Blizzard Page 13

  “He will never have our home. My father and I have seen to ensure that, Lady Eliza.” Xavier’s deep voice calmed her nerves. Jerisen and Xavier had always been true to their words in every instance of their dedication.

  “How has this been secured?” Eliza queried.

  “We have set up traps for the entrances. Once they have entered through the tunnels, those will be collapsed on the trespassers. The main road in, through the mountain pass, will be made impassable as well, Lady Eliza. While they may attempt to enter the pass and make port, we have doubts they will be able to make the voyage across your mother’s—” Xavier flicked his eyes to Zachariah and stopped himself short.

  “My mother? Continue, Xavier, he knows well enough by now.” Eliza prodded more roughly than she had intended, the mention of her mother turning her to stone from the waist down.

  “Her last spell was to keep the coast line inaccessible by ship.” His words had come in low, though no more refugees were shuffling by. All in the first group had made the trek safely into the crumbling structures.

  “Oh.” A twinge of despair crushed the small flame of hope that had sparked. Eliza was silently chiding her foolishness to even hope when she felt a warm hand grip her shoulder, bringing her back to the two men staring at her damp, bitter eyes.

  Xavier pulled her into a warm, comforting embrace. The two had been the closest of friends, even more than her genteel peers. They had been raised together, always finding mischief together and sparring; Eliza found no other bond of friendship on the same level with her feminine companions. Though she had been tutored with some close friends, Xavier knew her wild and fearless heart in a way that would cause the aristocrats to begin their dangerous game of tongues.

  “We must move now, Zachariah.” Xavier released Eliza from the hug but held her shoulders firm, keeping her gaze focused on his. “Reegan has already begun his own advance.”

  Eliza stood, mouth agape. Noticing Xavier’s eyes held a slight glow, Eliza rubbed her eyes, squeezing them shut tightly and then opening them in confusion.

  “We will return, Eliza,” Zachariah guaranteed.

  Xavier appeared to return to himself, letting her go and leading the way without another word spared. Only his determined expression let Eliza know there was still hope, still a possible future for her people. Eliza watched the two men stride off, cloaks catching in a whip of wind that carried the chill of encroaching winter, reminding her of the additional mouths that had to be fed and what little there was to live off of in this foreign land.

  At least another two hundred people were waiting when Zachariah and Xavier arrived, with a quarter broken off to keep the livestock of cows, lambs, and goats. Two carts had been filled with chickens penned up, crammed inside to make the journey.

  “How can you keep tracks such as these hidden?” Zachariah was taking count as he questioned Xavier. Even though he was rumored to be the most skilled tracker and assassin in the lands, Zachariah doubted Xavier could cover every possible track left by the present group.

  Xavier only turned with a subtle quirk to his lips, an amused twinkle to his eyes before heading into the group and calling out with his deep voice low but commanding. Xavier caught everyone’s attention, which hadn’t been hard when Zachariah considered how quiet they had all been, including the animals. He scanned the crowd, noticing the varied refugees. Women and children. The present group contained no men, save a handful helping to manage the livestock. A feminine figure dressed in men’s clothing moved to the head of the group.

  Janice. Alive, but not appearing so very well.

  Her pallor made Zachariah uneasy, wondering if Lord Effren was still alive. As the thoughts formed, Janice met his eyes, narrowing them before she moved Xavier out of her way and advanced towards Zachariah. Xavier gripped her arm, briefly, giving him a chance to whisper into her ear and causing her to pause. Zachariah tensed; sick as she might appear, he knew she still held powers unknown to him, especially if she had managed to survive Reegan.

  Janice’s face eased the tension it held a bit as Xavier released her, instead placing his hand gently on her shoulder before she continued forward. “Xavier has informed me you helped Eliza escape from Reegan.”

  Zachariah nodded, still holding tight to the hilt of his sword.

  “You have my thanks.” Janice provided a slight bow, staying in form. “I ask that you not inform Eliza of my presence. None of our people recognize me, save you and Xavier, and they believe I have died and should continue doing so. For my sake and hers.”

