They only said that Raiya had ordered them to leave. She said she'd help Zedd and leave the place before any reinforcements showed up. Elsa tried to calm down, tell herself that Zedd would come back. He had faced worse odds before, and he always came out on top.

After he failed to show up the next morning though, panic started seeping through her. If Stalwart ever captured them, her entire enterprise would fall. The mad wizard never forgave treachery, and he punished severely for it. So Elsa succ.u.mbed to the gnawing suspicions she had, and sent the b.l.o.o.d.y baron to scope Bodrick's summer house out.

To make matters worse, the b.l.o.o.d.y baron had also been gone since morning. She tried to calm her nerves in any way she could. First, she went to the training arena and vented out her frustration and stress on a poor dummy. Then she took a bath in the Aether Spring to calm down and recollect her thoughts. When none of that worked, she resorted to drinking.

It was late in the afternoon when she started pacing around the main hall, waiting for somebody to give her some news, anything would do. n.o.body came though. So she kept ordering her servants to bring her more wine, more of the venomous liquid to dull her senses.

"How's the wine treating you?" Beatrix asked as she joined her in the main hall.

"Tastes like p.i.s.s," she said. "What's taking them so long?"

"Father was expecting us," Beatrix said. "They used something on me that disabled my magic. I don't know how I got out of there alive."

Elsa shot Beatrix a dark look. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I thought you could use some company," Beatrix answered. She noticed the way Elsa looked at her, but decided to ignore it. "I'm worried about them too."

"Looks like you're glad you escaped if you ask me," Elsa mumbled.

Beatrix took in a deep breath. She looked at Elsa with compa.s.sion, and slight pity. "If Stalwart had captured them, he'd be here already," she said. "Relax, they'll get here."

"How would you know?" Elsa snapped. "We allowed that witch to join us while we didn't know much about her. I should have done more research before I accepted to work with her."

"That witch saved my life," Beatrix retorted. "She's probably saved Zedd's life too."

"Or she took him to the mad wizard," Elsa said. "They're probably gloating about giving us a small victory, only to take it away from us while we celebrated."

"Zedd said she hated Stalwart more than any of us," Beatrix said. "You're being paranoid Elsa."

"It's Lady Vogel for you," Elsa hissed. "Don't you ever forget it!"  

"That's obviously the wine talking," Beatrix said. She never expected to see the baroness of Milkweed in such disarray.

"Perhaps you let the fact that you're in our team get to your head." Elsa turned and approached Beatrix. She stood right in front of her. Their eyes locked. Elsa's nostrils flared, and her breathing got unsteady. "If it weren't for this alliance, I would have chopped your head off long ago."

Beatrix took a step back. Elsa's anger had taken her aback. "If I've done anything to offend you, I apologize," she whispered.

"Offend me?" Elsa scoffed. "Your family ruined mine!" her voice started rising. Beatrix knew then, that the wine had gotten to Elsa's head, that she was about to say something she'd regret.

"Your lord father murdered my mother and infant brother in cold blood," Elsa went on, her voice echoing through the main hall. "He played my father like a fool, almost deprived us of all our properties. I have no love for your family, nor do I have any for you, Lady Bodrick." She p.r.o.nounced her last words with such fury that spit sprinkled over Beatrix's face.

"I have no love for my father either," Beatrix replied. "You're drunk, lady Vogel. I obviously made a mistake coming here."

Beatrix was about to leave when the b.l.o.o.d.y baron barged into the main hall. Elsa spun around. Her hopeful expression quickly turned into worry and panic as she saw the old man, not the man she wished to see. The b.l.o.o.d.y baron had obviously been running. He put his hands on his knees as he bent forward to catch his breath. Elsa ran toward him and held him by the shoulders.

"What did you find out?" she asked.

"They're not there," he said. "I don't know what they were fighting, but the house caved in beneath the hill. It's a mess down there, and there are monsters that almost swallowed me whole when I tried to enter the tunnels."

"s.h.i.+t!" Elsa swore under her breath. "Do you think they fell down there?"

"I can't say for sure," the old man replied.

"Where's Hilda when you need her…" Elsa mumbled under her breath. "Send some men over there. They're to scour every inch of the place until they find him."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Lady Vogel," the old man retorted.

"What are you talking about?" Beatrix intervened.

"I saw some of Stalwart's men over there," the old man said. "I barely escaped without being seen. If they're down there, they're sure to find them first."

