Moonstone, Magic That Binds (Book 1) (43 page)

Mander nodded. “The last I knew, the king and queen were confined to the king’s apartments.”

“We need to get the king and queen out of the way first and that means…” Lotto pointed to a back stairway. “This storage room.”

The five of them, with Kenyr now joining them, followed the path of Lotto’s finger. “We will have to break through and fight our way to the king’s chambers, but it’s not too far. Lady Anne can escort them back through the tunnel to safety and the rangers and Kenyr’s students will protect the king and queen when they emerge to find a safe place.”

Restella stated the obvious. “And if we can get that far, we need to take care of General Piroff.”

Her statement brought nods from the others. She would like to be the one to kill him. Usurpers never deserved to live.

“Fessano’s disappearance is soon to be noticed,” Anne said. “So perhaps we go now?”

Mander raised his finger. “Right after one of my spies drops by.”

“With all of your minders looking on?” Kenyr said.

“You know I don’t like to cook? A castle maid, whose family lives nearby, brings me a basket of food every other day. She’s due in a few minutes.

The wait became interminable for Restella, but seventeen eternal minutes later, a knock came to Mander’s door. He let the maid in. The other four crowded into a closet while Mander spoke to the woman.

His front door closed and they all tumbled out. Restella looked at Anne pinching her nose and pointing at Kenyr’s back. She had to nod.

“The king and queen are still in their apartments, but General Piroff has taken up quarters in the Blue wing.”

The Blue wing was on the other side of the castle, where visiting nobles stayed. She knew just what suite the General would occupy, but would he be there when they took care of her parents? It didn’t matter. They had to act quickly before someone missed Fessano.

In a few minutes, they all ate a hasty meal from the basket and emerged from the shack, following Mander along back alleys and short streets all the way to the exit of the proper passage.

It didn’t take Lotto long to take down the brick wall, since it was only two courses thick. They stepped into darkness, finding the storage room filled with old furniture. The space had been used some time in the past, but years worth of dust told them that the stores were forgotten. Kenyr passed the single torch to Anna as he slapped oil on the hinges and poked his head out of the door. “Not a soul,” he said, creeping out onto the landing.

Restella, rubbed her finger over the false Moonstone, but nothing happened. She looked at Lotto’s back and felt the bond directly. Kenyr had done a marvelous job with her sword and she knew no one without power would know the difference.

Mander pushed her from behind. ‘You’re our leader, Captain-General.”

She looked at Lotto, but he peered back up the stairs for any sign of trouble. She stepped past them as they climbed the bare stone steps.

Two guards stood by the back entrance to the apartments.

“More will guard the primary entrance.” She slipped up to them and ran the first one through while Lotto quickly overpowered the other.

Mander searched them for a key, but they didn’t possess one. Lotto went to the door and worked the hinge and latch area. Restella knew, first hand, how he had saved her, since he used the very same technique.

Lotto staggered back and motioned for Kenyr to push the door in. “That drained me more than I thought, thick wood.”

Kenyr grabbed the door before it crashed to the floor and let it down gently as Restella ran past him into the apartments. Before Lotto collected himself, the king and queen stood at fallen door. King Goleto had armed himself and stood straight.

“I’m proud of a daughter who knows how to rescue her foolish father,” King Goleto said, hiding his arms out for Restella.  His embrace felt so good to her.

“I’m at least as foolish as you,” Mander said, bowing his head.

Restella hugged them both again. Her behavior surprised her parents. “You must flee. Go down two flights on the back stairs. There’s an old storage room. Lady Anna waits there to let you out of the castle.

“I’ll show them,” Lotto said. ‘Quickly.”

In a few minutes Lotto returned. “I froze the hinges. I can get through, but anyone else will think the old door rusted shut.” He grinned. Restella gave him a quick kiss.

“Now on to the Blue wing.” She led them along back ways through the palace that astounded even Mander.

“I never knew these passages existed.”

“They are for servants and the royal family when they don’t want to be seen in public.” Restella said, holding Lotto’s hand as they walked. He smiled and Restella hit him in the arm. “I know why you’re smiling.” She had been thinking about running through the halls in her nightgown and forgot about how strong their bond had become when they touched.

