The Gabrielle Series Boxed Set

by Zachary Chopchinski

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Air rushed at Gabrielle from all angles. Her heart pounded in her chest and she panicked before smacking into a hard counter, bouncing and then hitting the floor. She gasped for breath as if she'd never breathed in her life and the air stung her lungs like it was the middle of winter.

  A bright light glossed her vision and she couldn't see where she'd landed. Everything on her throbbed, but now was not the time to curl up and submit.

  She crawled from where she landed until she felt a wall. Gabrielle turned and placed her back up against it and threw her hands out in front of her to brace for the next attack.

  She sat there for a moment, listening, but only a ringing reverberated through her ears. Then a muffled voice emerged through the void. At first it was just a muted rumble, but after a few moments the sound became clear.

  “Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Are you OK? Where have you been?” a young voice screamed at her. Gabrielle's vision cleared and she found a petrified Jean-Paul staring at her.

  “Where am I?” Her mind was fuzzy and she couldn’t get it to focus.

  Gabrielle pushed herself up from the floor, and Jean-Paul rushed to her side, grabbed her arm and helped to steady her. She brushed the hair from her face, rubbed her swollen head and repeated her question.

  “Where am I?”

  “You are in the kitchen! Everyone has gone mad. The guards are running all over, the royal family is in terror. I don't know what’s happening. Brenton and the others have not made their way back to the palace yet. Where are they? Are they alright?” Jean-Paul’s face was strong and confident, with only his shaky voice giving away his fear.

  “I, I don’t know if they’re alright or not. I don't even know how I got here in the first place. Wait, what do you mean, everyone has gone mad?”

  “They’re coming for the palace. There are masses of people at the gates and they are fighting to get in. The guards are doing what they can, but everyone is running away. My father and brother are in town. What should we do?” Jean-Paul shot nervous glances around the room and over his shoulders, as if he expected someone to attack him right then and there.

  The thought of the crazed villagers attacking Jean-Paul threatened to bring bile up Gabrielle’s throat. “I have to get up. We must go. We have to get away from here. They’re savages and they’re coming here to hurt everyone. We have to leave before they arrive,” Gabrielle said as grabbed Jean-Paul by the arm. Off in the distance, she could hear the thundering of the masses yelling and the distinct sound of gun shots.

  “Where can we go? They’re everywhere!” Jean-Paul asked, doing his best to help, but only making her more nervous.

  Gabrielle paused for a moment and looked around the kitchen. Cabinets? No, if they found him in one of those, he'd have nowhere to run. Besides, this riot is over food. Maybe hiding in the kitchen isn't the best idea.

  “What if we hid upstairs?” he asked, a new level of excitement rising in his voice. Gabrielle thought on this for a moment and then nodded.

  “That’s a great idea. We can hide upstairs. There are many rooms and plenty of places. Do you think you can stay hidden and not come out until the danger is gone?”

  Jean-Paul smiled and nodded his head.

  “If I can hide from my brother, I think I can hide from a bunch of strangers.”

  Youthful excitement shone on the boy’s face. Gabrielle admired his bravery in all this. She reached out and held his hand. Jean-Paul’s cheeks turned a warm pink hue and he looked at the floor.

  “Everything is going to be all right, Jean-Paul. I promise, I will get us out of this,” Gabrielle lied. If Jean-Paul knew she was lying, he didn’t let on, because his trembling hand steadied and he smiled up at her.

  In the distance, the sound of an explosion tore through the silence. The hair stood at attention on the back of her neck as they both shot their heads in the direction of the front gate.

  “We have to go. Now!” Gabrielle’s heart was beating so fiercely she thought Jean-Paul could hear the thumps.

  She squeezed his little hand and yanked him along as they started running through the doorway and into the main dining hall.

  Several silver trays with an assortment of beautiful trinkets were cast about on the floor. It looked like the remaining house workers ran, leaving whatever they were doing behind.