  “Why? What of your husband?”

  Janice’s eyes shot to his, cutting his line of questioning off entirely. “Keep quiet. This spell was not easy to cast in my current state,” she hissed more than whispered. “My husband…” Her voice choked up. “He remained behind to secure the closure of all passes. I will join him there before that comes to pass, but time is running out. I would ask that you give this letter to Eliza, after everyone has arrived safely.” Janice produced an enveloped letter, stamped and sealed with the Charan family crest. Janice turned to walk away.

  Zachariah implored her to change her tactics. “You should come back, you should—”

  “All will be understood soon enough, young sir.” The voice that called back to him was no longer that of Lady Janice, but a man’s voice. The face that turned back to him was no longer the beguiling beauty Eliza had taken after, but a plain, simple face, surrounded by a darkened crown of brown hair with brown eyes, watching from behind the curled curtain, before returning to the destination ahead. The memory of who the man was remained, but the magic left a deep impression upon Zachariah to move along with the plan as it was, and he felt he no longer held the capacity to react otherwise.

  Expectant people crowded around Zachariah as he watched Xavier and the masked Lady Janice mount two horses tied off behind a row of trees. The two departed without looking back. Zachariah twirled the envelope between his fingers, staring at the edges as though they would reveal the mystery of their contents, if he only opened the letter. Instead, he quickly tucked the letter away and led the refugees without a word of guidance. They followed without question, without sound. Then Zachariah understood how they could move such large groups of both people and animals without being traced, why Lady Janice had appeared so weakened. She had been placing spells, blessings as Eliza would have preferred to call them, of such large scale and distance it was undoubtedly killing her. The ocean, the castle, the people and animals, even herself had been bespelled by her hand. Zachariah wondered if the price the priestesses of old had to pay for their blessings was their very lifeforce, as rumor had once claimed.

  Four more days passed before all refugees were transplanted, before Eliza was given the envelope, and the terrible truth Zachariah had feared became known.

  “My mother…is alive!” A sob sounded out across the room between Zachariah, Eliza, and Xavier. “She’s made a terrible sacrifice, though, and can no longer remain here. She intends to return…with my father—” Eliza was trembling, fighting to stop the crying, but she held no control over her emotions “—back to her homelands across the seas. Only there can she heal her body from the toll her blessings have cost her.” Slamming the letter down, Eliza stood and began pacing, arms pulled tight against her chest as she worked to calm herself.

  “That’s good news, though, right?” Zachariah queried.

  “Yes and no. She…they will not be able to return. Once there…they must remain, for all of their days.”

  “Why?”

  Eliza sniffled. “There are rules, and my mother has now broken several. Where she goes is where the last of the priestesses reside. It is a hidden place, impossible to find unless they allow it, and because of how much of her soul has been drained, my mother may never fully recover. It’s…it’s been too much.” At that Eliza sat down once more and rubbed her burgeoning belly. “I need to be alone.”

  “Of course,” Xavier interjected. “We will be nearby, tho
ugh, should you need us. We must begin with the plans immediately.” Xavier guided Zachariah from the room, shutting the recently fixed doors.

  Turning around, Xavier raised his hand to keep Zachariah from whatever he intended to say. “She needs her time to grieve, and we have people to help, a castle to refortify, and winter to prepare for. Reegan has undoubtedly discovered the tunnels, and all access points have been shut down. His suspicion is bound to be raised, and there aren’t that many places a whole kingdom of people could be hidden away without rumors traveling, and swiftly. Lady Eliza will come back to us when she is ready, and we both know that will be sooner rather than later.”

  Zachariah put no effort in hiding his irritation. “That may be, but in the last week her stomach has grown quite a bit. Don’t you find that odd?”

  Xavier only stared in response.

  “You know something, don’t you?”

  Silence prevailed.

  “Tell me, Xavier, whatever you know I have a right to know as well.”

  Xavier heaved a sigh, deep and long, that worried Zachariah before responding. “Tell me this first, did you notice any odd behavior, or abilities, that Reegan presented before you left?”

