When they finally reached the bottom, there was still no one in sight. Where was everybody when you needed them? Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was breaking out in a cold sweat. What happened if he did manage to get her out of the castle? She would never survive it, not if he tried to lay those unwashed paws on her body.
They made their way along the corridor and through the empty great hall. He paused at the door and listened. Jessica wondered if she should scream, but decided against it. He would cut her throat for sure, and then she’d be dead. Pushing her against the wall, he held the knife to her throat as he turned and opened the door a crack. There must not have been anyone on the other side. He opened it wider and pulled her through.
Jessica moved slowly, trying to stall. She thought that if she slowed them down enough, someone would come along. She just hoped that is wasn’t Fenella or Elvinia. She didn’t want to put them in danger.
After they walked the length of the corridor, down another flight of stairs, and along another long corridor, they stopped at a door. Jessica was starting to panic. This was ridiculous, normally she couldn’t walk through the castle without tripping over the servants or guards, but there was no one in sight.
Jessica was also lost. She had never been this far down into the belly of the castle. Baen and Carr had told her it led to the soldiers’ quarters and that it was forbidden for her to explore. Normally she would have brushed off the order, but when it came to rooms filled with men, she thought it was best to be cautious.
He pulled her through the door and into a small closet room. It was dusty and the air was musty. He threw her up against the wall and air left her lungs in a gush.
“Move and I’ll kill you where you stand!” His breath was hot and foul as he spat his threat in her face. Jessica nodded her head and struggled to breathe. She could feel the blood running down her neck from the small nick the knife had made.
He left her side and moved to the opposite wall. Shoving a large wooden table aside, a small wooden door was revealed. He crouched down and pulled it open. The tunnel behind it was small and long. It was dark and cobweb filled.
“Get your ass in there, wench. We still have a long way to go and I’m hungry,” he told her. Surely he didn’t expect her to crawl through that thing?
“Are you serious? I can’t go in there.” Jessica shivered at the thought. “I’m scared of small spaces. I might pass out.”
“You should be more scared about what I’ll do to you if you don’t go in there. Now move.” He waved the knife at her and when she still didn’t move, he started to approach. Jessica was frozen in place. She had always hated small confined spaces. This little tunnel certainly qualified.
She let out a cry as he grabbed a handful of her hair and shoved her toward the little door. Jessica fell to her knees from the force of his push. She was going to have to go in there. She swallowed back bile and crawled toward the door. When she reached it she stopped. How the hell was she supposed to see where she was going? It was pitch black.
She started to enter the tunnel after he kicked her rear with his big muddy foot. It was hard to crawl in the long dress and she had to keep her head down so she didn’t hit it on the roof. Jessica heard him enter the tunnel behind her and had to wonder how he fit. She could barely make it through and she was a lot smaller than he was.
The tunnel went darker and darker the further Jessica moved down it. There was no light at the other end to guide her, so she just slowly put one hand in front of the other. All she could hear was the sound of their breathing and the pounding of her heart. She was so desperate to reach the other side that she wanted to move faster and faster. She had to force herself to slow down. She couldn’t see and one wrong move could be dangerous. She didn’t know if there were drops in the floor of the tunnel or in the side. She also didn’t know if the tunnel turned a corner or if it was straight the whole length.
Jessica crawled for what felt like hours. She didn’t know how long she could keep on going. Her arms were exhausted and her knees scraped raw from the rough surface of the tunnel’s floor.
Just when she thought she would collapse, she turned another small bend and saw a light framing another trap door. The light came from the top of the tunnel, so she would have to stand up to get out.
Jessica wasn’t sure where the sudden surge of energy came from, but she picked up her pace and scrambled to the door. With a force that surprised her, she reached up and shoved open the door. Hands reached down and pulled her up and out of the tunnel.
