The Twelve Stars

Chapter 6

It looked like my secret wasn't going to be a secret forever. To think that I would been pardoned for saving the king... I was a fool.

"Just a Messenger, ha? So Grazier told me," Admiral Xavia said. He shoved me into the cell. I fell forward just to turn back around. My hands gripped the bars. "I don't think so. Tell me, that night, was Finn protecting you?"

I glared daggers at him. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" I said.

"You're the one in the cell, kid." And so I was.

He walked away, leaving me with nothing else to do other than make myself at home in this damp, darkly lit place. A minute passed. Then thirty minutes. After an hour, I lost track of time. For a while I brought out my dagger, turning the hilt in my hands to keep my mind busy. The Algiz Rune, a symbol of protection, engraved into it's pommel made it one of a kind. I found comfort in it. Then I pulled up my right hand to examine the scar again, unsuccessfully wondering why the Allcron Stone had scarred both of us with it.

I was just preparing myself to get comfortable for the night when footsteps resonated ahead. Having curled myself up into a ball, I uncurled my arms and legs to show my acknowledgement to whomever it may be. My dagger went back into its scabbard which was covered by the cloak that I still had. A mop of dark hair appeared and then a face, which I knew all too well, came out of the shadows and down the stairs. Finn Blackwell.

"Now before you say anything." He reached my cell and brought out a set of brass keys. "I know you probably don't trust me right now, but I'm here to help you."

"Have I been pardoned?" I asked. He put the key in and turned it.

"People like us will never be pardoned," he said. The grated door opened. He strolled in and reached for my arm.

"Why?" I asked, pulling it back.

"It's not just about you anymore, Callyk," he said.

"It never was."

"I don't like this anymore than you do, but it's come to the point where we need to work together."

"That's a first for you," I said.

"Would you rather stay here and let judgement decide your fate?" he asked. He held out his hand. I glanced it at warily, for a moment unsure if this was just another one of his schemes again. In the end, I only took his hand to show that I trusted him. We headed out of my cell and hurried up the stairs. When we reached the cellar door, I fell behind him, letting him take the lead. He peered out to check for any guards. Once clear, he gestured his hand at me to follow him. We turned left which took us deeper into the west corridor. Outside, night had fallen. "If we don't want to be caught, we will need to take the tunnel system from the library," Finn explained.

"The tunnel system?" I asked hesitantly, remembering the fear that had gripped me down in the Vault.

"The one I used to catch you two in the Vault," he reminded. "Don't worry. We will be invisible down there."

Suddenly, it wasn't so quiet anymore. Whatever silence we had other than the distant chatter among the guards that stood in different parts of the castle, was interrupted by footsteps of a confident stride unlike Finn's hurried one. They were coming from the far corridor on our left. Hearing the approaching footsteps, we both knew it was too late for me to hide. Very soon, the footsteps procured a figure. One that had us stop in our tracks.

"Finn? I thought you were with the king."

A woman of royalty blocked our path. Unable to run without an explanation, Finn nervously scratched his head while I tried, but failed to blend in with our surroundings. The woman in front of us had long, dirty blonde hair that went all the way down to her back and popping green eyes. Her skin was a bronzed pigment. She had high cheek bones and a round jawline. Her tall legs were covered by a gown of emerald-green and long slit sleeves enclosed her broad shoulders.