A Druid Stone

by Kim Allred

  "I don't think you came here on your own. Who are you working with?"

  Darkness blurred the edges of her vision, and when one of the guards, she wasn't sure if it was Tweedle Dum or Tweedle Dee, shook her to answer, she knew she was going to pass out. Before she did, she was able to reveal one last truth, and she hoped she delivered it with an evil grin. "A street urchin from London."

  30

  Finn crouched behind a thicket of dense shrubs. The guard focused on the ground, glancing up occasionally as if an afterthought. Finn sighed. He hated to have to kill these men, but they were already far outnumbered, especially if Dugan's perimeter forces moved in. He and the others had barely slipped through the line to reach the building.

  Watching the man approach, Finn studied his face. Hard as stone, and Finn reminded himself who these men were. Mercenaries who gave no quarter. Without further question, Finn's resolve steadied his hand.

  When the guard passed his position, Finn moved behind him. With reflexes sharper than they'd been in days, Finn grabbed the man around the neck and slid the blade into his side. The guard emitted a small gurgle before buckling. Finn dragged the man under the shrubs, then looked around.

  He hadn't been seen. He wiped his blade and moved to his next target.

  After dispatching the second guard, Finn turned to find Lando watching him several yards over. The big man nodded then disappeared into the trees. Finn moved in the opposite direction, searching for other guards, confirming Beckworth's reconnaissance regarding the number of Dugan's men they'd find. If he wasn't so worried about AJ and Maire, Finn might question the crazy plan Beckworth and Lando had hatched. But the need to rescue the women pushed rational thought aside—and he trusted Lando.

  Beckworth was a different story. If the man was working for whoever held Waverly, he had a strange way of showing it. Beckworth had been the first to take down one of the guards. If he was truthful about wanting to take Waverly back, then the stealthy bastard had finally become useful for something.

  Once Finn was convinced there were no more guards—for now—he turned for the door to the building. Scurrying through the trees, he almost tripped over two men Ethan must have dealt with.

  When Finn and Ethan had found Lando at the inn in Corsham and discovered AJ had been taken by Dugan's men, Finn had immediately blamed Beckworth. But Lando insisted it hadn't been Beckworth's fault. In fact, Beckworth had been helping AJ in her search for Maire. How the hell had they ended up on the same side? And why had AJ been in town alone? He'd have to get his answers later.

  Finn pushed his irritation aside as he crept to the building. Beckworth stepped out from behind an overgrown vine.

  "Are they all down?" Beckworth whispered.

  Finn nodded.

  Ethan stepped out from a tall patch of shrubbery. Lando materialized from behind a large boulder. For a small group seeing little action since their battle at the monastery, they had worked well together, taking down double their number. Surprise had been a valuable advantage.

  Beckworth pulled out a small ring of keys and, as silent as the thief they all knew him to be, worked the lock. The other three positioned themselves with their back to Beckworth, scanning the area for another patrol. After a moment, Beckworth tapped Finn on the shoulder.

  "Let's go." Beckworth slipped into the darkness of the building.

  Once they were in the building, Beckworth closed the door behind them. "We have to keep it dark in case there are guards inside." His whisper forced them to huddle close. "There's a gate at the end of this hall, but the lock broke decades ago. I never had the lock replaced, and I'm hoping no one has bothered since I've been gone."

  This bit of information hadn't been shared during their planning. Ethan glared at Beckworth and appeared to consider backing up his aggravation with a right hook.

  Beckworth held up his hands. "Would you have changed your mind in coming if you'd known this before?"

  When no one said anything, Beckworth continued. "If there's a new lock, I'm just telling you I'll need time to pick it. I wouldn't have bothered taking this risk if I didn't think I could get through the gates. There's a second gate about ten yards from the first one. That one will be locked, but I have a key. Remember, keep your eyes open, stay in the shadows, and remain silent. There may be more guards, and everything echoes in here."