“Around this corner the corridors intersect. We’ll have to walk past the throne room to get to the Blue wing.” She shook off Lotto and unsheathed her sword, holding the scabbard in one hand and the sword in the other.

Just as they passed an open door, a shout rang out from a dining table and men rushed out and quickly surrounded Lotto’s group. With over twenty halberds pointed at them, they lowered their swords. General Piroff walked towards them accompanied by a guard from the direction of his quarters.

“What have we here? Where is the king?” Piroff said.

“Long gone,” Lotto said. “Out of the castle.”

Piroff turned red. “Impossible!” he ordered half of the men to search for the king.

Restella shrugged, battling to look complacent, “You won’t find him.” At least her family could escape whatever plans Piroff had for them. She didn’t discount the resourcefulness of her father once out of his confinement.  Without Lotto, however, the students and rangers wouldn’t be able to rescue them.

“Take their swords, except hers.” Piroff personally took Restella’s sword, running his thumb over the Moonstone and put it back into its sheath. “Follow me,” he said, walking down the large staircase. “You won’t be staying in such nice surroundings.” He nodded towards Lotto. “Kill him if he raises his arms or opens his mouth. He’s a powerful wizard and Fessano knows his wizards.”

“You’re all traitors,” Restella said, walking erect, “especially General Piroff. You’ll be executed when my father returns to power.” She saw some of the men’s eyes begin to look nervous.

“Gag her and Mistad,” Piroff said.  

One of the guards, who didn’t look nervous at all, took out a pocket square and tied it around her mouth. He took another and tied up her hands and then did the same to Lotto. Mander and Kenyr looked on impassively and continued to walk on.

They stopped at the large door leading down a stairway to the dungeons. “Mander, I don’t know how you escaped, but I halfway expected to find you roaming around the castle as some point. Fessano is at your wife’s house and will kill her at my command.” Piroff gloated while he nodded at one of the guards and whispered loudly in his ear. “I think we’ll get that out of the way now.”

“She’s innocent!” Mander said, as he struggled with his bonds. “Anna’s done nothing to hurt you.” Restella admired Mander for his performance at being shocked, knowing that his wife had escaped along with the king and queen.

Piroff merely laughed. “She married you and that’s enough for a death sentence. Fessano promised me he could do it.”

Mander tried to get to Piroff, but the guards restrained him. Restella shivered to know that Fessano had been so thoroughly enthralled by the emperor’s promises. Even now she couldn’t conceive of Fessano harming anyone, but Anna, as it turned out, acted in self-defense, more than Restella knew at the time.

After walking down a number of steps, they came to her father’s dungeons. There were few prisoners kept in the dungeons anymore. The straw was always kept fresh and most of the cells contained discarded pieces of furniture for the prisoners to use. Valetan had become a peaceful kingdom under her father, but Restella feared the dungeons would fill up again one way or another.

All four of them were put in the same small cell. The guards removed the chairs and table, put irons on their hands and feet and left. They threw Lotto towards the opposite end of the cell.  The only illumination was the flickering light of a lamp sconce on the far wall of the corridor shining through the small barred opening in the door.

Kenyr rose up and tried to pull off his shackles only making his wrists bleed. He pounded on the walls and then sagged to the floor. Mander just looked at them impassively.

“Mander is that you?” They all heard General Reallo’s voice from a few cells down.

“Ah, you’re not dead. That’s a pleasant enough surprise. Indeed, it is I, Mander Hart, General. Look! I brought along a few of my friends.”

“I’m not thrilled that I’ve got company,” the general said and then went silent.

Restella tried her own bonds, but couldn’t budge them. Lotto sat in his dark corner. She couldn’t see his features, but his emotions seemed resigned. She couldn’t share the feeling as she burst into tears. She didn’t care if they saw her cry. They couldn’t save the kingdom from the dungeon. With Lotto gagged and bound, he couldn’t use any magic and Kenyr had already tried to struggle with his bonds and failed to free himself.

How could they have been so hasty, but what else could they have done? At least Piroff now thought he had possession of the Moonstone.  She couldn’t lose faith.  She just couldn’t.

