Scintillate {The Selection}

Chapter 11

The next morning, there was a purposeful knock on the door. May opened the door with a deep curtsey. Caxon strode in with a deliberate beckon to the person behind him. Hero, who was sat on the bed beside me, got up deftly onto her crutches and swung across the room.

"Amyas," she squeals as a tall guard marches into the room, "I haven't seen you in ages!"

Caxon winks at me as Amyas pulls on a long lead. In comes my dog, Boo. I kneel on the floor and clap my hands. She gambols to me and I wrap my arms around her neck and lay my head on hers. Amyas goes to the door and comes back in with an armful of dog things.

He places them down and nods to Rosie to sort them out as he straightens up and places his arm under Hero's to hold her up. I dismiss them and they hobble out of the room. I dismiss May and Masy as well. Caxon gives a nod to May as she leaves. As soon as Rosie has finished, I dismiss her as well.

"Hold on while I get changed." I say to Caxon. He nods and settles on the floor to stroke Boo's head. I step into my walk-in wardrobe to get changed. I pull on a pair of jodhpurs, a tight t-shirt from home and a fleece hoodie. I team these with a pair of knee-high boots and run out to Caxon. I send him into the walk-in wardrobe. He gets changed quickly and rushes out to me.

I hand him a beanie hat that he pulls low on his head.

"Charming," I say with a smile and a kiss on the cheek as I shorten Boo's lead. I slip out of the room. Caxon follows at my heels. We smile and nod as people pass us by. We dash across the lawns to the stables. We mount up fast and gallop off the grounds. I pat Boo's head as she sits in the large saddle-bag on the side of my saddle.

When we get near Gorgia, I clip Boo's lead on and knot the other end to my saddle. I lower her onto the floor and she races onwards as I urge my horse to keep up. When we get into the town, Caxon urges me to dismount and he leads the horses into a small stables, getting his wallet out as he goes.

I stand there, fidgeting with Boo's lead as I wait. Caxon comes to me and takes my hand as he strides briskly while looking at a piece of paper. I tug at Boo's lead as Caxon speeds up. He abruptly turns down an alleyway. He knocks on the door of a narrow house.

A girl about my age comes to the door. She looks at us intensely, "Michelle, someone's here for you!"

The girl from the crowds comes to the door and shoos the girl away.

"America," Caxon whispers as he kisses her on both her cheeks. I embrace her as well.

"Marie, I've heard so much about you," she exclaims. I return the greeting. She leads us upstairs and in through another door which she locks securely behind us.

"What are you here for?" She asks as she gestures for us to sit down.

"I wanted to bring you back with us because Mother worries about you," Caxon tells her.

"I believe that!" she laughs, "They all left me last year with only a little bit of money, I had to get a job and that only just pays for this flat." A tear slips out of her eye so I go to her and hug her. I push her into a seat and Boo leaps up into her lap so she strokes him absent-mindedly.

"Come with us then, live in the Palace and be with your family!" Caxon cries.

"The thing is, I can't, I know the secret," Her sentence is broken off as the door crashes open. A group of scruffy people charge in. Caxon picks up a love seat and throws it out of the window. He gestures for me to jump so I gather Boo up and jump. I fall on the seat and I spring out of the way as America jumps. I help her out of the way and we begin to run as Caxon begins to fall. He is up and running after us as soon as he lands.