“Don’t make a sound.”
Don’t make a sound. Kim opened her eyes. There really was a hand on her face!
A sudden chill sent shivers down her spine. Her whole body shook, her heart beating fast in her ears.
The room was dark and the large hand covered her mouth.
She froze, unable to move, or scream, or do anything. But then, she noticed a strange warmth coming from that touch.
“There are two of us, and we’re both armed.”
It was Seth. She recognized his voice. His touch on her face was surprisingly soft. As though he didn’t want to hurt her.
“Can you hear me? Nod, so I know.”
Her head felt heavy, but she managed to do it.
And then, suddenly, it was as though a surge of power came over her, and her body stilled. Her pulse became cool and strong again. All the heaviness and the fear were gone.
“Get up quietly.”
She could move now, easily. She sat in bed and then turned to the side, getting up and taking a step forward.
Seth slipped behind her. He put his hand on her waist.
Suddenly and without thinking, she caught it and swiftly twisted it, taking him off-balance.
He was quicker than her, countering her move. A sharp metal object was at her throat.
“Nice try.”
Still, she had surprised herself with that maneuver. She’d never done anything like it before. It had always seemed impossible when she saw the knights perform it in unarmed training. Her move was faster than theirs and different in style.
“If you cooperate, you’ll have nothing to worry about. We honestly don’t want to hurt you.”
He meant it; there was sincerity in his voice. If that was indeed the case, why was he there?
“What do you want? Why are you doing this, Seth?”
There was a moment of silence. She couldn’t see the other person with him, but she could easily guess that it was Niall and that a non-verbal message had passed between the two men. She had made them aware that she knew their identity.
“We need to get back to our court and we have to take you with us. It’s all you need to know. We’ll keep you safe. For now, we need you to lead us to the stables.”
“Or…I can just scream for my guards right now.”
“Scream, and your father dies.” It was Niall’s voice. He pulled out a small golden object that shined in the dark. “You know what this is?”
It looked like a compact mirror. But when Niall opened the lid, instead of her reflection, she saw her father’s room, with the king asleep in his bed.
She heard herself gasp.
A Magic Stinger. They were rare, created before the Curse, but word was out that Fergus Mór had one. Through the mirror-shaped object, Niall controlled a poison dart. He must have flown it into the king’s room through the window. One word and it would kill her father.
“Now,” Niall said, closing the lid. “Is there another door out of this room? Or do we take you out the window?”
He was overdoing it. There was no need for further threats.
Seth’s kinder approach was far more intimidating. He meant every word, so it was clear that any danger coming from him was real. Not more and not less than he said.
She considered her position. It reminded her of a story her father had once told her of Fergus Mór, that spoke of a similar situation. His course of action then was to cooperate in order to save his people from a battle. She would be saving her father.
“I’ll lead you out then,” she said. “I know we all stand a better chance of getting out of this without a scratch that way.”
She put her hand on Seth’s and pulled it away from her neck slowly. He understood. Complied. Trusted her words.
She turned to him. “But, in return, I expect no harm from either of you.”
“You have my word,” Seth replied.
He said my, not our.
“There is a closet behind Niall.” She deliberately said his name. “I’ve got a warm coat there. That’s also where you’d find the way out.”
There were noises, as Niall went to check the closet and inspect the coat. He must have tried to look for any sharp objects she could use. “Clear,” he said. “I’ll lead the way.”
Seth took the coat and handed it to her. Then, he helped her find her footing in the dark and they descended a small spiral staircase that started behind her wardrobe.
They walked slowly and silently, reaching the bottom floor and then heading toward the stables. Once there, Niall surveyed the hall. He found the night guard asleep and hit him on the head from behind.
Kim’s heart missed a beat.
There was no need for him to do that. She could have easily talked her way through.
He picked up their saddles and walked to the horses. Seth motioned her to join him as he prepared his own horse.
When they were ready, Niall pulled out a sword and walked to the door.
“Stop!” she heard herself say.
Niall turned.
“My father’s men obey me. I can get you out of the castle without violence. But only if you do your part, and not hurt anyone else.”
