Desperate Forest Page 14

  “Roselynn . . .” Jay’s hoarse voice interrupted me, and he clutched my hand. “You need to get out of here now!”

  “Why?” I stared at him, taken aback by the urgency in his tone.

  “Darius can’t be trusted. He threatened you—said he’d kill you if I didn’t sign the confession.”

  “What?” I pulled my hand away from his. Of all the things I expected Jay to say as to why he confessed, that was not one of them.

  “You’re lying . . .” I took a step back, trying to make sense of what he’d just told me.

  “I’m not! I swear to you.”

  I stared at him, unsure of what to do next. One thing was certain—either Jay or Darius was lying. The question was, who could I really trust?

  “Roselynn, please, listen to me. Why would I lie to you about that? And why would I sign a confession if not because of a threat?”

  “I don’t know . . .” I swallowed weakly.

  “Please, I don’t know what Darius is playing at, but you’re not safe here. You need to leave. Tonight.”

  My mind spun. I had expected to free Jay and help him escape tonight. I hadn’t expected to join him.

  “Darius wouldn’t hurt me,” I said. Had he told Jay that because he was so desperate to be rid of him? Was he threatened by my concern for him?

  “I pray that’s true, but you can’t take the chance. Please leave. Go to Galesmore and find Gavin and the others. Stay with them where you’ll be safe.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Jay asked as if the answer was obvious.

  “I can’t let you be killed.” At that moment, I knew Jay was not a threat to me. He hadn’t asked me to release him since I’d entered. His only fear was for my safety.

  I fumbled with the key in my hand, unlocking his cell door. “Laurel is waiting for you at the stable. You need to be quick—”

  The moment the door was unlocked, Jay pushed it open and pulled me into his arms. He ran a hand through my hair. “You need to come with us . . . please.”

  The worry in his voice was real, but I couldn’t wrap my head around his accusation against Darius. It didn’t seem possible Darius would threaten me. But I could think of no reason for Jay to lie about it.

  Suddenly, I felt very tired. Tired of running. Tired of not having any answers. Tired of making decisions that I was unequipped to handle.

  “Come on,” I said, pulling away from him, heading for the door. Surprisingly, Jay followed without argument.

  We slipped out the door, past the still-sleeping guards, and made our way up the stairs.

  The castle was quiet and dark as we walked cautiously together until we were outside in the cool night air.

  We stayed close to the castle walls, and I blocked the light from the lantern with the folds of my cloak. Letting the moonlight guide us, we crept toward the stable. Laurel must have been successful in drugging the other guards because there was no movement around the grounds.

  As we approached the large wooden stable, partially rebuilt after the fire, Jay stiffened beside me. I turned to see a haunted expression on his face. I knew he must be confronting his demons by being here.

  “Keep going.” I gently pressed him forward. “We need to hurry.”

  He nodded but didn’t look at me. I wondered how much of him was there with me and how much of him was in the past.

  When I pushed open the heavy wooden doors, I saw Laurel saddling a horse. The bags we had packed earlier for her and Jay were already attached to another horse.

  “Good. You’re here,” Laurel said.

  I moved to help her when Jay clutched my arm.

  Turning to him in surprise, I saw he wasn’t looking at me, but rather all around the stable as if he was watching an imaginary scene play out.

  “I remember . . .” he breathed, his whole body shaking. “I remember. I didn’t kill King Charles . . . I didn’t kill him . . . it was—”

  With a loud bang, the stable door was thrown open.

  “Thaddeus!” I exclaimed in shock.

  Chapter 22

  A bedraggled Thaddeus stumbled into the stable, leading a weary horse behind him. He surveyed us, looking hunted. “Jay! King Abrax, he captured them, all of them. I was hunting when his soldiers found our camp. Abrax was with his knights. He had them all arrested, and Gavin . . .”

  “He’ll be facing treason,” I finished for him, taking the reins of his horse.

  “That’s not all.” Thaddeus struggled to catch his breath. “I heard Abrax. He’s headed here to find you, Roselynn. To keep you from marrying Darius and to start a war. I had to come warn you.”

