The Cypher Wheel (12 page)

“Good point, my friend,” Faen said. “Let us make
haste across this opening and ride within the shelter of those
trees until we get to the castle.” Faen looked at the girls to see
if they were on board with the idea. Both Faedra and Jocelyn
nodded. “Are we ready, then?” Faen asked.

“Ready as I'll ever be,” Faedra replied.

Faen squeezed his horse's flanks. Within a few
strides, the horse was galloping across the field. The other three
followed close behind. Faedra tried hard to keep her adrenaline
from pumping too hard as her horse thundered over the grass. It was
not easy. Riding this fast had always gotten her blood pumping,
long before she had any powers to worry about controlling.

It didn't take them long before they hit the tree
line on the other side. So far so good. No spies or nasty creatures
in sight. They would have to keep their wits about them, though;
the castle was looming ever closer. There were bound to be some
unsavory creatures lurking around as they got closer to their
quarry.

They walked the horses just inside the tree line
until they were parallel with the castle wall. After they'd
dismounted their horses and tied them to the trees, they looked up
at the battlements of the castle. Two guards were patrolling back
and forth across that section of wall. They watched them for a
moment to see what their routine was. When the guards met in the
middle, did an about face and started walking away from each other,
the four cohorts ran over to the wall and lay their bodies flat up
against the cold stone slabs. They looked up to see if they had
been spotted. When no alarm was raised, they were sure they hadn't
been seen from above. They inched their way along the wall until
they got to the corner.

Etyran wrapped the shadows around him and poked his
head around the corner. Good. There were no guards on the outside
of the entrance. He didn't think there would be, but it was always
safe to check. He pulled himself back and
unwrapped
himself.

“No guards outside. If Carina is correct, there
should be two on the inside of the gates and two on each of the
battlements.” He looked at Jocelyn. “Are you ready to make your
acting debut?”

Jocelyn blushed. Faedra couldn't see it in the
darkness, but her senses picked it up as brightly as if she could
see her cheeks burning.

Jocelyn squared her shoulders. “I am ready,” she
stated.

“Good girl,” Etyran said, giving her a warm smile.
Then he turned to the Custodian. “Faedra, ready?”

Faen took Faedra's hands in his. “Promise me you will
be careful.”

“I promise.”

“I will be right behind you. Remember to keep calm,”
Faen said.

Faedra swallowed hard and gave a barely discernible
nod. She turned to Etyran and took a deep steadying breath as
Etyran opened up his long trench coat. Faedra stepped forward until
she was nestled up against him. He wrapped the coat around her and
she felt the familiar ripple that told her they were now
invisible.

“Alright, everyone. Let us go and rescue Todmus's
family, shall we?” Faen said.

All four made their way quietly towards the gates.
The heavy wooden doors towered above them as they stood in front of
the entrance to Arawn's castle. A smaller door was cut into the
larger gates. It had a heavy iron knocker just below a peep hole
caged with tiny bars.

“Wish me luck,” Jocelyn whispered as she raised her
hand.

“Good luck,” Faedra and Etyran whispered back from
right behind her. Faen took to the air and hovered just out of what
would be the guard's line of sight when the door was opened.

Jocelyn's hand hesitated for a second, then she
grabbed the knocker and rapped it on the door.

The peep hole opened. A gruff voice echoed into the
darkness. “Who goes there?”

“My name is Jocelyn.”

The guard narrowed his eyes when they fell on the
young fairy. He gave her a scrutinizing look for a few seconds.
“Now, what is a pretty young thing like yourself doing out on your
own this late at night?”

“Excuse me, Sir. But I seem to have lost my way. I
wondered if I could seek shelter here for the night until I can get
my bearings again in the daylight tomorrow.”

The guard looked her up and down. “Wait there,” he
ordered, slamming the peep hole closed.

Jocelyn looked up at her brother and held her palms
up in silent question. Faen gave a sharp shake of his head, telling
her not to look up at him in case the guard looked out again and
saw her.

