The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles

Chapter Nine: Where is the Key Now??

Jaska observed Empress Renée who held the precious key in her right hand and a glowing sprite creature in her other. A fiendish smirk stretched across his face. They had been caught and Rein wished that the empress would do something besides just stand there in stark terror. If she would at least release Rein...

"Cloid!" Jaska called.

The empress melted and surged into the creek, leaving Rein to fend for herself. The poor pixie, heavy from still being drenched, darted beneath a table as fast as she could with her wounded leg. Cloid and Lazar had exited the study right as the empress took refuge. Immediately Lazar grabbed an empty vase from a side table and scooped her up from the stream. Keeping her inside the vase was a tricky feat, but Cloid managed to plug the opening shut with a clay pot. They thought the fight would be over at that point, but the naiad continued to leak through the gaps between the pot and the vase.

Meanwhile, Jaska went after Rein who desperately searched for a mouse hole of some sort, but found nothing. Jaska repeatedly lunged at her, nearly pouncing on her, desperately trying to catch her and in doing so, made a mess of his palace foyer.

"Rein!" cried the empress as she fought to escape the vase.

Rein's attention snapped to the cry for help and she paused to look in Renée's direction. This gave Jaska the perfect opportunity to snatch her up. He held her tightly with her hands at her sides so she didn't have access to her sword or dagger. The three men took a moment to catch their breath once the scuffle had ended. Jaska addressed Lazar and Cloid.

"Follow me."

Jaska took Rein up the stairs while Cloid and Lazar followed, carrying the empress in the vase. He led them all up five stories to a large, gray room, where the walls were bloodstained and riddled with chains and bolts. On a table to the left Rein observed a number of random objects such as a large porcelain bowl, dead critters, a broken carriage wheel, silverware, whips, and a large birdcage. Jaska locked Rein in the birdcage and hung it from a chain hooked to the tall ceiling. Then he addressed his servants.

"Toss her in there." He gestured to a concrete box. "And grab the key while you're at it."

Lazar unlocked the chain which held the coffer shut and with Cloid's help, lifted the heavy lid to reveal an assortment of strange and disturbing torture devices. As Cloid poured the empress into this frightening trunk of horrors, Lazar reached to grab the key. To Rein's surprise, the empress managed to shoot water down Lazar's windpipe, but the lid was brought down on her before she could finish suffocating him. The bit of water in Lazar's throat rushed back in with the rest of Renée just before they tightly locked the lid with a chain and padlock, but Rein had a new respect for the empress. She didn't know Renée had it in her to fight back.

Cloid took a seat on the box while Lazar squat in front of him, both taking another moment to catch their breath. Pride swelled in Rein. At least she and the empress had made these men work hard for their capture.

"All right," Jaska breathed. "Give me the key and let's go."

Lazar obeyed and together they left the room, locking the door behind them. Rein examined the windowless door to this dull yet horrific room, and she promptly surmised that there was not enough space beneath the door for her to simply slip out. She glanced around and while there were no rodent holes in these walls, she spotted a barred window near the ceiling. She knew she could easily get out of that cage, she would just have to figure out how to get to that window. She continued to scrutinize her prison and learned that there was no rope, no shelves, not enough bolts sticking out of the walls that would help her climb to the window. There weren't even enough cracks and holes; the entire castle was so aggravatingly pristine! So, Rein's next thought was to wait behind the door for the Jaska or his servants to return, and she could sneak out that way.