  “We need to stop him,” I said, my mind spinning. Suddenly, an outraged voice sounded behind me.

  “Roselynn! What are you doing?!” Darius strode in with his sword drawn.

  In an instant, Jay was in front of me, shielding me, as he said, “You stay away from her.”

  I grabbed Jay’s arm. “Darius, Abrax is—”

  Darius pressed his sword to Jay’s neck, biting into his skin, and said, “Rosie, get away from him. He’s a murderer.”

  “You’re the murderer!” Jay’s grip tightened on me as he glared at Darius. “I remember everything. I didn’t kill King Charles. You did.”

  I gasped.

  “Liar!” Darius looked at me. “Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to turn you against me.”

  “She doesn’t need to listen to me, Darius. Why don’t you tell her? Tell her how you killed your own father. Tell her how you said you’d kill her if I didn’t confess to it. Tell her everything, brother!”

  “What?” I looked incredulously between the two, not believing what I was hearing. “You’re brothers?”

  “He’s lying, Rosie. It’s nothing but the ravings of a lunatic.” Darius raised his sword to strike Jay with it, but I grabbed his arm.

  “No! What is he talking about, Darius? Tell me!”

  Darius glared at me while Jay continued talking.

  “King Charles was my father. My mother used to work in the castle, and they fell in love. He told me the night he died. He said he wanted to divide the kingdom between me and Darius . . . We were here, in the stable. Darius returned from his hunting trip and overheard us. He was outraged. Said he wouldn’t share what was rightfully his.”

  Jay took a step toward Darius. “Darius attacked me. We fought and he overpowered me. He was about to kill me, but King Charles tried to stop him. He got in the way, and Darius accidently struck him instead.”

  “Enough!” Darius roared. “He’s insane! We’re not brothers. It’s nothing but a grand story he’s made up in his head to try to ease his guilt.”

  “It’s true,” Thaddeus said behind Darius, looking at Jay. “I knew your mother. I encouraged King Charles to tell you long ago, but he was afraid. I had no idea he’d finally told you.”

  At Thaddeus’s words, Darius’s face clouded over. He turned to Thaddeus, allowing Jay to push him away from me and grab for his sword.

  Almost immediately, Darius turned and lunged at Jay with his weapon.

  I watched in horror as Darius’s sword sliced Jay’s side. Jay crumpled to the ground, clutching his abdomen while blood seeped through his fingers.

  “No!” I drew my own sword and advanced on Darius. Darius looked at me in surprise. His expression changed and he seemed almost amused.

  “Rosie, darling, put that sword down before you hurt yourself.” He moved to take my sword, but I quickly thrust it toward his chest.

  “Not another step,” I warned. “Or I will kill you.”

  He smiled charmingly at me, seemingly unfazed by my threat. “Rosie, my love, we don’t need to fight—we can have it all. Marry me and we can stop your uncle. We’ll unite forces, and no kingdom will be as powerful as ours.”

  “That’s all I ever was to you, wasn’t I? A source of power.” I knew it was true, exactly as Jay had said it in the forest. Darius had only professed his so-called love for m
e after my father died. When he saw a way to gain control of my kingdom quickly by marrying me.

  “You’re so clever, aren’t you, Rosie?” Darius glared at me, apparently tired of keeping up his charade. “You should have stuck with your books.” He raised his sword to strike me. I swiftly countered his blow, almost falling backward at the impact.

  “Full of surprises, aren’t you?” Darius laughed cruelly as he circled me, preparing to strike again. “Perhaps you would have made an amusing wife, after all.”

  I lunged at him, but he easily blocked my sword with his. He raised his sword again and I twisted, attempting to counteract his attack, but I knew I was in trouble. My minimal skills were no match for his years of training.

  Just before his sword descended, a sickening crack rang through the stable and Darius collapsed. Thaddeus stood over him, holding a large metal pitchfork.

  Darius lay on the ground, blood seeping from his head as he struggled to get up.

  I stepped toward him and pressed my sword to his throat. “It’s over, Darius. No more lies.”

