by Raven Dark
Hawk picked up his double scabbard and replaced it on his back. Pretty Boy got up and did the same with his sword, then checked to make sure my scarf was hiding my hair well enough.
As everyone headed for the doors, Sheriff held up his hand.
“One more thing. There’s going to be a few night guards in the halls and at the doors. All of you, act normal. We don’t want them thinking we’re going to make trouble, and we have no idea what any of them might do before we get out of here.”
In silence, we grabbed our bags and left Doc’s room. In the hall, as usual, Sheriff gave orders from the front of the line, and the men talked quietly amongst themselves. About how happy they’d be to finally return home, how they hoped there’d be no surprises before we reached the Grotto.
Hawk walked at my side with his hand on the small of my back. As always, his face was impassive, giving nothing away. Pretty Boy kept at my other side. Doc walked with Diamond and Emmy to either side of him, Diamond giving a convincing giggle to whatever he had said. Steel brought up the rear, the giant protector who had his Brothers’ backs.
Unease tore at me, every guard at the entrances seeming to watch us too closely. I tried to look like I wasn’t noticing them, to appear casual, mirroring Hawk’s calm. It helped to feel the presence of the men all around me.
We went down a set of stone steps to a large garage where Lord Falnar kept his carriages and where the guests’ vehicles were held, including the men’s bikes.
At the bottom of the stairs, an extra wide set of steel doors with windows led into the garage. Through the windows, I could see several solar-paneled carriages, and bike chrome glinting under torchlight.
Straight ahead, I saw a door that lead into another garage. Through that door’s window, I caught a glimpse of T-Man’s side profile as he worked over a bike. A repair garage, then.
Sheriff opened both doors and stepped in with a thorough look around. For guards laying in wait, I realized. When he found nothing untoward in the room, he put his back to the door near the wall and the rest of us walked in.
Except for the vehicles, the room stood empty. The only sound I heard was growl from T-Man’s bike in the repair garage. Some of the tension left me.
A collection of carriages were parked toward the back and sides of the room, many on pedestals and under bright torchlight. The Legion’s bikes were parked in a haphazard cluster a few feet from a wooden garage door that spread wide enough for three of the carriages to fit through side-by-side. From here, I could make out Sheriff’s skull-and-flame-emblazoned bike near the back, and Pretty Boy’s, with its red and orange flames, near the front.
The men carried their bags and suitcases toward their bikes, Doc taking Diamond toward his and directing Emmy to take T-Man’s when he brought his ride out.
“Come on, Princess, you ride with me,” Pretty Boy said, leading me toward his bike.
“Everyone mount up.” Sheriff set his backpack on the back of his bike, then gave his suitcase to Doc to stow in one of the compartments attached to the side of his. “Hawk, come with me.” He gestured to Hawk who was stowing his own things. “We’ll see how T-Man and Crash are doing with the repairs, then we’ll find Lord Falnar. I want everyone ready to go when we come back.”
Affirmations rose up from the men as they started tying on the black masks that covered the lower halves of their faces and mounted up. Steel and Doc put on helmets, lowering their visors, leaving their faces completely hidden.
While Pretty Boy pulled me onto his bike, I heard Sheriff say something to Hawk behind me about Lord Falnar taking too long, but half of what he’d said was drowned out.
A horrible screeching sound from in front of me made everyone stop. The garage door slowly lifted upward, letting in a widening strip of moonlight.
The shadow of a large, rolly-polly man appeared. The garage door raised and hit the top of the frame with a soft thud. The night kept the man in shadow until he stepped into the well-lit garage.
“Lord Falnar?” Sheriff’s boots sounded on the floor stones behind me as he walked back toward the front of the line, toward our host.
Lord Falnar moved a pace or two inside. He looked terrible, his round face bloodless and sweaty. He was also walking with a slowness that reminded me of a man moving away from a rabid animal.
His hands were shaking.
Fingers of fear made their way up my nape.
“I’m sorry,” he said, so softly I barely heard him, even when the revving of the engine T-Man was working on cut off. “I tried to stop them. They…they arrived after you spoke with me, Sheriff.”
“What?” Sheriff’s voice grated with alarm.
Without looking around, I could feel everyone frozen with readiness.
Lord Falnar took another step into the room. His body tensed as if he’d been electrocuted.
“Please, Sheriff. Stay where you are.” His hands slowly raised, the way one does when faced with a stick-up. “I’m sorry,” he repeated . “I’m so sorry, Legion.”
Ice filled my veins.
“What the fuck is going on?” Sheriff demanded.
Lord Falnar’s body stiffened again. Without a word, he lowered himself slowly and lumbering to his knees, revealing the source of his distress.
Dressed all in black, with a helmet covering his face, a guard stood behind Lord Falnar. He’d had a crossbow aimed at the lord’s back, now trained at the back of his head.