When they let her go, Jessica frantically shook off the dress and ran her hands through her hair. Now that she was out, it felt as if bugs were crawling over her body. She didn’t take the time to look around or see who had pulled her from the tunnel. She just wanted to get the things off her.
“Calm down, my lady.” A deep voice cut through her hysteria.
“I can’t! I can feel them crawling on me! Get them off!” she cried, tears running down her face. Big hands grabbed her arms and stilled her movements. Jessica tried to shake them off, but they held firm. She was pulled toward a big chest and large arms wrapped around her. The man was rocking and shushing her, as if she were a little child.
It wasn’t long before the creepy-crawly feeling subsided and her sobs turned to feminine hiccups. She looked up into the face of the man who comforted her and was surprised at the extremely handsome features staring back at her. He was a blond, blue-eyed Adonis and she just couldn’t stop staring. When he smiled at her, his whole face lit up and Jessica nearly swooned. No man should be that good-looking. Jessica hated him on the spot.
She pushed out of his arms and looked over the rest of him. He was tall but not as tall as her husbands. Slim and slightly muscled, not like her big brawny men, but worst of all there wasn’t a scar on the man. His hands and face were smooth and perfect. Even his exposed arms were flawless. Not a freckle or mole in sight.
Jessica rolled her eyes at the pampered ninny and looked around. She was in the woods that surrounded the castle. She could just see it in the distance. They must have crawled all the way under the grassy fields that separated the castle from the woods in case of attack.
She moved her attentions to the group of men. There were three other men, apart from the pampered Adonis and the smelly foul man that took her. They were wearing armor, but it was different from her husband’s men.
“Who are you? Are you King Balfour?” Jessica directed her question to the tall Adonis. His deep masculine laugh would normally have made her heart flutter, but now she just wanted to kick him.
“No, my lady. I’m not. Bac Domhnull at you service. I am the commander of King Balfour’s armies. Once we have conquered Marak, I will have the pleasure of ruling in the King’s absence.”
“You will never rule Marak. My husbands will see to that.” She tried to sound confident, but she failed miserably.
“Ah, but see, my little dove. I have you now. They will come to your rescue and I will kill them. Then Marak will be mine for the picking.”
“I don’t think so. You place too much value on my importance. Baen and Carr love each other. I’m just there to make the heir. They will easily find another woman to take my role.” She was lying through her teeth, but she had to try. She didn’t want her men to risk their lives to save her. She wanted to be rescued, just not at the sacrifice of her husbands.
“You are a poor liar. Not to worry. I will beat that out of you, when you are mine.”
“I will never be yours. I would rather die.”
“That just might happen, little dove.” Jessica gulped at his statement. She really needed to remember that these men were her enemy and dangerous. They would kill her once her usefulness ran out. One good thing, however, was if this man wanted her, the smelly one couldn’t touch her. She moved closer to Bac’s side and kept her mouth shut. She would just have to go back to biding her time and hope an opportunity for escape arose.
Either way she was in
a world of trouble.
* * * *
Baen moved through the camp taking stock of the supplies. Carr was counting heads to account for the losses of men. The numbers would be many, as was the way with war, but to Baen even the loss of one man was too many. Every soldier held value to him and the loss was great. Not just for him, but also for the dead soldier’s family and loved ones.
Baen always made sure the families of the dead were taken care of. Nobody went without in his kingdom. What was wealth if your people went hungry? No, his father had taught him that a king without people was no king at all. Whether it was keeping them safe from the enemy, like now, or making sure they had a roof over their head and food in their belly.
He finished counting the supplies and turned to his squire. They were going to need to send back for more. Their food stocks were low and the battle wasn’t likely to end soon. King Balfour was determined this time and had thrown everything at them. His men were well trained, thanks to Carr, and so they had managed to force them back, but Balfour wasn’t giving up.
Much more of this and he would be calling for the dragons. He hated to use them in a fight. They were strong and proud creatures and Baen hated to take advantage of the trust they had placed in him. Using the dragons was a last resort, especially when they could get injured or worse. No one else had dragons and he liked to fight fair, but he also wasn’t going to lose when he had the advantage.