  Thaddeus dropped the pitchfork he had used to strike Darius across the skull with and hauled him to his feet.

  “Take him to the dungeon,” I said, handing Thaddeus my sword.

  Immediately, I hurried to where Jay lay in a bloodied heap. Laurel was already beside him, tending to his wound. She’d taken off her cloak and used it to apply pressure to his side.

  I fell to my knees, horrified by the amount of blood pooling around him as he struggled to breathe. The color drained from his face, and his eyes couldn’t focus.

  I grabbed Jay’s hand, staining mine with blood. “Hang on,” I pleaded. “Please, stay with me.”

  “Roselynn.” His voice cracked as he raised a hand to my face. “Don’t cry, Princess . . .” He gave me a weary smile before he closed his eyes, and his head fell into my lap.

  “Laurel,” I said frantically, tears streaming down my cheeks.

  “He’s losing a lot of blood.” Laurel sounded quite distressed herself. “He needs stitches.”

  I continued applying pressure to the wound, while she hurried to the castle to get what she needed.

  Jay’s eyelids fluttered several times, but his breathing remained erratic, and he never regained consciousness.

  As I knelt there beside him, I prayed desperately that Laurel could heal him, and I would get the chance to tell him everything I wanted to.

  ✽✽✽

  As Laurel worked, I did my best to help her however she directed. I poured alcohol over Jay’s wound to sterilize it and handed her clean bandages when she requested them.

  “Is he going to make it?” I dared to ask as she finished stitching him up.

  “I don’t know.” Laurel shook her head. “Only time will tell.”

  I gulped, fighting back more tears, and squeezed Jay’s hand, hoping he could feel it.

  “When the knights wake up, we’ll move him to the castle,” Laurel said. “I’ll see what I can come up with to help avoid a fever and heal the wound.”

  I nodded, adjusting several blankets over the other half of Jay’s body. I hoped Thaddeus would send knights to help us soon. He had agreed to stay in the dungeon until the knights awoke to explain what had happened. The last thing we needed was for Darius to talk them into releasing him.

  As it was, we were facing a particularly difficult situation. The knights would awake to find their king locked up, while the man they had been hunting for weeks was proclaimed their rightful ruler.

  Laurel had just finished dressing Jay’s wound when a commotion from outside the castle walls caused us both to look at each other questioningly.

  A minute later, Thaddeus burst through the door, holding a piece of parchment in his hand. “King Abrax is outside the gates with his army. He’s demanding you, Princess Roselynn. Says if we don’t hand you over, he’ll attack.”

  “What?” I grabbed the parchment from him, reading it quickly. Sure enough, it was a distinct threat, saying if Darius didn’t return me to the Tover knights by dawn, they would attack Marcsnovia in retaliation for my kidnapping.

  “What does this mean?” Laurel said, reading the paper over my shoulder.

  Thaddeus shook his head, his mouth set in a grim line. “Most of the knights are awake now . . . but I got a look at the army outside the castle walls. We’re far outnumbered. If Abrax attacks, we don’t stand a chance.”

  “No,” I said, “there won’t be any fighting. I’ll comply with his request.”

  “Your Highness, it’s suicide!”

  “It’s the only way.” I scanned my uncle’s message again. “And listen, Abrax refers to my ‘kidnapping’ in this note. That means he’s using that as a story to justify his actions—he needs it to save face in front of his knights. If I return to him and enough knights see me, he can’t kill me right away. He’ll still have to make my death look like an accident. That will give you enough time to try to reach me again.”

  Thaddeus slowly nodded. “You’re right . . . but it’s very risky. Abrax isn’t going to let you out of his sight.”

  “I know, but if I can get any of his good knights to listen to me, they might be able to help.”

  “Roselynn.” Laurel grabbed my arm. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I need to do this. Besides, maybe I can find out what happened to Gavin and the rest of them in the meantime.”

  Laurel nodded and walked over to one of the horses she had prepared earlier. She pulled a small dagger out of her bag and handed it to me. “It’s not much but if you get a chance, use it.”

