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WILL’S FEET ARE DRAGGING along the ground now. He hasn’t eaten for hours, slept properly for days. Only last night – was it only last night? – he was in the tower, imagining he was living through his last moments. Millard spared his life but then took Everleigh. If he sees him, Millard will kill him, he’s sure.
He might be a fool but he didn’t think he was foolish. It is getting too dark to see properly, his head feels as though it is splitting in half, his legs are almost too heavy to lift. He’ll head back to the castle and they could all search again tomorrow.
It takes him a second or two to figure out the direction he should be heading in, and then he trudges along. He follows the path past the river and though he’s slow he’s getting steadier.
“Hey!” Ceryn pulls Pitch to a stop next to him and jumps off. “Will. We’ve been worried sick about you. We’ve got Everleigh. She’s fine. She’s safe.”
Will’s knees buckle and Ceryn catches him, pulling him close, his head dropping onto her shoulder. He’s crying and she rubs his back. “It’s alright, it’s alright. She’s fine. Just fine.”
“How did you find her?”
“It was Brett who took her. He’s the one who hit you. But he was actually taking her to Archer.”
“What? Archer’s dead.”
“He’s not. It’s a long story, it’s late and dark. Come on, let’s go. Once we’re all together again we’ll fill you in. Can you jump up?”
Will shakes his head, all the energy and fight gone from him. Ceryn shoves him up onto Pitch; it’s like all the bones in his body have turned to liquid; he cannot stand. She jumps up behind him and jams him in front of her between her legs and Pitch’s head, not convinced that he won’t fall off. “Hold on.”
It only takes minutes to get to the castle, and Ceryn rides around to the stables, Will’s head slumped back on her shoulder. It’s the most uncomfortable ride she’s ever taken. But it’s done now.
Will slides onto the floor and she lifts him up, supporting him with her arm. “Come on, Will. Not far. Once you’ve seen Everleigh you can sleep for a week if you need to. Just buck up till we’re inside.”
Will stands as best he can, fatigue and pain from his head injury making him not far from useless.
He walks but Ceryn keeps hold of him, and they shuffle along.
“Night, Pitch.”
The courtyard is empty, the night air thick with rain. “Not far.”
Around the corner from the stables, just in sight of the castle door, Ceryn hears a rush of feet coming towards them. Always alert, she spins around and Wolf jumps towards her, fist up and catches her right on the cheek. She slams to the floor and he hits her again, turning her onto her front and pulling her arms behind her back before she can get her hands on a weapon. He’s come prepared and ties her wrists with rope, before kicking her. “That’s for what you and your friend did to me. Where’s the King?”
Ceryn laughs, but files away the information that Wolf isn’t the one who untied Millard. “Your King is missing. Injured and on the run. How’d you like that, huh?”
Will tries to punch him, but misses and Wolf easily subdues him with two punches – one to the face and one to the gut. He ties him up and drags them one at a time into the tower.
Just inside the door he sits them against the wall, wrists tied behind their backs.
“Just for the night,” he says, his voice thick with anger, tower door key in his hand. “Tomorrow I’ll kill you. And then I’ll bring the King back to his throne and present him with your heads.”
Ceryn spits on the floor. “Kill me tonight if you want. Why wait?”
Wolf grins and comes close to her. “I’d like you to suffer. Just a bit.”
“Coward.”
Fury on his face he comes closer again, right up in her face. She pulls her head to the side, and head butts him right in the middle of his ugly face. He howls and falls backwards. Awkwardly but quickly, using the wall for balance, she gets to her feet. She screams at Will to get up and miraculously he does. His lip is bleeding and the pain seems to have woken him up.
She stamps on Wolf’s hands and the key drops to the floor. She kicks it out of the door. “Get outside Will.”
He listens and she follows him. Wolf scrambles to his feet and she runs at him, knocking him off balance before he even straightens up. She runs out and shuts the tower door, screaming for help. “Help! Anyone. Help!” Her voice reaches a hysterical pitch as her and Will push back against the door with all their weight to stop Wolf getting out. Cook ducks her head out of the kitchen. “Quick!” Ceryn screams at her and she comes, running as quick as she can for an unfit old lady. “Get the key, lock the door.”
Wolf is pushing against the door and they’re struggling to keep it shut. “Quick.” Cook fumbles with the key but just manages to lock it. The howl of fury from inside makes all three of them shudder.
Ceryn drops to the floor as does Will, both groaning. “What just happened?” Cook looks ready to faint.
“Can you help us? We’re tied up.”
Slowly they both manage to stand and Cook unties them. “Who’s in there?”
“Wolf.”
“Millard’s man?”
Ceryn nods and Cook gives another visible shudder. “I can’t stand him. Well done! Come and get some cake. You deserve it.”
“Good idea. We’ll take some up to Everleigh and the others.”
“A midnight feast.”
They gather cakes, bread, meat and ale and Cook helps them to carry it all.
“What a day,” Will says as they walk and Ceryn laughs and clips him over the head.
“Hey!”
He pushes into her and she pushes back. They walk in exhausted silence to Everleigh’s room, Cook leading the way, muttering that the castle has gone to the dogs and she’s never seen anything like what’s been going on since the old King died and she’s far too old for all this nonsense.