Another moment passed, and Jocelyn was about to give
up and turn to talk to Faedra and Etyran when she heard the heavy
iron bolts of the door clank. Then the door creaked open, and the
guard who had spoken to her before, stepped outside. He looked
around, checking to see if she was indeed on her own. Faedra held
her breath, fighting with all her might against the power that was
threatening to push forward with every pounding heartbeat and give
them all away.

The guard did one more cursory look around before
stepping aside. “Very well, young lady. You may seek shelter here
this night.”

Jocelyn stepped forward to make her way through the
door, when the guard instantly closed in behind her shutting off
Faedra and Etyran's ability to slip past him into the castle.
Jocelyn turned and put her hands on the guard's chest. He was so
shocked he took a couple of steps back in surprise.

“Thank you so much, kind sir. I was starting to get
frightened out here all by myself,” Jocelyn fawned as she took
another step forward, pushing the guard back another step, allowing
her friends to scoot in behind her.

“Th-that's quite alright, Missy. You will be quite
safe in the castle,” the guard blustered.

Sensing that Faedra and Etyran were through the door,
Jocelyn stepped away from the guard and stepped through the
entrance behind them.

Once inside, the guard closed the door behind him and
slid the bolts home. Another guard stood to one side of the door
and gave Jocelyn a considering glance.

“Bert, I'm just going to escort our guest up to see
the master.”

The other guard nodded without saying a word.

While Jocelyn was engaging the first guard in a
conversation, Faedra put her hand outside Etyran's coat.

The second guard's eyes opened wide when he saw the
disembodied hand floating towards his chest. He looked down and
opened his mouth to say something, but a second later, he sunk to
the floor, his swords clattering on the stone slab.

The guard swung around to see his friend lying in a
crumpled heap. He pushed Jocelyn aside and kneeled down beside the
unconscious guard. He took Bert by the shoulder and gave him a
shake.

“Bert?” he whispered.

A second later, that guard slumped forward, on top of
the other.

Etyran
unwrapped
the light around him, and
Faedra slipped from his arms. She moved to the door and unlocked
the bolts. Faen slid in through the door and bolted it behind
him.

“Nice work, Jocelyn,” Faedra whispered, brimming with
pride for her young friend. “That was quick thinking. I was sure he
was going to lock us out and you'd be stuck in here by
yourself.”

Jocelyn blushed again. “It was rather exciting,” she
admitted.

“Yes. Well done, Sister,” Faen praised.

Faen and Etyran each grabbed a guard under the arms
and dragged them into the shadows of the archway they were standing
in.

Faedra and Jocelyn stood back against the wall where
the shadows would hide them until Etyran gave them the all clear.
He went invisible again and looked around. They had to cross a
courtyard to get to the entrance to the keep. The courtyard was lit
by torches. Four guards patrolled above them on the battlements. It
was going to be tricky getting them all across the courtyard
without being seen, but Etyran had an idea.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The only way they could be sure of getting across the
courtyard undetected, was for Etyran to take them across one by
one. It would take a lot longer than they planned, but getting
caught and thrown in the dungeon next to the very people they were
trying to rescue, was not on their ‘to-do’ list. Etyran was very
happy about this change in plans because it meant he got to wrap
his arms around Jocelyn once again.

He took Faedra across the courtyard first. When they
got to the other side, Etyran moved them to the shadow of a pillar
next to the heavy doors before
unwrapping
them both. Faedra
did a quick scan of the immediate area to see if she could sense
anyone's energy getting too close. She looked up at the
battlements. The only energy she could sense was the boredom
floating off the guards trudging back and forth between the
turrets.

It was Jocelyn's turn next. She gave Etyran an
uncertain glance before she nestled against his chest.

“Don't worry,” he whispered into the top of her head,
allowing him to brush his lips over her hair. “I won't let anything
happen to you.”

“I know,” Jocelyn said, looking up at him. She let
her gaze linger for a moment before putting her arms around him and
leaning her head against his chest again.

Etyran closed his eyes and sighed.