  “I will.” I tucked the dagger into my boot, then looked at Jay resting on the ground, relieved his chest rose and fell more rhythmically now. “Please, take care of him.”

  I walked over and knelt beside him, placing my hand on his cheek. “Tell him I’m sorry. Tell him . . .” Tears threatened to overtake me. There was too much I wanted to say to him. I couldn’t even begin to express it.

  Laurel knelt beside me and placed a hand on my back. “He’ll be furious with us for letting you go.”

  “I know.” I smiled sadly, squeezing his hand one last time. Then I stood up and walked out of the stable with Thaddeus.

  It was time for me to face my uncle.

  Chapter 23

  As Thaddeus walked me to the palace gates, Callen met us in the courtyard. He’d been busy spreading the word about Darius and Jay to the other knights.

  Apparently, Darius had already fallen out of favor with most of the knights, due to his rash behavior and ruthless tactics. That, combined with Thaddeus’s return, had caused there to be little pushback. Thaddeus was well respected in the kingdom, having been King Charles’s most trusted confidant during his life.

  We filled Callen in on our plan. He, like Thaddeus, protested, but I was able to convince him that complying with my uncle’s wishes was the safest thing for Marcsnovia.

  We talked briefly about possible strategies to stop King Abrax. I felt relieved that whatever happened to me, there was a group of knights here who would do what they could to prevent Abrax from growing in power.

  “Stay safe, Your Highness,” Callen said as we reached the castle gates. “We’ll do everything we can to bring you back, along with your friends.”

  I thanked him and turned to Thaddeus. “Thank you for everything. If I’m not able to, please help the people of Tover.”

  “You have my word.”

  Thaddeus gave the signal for the guards to open the gates. The moment they parted enough for me to become visible, Kartoff emerged from the shadows and grabbed my arm. I felt the sharp point of a knife against my back.

  “Not a word,” he hissed. “Or your lawbreaking friends will all be killed.”

  I gave a small nod, hoping his words meant Gavin and the rest were still alive. Not that I put much stock in what the evil man clutching me said, but I would play along if it meant I could save my friends.

  “My dear Roselynn,” my uncle
called from atop his horse, surrounded by his knights. “It brings me such joy to see you alive and well. You have no idea the pain your kidnapping has caused the kingdom.”

  I bit back the urge to scoff. The only pain my being gone had caused him was worry he would lose his throne.

  “Fear not.” He looked around at the masses of knights who had their swords and bows drawn. “For this crime will not go unpunished!” There was a murmur of assurance from the knights, ready to avenge the so-called crime against their princess.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but the blade of Kartoff’s knife pressed harder against my back and reminded me what was at stake.

  “If we may,” I said, “I am very tired after my ordeal and would like nothing more than to rest.”

  Kartoff led me to a horse and directed me to mount it. He lifted himself up behind me.

  “Of course, my dear,” my uncle said. “We’ll take you back to camp immediately and deal with this injustice in the morning.”

  Kartoff called the order, and knights mounted their horses. Soon we were all galloping away.

  My heart lurched in my throat. It seemed my uncle was still planning on using my disappearance as an excuse to try to take over Marcsnovia. To punish them for supposedly kidnapping me.

  That meant Thaddeus, Callen, and Laurel had less time than I’d thought to save me and stop my uncle. I prayed they would succeed.

  ✽✽✽

  We rode for a half hour, then stopped off the main road where a large army camp was set up.

  “All right, everyone, eat and rest! We return to Marcsnovia at dawn!” Kartoff’s voice boomed next to my ear.

  “Leave Marcsnovia out of this!” I whispered fiercely. “I’ve come back with you. There’s no reason to attack them.”

  “Oh, Your Highness, you really are naive.” Kartoff’s foul breath floated around me as he spoke. “This is the ideal opportunity to strike against Marcsnovia. Your little stunt gave us the perfect opportunity. We can blame them for kidnapping you, and no one will question our retaliation. King Abrax will meld their surviving army with ours and be even more powerful.”