Baen turned his thoughts to his lovely bride. He felt bad to leave her so soon after their wedding, but it couldn’t be helped. Damned Balfour and his constant bullshit. He just wanted to live a peaceful life with his wife and husband and raise his babies. Was that too much to ask? They had lived in relative peace for years. Why was he doing this now?
Jessica must be worried sick. Her new husbands were both off fighting and she had to stay behind. He had sent for an update on her well-being when he had the soldier do supply runs. From what he had gathered from his mother’s short missives, she was well, missing them terribly, but coping.
Jessica was a strong woman. He knew she would be fine. Baen didn’t quite realize just how much he would miss her though. He and Carr talked about her whenever they had a free moment together, and it was easy to see that they both had fallen for her and fallen hard. She completed them in a way they never thought possible. As soon as this battle was over, they would rush back to her side and start their life together and hopefully it would be a long while before they had to leave it again.
Baen shook himself out of his daydreaming when he noticed a soldier approaching from the direction of the castle. He was riding hard, his horse at a full gallop. What could be so urgent to warrant the fast pace? Jessica! His stomach dropped as he bellowed for Carr. He raced to meet the soldier and get his report. His heart was pounding and he was sick with worry for his family.
“Tell me!” he bellowed, not even giving the man a chance to dismount the labored horse.
“It’s the queen, Sire. She is missing. They have searched the entire castle, but she is gone.” The man stumbled over his words as he rushed to tell him.
“What do you mean she is missing? She was to be guarded at all times, never to be left alone.” Baen could feel a vein throbbing on his forehead. It was going to blow if he didn’t calm down.
“We have found three dead guards and a trapdoor in a storage closet that leads outside the castle walls. Sire, she was taken.”
“Who was taken?” Carr asked, as he reached their side.
“Jessica is missing. They have her, Carr. When I find her, she better be alive and not have a single scratch on her or I’m going to take great pleasure in torturing the bastards that took her.” Baen strode to his tent and called for his horse, Carr hot on his heels.
“I’m coming with you.”
“No, you need to stay here and finish this battle. Which I’m starting to suspect was just a decoy.” Baen pulled on his heavy mantle and strapped his sword to his side, then left the tent again. His steps were long and determined.
“She is my wife too, Baen. I’m coming with you. Athdar is more than capable of looking after things here.” Carr was persistent, as he too strapped his sword on and approached his horse.
“Fine, you’re right. We will head for the castle and find the exit to this tunnel and track them from there. I’ll have someone send up the dragons to spot her from the sky. They couldn’t have made it too far.”
“We will find her, Baen.”
“I know. Carr, I love her. I can’t lose her now. I can’t lose either of you.” Baen reached out and grabbed a handful of Carr’s overshirt in his fist. He pulled Carr toward him and planted a strong kiss to his lips. It was swift but full of meaning. He would kiss him properly once they had their wife safe and back by their side.
“I love her too, Baen. And I love you. You two are my life and it has no meaning without you in it.” Carr straightened when he let go of his top.
“Let’s ride out then and find our woman.” Baen kicked his horse into a gallop and heard Carr following behind. When they found Jessica, he was going to take her back home and never let her leave his sight again. She would be lucky if he let her leave the bedchamber. God, he hoped she was all right and they were treating her well. It was going to be a painful death if they weren’t.
Chapter Eleven
Jessica trudged along behind Bac, her hands tied together with rope. It was slowgoing and she still hadn’t recovered from crawling through the tunnel. Her legs burnt and she was puffing for breath. Not to mention she was covered from head to toe in dirt and sweat. She felt rotten and just wanted to curl in a ball and sleep for a week.
Bac pulled on the rope and Jessica stumbled. She managed to catch herself before she face-planted into the dirt, but it jarred her already tired and sore legs, and the rope was rubbing her wrists raw.
