The Water Queens (Keeper of the Water) (32 page)

My world begins to go black. Mary’s voice fades away, the sound of Janey’s cries fades away, my life fades away. As darkness takes over, I think about the
thud
of the guillotine blade, about how my daughter will never know her real parents. My eyes slowly roll into the back of my head but before my lids close, my brain somehow registers the sight of the flames nearly reaching Janey’s blanket…

“Baby…fire…”

I focus enough to see Mary’s head turn and her eyes go wide. She lets go of my throat and dives toward Janey. I try to breathe deep but my lungs fill mostly with smoke. I explode in a coughing fit that threatens to choke me as much as Mary’s hands. But I still force myself to crawl toward Janey, even though Mary has already picked her up and extinguished the tiny flame that sizzled the fringes of her blanket.

“I
want
to save your daughter, Mentor,” Mary says, kneeling on the floor while cradling my baby. “Queen Isabella would
kill
me if anything bad happened to her.”

The timing of her words couldn’t be worse. An ear-splitting crack fills the room and I see a massive bookcase on the wall behind her start to fall.

“Watch…”

I try to yell but it comes out as a sickened groan. The effort causes my lungs to burn more intensely. I rush forward but even at my physical peak, I wouldn’t have gotten them out of the way in time. Burning books fall around Mary as the case falls. It’s enough warning for her to hunch over and shield Janey from the crash. As if the massive falling case isn’t bad enough, a large section of stone wall behind it also crumbles and falls atop her.

“Janey!” I cry out.

The fallen debris is quickly set ablaze but the sound of Janey’s crying within the rubble is like music to my ears. The fallen bookcase seems to swell and Mary’s upper body bursts through the debris.

“Mentor, quickly!” she groans frantically.

Mary is in the position of doing a push-up, using her upper-body strength to lift the wooden case off her back and clear a tiny space to Janey underneath.

“Hurry, Mentor! Grab her! I can’t hold this much longer!”

I wonder if this is some sort of trap but I don’t have the luxury of worrying about self-preservation. I climb atop the debris, tripping my way to Mary. Janey lay safely in the crevice beneath my recruit’s body. I reach between Mary’s shaky arms and pick my baby up; her cries subside immediately.

“I’m sorry, Mentor, I never meant for this,” Mary groans.

Her face is strained from the effort of holding herself up. But her eyes are full of sincerity. Regardless of everything she’s done to betray me and her fellow recruits – whether she started off with good intentions or not – she became seduced by the promise of power. It was an egregious error of judgment that some – including Harriet – might find unforgivable. But Mary saved Janey’s life, put her own body between burning debris and my baby. For that, I can’t stay angry with her.

Janey has stopped crying and I look down at her with great concern. The smoke is thick and the fire blazing hot but she looks up at me with a great big grin that melts my heart. Not a single hair on her head is out of place, not a single drop of sweat on her brow. She’s obviously been given water recently to turn her so young but it seems to have had a more powerful effect on her than it ever did for Mary or me.

“Please forgive me, Mentor,” Mary moans as the debris’ fire comes closer to her.

“We’re getting you out of here, too,” I tell my recruit.

Her arms barely keep her up any longer, as she’s losing the battle with fiery rubble. I hold Janey close to me with one arm and try to drag the burning bookcase away with my free hand. The damn thing weighs a ton and I barely budge it, though these aren’t exactly ideal conditions for heavy lifting. I finally raise it high enough to see the bottom half of Mary’s body. From the waist down, she’s completely buried beneath collapsed stone, probably tons of it. I already struggled to lift the case this much but seeing her so firmly trapped saps the rest of my energy. I begin to lose my grip on the heavy piece of wood.

“Please, Mentor, you must go,” Mary says, struggling to stay pushed up as more weight begins to lower on her again.

“No, I’m not leaving you,” I say through gritted teeth.

Part of the ceiling suddenly collapses, crashing to the floor a few feet beside us. I don’t want to think what would’ve happened had Janey and I been standing there.

“The fire has caught up to me eventually. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the chance to avoid it so long. Now go!” she yells.

