by Vicky Savage
I hurry to the sturdy chest and spin the dials to the designated numbers. Voila! The doors open out, revealing a collection of glittering, gleaming objects of desire—necklaces, earrings, rings, bangles. But no keys. A number of small drawers line each side panel, and I search through each one. It requires a huge effort on my part not to get sidetracked by all the alluring adornments inside. I’m a little giddy with the knowledge that these tantalizing treasures temporarily belong to me.
Tucked inside a black velvet pouch, I find a large golden key with a pentagram shaped head. It’s unlikely this is a key to a door, so I put it back and continue my search. Another velvet pouch in the same compartment contains a silver oval-shaped ring holding six different keys. I set it to the side while I finish my search. I find no other keys, so I’m pretty sure one of the keys on the silver ring is the one I need. Pleased with myself, I carefully put everything back into the jewelry chest and lock it securely.
The next order of business is to choose an appropriate outfit for breaking someone out of prison. Ralston said to wear something dark, but the princess’ closet, as plentiful as it is, doesn’t have a lot of basic black. I settle on a black, long-sleeved sweater, a pair of black leather riding pants, and some black boots. I hurriedly dress, and then check myself out in the mirror—a little Goth for my taste, but it will definitely fit the bill. We are going down to the dungeon, after all.
When I’m finished, the desk clock says it’s after midnight. I shove the key ring into my pocket and pace the floor waiting for Ralston.
A sharp tap at my door makes me jump. I tiptoe to the door. “Who is it?” I ask quietly.
“It’s me, let me in,” Ralston whispers.
Once inside, he asks, “Did you find the keys?” I smile and jingle the key ring in front of him. “Good work.”
“Now what’s the plan?” I ask.
He explains that a small prison lies beneath the palace, although prisoners are rarely kept there. Blackthorn and his men are the only prisoners there now.
“Two guards are on duty, but they are not much of a concern,” Ralston says. They are part of the palace guard, not LeGare’s men. They play cards half the night and sleep the other half. I don’t believe they’ll be much of a problem, even should we cross paths with them.”
“So what do we do with Blackthorn and his guys after we get them out?”
“I’ve already taken care of that. I have a friend in town who will ensure their safe passage. They should be back in Unicoi by morning.”
Ralston has a leather pouch slung across his shoulder, and he’s brought a metal box with him.
“What’s with the bag and the box?” I ask.
“Just a few things we’ll need.” He reaches into the pouch, pulling out a black knit cap. “Here, put this on, we don’t want anyone recognizing you.” I wind my braid around my head and pull the cap securely over the top.
“You’d make a decent cat burglar,” he says, eyeing my outfit.
“I’ll keep that in mind for after graduation. Can I help carry something?” I reach for the metal box, but I can barely lift it. It must weigh fifty pounds. “What’s in that thing?”
“You’ll see.” He picks up the box, and checks the hallway to make sure the coast is clear. We make our way swiftly and silently to the stairs. The darkened third floor hallway, where Mother’s office is located, is deserted. We creep along the corridor until we reach her door. A slit of light shines from beneath it. Ralston presses his ear against the wood and motions me to the other end of the hallway. We duck into a small alcove.
“She’s with someone,” he whispers. “We’ll have to wait.”
FOURTEEN
My heart drums so loudly in my ears, I think it might wake half the palace. It’s only a minute or two until the door opens, but it feels like an eternity. Mother steps out into the hall followed by LeGare. They pause, silhouetted in the doorway. “Goodnight, Charles.” She smiles, extending her hand.
He leans in and kisses her lightly on the cheek. “Goodnight, Ellie.”
The whole scene is a little too cozy, and it makes me feel weird. LeGare walks quickly to the stairs and disappears. Mother locks the door, and leaves also.
We wait in our hiding place for about ten seconds before sneaking back to the door. Hands trembling, I slide one of the keys into the lock. Thankfully, it opens on the first try. Mother has left the lamp on, and Ralston is able to quickly find the bookcase we need. He runs his hand down the back and does something that makes the edge of the bookcase pop away from of the wall a crack. He wedges his fingers into the gap, and swings it open like a door. I follow him inside.
It is pitch black on the other side, except for the slice of light coming from the office. Ralston takes a penlight from his bag and examines the wall to his right. He clicks a tiny lever on the wall, and the bookcase silently closes behind us. We’re standing on the small landing of a narrow, curving, stone stairway. I cautiously follow Ralston as he descends in the darkness, the penlight our only illumination as we go. It feels like we’ve gone fifty feet straight down by the time the staircase dead-ends into a small rectangular landing. We’re surrounded by gray stone walls with no doors or openings of any kind. It’s unpleasantly tight and claustrophobic in here and I hope Ralston knows what he’s doing.