  Beckworth moved out without waiting for any response. If nothing else, the man didn't dither. The men spread out along the hallway, the torches casting more shadows than light. If there was someone beyond those shadows, they waited patiently for the team's approach. As Beckworth predicted, the first gate wasn't locked, and they slipped through without a sound.

  They found no guards when they reached the second gate. Had Dugan thought his outside patrol was enough? Or would they find guards waiting for them when they tried to exit? Finn pushed the thought away for later, refocusing on his frayed reserve.

  Beckworth worked the lock in near silence. The only indication that he'd finished his task was the squeak of the gate when he pushed it open and stepped through. He'd barely had time to turn around when Ethan and Finn barged through, both racing to the cell doors. Lando stayed at the gate, covering their backs in case additional guards arrived.

  Beckworth told them there would be four cells. Ethan and Finn ran toward the farthest cell but stopped at the third door where a dim light showed through the narrow window. Ethan peered in while he waited, bouncing on his feet, for Beckworth to unlock the door. Once unlocked, Ethan pushed his way in. Finn stayed at the door but nodded at Beckworth to open the other doors.

  "Maire?" Ethan's whispered question was answered by a slap and then, after a short struggle, a surprised gasp.

  "Ethan?"

  That was all Finn had to hear—his sister's voice. "Where's AJ?" Finn's vision slowly adjusted to the dim light as he waited for Ethan to pick up Maire, who struggled to be put down.

  "I can walk. Please. I want to walk out of here." Once he set her down, Maire pointed toward the next cell before falling against Ethan for support.

  Finn raced to the next cell which Beckworth had already opened. He stepped into the shadows, sword held in front of him. The last thing they needed was a surprise.

  No candle burned in this cell, and rather than stumble in the darkness, Finn fetched one of the wall torches before storming back in. The smell wasn't nearly as bad as Maire's cell, but it was just as bare and cold. When he found AJ on a thin mat, curled against the chill with no blanket, he was ready to kill the guards all over again.

  "AJ." When she didn't stir, he squeezed her arm, but there was no response. Worry swept him. He rolled her over. The trace of blood along the side of her face and the darkening of what might be a bruise on her cheek sent waves of outrage through him. He tried to rouse her and, after a few seconds, heard a soft groan. Relief flooded him. He felt her scalp and found her hair caked with dried blood. When he pulled his hand away, his anger rose again when he spotted the fresh blood.

  He gingerly picked her up and rested her head against his shoulder. He left the torch where it lay and moved as quickly as he dared out of the cell. When he reached the gate, Beckworth stepped out from the shadows.

  "What's taking so long?" When Beckworth noticed AJ's unconscious form, his brows furrowed. "What happened? Why isn't she awake?"

  "I don't know, but she has a head injury."

  "Where are the others?"

  That brought Finn to a stop, and he turned as quick footsteps approached. Ethan and Maire emerged from the cell. Ethan supported Maire, who clutched several books and loose papers to her chest.

  Ethan shrugged. "She wouldn't leave without them." When he saw AJ in Finn's arms, he frowned.

  "Not here. Let's go." Finn turned and raced through the second gate to find Lando waiting for them near the outer door. Lando's expression turned dark when he saw AJ's limp form in Finn's arms.

  Ethan and Maire stopped behind Finn. Beckworth brought up the rear but pushed throug
h to stand next to Lando.

  "You know there could be an army waiting for us outside," Beckworth calmly mentioned as he ran a hand down his blade.

  Lando stepped to the side and gave Beckworth a grim smile. "Only one way to find out."

  The group backed themselves against the walls, except for Beckworth. He flung the door wide before jumping to the side. Two pistol shots rang out, and Beckworth sighed. He put his sword away and pulled out a pistol at the same time Lando did. The two men ran out, taking their shots.

  Ethan crept to the door, saw Beckworth and Lando engaging the two soldiers. "There seems to only be two, but they've probably sent for aid."

  "Then let's go." Finn led the way out, turning left through the brush. A few minutes later, the sound of men quickly approaching made them stop to confirm who followed. The second he saw Lando, Finn immediately turned to finish their escape.