Another section of ceiling falls nearby and gets me moving. At least my life being in extreme jeopardy stops me from freezing with indecision. I rush from the room but not before I hear Mary’s voice call out one final thing.

“Mentor, please say that you’ll forgive me!”

When I reach the doorway, I turn and look back just as Mary’s arms lose the rest of their fight. The bookcase completely falls and her upper-body disappears beneath the burning rubble. I no longer see her but the fire has spread so quickly that her body must now be engulfed. But unlike the two screaming queens set ablaze in the courtyard grounds, I don’t hear a single sound of pain or fear from Mary.

“I forgive you!” I yell at the top of my lungs, though I don’t know if she can hear. “I forgive you!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

My screams cause Janey to coo in protest and when I look down, I see her little eyebrows turned downward. Looking at her gets me moving again and I rush down the hallway, not sure if
any
direction is safe. It seems as though I’ve exhausted my reserve of energy a dozen times so far but it’s like Janey shares her strength and keeps me going. It’s not long before she starts to giggle in my arms, as if running for our lives is a silly game Mommy made up to entertain her.

My body drips with sweat and the bow – as well as my quiver of used, bloody arrows – keeps trying to slide off my shoulder. I consider letting them fall to save me some weight but I know the fire may not be the only trouble I encounter trying to escape Generalife. When I reach a small hallway not as devastated by flames, I finally have the chance to stop and take a deep breath of air not totally laced with smoke.

I can’t stop from looking down at Janey, amazed that she looks like my perfectly happy, perfectly normal baby. Despite all the tragedy and devastation that’s happened, it’s not lost on me that I’m once again holding her as a baby, the perfect little infant I only thought I’d see again in pictures. I could stare at her all day but I won’t have that chance unless I get us out of here – and
quickly
.

I
know
I’m going to need to use both my hands at some point so I turn to a trick I haven’t thought about in years, not in Janey’s lifetime. It’s been more than two hundred years but a quick glance at the blanket she’s wrapped in lets me know it’s big enough. I wrap and fold and tuck the blanket around my body as I did so many years ago with Jean-Baptiste; in less than a minute, Janey is securely tied to a sling on my back. She doesn’t squirm or cry a single time and even puts her tiny hand on the back of my neck, as if telling me she’s ready to go.

I quickly find the rest of Generalife in a similar stage of inferno as the first few hallways. There’s no safe place inside; the only escape route is through one of the palace windows. I turn to one side of the hallway and look out at the scattering crowds rushing from the Generalife fire. I’m sure there are plenty of guards out there but I could probably jump out this window and blend in before being caught. I start to go that way – even kicking out a window in the direction of downtown Granada – when something in the back of my mind makes me stop.

Cassie won’t rest until she finds Janey and me. With most of the Queen Clan wiped out, she’ll never be weaker and less protected than at this moment. If I leave now, Cassie will be forced to replace her queens as soon as possible. While the queens killed during the explosion
had
followed Cassie’s every command, at least they’d been part of the
real
Amazons long enough to have some of Cleopatra’s ideals ingrained in them. Any new woman loaded up with special water would have zero knowledge about how things used to be done with the Amazons and water of life for countless centuries. I can’t imagine a group of women thrust into a position of such sudden power and strength – especially women selected by Cassie or Catherine the Great – would handle themselves as well as Amazonian recruits in the past.

I still don’t understand the link Cassie shares with my daughter but it’s clear Janey has power over the water that Cassie can’t match. Cassie is smart enough to know this, smart enough to
fear
this. That’s why I know my daughter’s life will never be safe unless I deal with my biggest enemy once and for all. Before I have the chance to freak myself out and run away to fight another day, I turn and leap through a window leading into the burning courtyard.

