards.
“Why?” I asked before Ash could answer.
“It’s routine—there’s nothing to worry about,” another replied. “It’s a request from the ministers.”
“It’s fine, Ruby.” Ash held out his hand to stop me protesting further, then said to the guards, “I’ll come. Will you still keep men on the door?”
“We will,” the guard replied.
Ash nodded and turned back to me. “I’ll be back soon, don’t worry. The kitchen is going to bring you up some food, then try to get some rest.”
“Okay,” I replied faintly, still not pleased that he was being escorted under guard.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. Ash is nobody’s fool, he’ll be all right.” The voice emerged from the group of well-wishers, and as I looked over, a young girl stepped forward and smiled hesitantly at me.
The rest of the group started to dissipate, presumably going back to the kitchens to prepare food for us. They waved at the boys cheerily as they left—they didn’t seem too concerned by Ash’s situation either. Maybe I was overreacting again.
“Hi, I’m Ruby.” I went to shake her hand, but as soon as I approached her, she wrapped me in a huge bear hug. It took me completely by surprise—and I thought it shocked her as well, because when she finally let go of me she was blushing and staring at the floor.
“Sorry, ma’am. I’m just so grateful that you helped Ash. He’s been like a brother to me over the years. We work in the kitchen together, and I was so frightened that something awful would happen to him today. But thanks to you, he survived.”
“Well… thanks. But he was pretty amazing,” I stammered.
“Wouldn’t have happened without you,” she insisted, “and we’ve all got a lot to thank you for. Ash is one of the best—a really good man.”
I nodded in agreement, though I found myself slightly uncomfortable at the way the conversation was going.
She looked at me closely, studying my response to her statement. Eventually she beamed at me. “If there’s anything you need, anything at all, just let me know.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
“Things will be changing around here,” she said, “that’s for sure. They’re bringing down the other human—the girl, the one who was at the arena with Tejus. She’ll be staying here with you.”
Hazel. I wanted to jump for joy, thrilled that she’d be out of the clutches of the Hellswan brothers and back with us. Clearly this girl was a good person to know—she obviously had eyes and ears around the castle.
“Do you know where the other human captives are, where they’re being kept?” I asked. “They seemed to vanish after the trial today, and none of the guards knew.”
The girl looked downcast. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but they’re most likely still with their lords, and not to be released anytime soon.” She sighed and my heart constricted. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “The problem is,” she continued, “the borders are all shut down—not just around Hellswan Kingdom, but the whole of Nevertide. It’s been that way ever since the emperor was poisoned.”
I wondered if she knew it was Ash—he must have had an accomplice, as he didn’t ever seem to serve food directly, and this girl would be the most likely helper if she considered Ash to be like a brother. Her expression gave nothing away, though, and so I dismissed the thought.
“We tried to get out of Nevertide the day Ash found us. I think that’s the day they went up.”
The girl nodded. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t leave us. I’ll ask around, see what can be done. See if there are any human sympathizers within the ministry.”
She looked doubtful though, and I didn’t blame her. I thought the chances would be slim.
“What’s your name?” I asked, feeling embarrassed that I hadn’t thought to ask earlier.
“Jenney,” she replied. “It’s been nice to finally meet you. Ash told me lots about you—you and the boys,” she added hastily. “Anyway, I better get back to the kitchen. Anything you like to eat?”
“Um, no, anything’s great.” I smiled at her and she practically skipped from the room back to the servants’ quarters.
“Who was that?” Benedict asked.
“Jenney. She’s a friend of Ash’s.”
He nodded. “She seems nice—for a sentry.”
I agreed, but privately thought that we had been judging the sentries by the worst of them—the ministers and the Hellswans. Maybe, in some ways, we had been just as prejudiced toward them as they had to us—though of course, I hastened to remind myself, they weren’t in danger of us siphoning off all their mental energy.
“Hazel!” Benedict shouted, and tore across the room.
Hazel stood in the doorway, clean and looking a hell of a lot better than when I’d last seen her.
Thank God for that.
I started crying when Benedict flung himself into his sister’s arms. I couldn’t help it. They clung to one another tightly, and Hazel’s body shuddered with relieved sobs. It was the first time I had ever really noticed how similar their hair color was, and how their thin arms looked identical, so you couldn’t quite make out where Benedict ended and Hazel began.
“I’m so sorry,” Hazel whispered brokenly into her brother’s hair
. “I didn’t protect you, and I wasn’t there.”
“I love you, sis,” Benedict replied, sighing against her.
She let him go eventually, and then it was mine and Julian’s turn. We all shed a few tears, and once our emotions simmered down to a blissful relief, we sat down on the sofas in the living room and lit a fire in the fireplace.
I couldn’t stop staring at Hazel—I still couldn’t quite believe she was safe and sound and with us. I think she was the same, studying each of us in turn, and shooting me a worried expression as she observed Julian’s weight loss and general pallor. I wanted to reassure her that it had improved drastically since we’d started living with Ash, but I would have to wait for a private moment so I didn’t embarrass him—or worry Benedict, who I hoped hadn’t noticed.
We all had stories to tell, and I regaled Hazel with the story of Ash rescuing us from Jenus’s prison and the weird elastic barriers that surrounded Nevertide. I left out the part about Ash poisoning the emperor—I was aware of the guards at the door, and though we kept our voices low, I didn’t want anyone overhearing anything about that. It would be another thing that I’d tell her in private… or maybe, if he recovered soon, I wouldn’t need to tell a soul.
“Where’s Ash now?” Hazel asked, looking around the room.
“He got taken by some guards. I think they’re taking him to the emperor, but I don’t know for certain.”
“Tejus too,” Hazel replied glumly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to him—I’m worried that the ministers think he might have something to do with the words disappearing, even though I know he didn’t.”
Hazel continued to tell us the story about what she’d seen in the forest before the trials, and I stared at her dumbstruck. Forget Ash or Tejus being champions—it had been Hazel all along!
We chatted into the late hours. At some point the kitchen staff brought in delicious food, but I didn’t see Jenney again. We ate ourselves silly and felt lighter than we had since arriving in the dark kingdom.
“Do you know how long we’re here for?” Hazel asked after a while.