  The two made their way across the room, hand in hand and hearts in their throats. Jean-Paul stumbled over a small silver tin, causing him to fall and bringing Gabrielle to her knees. A small spoon dug into her knee as she met the floor. With a wince of pain and a jerk from Jean-Paul, the two were back up and making their way through the massive room to the main foyer.

  As the duo rounded the corner, a group of people ran past them. Gabrielle and Jean-Paul halted in awe at the sight. The foyer was full of people, from those that worked the grounds, to those that worked within the palace. There were even some members of the family that guards were ushering along through the crowd.

  Gabrielle watched as people yelled and climbed over each other, trying to find someplace, any place, to hide. She looked around the room to see if there was anyone she recognized.

  She held out hope that she would see Hilde or Brenton or any sign that the group made it back from the village alive. Many faces appeared that she'd seen in passing, but none of her friends were here.

  The panicked mumbles and yells of the horde were deafening and Gabrielle pulled Jean-Paul towards the stairs and out of the cluster of terrified people.

  Just as they were out of sight, a sharp snap ripped across the crowd that made Gabrielle flinch.

  “You there! Stop! Where is she?” Madame Toinette was pushing through the crowd towards Gabrielle and Jean-Paul.

  Reflexively, Gabrielle pushed the young boy behind her and out of the direct path of the real-life monster that was the head mistress. “You were with her in the village! Now you are here and my mother is not! Where is she? Where's my mother?” she continued, as she pushed her way into Gabrielle’s face and grabbed her by the shoulders.

  “I don’t know where she is!” Gabrielle yelled in return, removing the hands of her persecutor. “We all separated to get the errands done quicker! The next thing I know, this horrible fight emerged. Then I am back here. I do not know what happened!”

  Her response seemed only to further agitate the woman, as her face flushed and she grabbed Gabrielle by the shoulders again.

  “So, you just left her there? You left my mother with the animals in that village and saved yourself?” she yelled as she shook Gabrielle, casting small droplets of spittle onto her face. “You are as worthless as I thought.”

  With this threat, Madame Toinette released Gabrielle from her grasp and pulled out her switch that had been clutched under her arm. She raised the crop high above her head, her face contorted and angry. Gabrielle threw her hands up to protect her face.

  “No!” screamed Jean-Paul as he stepped around Gabrielle’s back.

  Madame Toinette froze in place. The room had become silent. Her face changed into one of confusion and she turned to glare over her shoulder at those around them.

  Everyone had stopped talking but their voices were replaced by a look of unbridled horror. Gabrielle followed the terrified looks and realized they weren't looking at her, but rather over her. Following their rigid gazes, Gabrielle and Madame Toinette turned their heads to see what had hushed the room.

  Jean-Paul slid from Gabrielle and walked over to the main window. He crept to the beautiful glass like a child sneaking into a kitchen to steal a cookie. His steps could not be heard, even in the vast expanse of the silent hall.

  As he drew closer to the large window, the light shot past his small frame, making it look like he was being illuminated by an astral presence. He reached the window, and only peered through for a moment. When he turned back to Gabrielle, the look on his faced mirrored the terror of all the others in the hall.

  “R-ru,” he whispered, his fear catc
hing in his throat before he could finish the word. “RUN!” he screamed as he broke towards Gabrielle in an outright sprint.

  After only a few steps, the great door to the main foyer crashed open with the force of an explosion. The door flew open and barreled passed Jean-Paul as it swung into the crowd. The bright light blinded her for a moment, but it was the sound that scared Gabrielle. A stampede. Hundreds of feet smacking against the ground as they forced their way into the palace.

  Her vision cleared at the precise moment that Jean-Paul reached her hip. Like a biblical flood, people came pouring into the foyer. People with weapons, fists, fire, and hatred flooded through. As they met the people closest to the door, their rage was transferred to them.

  With the scream of the first person attacked, Gabrielle grabbed Jean-Paul and pulled him to the stairs. The flood continued to break and unleash an endless barrage of villagers, hatred burning in their crimson eyes. Madame Toinette turned and followed behind Gabrielle and Jean-Paul.