Though the jump is nearly twenty feet to the ground, I land without making a single noise. Though just an infant, I sense that Janey is aware enough about what’s happening so she doesn’t make a sound either. The fire burns brightest in the section of courtyard containing the guillotine but I’m careful not to look too closely in that direction. It’s bad enough spotting the huge contraption in my periphery but I’m afraid I may break down if I look over and see John’s headless body. Just the thought of it makes me…

I shake my head and focus on the orange glow of the courtyard, some sections brighter with flame than others. It’s hard to see specifics among the burning maze of brush but I sense movement out there; I’m not alone. The only good thing about it being so blazingly hot is that a normal person wouldn’t be able to survive these temperatures. At least I won’t have to contend with any male guards or rescue personnel just yet.

I still don’t have a plan about what I’m going to do but there’s only one logical spot to head toward: the fountain. Janey seems to be breathing normally but I still don’t like the idea of her being so near a fire. I’d feel much better if I could wet the blanket she’s wrapped in. It would also be nice to take a sip of the special water myself for a little extra energy.

Of course that’s all dependent on having a clear path to the fountain. Since the blue shines so bright but the rest of the courtyard is so dark, it’s tough to see if Catherine and Cassie are still huddled behind it. I had a much easier time tracking their movements when I looked down at the garden area from higher up. They couldn’t have gone far if the water still glows so luminously, though that might be a good thing – it’s about time I deal with them once and for all.

I don’t spot them as I approach but I’m certain they’re here somewhere. I’m careful to remain low and quiet but that plan goes awry when I stumble over a loose brick and cause it to skitter ahead of me. I curse under my breath and ready myself for an attack that doesn’t come, at least right away. But as I make my way the final few feet to the fountain, I sense someone approaching from the podium area where Cassie addressed the world earlier. I reach behind me but not for the bow. Instead I remove Janey and the blanket sling. She looks up at me and smiles contently but goes back to playing with the beaded necklace around her neck.

As I lower her toward the special water, it shines even brighter. As if tripping didn’t alert the others to my presence, the pulsing blue light may as well be a neon arrow pointing at our intrusion. I’m taking a big risk by submerging Janey but I hope my plan will work, I hope anyone out to get me won’t risk hurting the baby in an attack. Little do I know that I’m about to find out much sooner than expected.

“Don’t move another inch,” a cold voice says behind me.

I haven’t even dipped Janey’s feet yet when I stop. I don’t need to turn around to know a pair of twin short swords is inches from the back of my neck. Catherine could decapitate me with one fell swoop – and I’m sure nothing would please her more – but I’ve guessed correctly that the sight of Janey has stopped her. I just wish my baby wasn’t kicking so happily in the water.

“Please, Catherine, my daughter’s been burned in the fire,” I lie. “I’m just trying to help her.”

“I don’t care
what
you’re doing,” she snaps.

“Let her do it,” a second voice hisses nearby. “The child is
not
to be hurt under any circumstances. If Princess Cassie doesn’t survive, I’m holding
you
responsible as my head of security.”

It’s the first time I’ve ever been glad to hear Cassie intercede. Still, hearing her so concerned about Janey –
my
daughter – makes me nervous for an entirely different reason.

“It’s not my fault,” Catherine argues, growing louder and more agitated. “How could I expect Amelia to be crazy enough to – ”

“Lower your voice,” Cassie hisses at her second-in-command. “They might still be out there because
you
can’t complete one simple task.”

As the two bicker, I can’t help being reminded of the arguments Cassie used to have with her mother. With both queens preoccupied, I finally lower Janey’s body into the water. She giggles and splashes with her hands, exactly as she used to do when it was bath time. She doesn’t even cry or whine about this water being so frigid but considering her inexplicable connection with the water of life, I don’t know how it feels to
her
.

“That wasn’t my fault either,” Catherine hisses back. “She was always a lucky shot –
this
one taught them
all
to be lucky shots. I’m sure the two of them are long gone by now.”

“I hope so,” Cassie says. “But I wouldn’t be so sure.”

I pull Janey out of the water but also let something go into the bright blueness, hoping neither queen noticed. I wrap Janey tightly in the blanket and hold her close. I wish Cassie and Catherine would continue arguing long enough for me to make my next move but Cassie shushes the other woman.

“Is the child okay?” she asks.

