The Gathering (85 page)

"Doesn't matter…"

Blaylock spit out blood and coughed up more as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
 
He laughed.

“I thought you should know…your old man…he cried like a baby when I fucked your other daughter… Colleen, right?
 
He and your son…begging for mercy for her, but she got it all!!
 
Hell, they all got it, didn’t they?”

He laughed and shook, sputtering and coughing up blood.
 
From the corner of her eye Alia could see Rona, watching from a distance.
 
Alia frowned, cocked her head and without a word she lifted her sword, looked at it and then looked at Blaylock.
 
Time seemed to stop as Alia stared into those icy blue eyes.
 
Thomas Blaylock smiled, blood dripping from his lips.
 
When suddenly, Alia flipped her sword and drove it through the top of Blaylock’s skull.
 

Those icy blue eyes stared in disbelief as he tried to speak, but nothing but blood and spittle fell from his mouth.
 
The life went slowly out of him as Alia turned and looked at Rona.
 
She started after her, but Rona ran to the stairs and Alia watched.
 
There was time to take care of Rona later.
 
Her soldiers needed her.
 
She ran towards the battle raging out side.
 

130

Coeli continued to search quietly through the dark tunnels of the dungeon, looking for the girls.
 
The damp stone and eerie light of the torches only emphasized her aloneness.
 

She could hear the battle raging above her.
 
The wet stone was hard and cold against her fingertips as she felt her way, and she cried.
 
She couldn't believe what she had heard about Alisha and Chris.

"Chelsea?
 
Hannah?
 
Can you hear me?"

Her soft voice bounced against the rock as she moved towards the soft glow in the distance and began to slow.
 
What if there were more guards?
 
She called out again, but softly.

"Hannah?
 
Chels?"

"Here!
 
We're in here!"

Coeli looked around the corner and saw that the hall was empty, then she ran towards their voices and grabbed the metal bars of the wooden door, then felt their fingers against hers.

"Oh, thank the gods!"

"What's happening, Coeli?
 
What's going on?"

Coeli explained as she looked for the right key.
 
As she spoke, she realized that she was having trouble finding the right key.
 
What if it wasn't on this ring, then what would she do?

"Hurry, Coeli, please!"

Coeli was so desperate to find the key that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until she saw the hand on the key ring. She yelped and jumped back.
 
From out of the darkness stepped Albion Merganser.

"I won't hurt you."

Then he looked down at the ring of keys and pulled up the smallest.

"This one."

He slipped it into the lock and it popped open.
 
Coeli laid her hand on his and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.
 
He shook his head.

"I didn't know they would hurt you like that.
 
Or your mom or Tanner or Sam…or anyone…I didn’t know.
 
I'm so sorry…it's all my fault."

He lowered his eyes and stared to cry.

"I heard Rona…is my dad dead?
 
Did they kill my dad?"

"I don't know, Albion."

"I just wanted to see my mother again.
 
But she's not my mom anymore…I don't know who she is."

"I know, Albie.
 
But we have to get out of here.
 
Do you know the fastest way?"

Albion nodded and pointed.
 
Coeli took his hand.

"C'mon, show us the way."

Albion Merganser smiled slightly and took a deep breath.
 
He nodded and moved forward as the girls followed.
 
The light of the tunnel was dim at best, but Albion seemed to know exactly where was he going.
 
Chelsea took Coeli's other hand.

"Coeli?
 
Tanner and Sam…are they…?"

Coeli looked at her friend.

"They were alive when I came to find you.”

Chelsea nodded and squeezed Coeli's hand tighter.
 
Hannah looked at Coeli.

"Did you say that my dad was here?
 
And he's fighting?"

Coeli nodded as they moved hastily through the tunnels and into a brightly lit room.
 
Albion ushered them in quickly.

"This is my room."

"How are we going to get out of here?"

Hannah was looking at the walls.
 
There were no windows and the room was buried deep underground.
 
Albion smiled and walked to the closet.
 
There was a heavy wooden door.
 
Albion opened it.
 
Inside was a closet like any other with clothes and discarded items, but against the wall was an old drapery.
 
Albion moved it aside and behind the curtain were stairs leading upwards.

"They lead to a door that opens out the side of the castle.
 