  The entire room exploded in panic and in seconds, she couldn't tell which direction people were running. The only way she could identify who the attackers were, was by their deep red eyes.

  Once they reached the stairs, the three ran with such force that it was like they were flying up the stairs. Gabrielle barely felt her feet touch the steps as she pulled Jean-Paul behind her.

  As they reached the top of the stairs, a sudden tug pulled Gabrielle back and she almost fell down the stairs. Wide eyed, she turned and saw Jean-Paul pinned under Madame Toinette. Two women had lunged and grabbed Madame Toinette by her ankles, tripping her and forcing her down on top of the young boy.

  Gabrielle bent to help them up as the women clawed their way on top of Madame Toinette. As the attackers moved toward Jean-Paul, Gabrielle tugged on him and the two women raised their eyes up to her. Two sets of red eyes stared back at her, hell glowing in them.

  Rage boiled within her and a blood curdling scream forced its way up through her throat and past her lips. She brought her heel up as high as she could and brought it down on the closest attacker. The woman’s face went lifeless and she rolled backwards down the stairs. The falling woman caught the second attacker, causing her to tumble down the stairs after her.

  Gabrielle reached down and pulled Jean-Paul from beneath Madame Toinette and boosted him to his feet. Madame Toinette pulled herself up by the railing and finished the last steps. Gabrielle took a moment and peered over the chaos. Everything was being raided and destroyed.

  Feeling a tug on her dress, Gabrielle looked down to see a frightened Jean-Paul pointing at the mass of people shoving their way up the staircase.

  “Where are we going to go?” the boy yelled, as the raiders were making their way upstairs.

  “There's a room up here that I've been in before. We can hide there.” Gabrielle’s voice was barely audible above the chaotic roar. With her eyes locked on the familiar jonquil plant, Gabrielle turned and forcing her way through the heavy door. She prayed that she made the right decision as she pulled Jean-Paul in behind her and Madame Toinette pushed her way in.

  Madame Toinette slammed and locked the door, and then the three stood watching the handle as if it were going to pop right off and attack them.

  “Why did we go in here? What’s your plan?” Madam’s deep wrinkles seemed softer now that terror took the place of anger on her face. Gabrielle stroked Jean-Paul’s hair in pride. He managed to remain more collected in this situation than Madame Toinette.

  “We have to hide. We cannot outrun these people. Trust me, please. I've been in the village and seen what’s happening. There are no places to go. We have to hide and hope for a miracle.”

  With that, she looked around the room at where she could hide Jean-Paul. There were armoires, large standing artworks, the massive curtains, under the bed. A thought of her own childhood snapped into view and she thought about what would be the best place to hide a child. Gabrielle was a master of hide and seek when she was a kid, she could find a good place to hide him.

  She sprang into action and brought Jean-Paul over to the large bed across the room. She lowered to her knee and lifted the bed skirt and blankets. As she looked at the narrow clearance, she smiled. There was just enough of a gap for a small child to fit.

  “This is for you. I need you to get under here and do not make a sound. No matter what you hear, or what happens to me. You have to stay under here until it's safe and they are gone, do you hear me?” With this she squeezed the child into her chest and cradled his head in her hands. “Promise me Jean-Paul.”

  The boy had tears in his eyes as he looked up at Gabrielle. She'd never seen him cry and he'd been so strong up until now that her heart ripped in two.

  “What about you? Where will you go? I want to go with you!” he cried, squeezing her around the waist. Gabrielle rubbed the top of his head and smiled down at him.

  “I need you to hide here. This bed is heavy and there is only enough space for you. I promise I will stay close, but you have to go now. Remember, stay quiet and wait until it’s safe.” She forced a smile and kissed him on the top of his head.

  With a comforting nudge, she pulled the covers back and urged him to slide under the bed. The last thing Gabrielle saw was his swollen eyes looking back at her. She released the covers and adjusted them back to the way they were, then stood back and examined her work. The bed looked untouched; it would be hard to guess that anyone was hiding under there.