Kenyr finally laughed. “They have no idea.”

“I don’t expect they do,” Mander said with a grin on his face.

Restella struggled to her feet, getting very angry. “What are you two laughing about?” she mumbled through her gag.

“How many people reside in Beckondale?”

“Forty or fifty thousand,” she said.

“Of those,” Mander said, “how many are Piroff’s men and how many still hold allegiance to the king?”

“Oh,” Restella knew her father could raise the people against Piroff long enough for Gully to arrive with his soldiers, putting the castle under siege.

“I don’t think Mander or I couldn’t make them fight, but the king could and I think he will. Allowing us to spirit the king away will prove to be Piroff’s undoing.”

“But they’ll put us to death before he gets the chance.”

“Aye, there is that,” Kenyr said, turning serious. “But I’ll die happy, if I’m with Lotto.”

The gag at Lotto’s mouth turned to shreds and he shook it off, spitting out threads.  A globe of flame appeared in the center of the cell, making it bright. “Thank you, Kenyr, but I don’t think we’re done yet.” Restella could hardly hear his voice, but she could feel his confidence grow. “Piroff obviously doesn’t realize that I don’t need to trace or utter spells or move my hands. Those are aids to concentration. I can do simple spells with my mind.” Restella’s gag disintegrated and her bonds began to move on their own and within seconds all of their shackles were piled in the center of the cell beneath the unwavering flame.

The others stood up, but Lotto remained sitting in his corner. None of them knew how drained he felt—but Restella did. He fought off fainting and put his head back against the wall. “What took the most strength was working out how to move the locks in the shackles. We can walk out of here at any time, but we need a new plan,” he said. “Something that will give us a bit more time than the last one.” He thought of his father’s weapons, now sitting somewhere, perhaps newly worn by one of the guards. He curled his fist and let anger build up his energy. Restella sat beside him and put her hand on his arm.

She nearly pulled it off. “You’re angry.”

“You’ve probably never felt me feel this way before.”

“When you saved me from the duke?”

“Despair, isn’t a very good motivator, Restella.” He patted her hand. “Anger clouds the mind, however strong it makes you. Resolve. Resolve is what you need… what we need to motivate us. I will end Piroff’s life tonight, but we should wait.”

“I agree,” Mander said. He rubbed his wrists and gazed at nothing. “We rest until the middle of the night and then we attack. I’d rather not have the people storm the castle. Too many will get hurt. Let’s cut off the head of this serpent.”

“We can’t do that from here,” Lotto said, closing his eyes. “The Emperor of Dakkor is the head. The Ropponi call him the Dark Lord. I think the term is quite fitting. We can only save Valetan from the venom of one of his minions. I found that a sorcerer named Peleor has been at work, turning the minds of the heads of state and Piroff, of course. Perhaps Silver and Fessano fell under his spell.”

~~~

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

~

L
OTTO DREAMED OF
R
ESTELLA
and quite enjoyed whatever it was that they did together when Kenyr kicked his foot.  He charmed another light and saw Restella with a faint smile on her lips, still sleeping.

“It’s time.” Mander said. “Let us out.”

Lotto tried to move the lock on the cell door, but nothing happened. He tried to heat it up, yet nothing worked “It’s charmed or resistant to magic.” Lotto had never seen such a thing. It must be some kind of ward. Bessethian wizards didn’t use them very much, so this must be Peleor’s work. He examined the ward and realized it was structured differently from any other enchantment he had ever seen.  It repelled power. He thought he could replicate it, but at another time.

“We’re stuck.” Restella said. Lotto felt the fear in her voice.

“I don’t need locks, remember?” He worked his crumbling magic on mortar and they removed the door from its frame. The hinges and lock remained intact.

“They thought that would be enough to keep us here. Must be Fessano’s doing,” Mander said.

But Lotto remained silent about the non-spell on the lock. It definitely wasn’t Fessano’s work. He continued to puzzle it out until the others called to him. He freed General Reallo as well.

Up they went. The few guards they found awake were quickly subdued and they stood in the dimness at the door to Piroff’s apartments, all of them held weapons, again. Kenyr’s damaged wrists were now wrapped with linen from a guard’s shirt.