My heartbeat filled my ears.
Out of the darkness that lay over the outside lot, a man stalked into the garage. Dressed in a gaudy red shirt with at least ten falls of lace at his throat, he stopped behind Lord Falnar and the guard, and gave us all a smug smile. Two more guards, one with a sword and another with a crossbow, flanked him.
“Ah, just in time. I was hoping your guests would still be here, Gabriel.” His eyes flicked to Lord Falnar.
“Matais?” Hawk hissed.
As more guards spilled into the room and spread out around the garage, angry rumbles from the rest of the men drifted up. Pretty Boy’s hand touched my thigh.
I heard the telltale whine of steel being drawn.
“Ah-ah.” Matais jerked his chin at someone behind me. “Put the sword down, Yantu. No one move. One wrong move from any of you, and these guards will kill you.”
“Whatever you need, Matais, I will give it to you,” Lord Falnar said in a shaky voice. He remained still, frozen in place, hands still in the air.
Maker, I’d never heard him sound so scared.
“I know you would, Gabe. You’ve always been such a bleeding heart. Pity you had to figure it out.”
“So let me guess,” Sheriff snapped. “You’re the one stealing from us.”
Matais’ smile was almost nonchalant. “Not much you can do about it now, is there, Sheriff?” He shrugged. “As soon as Gabriel contacted me, I had to see for myself that you were still alive. The poor sop thought I was running to help him. Now. Drop your weapons, all of you.”
When no one moved, he gestured to Hawk and Pretty Boy, the two men visibly armed.
I heard another whine of steel and the clink of two swords—Hawk’s—being set on the ground behind me. Pretty Boy grabbed the hilt of his sword.
“Careful,” one of the guards who’d circled to our left snapped, jerking a loaded bow at him. “Slowly.”
I leaned back in the seat, and Pretty Boy slowly drew the sword out. The same guard nodded to the ground, and Pretty Boy tossed the weapon down, then raised his hands.
A bike engine roared to life in the repair garage. Dread washed over me. T-Man and Crash. I heard T-Man let out a string of curses, then Crash laugh as the engine sputtered and coughed like a sick dog.
I glanced at Matais just as he nodded to two of the guards. The men turned and headed for the repair garage door.
The engine cut off. A door creaked.
“Guys, it’s going to be another hour before—” T-Man cut off. “Well, fuck me.”
“Check
them,” Matais ordered from the front of the room.
“We aren’t armed,” Crash said from behind me.
After a few grunts from the back, the two guards gave the all clear.
Matais rubbed his hands together and looked at all of us in turn. “Well. Now that that’s taken care of, it’s time to say goodbye, Uncle.”
“Matais, you don’t have to do this!” Lord Falnar boomed. “Let’s just—”
But Matais nodded to the guard behind his uncle.
There was a twang, and then a horrible thunk. Lord Falnar dropped, face first onto the paving stones, a single bolt sticking out of the back of his skull.
My stomach dropped, the wind knocked out of me.
“You son of a bitch,” Sheriff snarled. “You’re gonna die, you fuck. When I get my hands on you, I’ll snap your frilly neck like a—”
“Save it, Sheriff. There is another order of business to take care of before you die. Madi’san didn’t do the job, but these men will.”
“What order of business?” Sheriff demanded.
One of the guards flanking Matais stepped out from behind him. Like the other guards, a helmet hid his face from view. He drew a sword from a scabbard at his hip and made his way straight toward Pretty Boy.
Sweat beaded on my brow, and I tightened my arms around my master’s waist.
“Don’t—” Hawk started.
“You heard me.” Matais shook his head at Hawk. “No. One. Move.”
Pretty Boy sat perfectly still, hands in the air, but I felt every muscle in him tense. The guard in front of him advanced, then slowly walked around to our side.
I thought he was going to put the blade under Pretty Boy’s chin. Instead, he drew close to the bike and put it under mine, forcing my chin up.
“Get the fu—” Pretty Boy began.
“Don’t. Don’t even twitch,” the guard ordered in a silky, smooth voice.
My heart did a horrible nose dive, recognition slamming into me.
No, no, no, no…
The guard slipped off his helmet. Damien’s lips curled into a twisted smile.
“Hello, Setora.”
The End of Book 4 of
SAVING SETORA
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Acknowledgments
They say it takes a village to raise a child. But it also takes a crack team to bring a good book out into the world. Our beta readers, our proofer, our ARC team, and our fans—we couldn’t have done this without all of you. A world of love to you for raising our baby right.
A huge shout out to my Bitches! You girls make me laugh every day and make my heart all warm and fuzzy. Love you all ❤
To my Penned Family, so much love. To the members of The Grotto, Raven and I are so thankful for such an awesome group. This book's for you!
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