I don't know why it's there or if they even knew it was there, but they put me in here and I found it.
 
Maybe they thought I was too stupid to find it."

Coeli smiled.

"Shame on them."

They all allowed themselves a moment of happiness and laughed.
 
Albion handed Coeli a large shirt from his closet.

"It should be big enough to cover you up.
 
I have some shoes, but I think they might be too big."

Coeli smiled and took the shirt, noticing that Albion's face was turning a bright crimson.

"Thank you."

Then they heard it.
 
A loud slam as someone had thrown the heavy dungeon door of the girl's cell closed.

"All right, Ladies.
 
If you come out and take your medicine, I won't make it hurt…too bad."

Coeli shuddered then locked the door to the room and threw on the shirt that Albion had given her.

"It's Brollen!
 
Everyone hurry!
 
Get upstairs!!
 
Run!"

Albion took Hannah's hand and Chelsea followed.
 
Coeli took care to close the heavy closet door behind her and made sure the drape hung carefully over the opening of the stairway before she followed her friends up the stone staircase.

Brollen was smashing doors and lights as he marched fiercely down the tunnels.
 
His large hand clutched his dagger tightly as he searched for the missing girls.
 
He threw open doors, throwing furniture and glass.
 
As he neared the end of the tunnel, he saw Albion’s room.
 
He laid his hand on the doorknob and pressed.
 
Locked.
 
He rapped lightly on the door.

"Hey, Albie…open up.
 
I just want to see what you're playing with, Kid.
 
C'mon…it's your pal, Gary…open up."

The silence from the room amplified the commotion coming from the great hall.
 
Brollen sighed and knocked again.

"C'mon, Kid…I'm starting to get irritated.
 
Let me in."

Nothing.
 
Brollen's face turned into a snarl.

"Open the fucking door, Al!!
 
No?
 
Ok, then I break it down and then I break your face!!"

Brollen pounded against the door.
 
The massive wooden portal shook against his fists.

The foursome had managed to climb to the top of the stairs and had reached the door that led to the outside.
 
Breathing heavily, Albion pushed against the door, but it remained closed.
 
He looked around and then pushed again.
 
It remained immovable.

"Albie?"

"I don't know what's going on.
 
It's never been locked before."

He pushed against it and tried to force it open.
 
Chelsea took hold of the latch and also began to pull and push against the weight of the wood and steel, her eyes wide and frantic.

Suddenly Coeli remembered the keys tied to her dress.
 
She reached down and untied the ring.
 
She reached over and touched Albion's shoulder.

"What about these?
 
Do you think it's on here?"

Albion smiled and grabbed the key ring.
 
Fumbling, he grabbed the keys from the ring and placed them in the lock, each time hoping that it would turn.
 

As he continued to try the keys, a great crash carried up the stone steps.
 
Hannah looked at Coeli.

"Oh my God!
 
He broke through the door!!"

Albion glanced up and grabbed each key faster.
 
He felt Hannah's hands against his shoulder, her thin fingers digging in and shaking him, pleading with him to go faster.
 
The metal keys were slippery with sweat and he fumbled.
 
He prayed silently to God for help.

Then they heard him.
 
He had found the stairs.

"Hey, Little Kiddies… did you find a way out?
 
Oh, wait… is the way out locked?"

He roared with laughter and dragged his dagger along the stone walls.
 
The high-pitched scratching squeal of metal against stone echoed through the tunnel.
 
Hannah covered her ears to try and block out the sound.
 
Coeli took Albion's face in her hands and looked him in the eye.

"I believe in you, Albie…I believe in you.
 
Close your eyes and see the key…you can do it."

"No, I can't…"

"Yes, you can…you have to…close your eyes."

Albion shook his head, but closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
 
He saw nothing but Brollen's face and that scar, then he saw his mother.
 
She was holding the key ring.
 
She walked to the door and pulled out the key.
 
He saw it.
 
He opened his eyes and looked at the key ring.
 
There it was, the one with the red stone.
 
He grabbed it and pushed it into the lock and turned.
 
The locked clicked.
 
They pushed the door open and ran, the cool autumn air against their faces.
 
The door led out into a patch of cleared earth near the trees of the forest.