"Nonsense!" Elsa cried out. "You said there were monsters down there. Let Stalwart's men take care of them. Sneak past them and bring him here!"

"I'll go," Beatrix said. "If it's underground, I can sneak past monsters and men. No one can see me in the darkness."

Elsa turned to look at Lady Bodrick. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then gave up on protesting. "Alright," she said. "But make sure n.o.body sees you getting in."

"I'll be invisible, like the wind," she said. "If they're down there, I'll find them and bring them here."

Right as Beatrix was about to leave the house, however, another guard barged into the mansion. He looked pale and out of breath.

"My lady," he screamed. "I have news, terrible ones I'm afraid."

"Speak, d.a.m.n you!" Elsa screamed. "Why do people always have to announce they have news before explaining?" she mumbled to herself, frustrated.

"Darkstar's been sighted near Merinsk," the guard said. "He's been ambushed by custodians. The whole city's on high alert at the moment."

***

"Run faster, d.a.m.n you!" I screamed at the horse as I kicked it one more time.

Raiya lay in front of me, still unconscious but breathing. There were about twenty riders after me. After I'd cut off that arrogant guard's leg, I decided to vent my anger out on him. I pummeled him with punches until his face was no more than a b.l.o.o.d.y blob. Then I proceeded to slowly cutting his remaining limbs off.

That was enough to scare Nocs and Tina. The old man's fright didn't stop him from throwing all kinds of insults my way though. I was the most wanted man in Biarkh after all. He realized that I was behind the bombings in Merinsk and the death of his daughter in law and granddaughter.

We parted ways there. I took one of the riders' horses and sped off toward Elsa's estate. Not an hour went by, then I saw about twenty riders galloping my way. The old man must have tipped them off. I should have at least cut his tongue off. I knew I had to do something after my ident.i.ty was compromised, but I couldn't bring myself to kill an old man and an innocent child, not after I tortured a rider who had just slapped her.

Far off in the distance, I heard the city bells tolling. I was in deep s.h.i.+t. Raiya was still unconscious, and I couldn't leave her with the old man. My grandfather would surely catch wind of what had happened. He'd make sure everyone told him what they saw. He would take Raiya from the old man and all our plans would fail.

I looked back. More riders had joined the party. I rode west, far from Elsa's estate. I couldn't bring the entire party to her house either. I was on my own. I had to lead them far enough then try to fight back. I cursed my bad luck and my stupid decision making. There was no point in dwelling in past mistakes though. I had to make the best out of a s.h.i.+tty situation.

The horse I stole wasn't willing to obey my orders. I was surprised it hadn't knocked me off its back yet. Nevertheless, I kept kicking it, urging it to move west. There was a river not too far from my location. If I managed to cross it, I'd end up in a forest. It was the best idea I could come up with. I'd have a chance at shaking my tail off, perhaps even double back while they pressed on and get back to Elsa's estate. All of that depended on how fast I could get to the river though. If they were too close to me as I crossed, the chase would never end.

The custodians, on the other hand, were relentless in their pursuit. My horse started showing signs of fatigue. It also started neighing unpleasantly every time I kicked it in the ribs.

I looked back every now and then. The sun was about to set, and its annoying orange hues. .h.i.t me square in the face. I could barely see where I was going. I only relied on the horse's senses to navigate the uneven roads. I knew I was taking a risk by heading that way, but the sun was on my pursuers' faces too.

I kicked the horse once more, and it neighed, complained about the amount of violence I was subjugating it to. It wasn't going any faster though. So, in this desperate situation, I decided to sacrifice the energy I stored in one of my fragment's hands. I willed time to speed up on the horse's muscles, make it run faster, breathe faster.

It worked for a while, as I enlarged the gap between me and the custodians, but the inevitable had to happen. By speeding the horse's organs, I also pushed it faster toward exhaustion. Its forelegs gave up first. Everything else happened in a fraction of a second.

I saw the horse's head drop below me as its legs gave up. I was propelled in the air, while Raiya flew past me at tremendous speed. I fell on my back, and saw the horse roll on its neck and crash right next to me. It missed me by mere inches. It would have crushed my bones if it had landed on me.

The horse died on the spot. Raiya rolled off toward the river I was trying to reach. I looked toward my pursuers. I could hear them urging their mounts to run faster, but I couldn't see them. I had but a few minutes, seconds perhaps, to disappear out of sight before they reached me.