  They ran for several minutes before stopping at a group of horses. Lando helped Maire up to Ethan, prying away the books and pages from her grasp.

  "Let me put them in the saddlebag, lass. You don't want to drop them on the way."

  Lando's reasonable urging seemed to work, and Maire released her stash.

  Finn laid AJ in the grass and was about to step away to get his horse when she stirred. He dropped to one knee. "AJ. Can you hear me?"

  Her lashes fluttered, and she squinted when she tried to open her eyes even though he'd laid her in the shade of a young birch tree.

  "AJ." Finn ran a hand over her cheek and felt her forehead. No fever, and her cheeks were a little pinker than they'd appeared in the cell.

  She struggled against the light but managed to whisper, "I fell off the damn horse."

  Finn smiled. "Maybe I should have thought to pack a helmet."

  Her hand reached up, her eyes open to mere slits. She touched the tip of his chin, feeling her way to his cheek, gently cupping it. "You're real?"

  "Yes, yes, he's bloody damn real. Now let's get you both in the saddle before we're discovered," Beckworth griped as he brought Finn's horse over.

  "Teddy?" AJ's voice sounded far away, yet Finn could hear her mischievous tone.

  "God's blood, you're still a pain in the ass." Beckworth tossed Finn the reins and stormed off to mount his horse.

  AJ smiled before she passed out.

  Lando picked up AJ as Finn mounted, then lifted her into Finn's arms.

  "Let's get moving." Beckworth glanced back from where they came, but Ethan was already scanning the trees. "They'll search the area and the town as well. I don't know what's in those books, but they'll probably want them back." Beckworth led them out of the thicket.

  "Horses. At least four, maybe a couple more." Ethan yelled and turned his horse toward the group. Maire held on tightly from behind him but kept her head turned, waiting for guards to appear.

  "There goes our first plan." Beckworth glanced at AJ.

  "Then off to the next town?" Finn asked. AJ murmured in her sleep. He didn't know the extent of her head injury, but traveling to the next town seemed too far away. They needed a closer place to hide.

  Beckworth seemed to have the same thoughts because he shook his head. "No. You'll never outrun them with her unconscious. The plan assumed the women were healthy enough to ride." He stared at distant trees, then sighed in resignation before glancing at the rest of the group. "Do you remember the junction I took you to after we left town?"

  "Before you took us back to Eleanor's?" Lando asked.

  "Yes. We need to split up. Lando and I will take the main road. We'll try to encourage them to follow our trail. I have a few hidden routes we can use to evade the men, but we'll lead them south before breaking off and returning. I suggest the two of you"—speaking to Ethan and Finn—"split up and stay on the small trails. Head west toward the junction. Once you're there, about five hundred yards to the southwest is an old barn hidden within a large stand of trees. Stay there until we catch up."

  "If you don't catch up?" Finn asked what he already knew the answer to.

  "Then you're on your own." Beckworth didn't have to say anymore.

  Finn swung his gaze to Lando, who smiled back.

  "Don't worry about me, my friend. This isn't the end." And with that he swung his horse around, Beckworth close on his tail.

  31

  Finn and Ethan rode together for several hundred yards before multiple deer trails branched off from their path. They ducked into a dense thicket when they heard horses approach. After several long moments and the sound of voices too far away to be distinguishable, the horses took off.

  "They split up." Ethan touched Maire's hands clasped tightly around him.

  "Aye. Sounds like some went south following Beckworth, but the others turned east." Finn noticed Maire's stern expression and furrowed brow as she watched AJ lying motionless in his arms.

  "You need to take the most direct route to the old barn." Maire turned to check the trail behind them, then peered over Ethan's shoulder at the path ahead. "Take the deer trail that heads west. Ride slow, so you don't disturb the vegetation. Ethan and I can make it look like more than one horse has traveled our path."

  Finn cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Ethan, who tried not to smile. "Yes, dear sister. What would we have done without you?"

  Her thoughtful expression quickly turned to irritation. "I'm only trying to help."