  A loud ‘thud’ brought Gabrielle’s attention back to Madame Toinette. She was backing away from the door, which was now shaking violently in its frame. Gabrielle shuddered at the realization that they'd been found. There was no place for them to go. They had to hide. She ran over to Madame Toinette’s side and grabbed her by the shoulder.

  “We have to hide before they come in! We don't have much time!” Gabrielle whispered, trying to avoid letting their pursuers hear.

  Madame Toinette stared at the door as it rattled and shook. She wouldn't break her glare.

  “No, you have to hide. I won't be going anywhere,” she replied, still looking at the door.

  “What? No! We need to hide. Now!” Gabrielle continued, pulling at the older woman’s dress. She didn't budge, she only turned and smiled.

  “You saved my life, and the boy’s. You could have — should have — run for your own sake. You did not. Now they know there is someone in here, but not how many. If we all hide, they will rip this chamber apart for blood until we are all found. No one will be safe. You are young, and he is younger still.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Gabrielle asked in disbelief, looking back at her tormentor with new eyes. This was by far the most sadistic woman she'd ever met, but this was a side of the head mistress she'd never seen before.

  “It’s not for you. Nor is it for the boy. THIS is for my mother. I don’t know what has happened to her. If I am to go, I want to do one more thing for my mother, and this is what she would have wanted. Now go and hide before I change my mind and give you to them in my stead!” Madame Toinette pulled her shoulder from Gabrielle’s hand.

  The door began to shake more intensely. Soon, whoever was on the other side would be on top of them. Gabrielle collected herself looked for a place to hide.

  As her eyes scanned her surroundings, they fell upon an old armoire that stood opposite the bed. If he was discovered and she wasn't, Gabrielle could surprise the attackers, and give Jean-Paul a chance to run. She threw the doors of the armoire back and smiled at its empty contents.

  With a fleeting look to Madame Toinette and a glimpse at the bed, Gabrielle crawled into the cabinet and closed the doors behind her.

  As she sat in the darkness, Gabrielle's heart thudded in her chest. Hiding in this spot didn’t give her any sense of security, rather it left her feeling more exposed than ever before. She was cramped in this small space and she felt like she couldn't breathe, let alone move and defend herself.

  Every breath that she took echoed throughou
t the tomb-like container and her stomach ached. Looking at her wrist she realized she wasn't wearing the bracelet. Had it fallen off in the struggle up the stairs?

  Suddenly, the clamor and din stopped and a violent crash erupted though the silence. Gabrielle threw her hands to her ears and slammed her eyes shut. She could hear muffled yelling followed by banging and smashing.

  The sharp sounds of glass breaking and the dull smack of something unknown made her heart quicken and she rocked back and forth. Pounding footsteps echoed all around as the walls within the armoire shook and rattled. The sounds were getting closer and closer, and she squeezed her eyes tighter and tighter.

  Thinking about Jean-Paul she forced her eyes and ears open. She could feel that they were right outside of the cabinet, and would pull the door open any moment. Gabrielle brought her shaky hands up and readied herself for the fight of her life.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Nothing happened. Gabrielle waited, poised to attack and defend. She waited for the sign to run to Jean-Paul and to fight, but nothing happened.

  Gabrielle remained rigid in the small space until she wondered why she was in there in the first place. Her heart slowed and she realized the room was silent. She tried to peep through the thin crack in the armoire, but only saw a sliver of light. She strained to see if there was any movement in the room, but nothing broke the light.

  Gabrielle tried to hear anything in the room. Nothingness replied. All she could hear in her little perch was her own heart and breath in a sort of rhythmic dance.

  What if this is another one of Arawn’s tricks? What if he's waiting for me to step out? Gabrielle intended on waiting in her hiding spot until the end of time, or until she heard Arawn’s voice beckoning her forward for a fight.

  “My word, Gabrielle! You must come out from there, silly girl. Surely it is very uncomfortable!” a soothing, familiar voice broke through the deafening silence. “Come now, please don't keep me waiting any longer,” Alexandra continued.