  Pausing, Zachariah considered revealing what he knew and had not shared. “Yes, I did. Though, there have been many changes to Reegan in the past few years—”

  “You know how I mean. I can tell you have witnessed what I was asking. Reegan has been dealing with demons, Zachariah. That is how he has the strength and abilities you must have witnessed.”

  Zachariah nearly fell over at the news.

  “Yes, and one demon in particular. A king of demons, The Devil. He did nearly kill Lady Janice and Lord Effren, but thankfully Lady Janice had been somewhat prepared. Her and Lord Effren’s informants were paid well enough to keep them just beyond the cusp of death, it would seem.” Xavier turned and walked away from Eliza’s room. “The child Lady Eliza carries is unnatural. Whether that child is cursed or blessed is yet to be seen. This acceleration in growth is not entirely unexpected.”

  The two men had been walking down the stairs to the main level, but Zachariah stopped, his eyes wide with the horror of the realization. “How soon?”

  “I cannot say. I have told you what I know and we must simply wait and watch.”

  Zachariah plopped down on the cold stone steps, deep and wide.

  “It simply is what it is, my friend.” Xavier turned back and sat next to Zachariah.

  “This is my fault. I should have known. I should have taken her away after what happened in the training fields.” Zachariah balled his fists, anger and shame flooding his senses.

  “How could you have known? You cannot stop fate any sooner than you can stop the sun and moon from their constant rise and fall.”

  Zachariah scoffed at the words. “Fate? How is this fate? He raped her, kept her locked in his bedchamber until he was certain she was with child, and God only knows what else he has…had…planned!”

  Standing, Xavier began down the steps, a little more quickly this time. “We have no time to squabble over things we cannot control or change.” He paused briefly, pain clear on his face. “All we can do now is to help mold a better future. Reegan is not done. He still has plans that have not been halted, and if Lady Janice is correct, this child will be both blessed and cursed and will need all of our help to save us all.” As Xavier began his descent once more, voices echoed up the stairwell, off the barren walls, signaling some distress from below.

  Looking to one another, the two took off down the stairs as swiftly as they dared before reaching the landing at the bottom. Crying could be heard, frantic voices filling every nook and cranny.

  “What’s going on?” Zachariah stepped ahead of Xavier, an act so natural he didn’t take a moment to consider what danger might lie before them both. What they found was a large group of people piling in and filling the entry hall, dining hall, and other various rooms.

  “Master Zachariah.” A frail elderly woman stepped forth with a child no older than four wrapped up in her arms and shawl. “This was the only place we could think to come!”

  “Mrs. Helbern?” Zachariah squinted at the sight before him. “Young Thedryk Melden, if I’m not mistaken. What are you all doing here? What’s happened?”

  From beneath the mass of dark hair, young green eyes were stark dry, seemingly barren of emotion. Mrs. Helbern seemed to be in a constant state of shaken nerves, a laced cap covering her hair from beneath her cloak, and her shawl wrapped around the boy.

  “Lord Reegan, he came, and Lady Janice had warned us. Nobody listened, she was cast out, called a traitor, that was two days ago.” Mrs. Helbern’s eyes went wide, stricken by the individual who had descended the staircase as a specter, causing a gasp amongst the throng of people. “Her ghost, she’s come to curse us!” Mrs. Helbern fell back in a faint, the group behind her catching her before she met the ground.

  Zachariah and Xavier turned to find Eliza, staring wide-eyed at the group below and taking in each face, before landing on Thedryk’s. Eliza’s tear-stained faced softened at its edges. What had been unrelenting sorrow melted away as she stepped forward, cupping the young face in her hands. “Hello young man, and who might you be?” All remained quiet as the exchange occurred between the two.

  “Thedryk. Thedryk Melden.” The young boy’s lips quivered. “He killed my mommy and daddy!” Thedryk’s blank face broke, and the child collapsed in a sobbing heap as Eliza wrapped her arms under his, pulling his small body to her own and embracing him.

