The Lost Knight (Volume IV) The Lost Prince

Chapter 22: Cracking Ice

"Agatha, wake up," Dathid insists. His tone makes me jump to my feet just as his iron grip clamps down on my arm. He drags me to my closet without a word, he throws me inside, and orders, "Get dressed. Quickly. We're leaving."

Am I dreaming? Hallucinating? Is this the real Dathid? He doesn't act like this. "Why?" I ask as he slams the closet door shut

"We're under attack." 

Okay, real Dathid. Real danger. I throw on some clothes and am about to put on my boots when he bursts through the door.

"Hey! Privacy," I shout.

He lifts me and tosses me out of the closet. "Where's your armor?"

"Right here," Albína says from across the room.

"Where's Carfron?" I ask, but they ignore me while slamming armor onto my body. Dathid retrieves my weapons, and we're out the door before I even know if I'm awake.

He's dragging me by my wrist, and Albína's shoving me from behind. "Why are you being so pushy? I'm cooperating fully with whatever this is. I haven't asked a single question, and I have lots of them?" I ask, but still no answers.

Dathid weaves us through packed corridors toward the servant's area. I've only been down here once before. They didn't appreciate me being in their way and politely guided me back to the public spaces.

When we reach the bottom of our third flight of stairs, an alarm bell goes off. Sleepy creatures in various states of dress all panic at once. Dathid tightens his grip and yanks me forward, plowing his way through the crowd. "Out of our way!"

Seeing the faces of the terrified villagers slams home the fact that we're in danger. It didn't seem real when he first said it. How could a stronghold like Cromsmead be attacked?

A loud crash from outside rumbles through the hall and shakes the solid stone floor. People scream, and children cry. I may cry, too.

Dathid speeds up, elbowing people out of his way until he gets to a locked door. He pulls a key from his pocket, opens the door, and drags Albína and me through. A woman carrying a small child heaves her way in, but he shoves her out and slams the door. The woman screams for us to let her in while pounding frantically at the door.

Dathid pushes past Albína and me and leads us down the dark hallway. I want to know why we couldn't help that woman, but I've never known this side of him, and I'm scared. He's not seeing any of us as people. The villagers are obstacles he needs to get through because I'm his mission.

"No light," he whispers when I reach for my wand. I take my helmet off, thinking it might help me see better. It doesn't. I don't know why I thought it would. Without a word, Dathid clamps my wrist painfully tight and runs full pace down the corridor. It's pitch black, but the hallway is narrow. I slide my hands over the slimy brick walls to keep my bearings.

"Step," he whispers.

I lift my foot but trip anyway. Albína stumbles too. She's breathing heavy, and she's not going to be able to keep this pace much longer. I reach back to drag her along too.

"Step," he says again. I clear the first stair, but it's actually multiple stairs, so I fall into them. Fortunately for Albína, I cushion her landing when she makes the same mistake.

I must be taking too long because he lifts me from under her by my tunic and sets me on my feet. When I try to help Albína, he grabs my wrist again and drags me through the tunnel. I don't even have time to pick up my helmet.

"We have to slow down, Albína can't keep pace," I plead with him, but he ignores me.

There's a junction in the tunnel. He doesn't hesitate to turn right. I try to jerk my hand free, but he clamps down with such force my knees buckle.

"Dathid, we have to stop. She's not going to know where we went."

I try to halt, but he yanks my arm so hard he hurts my shoulder.

"Albína!" I shout, hoping she can follow my voice.

He abruptly halts, and I crash into him. He slams me against the wall and puts his forearm over my windpipe. I can still breathe, but he's made his point. "Shut up," he says, then releases me and continues to drag me down the hall. 

I'm cooperating now, but he runs incredibly fast. It's terrifying sprinting in the dark. He must know these tunnels well because he has yet to stumble or break stride. He finally slows then stops, giving me time to match his pace, so I don't crash into him again. He's breathing rapidly. I'm glad he's at least out of breath. I'm also glad he's let go of my throbbing arm.

"Albína's never going to find us," I whisper.

"Shut up," he whispers back.

It's too dark to see what he's doing. I'm more frightened of this new Dathid than I am of our attackers.

He grabs my leg, and I jump back, but he has me by the belt. He pushes me roughly against the wall and leans his mouth down against my ear. He has to be able to hear my heart pounding against my ribs.

"Light this, but as dim as possible," he whispers, pulling my wand from its holster. "I need to see if they've blocked the passage. Have your sword ready. We may be exiting this tunnel sooner than anticipated."

I'm shaking so bad; I'm glad he can't see me. However, when I light the tip, the zigzagging light trail betrays my trembling fingers. He grabs my hand and pushes the light between us. His hard, angry face is almost unrecognizable, and so close his breath blows across my nose.

"Sword up. Be ready to run," he whispers. 

My back scrapes against the stones as he slides along the wall taking me with him. He's shielding me from whoever may be around the corner. Guilt hits me so hard I lose focus, and the light almost goes out. I can't let another friend die for me.

We get to the edge of a new tunnel. He moves my arm out and glances down the corridor, and forces my wrist to flick the light.

"Run!" he shouts. The light goes out, and before I can register the command, he yanks my arm and sends me flying in front of him down the dark hallway. I trip over a rock, but he catches me by grabbing my belt. He carries me like a stumbling suitcase until I can regain my footing. I have my wand in one hand and my sword in the other.

My heart is beating so fast I'm afraid it will pop. An unknown, unseen enemy is chasing me down a labyrinth of black tunnels. I imagine all kinds of horrid beasts. Are the walls getting closer? Or maybe the ceiling is falling in. It's so hard to breathe. The dark is like a solid wall. I flick my wand and send bright light up ahead of me. I don't care what Dathid says. 

It's as if a new dawn has risen when I can see where I'm going. The tunnel up ahead is clear. There are a few large rocks on the ground, but they pose no threat now that I can maneuver around them.

Dathid swears and lifts me off my feet, tossing me down a black hole in the wall. He jumps in after me, crushing me between him and the wall.

He holds his sword up to the opening and wraps his other arm around my back. We slide together further into the tunnel. He hasn't told me to put the light out, so I don't. I need to know what's in this tunnel with us. I don't see anything but a few scattered rocks.

"Please tell me what's going on."

"We're under attack. I'm getting you out of the castle," he breathes in my ear. He slides further into the tunnel, but he doesn't loosen his hold on me, so I trip over his feet with every step. He doesn't even notice.

"Who's attacking us?"

"That," he says and points his sword down the empty corridor.

"Rocks?"

He pushes me harder against the wall. "Listen," he whispers.

"I don't hear anything." But when I pay close attention, there's a cracking sound similar to when I'd step on a puddle that had frozen over. It's oddly comforting, familiar. Then a rock falls from the ceiling in front of me.

My pulse pounds in my head. "Rocks are attacking us? What good are swords against rocks?"

"No," he says. "Roots. Roots are pushing the bricks out of the walls. The rumbling we heard earlier was part of the curtain wall coming down."