Lazarus and Michael ran in the direction of the screams. They found Aria half way up the stairs to the third floor staring at the top landing. She pointed, “There is a naked man in the hallway, I think he’s dead. There is blood everywhere.”
Lazarus ran past her. “Michael, take Aria back to her room and get back here quickly.” He ran to the man who was face down on the floor. When he rolled the man over, he was shocked. “Erik.” Lazarus checked his pulse. It was faint, but it was there. “Michael, get up here,” he yelled, “open the room below the southwest turret.” Michael ran to unlock the door while Lazarus carefully picked up Erik and carried him into the room and put him on the bed. “Find Roana and Mrs. Stewart, get them up here fast.” They heard the screams and came running.
“Who is it?” Roana asked as she and her mother started to examine the naked man’s wounds.
“It’s Erik Gormsson, Gunnar’s younger brother.” Lazarus answered. “He was one of the men that went to Rona island.” Erik moaned as the two women examined his wounds. “Erik, can you hear me?” Lazarus knelt beside the bed. “Erik, where’s Gunnar?”
“You have to move out of the way, Mr. Lazarus, if you want me to help him.” Mrs. Stewart ordered.
“My lord, let the women take care of your friend.” Michael told him. “He can’t tell you anything right now. Come out of the way and let them help him.” Lazarus got up, smoke was coming out his nose and his face was changing. “Mr. MacEachen, we need to get you below the castle. We can’t take a chance of you being detected.” Michael finally got through to him and he started to change back.
“Sorry, Michael. Sorry Mrs. Stewart. Please let me know as soon as he comes around, I need to find out where his brother is. The quicker I know where he is, the sooner I can help him.” He went to the fireplace and released the liquid fire that had started to build inside him.
“My lord, you need to calm down. All we can do right now, is wait.” Lazarus knew Michael was right. He needed to get ahold of himself. He couldn’t help anyone if he goes off halfcocked.
“Aye, you’re right. How is the girl?
“I left her in her room.”
“I’d better go and talk to her,” Lazarus told him, “she must be pretty upset.” Lazarus headed to Aria’s room. When he stepped into her room, he didn’t see her. “Aria?” He heard a whimper, she was hiding under the bed. “Aria, come out.”
“No, if they find me, they will kill me,” she whispered.
“Who? Come out, I’ll protect you.”
Aria started to sob. “You can’t protect me, no one can. They will put me in chains and leave me to starve.”
Lazarus got on the floor and looked under the bed. He put his hand out to her. “Come out, Aria. I promise, I’ll protect you.”
“You can’t,” she sobbed again.
“Come out and tell me about these people who want to hurt you, then you can go back under the bed if you want. You know, there are better hiding places in the castle, I could show you some of them. No one would ever find you.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Aria thought for a moment and then slowly slid out from under the bed. “Is that man dead?”
“No.”
“Is he going to die?”
“I hope not, he’s my friend.” Lazarus was terribly worried about Erik and his brother, but he needed to find out more from Aria. Apparently, she had started to remember. He helped her up and they sat on the side of the bed. “Now, tell me about these people who want to hurt you.”
“They are going to be mad because I got away. There was a sickness and some people died. I pretended to be dead, so they would throw me in with the bodies they dump in the ocean.” She took a deep breath. “They don’t burn their dead cause they don’t want anyone to see the smoke. I prayed I wouldn’t get the illness. I laid amongst the dead for two days before they dumped us in the ocean. They do it at night, so they didn’t see me when I swam ashore. I almost didn’t make it.”
“How did you get here?”
“I found a small boat and started rowing. I was so hungry and thirsty, I hadn’t eaten in days. I guess I passed out. I lost track of the days, the next thing I knew, I was off the coast not far from here. I think, I’m not sure. When I tried to row ashore through the surf, I was so weak, I couldn’t control the boat and it capsized. Next thing I knew, I was on a beach somewhere.”
“How did you get to the moors?” Lazarus asked.
“I crawled, until I couldn’t go any further. I don’t remember anything else until I awoke here in this bed.”
“That would explain the scrapes on your hands and knees.” Aria glanced at her hands, they were starting to heal.
“Lazarus, I remembered.”
“Yes, you did. Do you know where you were?”
“In the middle of the ocean. A desolate place.”
Mr. MacGregor stopped at the door. “Excuse me, sir. Erik is resting peacefully. Mrs. Stewart says he’ll be alright.”
“Did you speak to him?” Lazarus asked.
“No, he hasn’t come around, he’s still unconscious.”
“Thank you, Michael. Stay with him, I’ll relieve you shortly.”
“Yes sir.” Michael went back to watch over Erik.”
“Lazarus, can I help?” Aria asked. “I can sit with him when you get tired.”
“Thank you, but you are still recovering yourself.”
“Yes, but I can still sit with him. I need to feel useful.”
“Alright, but I need you to tell me more about where you were.” Lazarus knew if she could give him details of the island, he would have a better chance of saving Gunnar, if he was still alive. “Why don’t we sit with Erik and we can talk there.”