He hands the penlight to me and shows me where to shine it. He takes a small folding knife from his pocket, opens the blade, and inserts it into the mortar to the left of one of the smooth stones. I hear a click. He removes the knife, puts a finger to his lips, and slowly pushes on the wall, which turns out to be a concealed doorway.
The door opens out into a short, dimly lit hallway. The walls here are also smooth, gray stone. The floor is hard concrete, and it feels about ten degrees cooler down here than in the rest of the palace. To our right is the arched opening of a tunnel. The air is damp and musty, and I hear water lightly lapping inside the tunnel. I figure it must be an underground stream or aquifer, maybe the palace water supply.
I follow Ralston as he moves to the left. We inch our way slowly along the wall to another, larger hallway. He cautiously peers around the corner, drawing back abruptly. “Guard,” he whispers. My eyes widen and he adds, “Going the other way.”
We hug the mildewed wall for a minute or two; then Ralston steals another look around the corner. He waves me forward. In this hallway, the stone walls are interrupted every few feet by a barred cell door. We slink past a cell where Blackthorn’s men are lying asleep on bare cots. Neither of them stirs. In the next cell, Blackthorn sits on a similar cot, his head down, his hands and ankles shackled.
I examine the cell door for a lock, but don’t see one. “How do we get in?” I whisper.
Ralston sets down the metal case and opens it. He withdraws a high powered magnet like ones I’ve seen in science class. “Magnetic locks,” he says softly. He passes the magnet down the side of the door, and the lock releases with a loud clack. Blackthorn’s head snaps up and he eyes us warily. When he recognizes Ralston, he springs to his feet.
“Traitor!” he cries.
“Calm down, Ryder, I’m no traitor,” Ralston says.
“I trusted you, I thought you were my friend. You betrayed me.”
Fearing a loud, angry tirade, I kick the side of Blackthorn’s boot to get his attention. “Shh. Pipe down,” I hiss. “We’re trying to get you out of here.” He wheels around on me in anger, but his expression turns immediately to one of amazement.
“Princess Jaden?” he says.
I pull off my cap and my braid tumbles out. “Yes, it’s me. We’re trying to help you. So shut up and sit down.”
He looks to Ralston who nods in agreement. He turns back to me. “Why would you help me?”
“Because Ralston convinced me you’re worth it. Don’t make me change my mind.” He obediently sits on the cot.
“I told her you were a good man who made a stupid mistake,” Ralston says, opening his bag and laying out our tools. “I be
lieve there is still hope for you Ryder, but you’re going to have to resist being so reckless, for your own sake as well as that of Unicoi.”
We quickly get to work on Blackthorn’s shackles. Ralston shows me how to use an ionic torch he brought with him to cut through the metal cuffs on Blackthorn’s wrists and ankles. Ralston uses a crudely fashioned pair of pliers to pry the metal apart once the torch has cut through.
I feel Blackthorn’s gaze on me as we work. I glance up at him, but his eyes are difficult to read in the dim light—curious maybe, grateful certainly, and something else I can’t quite make out. His left eye is swollen, his face is marred with fresh cuts and bruises. LeGare obviously exacted his revenge after being humiliated in the grand hall.
Once he is free from the manacles, Blackthorn stands, rubbing his wrists. “My men?” he whispers.
“They’re next door,” Ralston says. “How is your arm? Are you injured anywhere else?” I’m glad to see that Blackthorn’s arm has been cleaned and bandaged.
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
We move on to the next cell, and Ralston uses his magnet to trip the lock. It takes only a few minutes for us to free the astonished men from their bindings. The five of us steal silently back to the small hallway where Ralston and I first emerged. We bypass the concealed doorway and head to the tunnel entrance. The tunnel houses a wide canal with concrete walls on either side. A narrow ledge extends down its length.
Ralston points to a small boat moored about thirty feet down the canal. “Take that boat downstream to the mouth of the river,” he says to Blackthorn. “Pull it out of the water, and hide it in the trees on the left bank. You’ll be met by a woman who will bring your horses. Her name is Lorelei. She will find you.”
Blackthorn nods. Ralston puts a hand on his shoulder. “Ryder, it is important that you do exactly as she tells you. She knows how to get you safely back to your home. She is your only chance. Do you understand?”
“I do, and thank you for what you have done, Ralston. I value your advice. For what it’s worth, you were right all along. It was an ill-advised plan. I am sorry.”
“We learn the most from our mistakes, young friend. You must work to find a more constructive solution to Unicoi’s problems. I’m confident that you will. Now go before the guards discover you are missing.”
Blackthorn and his men make their way carefully along the concrete ledge toward the boat. About midway there, Blackthorn stops to say something to his men, then he turns around and comes back to where Ralston and I stand. He positions himself directly in front of me and, astonishingly, he falls to his knees.
“No. What are you doing? Get up,” I say stupidly.
