King of Darkness and The White Flame

Chapter 16

Cloaked in darkness, we sneak into the city undetected. The walls are built from large white stones, stacked on top of one another. The gate's usual security guard has just gone for a bathroom break which gives us the perfect opportunity to sneak in. Thanks to Dayna's late husband's wardrobe, we were able to change our attire to long dark coats, with collars that hide our faces. I notice that we stand out slightly from the locals, but not by much. The clouds above are once again dark grey, lightning lights up the sky in bright white. The city is built on what seems to have been a flattened hill. It is still above the plain and yet not steep. The trees of the forest lay at the entrance of the city, and the deeper we go into the city, the lower the trees become. The sky lights up again. People start to run into their homes. Children pack up their toys and head inside. The four of us remain. The castle is right at the end of a long, curvy road. There are trees surrounding the city walls and the back of the castle, seems to have no wall at all, which I find odd. 

Before we get to the end of the road, Hunter turns left into a narrow street. We follow suit until we come to a small, square stone house. It's surrounded by a wired fence and the yard is scattered with toys and dried mud. Hunter knocks twice on the door. It cracks open an inch and then wider. A face of an old man appears. His face is wrinkled, his eyes a piercing blue. His age has made him shorter and hunched over. slowly he steps out of the way. Hunter hugs him and then enters, he turns to us and ushers us in. 

"Grandpa, these are my friends. Jo, Jessie and Bear." I didn't know that this was Hunters' family. His grandfather only grunts and sits down on a rocking chair in front of a lit fireplace. We hear clanging and banging in the next room and Hunter's face lights up. He goes into the room and immediately there's an uproar of laughter and cheer. 

"Gammy." we hear him say. She just laughs. When I come around the corner, I see her holding him tightly, tears in her eyes. 

"It's so good to see you, Hunter," she says softly. 

"It's great to see you too Gammy. These are my friends. We've come to ask if we could stay awhile. There's someone we came to fetch. She will be joining us soon." 

"Of course. It's nice to meet you boys," Hunters grandmother says. She is just as short as her husband, with a hunched back. Her eyes, however, sparkle and are much livelier. She gestures for us to sit at the round wooden table in the middle of her kitchen. She puts a pot on a coal stove. "I'll make you all a warm cup of tea before you get your girl." she smiles at Hunter. My jealousy peaks and I have to remember that this is Hunters' family. If I attack him there won't be a place for us to come back to after we rescue Lilith. I have to maintain my composure.

We drink our tea as quickly as possible and Jessie runs through the plan again. No sooner than we arrive we're back out in the cold. The wind bites at my cheeks and my lips feel chapped. There's no time to dwell on these things, however. My only thoughts are on Lilith. 

My instruction is to wait at the window of the servants quarters for Jessie to return with Lilith. If they have not returned within 15 minutes, I was supposed to go looking for them. I protested this. But Jessie explained that we don't know in what condition we might find her in and that quite possibly I might break down when I see her and lose focus. He was right of course, I'd never admit that to him. 

Hunters position was upon entry of the castle grounds and Bear was going to go into the castle with Jessie, as backup, in case things go wrong. The tension grips me as I stand helpless at the window, I keep glancing up as if the sky would give me some indication of whether 15 minutes have passed or not. I count in my head. 10 minutes have passed and I peer into the window to see if I can spot any movement. Shadows of the trees and bushes I'm hiding behind dance along the walls inside the room. The only light comes from the lightning outside and the candle burning in the hallway. I see a shadow in the form of a human being, to my relief, it's Jessie. Not far behind, is Bear. In his arms, lie a lifeless Lilith. My heart twists and I want to scream. I'm filled with confusion, rage and heartache. Jessie pushes the window open, I'm too stunned to help. 

"Jo, snap out of it," Jessie says. He's right, I need to focus. Ask questions later. Once Jessie is on my side, Bear puts Lilith through the window. Jessie grabs her head and I grab her feet, gently we pull her through. Shouting in the castle alerts us that they have noticed she's gone. "She's escaped!" one voice too nearby sounds. 

Bear clambers through the window and breaks the table beneath him as he does so. The loud c***k sends marching footsteps in our direction. Once Bear is through, he takes Lilith from us and runs. Jessie and I behind him and Hunter ushering us behind a thick brush of yew bushes. Soldiers run past the bush with no indication of us hiding in there. 

Once the coast is clear, we emerge from the bush and run toward Hunter's grandparent's house. Without knocking, we storm inside. Hunters grandfather looks shocked. "We do not want her in this house!" he says. To all of our confusion. "You need to leave." Hunter's grandmother says. The four of us glance in her direction, fear evident on her face.