“Will you still show me where I can hide?” He could see she was terrified. He gave her a reassuring smile and a nod. He took her by the hand and they walked back to the third floor.
“Let me show you something before we sit with Erik.” He walked her back to the sewing room and lead her to the shelves along the one wall. He took her hand and placed it on one of the shelves. “Press down and push in on the shelf.” She did what he said, then heard a click. “Now pull the shelves forward.” When she pulled the shelves, they swung silently forward to reveal a hidden stairwell.
She gave him a surprised look. “Where does it go?”
“At the bottom of the stairs you can go two ways. If you go left, it will take you to a safe room. If you go right, it will take you underground and come out there.” He took her to the window and pointed to a small stone house off in the distance. “If our enemies come here, go to the safe room. There is food and water there. Be sure to pull the shelves closed behind you. When they are gone, you can come back here or go out through the escape house. I can’t advise you. If our enemies get this far, it will mean I failed and most likely dead.”
“You won’t fail.”
“Let’s hope not. Come on, we need to see how Erik is doing.” They walked back to the room below the southwest turret. Mrs. Stewart was still with Erik.
“How is he?” Lazarus asked.
“He’s delirious. He keeps talking about monsters and demons.”
Lazarus looked at Aria. “Would you know what he’s talking about?”
“It would be the work of Manfred. He’s some kind of warlock or wizard. He can make people see things that aren’t there. He also likes to torture people until they don’t know what is real and what isn’t.” Just then, Erik moaned and mumbled.
Lazarus went to his side. “Erik, you’re safe now. Erik, can you hear me?” Erik slowly opened his eyes.
“Lazarus, did Gunnar make it? Is he here?”
“No, Erik, he’s not here.”
“I have to help him.” Erik tried to get up.
“Relax Erik, you’re not going anywhere.” Lazarus held him down. “Where is he? Where is Gunnar?”
“They caught us. I barely got away. Gunnar was right behind me, he has t
o be here.” He tried again to get up. “Please, Lazarus, let me go, I have to find him. He might be hurt and dying.” Erik started to sob. “He’s my brother, I have to go.”
“Erik, stop. You’re not strong enough to go anywhere. I will go after him.”
“No, you can’t,” Erik objected hoarsely, “it is exactly what they want you to do.”
“I know. It’s time to end this.”
“But, they are using dark magic, you can’t fight them.”
“I’ll find them, and when I do, I will kill the bastard that killed my family. Get some rest.”
Erik grabbed his arm. “Promise you won’t go alone.”
“Don’t worry, I have a little magic of my own, now rest, I’ll come back in a while to see how you’re doing.” Erik gave him a nod and closed his eyes.
Chapter 19
“Lazarus.” Aria whispered. “Are you planning to go to that island?”
“I’m afraid so. I can’t leave my friend there.”
“Take me with you.”
“Absolutely not,” he told her.
“Lazarus, hear me out. I was a prisoner on that island for seventeen years. I know every nook and cranny. I have friends there. If I can free them from their shackles, Rolf and Brand can help us.”
Lazarus froze. “Is Rebekah with them.”
“She is my friend; how do you know her?”
“She is my baby sister.”
“That is why your mother looked so familiar.”
“I always knew Rebekah would look just like her mother. Rolf and Brand are my brothers. Are they alright?”
“They are alive. It was my job to feed them and clean their cells.”
“They are shackled and in cells?”
“Yes. Gilbert MacDonald is afraid they will kill him if they get loose.”
Lazarus laughed. “Well, I want to kill him first. They can have what’s left.”
“But he’s a dragon.”
“So are my brothers, you do know they are dragons.”
“Yes, but I haven’t seen them shift. MacDonald wanted to breed with your sister. She told me when she came of age to bare young, he became very impatient, but she fought him off. He has been very cruel to her because she refuses to bare his children.”
“Is she alright?”
“She was when I left. She wasn’t old enough to know you, but your brothers told her stories about you. Stories about her big brother and how brave he was.”
“Was?”
“They have been there for a very long time, and because you have never come for them, they believed you were dead. They have forgotten you, but she hasn’t. She prays every day you are alive and will find them. She has never given up.”
“And I have never given up hope they were alive. Does MacDonald know what she prays for?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. He recently told her you were alive, and he was going to have you killed. That is when she told me how to escape and sent me to find you. Every time I looked at the ocean, I knew I was supposed to remember something. I’m so sorry, I must have hit my head when the boat capsized and when I woke, I couldn’t remember anything.”
“You remember now, it’s all that matters. Thank you, you have brought me news I have waited to hear for five hundred years.”
“You’re one of them.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know about dragons before I went to the island.”
“Are you afraid?”
“The dragon people have been treated badly and I did what I could to help them. They have always been nice to me.”
“Dragon people, I never thought of us that way, but I guess we are. My brother’s, can they shift?”
“The shackles keep them from shifting. I heard MacDonald talking to Manfred when they didn’t know I could hear them. They talked about a time when your brothers shifted and tried to escape. Apparently, they had come of age and went through the change. They kept it from MacDonald until they thought they could use it against him. Unfortunately, Manfred used magic to stop them. They have been shackled ever since.”