“Yes,” I say. “At least now that she possesses the water again.”

“That is
unacceptable
; I said you could submerge her, not let her take hold of any of it,” she snaps at me. I finally turn around slowly to face my two biggest enemies. Though fire continues to rage around us, nothing burns more brightly than the fury in Cassie’s eyes. The two queens are covered with a sheen of sweat as heavy as mine. They’re also dotted with smudges of black soot; Queen Isabella certainly doesn’t look camera ready. “I don’t need that brat holding my water in her necklace again and becoming
more
powerful.”

“I
don’t care
what
you want,” I snap. “I have to do what I can to protect my daughter.”

“She’s not
your
daughter anymore,” Catherine growls, taking a few menacing steps toward me with her short swords raised.

“If you want what’s best for the princess, you’ll hand her over to me right now!” Cassie yells.

She tries to step around Catherine but the Russian won’t let her. With Janey secured tightly in the blanket, I reach back on my shoulder to grab the bow. Catherine attacks but I’m quick enough to whip my bow around and knock aside her first sword strike. Luckily, she never gets a chance to launch a second attack before Cassie subdues her from behind.

“
Not
with the blades,” Cassie yells at her. “You can’t risk the baby. Sacajawea can’t shoot with one hand.”

She’s right. I have no time to secure Janey onto my back and there’s no way I’m putting her down with the fire still spreading. Catherine crosses her swords and sheaths them before springing toward me. I knock aside her first attack with my bow but she’s too fast and deadly to let me hit her twice. The second time I swing the bow she sidesteps and grabs the bowstring, yanking on it so hard that my momentum nearly takes me off my feet. If we were fighting at equal strength in ideal conditions, I’m certain I could defeat her. But trying to fight one-handed makes me realize how drained I still feel. When Catherine knocks me down, I fall hard against my side, careful to make sure Janey doesn’t absorb any of the blow.

Catherine stands over me and reaches for her sword again. I try to crab-crawl back but she steps on my ankle to pin me in place.

“Hand over the baby!” Cassie demands, finally approaching now that the fight is over. “There’s no need for you to die.”

Janey begins to cry as Cassie gets closer. The moment I hand over my baby, I know Catherine will kill me. Death wouldn’t be so terrible if I knew my little girl wouldn’t be molded by a couple power-hungry psychopaths. Janey’s wails become louder and louder until she stops suddenly. In the unexpected silence, I hear the sound of footsteps rushing toward us. Unfortunately I’m not the only one.

Catherine whips out one of her short swords and launches it toward the movement. The sword slams into the person’s shoulder just as he leaps through some nearby fiery brush. I gasp loudly as I see John collapse to the ground in pain. I can’t believe my eyes and instinctively look toward the guillotine, the entire structure now ablaze. The blocks that had held his head in place are now split apart by an arrow. Someone made an incredible shot to free him, someone that must’ve been trained by the best. But as I turn back to see him writhing on the ground in pain – with Catherine standing above him, her second sword in hand – I wonder how long John’s reprieve will actually last.

Cassie slowly approaches him and I could swear she actually looks concerned. She grabs hold of the sword stuck in his shoulder and it looks like she’s about to pull it out, release him from the pain. I can’t help but wonder how many chances she’s going to give him…

“You should’ve escaped,” she tells him. “But no, you
had
to come back for
her
.”

“I came back for
both
of them,” he says through clenched teeth. “For my
family
.”

Cassie shoots me a look of utter contempt; I don’t think I’ve ever seen such hatred in her eyes. But I can’t even enjoy the moment. Instead of pulling the sword out of John, she twists it violently. His scream of agony makes Janey start to cry again.

“Kill him,” Cassie orders Catherine the Great. “I want
her
to watch him die.”

“No,” I say and try to stand up.

Catherine swings the sword at me, hitting me in the side of the head with the handle. Though my vision goes black momentarily, I remain conscious, remain clutching Janey tightly. My head spins and I feel weaker than ever but I still turn just in time to see Catherine standing over John, raising her sword… swinging it down…