  A man stepped forward, equally as old as Mrs. Helbern but seemingly sturdier. “Lady Janice warned us, Master Zachariah, but Lord and Lady Melden turned her out, called for Lord Reegan immediately. And he…he killed them and half our people instead! Claimed they were traitors for not locking up Lady Charan, and if anyone let her go again, we would be…be…be…uhm…” For a moment, the old man stuttered before stopping, his gaze resting on Thedryk and Eliza holding tight to one another.

  “I understand.” Zachariah nodded to the old man, relieving him of reciting the threat Reegan had provided. “The Meldens may have erred in this matter, but I will not turn you out. Please, rest for now. We can discuss the situation in further detail later.”

  “Bless you, Master Zachariah.” The old man reached out, taking his hand into his own and patting it shakily.

  “How long since you last ate?” Eliza’s voice carried across the crowd, hushing the building moment that had begun in their retreat for rest.

  “The two days we traveled, ma’am,” the old man answered, his graying eyes red-rimmed and weighing heavy, the wrinkles carved into his face making him appear all the older. “We didn’t have time to prepare for the journey other than to get ourselves up and out. Reegan demanded we hand over Lady Charan, and we knew she weren’t coming back.”

  Gripping young Thedryk with a firm squeeze, Eliza smiled up to the group. “Then follow me to the kitchen, there’s been wonderous work done and there is food we can offer. The people from my parents…from my home have brought plenty in the way of sustenance.”

  “Thank you.” The old man smiled but hung his head in the shame of knowing they had cast her mother out.

  “Zachariah.” Xavier beckoned Zachariah from the departing group, Eliza leading the way. “We must prepare. I would suspect Reegan had these people followed.”

  “Without a doubt,” Zachariah confirmed before stepping forward after Eliza. Gently taking hold of her arm, he stopped her briefly, watching as her expression remained surprisingly calm as he leaned close, whispering into her ear, “Remain hidden. Reegan must not know you are alive and well.” Pulling away, he watched as Eliza slowly nodded, accepting the risk.

  It was two weeks before Reegan sent an official messenger to the castle rather than a raiding party, but by then Xavier and Zachariah had prepared the land and people in every fashion imaginable. They had distributed the mass of people to four various villages nearby, out of
necessity for the sheer volume of people that had arrived within the first week.

  “Your parents chose well when they chose this land, Zachariah,” Xavier mused once more as they reviewed the map of the land. “Very few entrances, all manageable, and those that might be passable remove the possibility for large groups to pass across without losing more soldiers than it’s worth. The land is harsh but manageable for livestock and crops, and the seasons are not what is typically expected for the time of year.”

  “Wise they were, but they trusted too freely.” Finishing his markings on the map, Zachariah stood upright, surveying his work. “We are lucky to have made such quick work before the snow fell heavily.” All four looked up and out the window; Thedryk hadn’t left Eliza’s side in all that time.

  “Snow in September. Isn’t that a bit early even for these lands?” Uncertainty lined Eliza’s voice, though she rubbed Thedryk’s shoulders to provide him reassurance of some form.

  “It is.” Zachariah looked from the window directly before their table back to Eliza. Her pregnancy had progressed beyond anything he had imagined; she looked nearly full term in half the natural cycle. “But I believe that means we must make snow men sooner rather than later.” He threw a wink to Thedryk who smiled shyly in response. “We must also continue your lessons, young Master Melden.” Quickly pulling away from Eliza, Thedryk stood at the ready, imaginary sword in hand.

  “Why should you be the only one to teach him, Zachariah? I hope you have not forgotten how many times I have bested you.” Eliza laughed, as the others joined her. It was the first joyous laughter any had heard from her since the final group had arrived, since she had read the letter from her mother a hundred times over.

  “Is that true?” Thedryk giggled, clasping his miniscule hands over his mouth to hide his one missing tooth.

  “I dare say, she is the most dangerous swordsman of any of us. Wouldn’t you agree, Xavier?”