“Please, I need to stop. I can’t go on any further.” Jessica wasn’t below begging. Besides, it might slow them down even more.
“No, we have to hurry. They would have discovered you missing by now and I want to be far from the castle before they catch up with us.” Bac pulled on the ropes once more and this time Jessica did fall. She landed on her knees and elbows and cried out as the pain shot through her body.
“I cannot believe Baen and Carr would choose such a weak woman. Maybe I will have to rethink keeping you.” Bac looked down at her when she rolled onto her back and refused to move. She would have taken exception to his comment, if she had the strength to do more than lie there. Not the part about keeping her, but the part about her being weak.
“Don’t you have horses? Not only would it have been faster, but also then I wouldn’t have to walk. Can’t King Balfour afford to give his commander a horse?” She was goading him, but she didn’t care.
“We have horses, wench. They would have been too noisy to bring and we would have been discovered. Now get moving.”
“I can’t. Just leave me here and make your escape.” She could see Bac clench his jaw as he got angrier with her. She needed to stop saying things that made him mad before he took his anger out on her.
When she still refused to move—and it wasn’t because she was being difficult, it was just that she was so damned tired—Bac grabbed her by the front of her dress and hauled her to her feet. He then bent down and flung her over his shoulder. Her head and arms dangled down near his ass and he held her behind her knees.
“Let’s get moving. I want to be clear of these woods by sunset.” Bac wasn’t talking to her, but to the men. She lay slumped over his shoulder and tried to breathe. It was a really uncomfortable position, and as he moved her belly bounced on his shoulder.
“Put me down. I’m going to lose my lunch all down your back,” she told him.
“Do that and you will regret the consequences.” He gave her a hard swat to her rear. It pissed her off. She leant forward and retaliated by sinking her teeth into the back of his hard thigh. It was difficult to get a good chunk because his thighs we
re so solid and smooth. There was nothing to grab onto. It made him laugh and swat her behind once more.
“If Balfour wanted to use me to get to the king, why did he send you?” Jessica asked from her upside down position.
“You still think that Balfour is the mastermind behind all this, don’t you?” Bac gave a chuckle. “This whole plan was mine. The battle, taking you, everything. Balfour is too old and stupid. He wants to sit in his castle with his ugly wife. I’m the one who takes care of everything. I’m the one who rules his kingdom, whilst he feeds his fat belly and drinks himself stupid.”
“Then why do you need Marak? Why not just keep ruling Barak?”
“Because, my little dove, Marak if far richer. The lands are more prosperous and Marak has a clean water supply. Yet King Baen doesn’t use the land to the best of its potential.”
“You think you can rule it better?” Jessica couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but the arrogant man didn’t even seem to notice.
“Of course! When I am on the throne, the people will be put to work, mining and farming the land, and the taxes will need to rise. I will give Balfour some of the profit to keep him under control, whilst I raise an army big enough to conquer all the surrounding kingdoms. They will all bow down to the one true king. I will be ruler of Earth and the most powerful man that ever lived.” Great, a man who wanted to take over the Earth had kidnapped her.
Jessica found that somewhat amusing. People wrote stories all the time about crazy men who wanted to conquer the world. It was a ridiculous idea, in her Earth and this one.
“I almost had my plan well under control, when I had Baen’s dear little sister poisoned. Her death was going to send the kingdom into mourning, making them an easy target ripe for the picking. I still don’t know how the little bitch lived, but I’ll find out and when I do…”
Jessica fell silent and zoned out his words. She didn’t want to hear anymore of Bac’s idea on taking over the planet. She was shocked that it was Bac that had poisoned Elvinia. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised, he was the enemy. She knew he could never find out about her ability or he would use it against her. Luckily no one but Baen, Carr, and their family knew.
The Magic of You [Mystical Realms 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 12