He gazes up at me, blue eyes glittering fiercely. “Princess Jaden, you have put me to shame. I abducted you and treated you in the poorest manner possible. Yet you have shown me nothing but compassion and mercy. I humbly apologize for all my offenses. I beg your forgiveness. You have risked much for me, and I am forever in your debt. I pledge to you that from this day forward, I shall act only to serve and protect you.”
He bows his head, and I instinctively reach out to touch his lovely ebony hair. “I forgive you,” I whisper. “Just return safely to your people, they need you.”
He catches my hand and presses his lips fervently into my palm. The kiss sends a jolt of electricity coursing through my arm. I gasp, and the look in his eyes tells me that he felt it too.
He gets back to his feet. “Until we meet again, Princess Jaden,” he says, and strides into the tunnel.
I don’t understand the sense of loss that pulls at me as he leaves. I know he must go quickly, but I want him to stay. I want to call after him to come back. I want to touch his injured face and tell him I’m sorry for what they did to him. I want him to know how much I admire him for what he is trying to do. I stare into the tunnel, a mass of confusing emotions tearing at my heart, as the small boat disappears into the darkness.
Maybe if we had met at some other time, in some other place, we would have meant something to each other. Even though I’ll never see him again, I know I’ll never forget him.
FIFTEEN
Ralston tugs at my sleeve. “We must go, Jade.”
I follow him to the hidden doorway. We retrace our steps up the staircase and back into Mother’s office. Everything is just as we left it.
Ralston closes the bookcase, and I head for the door. He grabs my arm, pulling me back. “Someone’s coming,” he whispers, shoving his bag and the lead case behind a chair. In one smooth motion, he pulls a small book from the shelf and tosses it to me. I catch it just as the door opens.
My startled mother stares first at me, then at Ralston. “What are you doing here, Jaden?”
“Oh, I… well, we…” I stammer.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” Ralston says. “Princess Jaden was having difficulty sleeping after the excitement of the past few days. She asked if I could recommend a good book to soothe the mind and help sleep come more quickly. I suggested some poetry might do the trick. She recalled the rather nice collection in your office, so in light of your kind invitation earlier, we’ve come to borrow a book.”
“What have you there?” She gestures to the book in my hand. I give it to her.
She examines the cover. “Ah, William Blake, a nice choice.” She hands it back to me, appraising my odd outfit. “You must be feeling better if you’re up and dressed, dear. I hope you weren’t planning to take a midnight ride. You know it isn’t safe, especially in light of what has happened recently.”
“No, Mother, I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Ralston, I hope you will keep an eye on her for me,” she says. “My daughter tends to act impulsively when she gets an idea in her head.”
“Yes ma’am, I shall.”
“Very well. I had forgotten some papers I must read before morning.” She picks up a file from the top of her desk. “I trust you two will lock up when you have finished here?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Goodnight then. Sleep well, my dear. Goodnight, Professor.” She closes the door behind her.
My knees are quaking, and I hold onto the back of the desk chair for support. “Oh man, that was close. She nearly caught us. Nice save on your part, Rals. Thanks.”
He chuckles, retrieving his bag and the lead box. “Take a deep breath, and let’s make our retreat before we have any further surprises.”
We reach my room without running into any other castle inhabitants, but I’m still wired from the night’s activities, and I have a few things on my mind. “Ralston, can we talk for a minute?”
“Of course.” He stows his gear inside my door, and we settle into the armchairs facing the faux fireplace. The glass logs twinkle a cheery red and gold.
“How long have my parents been separated?” I ask.
He leans his elbows on the arms of the chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “Over ten years, I believe.”
“What split them up?”
“Oh, the usual reasons. They did not see eye to eye on a number of things. Reeducation was one of the issues. You see Jade, your father believes that it is inhumane, while your mother believes it is preferable to the old physical punishments such as hanging, flogging, maiming, and some of the unspeakable tortures used in the past. I suppose it is a matter upon which reasonable people may hold differing opinions.”
“Is my dad happy? I mean being separated from my mom?”
“Yes he is. He misses you and Andrew, of course, but he has established The Enclave, a little walled city near Wall’s Edge. Your father’s city is quite insulated from the rest of Domerica. It is a progressive community of scholars, inventors, artists, and other free thinkers.”
“I’d like to see it… and I’d like to see my dad soon.”
He smiles. “I think we can arrange that. It would be most educational for you. Your father has successfully re-socialized many victims who have been surgically reeducated, and he has welcomed exiles f
rom other domes as well. It’s really a remarkable little society.”
“Ralston, is my mother in love with LeGare?” I blurt out. “Is she going to end up with him?”
He clears his throat. “Now that is one of those questions I cannot answer, my dear. It is a private matter. You will have to take that up with her.” He rises to leave.
I stand also, but I’m not ready to let him go yet. “You know I can’t ask her. Why won’t you answer me?”