Faedra wondered what was taking so long for Etyran to
bring Jocelyn over. Even though she couldn't see him, she stood in
the shadows waving her arm for him to get a move on, all the same.
Little did she know that Etyran would have stood in the middle of
that courtyard holding Jocelyn for hours, given the chance.

Etyran noticed Faedra's frantic waving and thought
better of it. He rolled his eyes and picked up his pace. Once he
had the two of them across the courtyard, he released Jocelyn to
stand in the shadows with Faedra. Faedra gave her a big hug.

“It feels weird when he does his invisible thing,
doesn't it?” Faedra said after Etyran had turned and was walking
back to get Faen.

“It really does,” Jocelyn agreed, excited at what she
had just done. Then she lowered her eyes and looked at Faedra
through her lashes. “I liked being snuggled up against him,
though.”

Faedra smiled.

Back across the courtyard, Faen was giving his friend
a dubious look. He couldn't be sure if his glamor could be seen
through by people in this realm. He had to assume it could because
Carina and the others had been able to see him. It wasn't worth the
risk of a guard seeing him and raising the alarm half way across
the courtyard. Until he knew for sure, he would have to hitch a
ride wrapped around Etyran.

“Not sure if I like the thought of getting this close
to you,” Faen said, trying to sound all manly.

“Necessary evil, mate,” Etyran quipped with a smirk
curling his lips. He held his coat open.

Faen moved in and put his arms around Etyran, looking
to the sky as he did.

“Ooh, come on, squeeze me a bit tighter than that,”
Etyran joked when Faen had wrapped his arms around the
Lightbender.

Faen let go and stepped back abruptly, dusting off
his clothing as though trying to flick off something nasty.

Etyran stifled a chuckle and closed his lips tight in
an effort to stop the cheesy grin that was threatening to split his
face in two.

“Mate, I was only joking. Come on, give me a hug, I
promise not to kiss you.” Etyran held his coat open for his best
friend again. “The girls are waiting. On that side of the
courtyard. All alone.” He emphasized the last word to hopefully
spur Faen into action.

It worked.

Faen looked across the courtyard into the shadows. He
couldn't see the girls, but he knew they were there.

“Oh, come on, then,” he said, sounding as disgruntled
as possible. “Let's get on with it, but if you ever breathe a word
of this to anyone...”

Faen put his arms around Etyran who let out a soft
mewl, ever the antagonist.

“If you do not stop that, I will ask Faedra to zap
you,” Faen hissed.

“Sorry, couldn't help myself.”

A few minutes later Etyran was depositing Faen on the
steps across the courtyard. All four looked up and gave the guards
a cursory glance to make sure they hadn't noticed anything untoward
going on in the courtyard.

There was a collective sigh of relief as they watched
the guards still trudging back and forth along the battlements,
oblivious to what was going on below them.

Faen cracked one of the doors to the keep open and
poked his head inside.

“Coast is clear,” he said, extracting his head from
the opening. One by one they slid into the keep and closed the door
quietly behind them.

On the other side, a stone clad atrium opened up in
front of them. Blazing torches lined the walls highlighting
tapestries that hung between them. Two sets of stairs scaled the
walls and curved around the interior of the immense room until they
met in the middle at the top. Underneath the middle of the
staircases was an archway. A long torch-lined corridor could be
seen leading away from the atrium.

Faedra's heart was pounding. That corridor would take
them to the staircase that would lead down into the belly of the
castle to the dungeons. What would they find down there? Would
Allora and Skylar be okay? She didn't know how she would handle it
if they were hurt.

She turned and put her hands on one of the cold stone
slabs in the wall.

“What are you doing?” Faen whispered.

“I think the castle needs some central heating.”

Faen drew his eyebrows together at her odd
remark.

“Well, I can't see any water about and my heart is
about to pound out of my chest,” Faedra explained.

Faen nodded. Now he understood. A moment later, the
atrium was several degrees warmer, which actually made the place
much more inviting. After Faedra had her emotions and power back
under control, she set her energy sensors to work.