Indebted

32

The familiar swishing of heavy skirts, rushing through a nearby hallway. "Esti, you need to come with me now, the milk boy can't wait a minute longer." Nigella called from the hallway most direct to the kitchen larders. Esti looked at Mr. Norman. Rushing towards him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you." She told him, trying to stop her watery eyes from overflowing. Norman squeezed her back, almost too tightly. Pulling back, pressing a thick envelope into Esti's hand. Giving her thousands in cash, a card linked to a private bank account held by his sleuth of bears, and most importantly of all, every single way she could contact him or Nigella if she was in trouble.

The gifts included one charmed panic earring. Which when activated, would alert matching earrings Norman and Nigella swore to never remove; along with map pinned to the wall of Norman's office that would find a new, pink headed pin, exactly where Esti was. On Earth or in Fae. The map would let him or Nigella know where they needed to go.

Along with the instructions for her new panic button, directions on how to use the card for money whenever she needed, Nigella and Norman had made sure that they each included letters to Esti. Both wanting to make sure that Esti knew she could still count on them. They would do everything they could, as long as they could for her.

Doros watched, and saw what a real father daughter relationship could be. A family that had come together because they loved each other and no other reason. He wanted his and Erin's kid to look at him one day like Estella was looking at Norman. Want a real bond with his child, not the obligate relationship he had known until he was turned over to the castle to work. It was clear Estella wanted to stay near Norman, but she made herself walk on swift little steps towards Nigella. The stout head of the kitchen near swamping her in a tight embrace.

Doros heard as Nigella tried to impart some last minute advice to Estella. Pressing a small package into her hands, before the echoing hallway, and dense stones swallowed his ability to hear the two women speak. Doros and Norman both watching in the direction Estella and Nigella had left.

Norman, his hand on Doros's shoulder. "You just saved her life, Atticus has been arrested for the murder of Quwent." Norman's sleuth was not large, but they were accurate and timely in their reporting of castle happenings.

Arrested was fine, it would take time to arrange a court session to hear the charges and evidence. Atticus would be safe. For now. Magnus had never once committed an act that could be considered kinslaying. Norman knew better than to doubt that there could be a first time for anything. Esti was his first priority, once she was safely away, Norman vowed that he would try his best to help Atticus as well. Esti was sincerely fond of her mate and Norman would do anything for Esti.

As it seemed Esti, truly liked her mate from all of the interactions Norman had managed to glimpse hidden around the castle. What Nigella and her maids saw and reported back. Esti and Atticus seemed truly in love. So Norman, for Esti, would even to go so far as to willingly help a royal bastard.

Nigella was talking too fast, smelling so nicely of spices and wood smoke. Esti couldn't pay attention. Holding tight to the package. That might have been the last time she saw Mr. Norman. This might be the last time she saw Nigella. She knew they were planning to get her away from here. Which meant, she likely would never be back.

At the door of the cold larder. Opening to a small circular drive, a small modern pickup, was idling. "I don't want to leave you or Mr. Norman." Esti had already lost both parents once. She wasn't ready to feel that ache a second time.

Nigella wrapped her in another hug. "But because Normie and I love you, we both insist that you get in that truck, Sweet Alo is going to take you to a helicopter that is going to take you far away from here." Nigella told Esti. Never letting on that Nigella didn't want to lose Esti, anymore than Esti wanted to leave Nigella and Norman.

Go now, stay low, under the windows, don't be seen until you are outside the border. Esti nodded, running to the truck, hiding herself in the leg space for the passenger, as Alo hit the gas, speeding without seeming to rush to try and get back on his schedule. Trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. The empty glass bottles in the back rattling as the truck drove over the dirt road.

Esti stayed still. Barely wanting to breathe in case that disturbed something. Until she felt the magic of the barrier around the official castle grounds wash over her, she was on the other side. The hold that Magnus had on the land, lessening every second. Atticus was sending his will so strong that he wanted Esti to run, that she was compelled to stay still. Letting herself be driven away from everyone she loved. Believing she wouldn't ever be back.

Every inch of distance Esti put between her and the Castle, the happier Atticus was. Breaking her heart at how glad he was to be away from her. Why would he be so glad to be separated from her, if he wasn't already over her. Glad to move on to someone else. Someone with influence or money instead of her. Maybe he wanted a woman with more experience? Maybe he hadn't enjoyed last night as much as she had?

Why did he leave her alone? Esti didn't have any protections like Lillybelle and Fowl. She had been about to die, and Atticus had kept her alive. For his own reasons. Esti didn't know what to think was true anymore as she let herself be taken farther and farther away from her mate. Alo dropped Esti off in a clearing, just the same moment as a real modern, only ever seen in movies helicopter touched down in the golden colored field of dry grasses. "Go to them, and your new home Estella." Alo near yelled at Esti to be heard over the still spinning blades of the helicopter.

"Thank you." Esti tried to yell over the sound of the helicopter. They were much louder up close than Esti had ever thought possible. It didn't matter, Alo was already nearly entirely deaf and could read lips. He nodded, mouthing "I know", and "go", to Esti, who nodded and ran to the next vehicle while Alo continued on his normal, morning route. Hoping his slight deviation from his routine wouldn't be noticed by anyone.

The word was already going up and down through court, there was a fresh scandal at court, and it was a continuation of the last. Alo didn't know much about the court, and he didn't care, he just wanted to do his job and take care of his family. Heedless and outside of main court life, not even he could avoid all the gossip. He knew Estella Ice Wind would be safer anywhere outside of Magnus's influence. That she hadn't died yet was pretty much the most unbelievable thing that Alo knew to actually be true. He started to write in a notebook, all he knew, thinking that this might be an important record for history.