“Have you seen my sister shift?’
“She is also in shackles, but I think she has built up a resistance to silver. She practices every day, a little at a time. She tells me the pain was horrendous when she first tried, it burned her wrists. MacDonald laughs at her every time he sees the scars. He warned her not to try.”
“How far can she shift with the shackles, before the shackles start to burn her?”
“They no longer burn her, but her cell confines her. She thinks if she had more space, she could shift, and the shackles would break. She is afraid Manfred will discover her secret and use magic to keep her imprisoned.”
“What about my brothers? Have they tried to do the same?
“They have tried, but they are not as strong willed as Rebekah, they give up too easily.” While they talked, Erik tossed and turned. He kept calling out to Gunnar, telling him to hurry.
“Could you draw me a map of the island? Show me where they are being held?”
“Only if you take me with you.”
“I can’t, it’s much too dangerous. I wouldn’t be able to protect you.”
“You don’t understand, I have to go. I don’t want you to protect me. Take me to the island. I’ll show you how to get to your brothers and sister, then you’re on your own. I have planned to put an end to the disgusting place for half of my life and I won’t let you rob me of my chance.”
“How do you intend to do that?”
“I’m going to blow that fucking rock to kingdom-come. I spent the last five years setting it up.”
“What do you know about explosives?”
“One of Gilberts men tried to organize a mutiny about six years ago. They were sick of living in the middle of nowhere. He was found out and put in a cell to starve. He was Gilbert’s explosive expert. I used to sneak food to him and we would talk. He told me where the explosives were hidden. He taught me everything he knew, he made me memorize everything until I knew explosives as well as I know my own name.”
“And you think you can handle explosives you have never seen before?”
“I already have. Before Geoffrey died, I took the explosives and planted them around the island. He told me where to put them and how much. All I need is enough time to set the timers.”
“If they have my friend Gunnar, where would they hold him?”
“If he hasn’t been put in the dungeon, he would be held in the longhouse. Find me some paper and a pen. I’ll have to show you the layout of the island.”
“We’ll have to go to the library. I’ll have Michael sit with Erik when he comes back.” It wasn’t long before he came up the stairs. “Michael, stay with Erik. We’ll be in the library if you need me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lazarus cleared a table and laid out a large sheet of paper. “All right, young lady, let’s see what kind of artist you are.” He also pulled out a large map of Scotland and the northern islands.
“There is an ancient fortress, it had a dungeon, that is where the cells are. There is no roof or protection from the weather. It is why no one survives for very long.”
“What about my sister and brothers?”
“They are held in cells in the longhouse. Gilbert knows better than to let anything happen to a dragon shifter.”
“Why?”
“Once he had you killed, he planned to sell Rolf and Brand to the Vikings. He makes a whole lot of money. He’s done it before.”
“He’s done what, before?”
“Sold a dragon.” Lazarus felt like he had been punched in the gut. He was dizzy and couldn’t breathe, he had to sit down and take deep breaths to clear his head. “There are other dragons?” She nodded. “When you said dragon people, you were referring to more than just my brothers and sister.”
“There are four others, there were five when I first got there, but he sold one of the females about ten years ago.”
> “Do you know where the Vikings take them?”
“To an island farther north, where it is too cold for them to use their fire.”
“Do you know what they do with them?” Lazarus felt sick.
“No,” she took a deep breath, “none of them have ever come back.”
That sentence reverberated in his brain. The word ‘them’. It meant there could be more. “Where are the cells?” Aria spent the next hour drawing diagrams of the island and the different buildings. They studied the map and compared it to her diagrams. She told him everything she could remember. Where to land on the island, every door, window and tunnel. The number of men, where they ate and slept.
“Are there any women on the island.”
“Yes, four women. Two of them do the cooking for everyone on the island, myself and the other two fed the prisoners and did the cleaning.”
“How many prisoners are there?”
“When I left, there was fourteen, counting the dragon people.”
“And how many men support MacDonald?”
“Maybe twenty, sometimes more, sometimes less. Cut throats, thieves and murderers, they are not in the best of shape and they fight among themselves. They don’t get enough to eat and the weather on that cursed rock chills you to the bone, you never get warm. Some die. When the supply boat comes, more men come, and a few leave, but not many. They are promised wealth beyond their dreams.”
“Aye, he thinks he can rob me of my dragon’s hoard. He’ll have to kill me to get to it.” Aria gave him a look that said it was exactly what he planned to do. “He’ll never get this far, I’ll kill him out there on that fucking rock.”
“But what about Manfred? “Aria asked. “He has magic.”
“Tell me, does he wear an amulet around his neck?”
“Yes, he does.”
“That is where he gets his power. What color is it?”
“Green, but sometimes its bright yellow.”
“It must change color when it is in use. If it can be taken from him and smashed, he will be powerless.”
“He would never let you near him.”
“What about one of the women?”
“I don’t think he likes women, except for your sister, she is the only one that would be able to get close enough. His preference is young men.”
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