  When they heard men call out, still some distance away, Ethan rubbed her hand. "And it's a fine plan."

  Finn rolled his eyes, something he was sure he learned from AJ. He pulled his horse next to Ethan's and cupped his sister's cheek. "I've missed you, sister."

  "Aye. I've missed you too. Now be gone." She touched his hand, gave it a swift kiss, then kicked their horse.

  The horse took off, surprising Ethan. Seconds later, he slammed into a branch but managed to keep them mounted. Maire's tinkling laughter trailed behind them.

  Finn turned his mount to a trail large enough to pass without breaking branches. Before long, more trails appeared. He changed direction often, heading north first before turning onto a random, westward trail. He kept to a slow pace, refusing to jar AJ more than necessary.

  He thought about his sister. She'd been too thin, but six months in a filthy cell hadn't diminished her spirit. She was a fighter. Their parents would have been proud. He glanced down at AJ, worry creasing his brow when he noted the dark shadows under her eyes. Her soft moans stopped within minutes of separating from Ethan and Maire. He spoke to her, but she remained silent.

  Twenty minutes after his last turn westward, the path edged toward a large stand of birch trees. Several yards farther, a wide, well-traveled road ran north and south. He assumed this was the main road, but he'd turned so many times to remain out of range of Dugan's men, he couldn't be sure.

  He urged the horse forward and was almost out of the trees when he caught movement to his left. He paused then quickly backed up. He waited.

  A horse's head, hidden within dense brush on the other side of the road, nudged a branch as it picked at the leaves. If he could see the horse, then its rider could spot him. Finn kept his horse motionless as he considered his options.

  AJ began to stir. Of all times. He bent his head. "Quiet love. Stay still for me." He might as well have spoken to the wind because she struggled enough to make the horse take a step sideways into a nearby tree.

  The leaves shook. Finn moved the horse back another step. If anyone had seen the branch move, they might think it was no more than a deer. His luck wasn't with him. Three horses stepped from the woods, and the riders weren't farmers. They were a hunting party, and Finn and AJ were their prey.

  The men studied the birch trees where Finn hid. He wouldn't be able to escape them. The sound of a horse somewhere in the distant south forced them to turn their heads. One of the men turned, kicking his mount into a run.

  Two men were better odds if he'd been alone. He'd have to lay AJ down in the trees so he could fight. If these men were some
of Dugan's finest, he might not survive. What would happen to AJ if no one knew where she was? Wouldn't she be better off back at Waverly, even if she were a prisoner?

  If he had the Heart Stone, he could take them home. But not knowing the extent of her injuries, the jump could kill her. For once, he was happy he didn't have to make that decision.

  He was scanning the trees for the best hiding spot when the sound of a wagon made him look up. It came from the north and traveled at a good clip. The cart was piled with chopped limbs and barrels. The wagon made to pass the two men on horseback until the men forced the cart to a stop.

  Without a second glance, Finn turned his horse north and picked up his pace. After a quarter-mile, he turned back toward the road and, careful to study the terrain first, crossed it. Hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he waited for men to call out. But they were alone.

  After clearing the road, he traveled west until he found a small path that led them south. After their close escape, AJ had faded again, her body listless against his chest. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Stay with me, AJ. We're almost there."

  Beckworth and Lando drove their horses hard, stealth of little concern. They wanted Dugan's men following them—at a distance. Beckworth wasn't sure if the men chasing them were locals, though he doubted it. The one correct thing he'd managed to do when he'd moved to Waverly was to learn everything he could about the estate and the nearest town. He knew the manor inside and out. He'd met most of the townspeople over the years, had studied the surrounding terrain, and knew most of the farms on the outer fringe.

  His time on the streets of London taught him that friends came in many shapes and financial standing. His most trusted friends were farmers and merchants rather than the aristocracy he played to as viscount. The superiority he used when he hosted his dinner and hunting parties came from the knowledge he'd gained by working for the duke. His varied roles as a hustler, spy, and occasional assassin taught him many things—how to dress, how to treat servants, and flamed his fascination with art and literature.