He sniffed. “What exactly do you propose?” His tone was condescending. Still trying to assert power, though there was no need.
She knew that she had caught him by surprise. She, too, wondered at the authority in her own voice. Her whole behavior was strange to her. Instead of freezing in fear and closing down, she was cool minded, choosing what she said. Knowing that every word and the tone in which she uttered them mattered. She had to be strong. She was defending her father. She’d never thought that that could give her so much confidence.
She turned to Seth. “There is a hidden passage that goes under the wall and moat, large enough for a horse. There are usually only two guards, one at each end, but they have ways of alerting others. The tunnel ends in the woods, near a large waterfall.”
“I find it difficult to tell if she’s speaking the truth,” said Niall. Her fists clenched in anger.
“She is.” Seth’s voice was calm. Confident. “Let’s go.”
Why was he so much easier to speak with than Niall? Far less brutal. What was his role, compared to Niall’s?
He was clearly no squire. They behaved like equals, and sometimes he even took the lead. She’d have to figure this out soon, and use it. Once again, she was surprised at her own thoughts.
She led them to the passage, stopping by the first guard, and he saluted her immediately.
“Your Highness.”
“These men are Fergus Mór’s knights.”
“I’m aware.”
“My father ordered a Code Silver tonight. There’s been a threat on my life. Two of my maids will follow in a few minutes, to chaperone.”
“I have to check this with—”
“No time. Trust me. My father would praise you for letting us through quickly. Every moment matters.”
He hesitated, observing them. “Where’s your horse?”
“Waiting on the other side,” said Seth. “Her safe escape has already been arranged.”
The guard looked at him with recognition. With trust. “If you say so, sir. Just be sure to keep her safe.”
How did they know each other? Was this planned? It couldn’t have been. Seth must have been to her father’s court before. Prior to her own arrival.
“You shouldn’t have told him that your maids are following,” Niall said once they’d put a distance between themselves and the guard.
“He wouldn’t have believed it otherwise,” she said coldly. “Besides, pretty soon someone will figure out that I’m gone.”
They had a similar conversation with the guard on the other end. Again, she noticed that he recognized Seth.
Niall got on his horse. Seth was preparing his to help her mount.
“I’m not going any farther. Not until you tell me what’s going on!” she said.
“Oh, really?” said Niall, pulling out the Stinger. “You’ll come, willingly or not. You’re lucky you don’t have any broken bones yet.”
Clearly, his knightly conduct didn’t extend beyond the halls of court. Seth seemed the opposite.
“Your dart will be discovered by morning, and then what will you do? I’m the crown princess-in-waiting. And not only that. My father has every knight in the area working for him. You can force me on that horse, but there’ll be people catching up with you. The birds will be out with the message faster than you can ride.”
He laughed. “We should have knocked you unconscious.”
She kept her wits. “But you need me alive. Clearly. And you couldn’t guarantee that I would survive if you got into a fight. Not if it was against even half of the knights who are my father’s guests tonight. So tell me, why do you need me?”
Seth looked at her. His face in the moonlight showed he was deeply impressed. “There’s been a conspiracy around your marriage,” he said, without hesitation. Niall seemed shocked. “We’re not sure about the details, and the only way for us to save the king is to take you with us.”
What? A conspiracy against Fergus Mór? How was her marriage related? “Does this involve Prince Domangart?”
Seth winced when she uttered the prince’s name.
“And you need me to prevent it? Without me, this conspiracy can’t happen?” Did she have leverage?
“It still can. But your absence will send a message, an alert that the plan had been discovered. And having you with us will deter knights from attacking, who might fear for your safety.”
There was something else, something he wasn’t saying.
He walked to her, cautiously. “I don’t want to do this by force. You’ve been fair, but I need to take you with me. I’m sorry, Kim.”
His calmness and his warm voice were terrifying because in that moment she knew that Seth was far more dangerous than he seemed. He was kind because he could afford to be. It was suddenly evident to her that Seth never needed her compliance in the first place. She had no leverage.
And yet, something about him made her feel complete trust. It was in his behavior toward her.
More Forbidden Road here